Types of Accounting Degrees
Updated May 13, 2025
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Key Takeaways
- Degrees in accounting are available at the associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels, each offering distinct pathways. An accounting certificate can also kickstart your journey to a degree.
- Most accounting jobs require a relevant degree. Associate degrees can help you qualify for entry-level roles, while bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs can lead to higher positions and specializations in areas like forensic accounting or taxation.
- Students can pursue accounting degrees with concentrations like taxation, auditing, or forensic accounting. Concentrations prepare workers for specific careers in finance, public accounting, and corporate sectors.
Most accounting jobs — even entry-level roles — require a relevant degree. An associate degree in accounting can offer a helpful starting point for workers interested in this field. However, moving up the career ladder into higher-level roles, like accounting manager or firm partner, often requires a bachelor's or master's degree.
Fortunately, students can pursue several educational options to help prepare them for an accounting career. For example, enrollees can pursue degrees in accounting, finance, or economics to qualify for accounting positions. Additionally, many schools offer multiple accounting concentrations like taxation or management accounting, allowing learners to specialize their knowledge.
For instance, someone interested in government accounting might specialize in forensic accounting or auditing, while a financial accounting concentration may be best suited for someone who plans to work for a private organization's accounting department.
Continue exploring this guide to discover various types of accounting degree levels, specializations, and programs.
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Accounting Degree Levels
Although all types of accounting degrees can lead to an accounting career, higher levels of education can prepare learners for more advanced roles and certifications.
Undergraduate certificates and associate degrees help qualify learners for entry-level positions and introduce students to the accounting world. However, employers commonly require workers in this field to hold a bachelor's degree because of graduates' advanced knowledge about topics like taxation and business finance.
Although all types of accounting degrees can lead to an accounting career, higher levels of education can prepare learners for more advanced roles and certifications.
Students interested in becoming a certified public accountant (CPA) or having a managerial role in accounting may benefit from a master's degree or graduate certificate in specialty areas like auditing or public accounting. A Ph.D. in accounting can pave the way for a career as an accounting professor or researcher.
Learn more about each degree level in detail below.
Certificate
A certificate briefly introduces students to accounting or an associated niche topic. Although not a degree or a professional license, accounting certificates can provide a path to a more substantial educational credential. For example, some schools allow enrollees to "stack" several related certificates into a full degree.
Often requiring 9-45 credits, certificate programs usually take at least six months, while others last a full year. Courses may include an introduction to accounting, federal taxation, and business law. An undergraduate certificate can help bookkeepers move into entry-level accounting positions, while an accounting graduate certificate can help enrollees meet the academic requirements for CPA licensure.
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Associate
An accounting associate degree takes longer to complete than a certificate, but less time than a bachelor's. It usually requires enrollees to earn 60-66 credits over two years of full-time study. The curriculum consists of a general education core and electives, plus an accounting major. Accounting courses typically include finance, marketing, managerial accounting, and business math.
Most technical colleges, community colleges, and some four-year institutions offer associate degrees. Students can pursue an associate of arts (AA), associate of science (AS), or associate of applied science (AAS) in accounting. Often, learners can transfer their associate degree credits toward a bachelor's degree, especially at two-year schools that partner with four-year colleges and universities. Graduates can qualify for some entry-level careers in accounting.
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Bachelor's
A bachelor's degree in accounting meets the educational requirements for careers like accountant and auditor. Earning a bachelor's degree takes four years of full-time study, though some institutions offer accelerated programs. Accounting majors usually complete a minimum of 120 credits. Graduates may earn a BS, BA, bachelor of accounting (BAcc), or bachelor of business administration (BBA) degree with an accounting concentration.
During a bachelor's program in accounting, undergrads complete courses in areas such as financial accounting, auditing, managerial accounting, and accounting information systems. Accounting majors also complete general education courses that build critical thinking and analytical skills.
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Master's
Building on a four-year bachelor's degree, a master's program in accounting immerses students in advanced concepts in the field. These programs may confer an MS, MAcc, or MBA. Often, MS degrees focus on accounting principles, while MAcc programs emphasize advanced skills. MBAs in accounting are general business leadership degrees that incorporate an accounting concentration.
