Most children don't dream of becoming accountants when they grow up. But if you're looking for a profession that is constantly in demand (and pays well), through good economic times and bad, then accounting may actually be your dream job.
Accounting is essentially the basis of all good business: knowing where the money is and where it is going. And as such, accountants are present wherever business is happening, analyzing financial performance and limiting chances of failure.
But not all accountants end up crunching numbers in accounting firms. Accounting is a broad field, and there are many areas of specialization from forensic accounting to litigation support as well as newer fields like environmental accounting.
Chances are if you are good with numbers you can probably find a niche that interests you. And if you're looking for other online education niches, take a look at our ranking of the top online colleges and universities.
What kind of Online Master's in Accounting degree should you get?
At College Choice we understand the importance of accreditation and all schools on our list are regionally accredited. And many of the programs on the list have additional business accreditation from one of the three programmatic accrediting bodies:
AACSB: The oldest and most established accreditation, mainly awarded to universities which concentrate on research.
ACBSP: A newer, but no less respectable accrediting body which has a more practical, innovative focus.
IACBE: A recently recognized accreditation with less prestige attached, but nevertheless a sign that a business school is meeting established standards of quality.
Pursuing a masters in accounting ensures that you will gain the necessary range of knowledge and practical skills you need – and opens doors to a wide range of career options, both nationally and internationally. But if leaving work for a traditional, on-campus program isn't feasible for you, there are many high-quality, accredited online programs that employers will take seriously.
Sponsored Accounting Programs
How much money can you make with an Online Master's in Accounting degree?
Accounting can be a very lucrative career. The BLS reports the median salary of accountants at a respectable $67,190 per year (around $32/hour), but keep in mind that holders of credentials like Certified Public Accountant, Certified Management Accountant and Certified Fraud Examiner, can demand more in terms of salary and benefits than their uncertified colleagues.
And even with the inevitable shifts in the economy, it seems certain that the need for accountants isn't going away anytime soon. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects an 11% rate of job growth between 2014 and 2024, faster than average for most occupations.
Bolstering those findings is the AICPA's 2015 statistical study of trends in the supply and demand for public accounting recruits which reported that out of all new hires, master's degree hires saw the largest growth, with an 11% increase since 2012.
What can you do with an Online Master's in Accounting?
The most obvious choice for a career post-graduation is to be an accountant. Makes sense, right? But there is also a huge range of other positions that you would be highly qualified for with an online master's in accounting. Here's a look at some of the top paying jobs in this field:
Chief Financial Officer
Managerial Accountant
Forensic Accountant
Financial Analyst
Keep your eye out for programs that offer specializations or concentrations in a specific field like Forensics, Healthcare, Financial Planning, or Information Technology. These are great ways to silo your skills into tangible career outcomes.
Learn more about the requirements to become an accountant.
What are the Best Online Master's in Accounting Degrees?
With so many online options, though, the task of finding the best program can be overwhelming. But we at College Choice have your back. We've sorted through the top online colleges, weighing standard academic reputation rankings, program tuition, early career earnings, and school acceptance rates to produce a list of the Best Online Masters in Accounting programs.
We hope our list helps you find the best program for you!
Rankings
See our rankings methodology page.
