Accounting Degree Advice

[jcarter]

Hi All,

I am nearing an Accounting degree completion and was wondering if anyone with experience in the field or who has completed a degree in Accounting recently can offer their opinions.

I am currently 29, and have been working in entry level related accounting roles for a few years now.

I worked as an A/P Clerk for a major fortune 500 company for 16 months, and before that was a full cycle bookkeeper so while not glamorous, I do have some basic financial experience.

Now, I have taken Accounting and general business coursework at a local Oregon college, as well as several CLEP, and I applied to Thomas Edison State College and am only 5 classes away from having a BSBA in Accounting.

My eventual goal is to enroll in an Masters in Taxation and become a CPA.

But, with a degree from TESC, I am concerned that I will have a hard time getting a job either in industry or public. Do you think I would be best starting fresh and taking another year or so and spending more time and money on finding a different online program with more recognition? (I cannot afford to go to campus- I have a family and need to be working) Or alternatively, should I continue on and get this degree and then enroll in a MTAX program from a more reputable school to increase my marketability?



So far I have come up with three options: Eastern Oregon University, Southern Oregon University, Peru State College.

My concern is just from doing a Google search on Linkedin everyone in my area has graduated from well known schools such as Oregon State University, University of Oregon, etc.. that I am concerned I will have a hard time securing a consideration even with some limited experience and an interest in writing the CPA.

On the other hand- I could save more time with a TESC degree and could enroll in an MTAX with a reputable university for resume purposes.

Any advice is appreciated- thanks.

[sanantone]

Since you live in Oregon, the Oregon schools you listed will have more name recognition there. However, those two Oregon schools and Peru State College are ranked so low, their ranks are not published. That means they are at or below the 25th percentile. In other words, they are just slightly above TESC in prestige. You would probably be better off finishing up quickly at TESC and getting a master's degree at a better-ranked school since your ultimate goal is to become a CPA.

[jcarter]

Another thing to mention is that I am moving to Illinois in a few months so the Oregon connection will not be as relevant.

[sanantone]

Well then, the only bonus with the Oregon schools is that people can tell where they are by their names, but they will still know nothing about them. Peru State College and Thomas Edison State College are equally unrecognizable.

[cannoda]

Hi All,

On the other hand- I could save more time with a TESC degree and could enroll in an MTAX with a reputable university for resume purposes.

Any advice is appreciated- thanks.

That's your answer. A MST is a specialty degree. Anyone hiring you for a tax position is going to be looking at your MST school and graduate-level performance. Your undergrad degree would only come up in a discussion about eligibility for CPA licensure.

[dmateosg]

Hi!
I am finishing up a degree in accounting at TESC, and I've done quite a bit of research into recruiting at CPA firms and in industry. I think that you need to consider what your goals are, and take a look at the different schools that are available to you.
If your goal is to get into the Big 4 right out of undergrad, then you absolutely must go to a school that has recruiters on campus, and meet the firm type events. Even if you choose to go to one of the local universities you are at a significant disadvantage because recruiting is usually started in the sophomore or junior year.
It's safe to say that if you want to get in with one of the Big 4, chances are slim to none at this point regardless of your undergrad school.
That leads to grad school, where the same rules apply. You will need to be meeting recruiters from day one, and if you do an online program in taxation you will be at a disadvantage as far as the big 4 go. I would say, though, that I don't think TESC will limit you as far as grad school. I think that your GPA and GMAT scores will be the deciding factor. I know of one TESC graduate who got into the MBA program at Vanderbilt, which is listed as #25 or so in the US.

Now, if you graduate from any program, you will most likely be able to find a local accounting firm, or even try for one of the big 10 after you are eligible to sit for the CPA. If public accounting isn't really your cup of tea, industry pays less, but is less generally less demanding. The CPA exam will open a lot of doors, and is a much bigger factor than your school.

[EI2HCB]

Hi All,

I am nearing an Accounting degree completion and was wondering if anyone with experience in the field or who has completed a degree in Accounting recently can offer their opinions.

I am currently 29, and have been working in entry level related accounting roles for a few years now.

I worked as an A/P Clerk for a major fortune 500 company for 16 months, and before that was a full cycle bookkeeper so while not glamorous, I do have some basic financial experience.

Now, I have taken Accounting and general business coursework at a local Oregon college, as well as several CLEP, and I applied to Thomas Edison State College and am only 5 classes away from having a BSBA in Accounting.

My eventual goal is to enroll in an Masters in Taxation and become a CPA.

But, with a degree from TESC, I am concerned that I will have a hard time getting a job either in industry or public. Do you think I would be best starting fresh and taking another year or so and spending more time and money on finding a different online program with more recognition? (I cannot afford to go to campus- I have a family and need to be working) Or alternatively, should I continue on and get this degree and then enroll in a MTAX program from a more reputable school to increase my marketability?



So far I have come up with three options: Eastern Oregon University, Southern Oregon University, Peru State College.

My concern is just from doing a Google search on Linkedin everyone in my area has graduated from well known schools such as Oregon State University, University of Oregon, etc.. that I am concerned I will have a hard time securing a consideration even with some limited experience and an interest in writing the CPA.

On the other hand- I could save more time with a TESC degree and could enroll in an MTAX with a reputable university for resume purposes.

Any advice is appreciated- thanks.

I recently began working as a bookkeeper in Illinois, I'm doing a degree in business and H.R but I've considered the CPA. I'm not sure you need the Masters to be a CPA in Illinois although you will need post graduate credits. Is Illinois a long term move? You might want to focus on local IL colleges be careful not to enroll in any of them until you establish residence in the State 1 year I think as if you enroll before you'll be locked in to non-resident fees. Most people I'm in contact with in accounting went to NIU which is just outside of Chicago its about as expensive as Excelsior and possibly TESC. I think the GAP policy will be similar in IL as your state. I'm from Ireland so I'm adjusting to the IRS system. I'm off now to work on some end of quarter books but please let me know how you get on in your journey.