Accounting vs Business Admin

[Rustydroid]

Hey guys I posted a thread here about completing a degree with Excelsior or TESU. Thanks for all the responses. I was wondering what everybody thinks of a Business Admin vs Accounting. I started with a Business Admin and I've completed Financial accounting and a few business classes. 
I went with Business Admin because it seems more flexible for me since I'm an experienced tradesman and I also have worked as a Power Plant operator. I'm getting near the top of my pay scale and I need to be eventually be a supervisor then a manager if I want to make more money in the future. However in order to be a manager I do need a four year degree.
So with that in mind I went for a Business Admin degree. I also planning on completing an Excelsior College Degree an Associates is Engineering Tech I believe since that's what they award based on my Navy schools. 
Now that I've taken a few Business classes I've come to realize that a Business Admin Degree sits just a bit above a History Degree when it comes to being worth something in the job market. I'm middle aged with experience in other fields so I'm thinking that it may be worthless for new college grads but not so much for me specially with supervisory experience. I took an accounting class and got an A and I found it interesting. Stimulating might be the better word and one of my professors keeps telling people to major in something else other then Business Admin. 
So I've been thinking about accounting since it seems more useful as a degree but I would probably not work in that field. I basically just need a degree but accounting sounds like a good back up. Also a lot of the classes between Accounting and Business Admin are the same except that with accounting you take a lot more accounting classes. I'm just wondering what others think.

[Yenisei]

Accounting is a subset of Business Admin, and accounting knowledge is of course helpful to managers with budgetary responsibility. Take Managerial Accounting, Intermediate Accounting I and II and Cost Accounting and then see if you still like accounting. It's a perfectly useful major for a manager.

[davewill]

I think your terms are a bit mixed up. Business administration is the general degree, specializations include General Management, Accounting, Finance, CIS, etc... I suspect that General Management was the degree specialization you were being warned against although I don't entirely agree with that assessment. However, if you enjoyed the accounting courses, then that's a great reason to go that way.

You might also check out Finance, another popular specialization for managers.

[dfrecore]

I think you're wrong in a BSBA being useless in the market. And the concentration is not as important as you might think. But, if you want to do the Accounting concentration, by all means do so. I don't think it will make you any extra or less money, except if you actually wanted to go into Accounting, in which case you're much better off getting any business degree, and then an MS in accounting. Accounting jobs with a BS and no experience are not entry level, but they are barely mid-level jobs. If you want to actually make some money, then an MS in accounting or a CPA is the way you want to go. Because of your age, and the cost of the WGU MS in Accounting degree, I think that might be your fastest and cheapest option.

[Yenisei]

Just an FYI, but the WGU MS in Accounting has a BS/BSBA in Accounting as an admission requirement. It's only a little more difficult to get a BSBA in Accounting at TESU than the BSBA in General Management.

[dfrecore]

Just an FYI, but the WGU MS in Accounting has a BS/BSBA in Accounting as an admission requirement. It's only a little more difficult to get a BSBA in Accounting at TESU than the BSBA in General Management.

Yes, I didn't explain it well.  A BSBA in Accounting from TESU followed by a MS in Accounting from WGU.

Otherwise, a BSBA in Accounting doesn't mean a whole lot, as there aren't enough accounting classes to get you a higher-paying job in accounting.  It's about as good as a BSBA in General Management.

BTW - a BSBA in Accounting is not the same as a BS in Accounting, which would actually be more useful IF you want to work in accounting.  But many jobs are still going to require a MS.

[frank.f.franky]

Go for the accounting and get a CPA and you'll never be out of work

You don't need Masters just 150 hours. 

And you don't have to live in the state to sit for the exam in the state.


https://thiswaytocpa.com/licensure/state-requirements/

Best place, IMO or easiest is DC, pass the test and work: "1 year in government, industry, academia or public practice."

[alexf.1990]

If you're just looking to check a box, go with the degree that can be completed the quickest. As others have said, the concentration of your BSBA isn't important to employers. It'll be even less important to someone in your position, where the degree is just a way to appease HR.

[Yenisei]

Just an FYI, but the WGU MS in Accounting has a BS/BSBA in Accounting as an admission requirement. It's only a little more difficult to get a BSBA in Accounting at TESU than the BSBA in General Management.

Yes, I didn't explain it well.  A BSBA in Accounting from TESU followed by a MS in Accounting from WGU.

Otherwise, a BSBA in Accounting doesn't mean a whole lot, as there aren't enough accounting classes to get you a higher-paying job in accounting.  It's about as good as a BSBA in General Management.

BTW - a BSBA in Accounting is not the same as a BS in Accounting, which would actually be more useful IF you want to work in accounting.  But many jobs are still going to require a MS.

I checked my alma mater's requirements for a BS in Accounting, and they require 27 credits in accounting as opposed to 18 for TESU and 15 for Excelsior. It wouldn't be too difficult to take some more accounting courses and use them as general electives.

[Rustydroid]

Go for the accounting and get a CPA and you'll never be out of work

You don't need Masters just 150 hours. 

And you don't have to live in the state to sit for the exam in the state.


https://thiswaytocpa.com/licensure/state-requirements/

Best place, IMO or easiest is DC, pass the test and work: "1 year in government, industry, academia or public practice."

That's sort of what i was thinking as well. However my goal does not involve working in accounting but you never know what the future holds. On the last recession about a quarter of my department was laid off. 
I signed up with TESU for their Health Care management degree but I haven't talked to them yet. I work in a Hospital so it sounds like it might please the higher ups. 
My local community college offers a lot of accounting classes and one of the professors is really good at explaining things. He is one of the ones that got me thinking about accounting. First day of class he said that he attended that very same Community College then transferred to a Cal state school to complete his accounting degree. Then he went on to relate how his bro who worked as a waiter went on to get a History degree. 
After they both graduated my professor got a lot of job offers while his bro kept on working as a waiter for some years.