Climbing the corporate ladder with an associate degree in management accounting

A career in management accounting can provide students with many unique job opportunities. Management accountants are responsible for key financial and statistical financial information that are required by managers to make day to day decisions and short term decisions for the company. They record and analyze the financial information of the company in order to allow upper management make key decisions about company. Many management accountants begin at a lower level and work their way up to management accountants. An associate degree in management accounting can provide students with an excellent opportunity in a growing field.

Accounting industry outlook

An associate degree in management accounting can provide students with numerous career opportunities. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), accounting jobs are expected to grow by 22 percent from 2008 to 2018. The job growth is expected to rise much faster than other industries because of the demand for qualified professionals for the growing numbers of businesses.

Accounting careers

There are many different career paths for students with an education in accounting. Students can choose to specialize in many different areas of accounting depending on what their interests are. Some of the top careers in accounting include but are not limited to:

• Public accountants are responsible for a broad range of accounting, auditing, tax and consulting activities for their clients. Clients can range from large companies to individuals. The mean annual salary for public accountants as reported by the BLS was $67,430 in May 2009.
• Management accountants record and analyze the financial information of a company. They are also responsible for budget and cost and asset management. The mean annual salary for management accountants as reported by the BLS in May 2009 was $66,330.
• Internal auditors work to ensure the internal financial operations of a company are following government regulations. They check for mismanagement, waste and fraud as well as the efficiency of a company to ensure the company is operating to its fullest potential. Internal auditors had a mean annual salary of $67,430 as reported by the BLS in May 2009.

Many employers prefer accounting professionals to have their professional certification as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). An accountant is required by law to be certified as a CPA in order to file a report with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Each state regulates the certification process for accountants with their State Board of Accountancy.

Management accounting education

In order to work in management accounting, students must have the required education and training to work in a professional setting. An online associate degree in management accounting can provide you with the required education to become an entry-level accounting professional, though if you wish to become a CPA you will be required to seek more education including a bachelor's degree and a certification program. Associate degree programs typically last two to four years and are designed to teach you the required skills for management accounting careers. Students can benefit from an online associate degree program in management accounting because of the flexibility online degree programs offer. Some of the coursework students may encounter include:

• Economics
• Accounting
• Mathematics
• Law and government
• Administration and management

Students are also often advised to participate in a summer internship program in order to gain experience in a real life setting.

An associate degree in management accounting can lead you to seek out further education while giving you the skills to enter the workforce as an accounting professional.

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