Most accounting master's programs require students to earn 30-36 credits in 1-3 years of full-time study. Core courses may include data analytics for accountants and strategic cost accounting. Some master's degrees offer concentrations in fields such as taxation, auditing, or financial analysis and reporting. Graduates may pursue careers as forensic accountants, internal auditors, finance managers, or CPAs.
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Doctorate
A doctorate is the highest degree awarded in the accounting field. A doctoral program in accounting prepares graduates to serve as researchers, college professors, or advanced accounting analysts. The curriculum in a Ph.D. in accounting typically focuses on original research, while a doctor of business administration (DBA) with an accounting concentration emphasizes real-world applications of accounting concepts.
Doctorates usually take 3-5 years to earn and require about 60 credits on top of a master's degree. Courses may include advanced auditing, tax research and jurisprudence, and accounting ethics. Ph.D. students complete their doctorates with a traditional dissertation, which requires original research, and DBA students usually conduct an applied doctoral project.
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Accounting Degree Concentrations
Depending on the institution, students can choose between a general accounting degree or an accounting program with a specific concentration. Schools offer both options via online, in-person, and hybrid programs.
Auditing, financial accounting, taxation, forensic accounting, and management accounting are among the most common concentration options.
A general accounting program provides a comprehensive curriculum across the accounting field. In contrast, an accounting degree with a specific concentration offers more classes related to a particular subfield. For example, a taxation specialization doesn't offer the same breadth as a general program. Instead, students take more coursework dedicated to taxation concepts, like individual and corporate tax, for a deeper knowledge of this topic.
Auditing, financial accounting, taxation, forensic accounting, and management accounting are among the most common concentration options. Find descriptions for these and other accounting concentrations below.
Actuarial Science
Courses in actuarial science teach students to calculate risk and determine the financial costs associated with insurance. Enrollees who specialize in actuarial science take classes in probability, statistics, modeling, and financial mathematics. This concentration can help prepare graduates for actuary certification exams.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), actuaries earned a median salary of $125,770 in 2024. These professionals usually need at least a bachelor's degree, and most work in finance or insurance.
Auditing
Auditors evaluate financial documents to ensure their accuracy and regulatory compliance. Auditing concentration classes strengthen learners' analytical and investigative skills and explore best practices for internal and external auditing. Enrollees may also study forensic accounting and fraud examination, which can lead to fraud and forensic auditor jobs.
Auditing roles typically require at least a bachelor's degree. Graduates can qualify for careers like internal auditor, tax auditor, external auditor, and government auditor.
Bookkeeping
Bookkeepers work for organizations, recording financial transactions and maintaining accounting documents. A concentration in bookkeeping strengthens financial reporting and accounting skills. Students learn to manage a general ledger and report financial information. Coursework in this specialization also covers career-focused math and auditing skills.
Either an undergraduate bookkeeping certificate program or an associate degree with a bookkeeping focus can prepare you for bookkeeper careers. These programs typically take 1-2 years to complete.
Cost Accounting
A cost accounting concentration focuses on internal accounting operations, including financial planning and budgeting. Cost accounting classes explore evaluating operational metrics, identifying inefficiencies, and making decisions based on cost accounting information. In addition to accounting classes, learners pursuing a cost accounting concentration study operations management.
This specialization prepares graduates for jobs as cost accountants in diverse fields like government, manufacturing, and construction. Cost accounting training can lead to careers in analysis, management, and consulting.
Economics
Economics studies how society allocates goods and services. An accounting degree with an economics concentration examines how businesses make economic decisions. Courses in microeconomics, investment finance, macroeconomics, and global commerce introduce concepts like resource allocation and financial markets.
Adding economics coursework to an accounting degree can improve skills like logical reasoning, statistical modeling, and cost-benefit analysis. An economics concentration also helps graduates pursue careers in corporate finance, international business, and accounting.
Finance
Accounting programs explore financial analysis and reporting, while the discipline of finance focuses on investing, forecasting, and financial management. A finance concentration for an accounting degree blends these two knowledge bases together. Students explore corporate finance, financial modeling, and international financial management while developing analytical, decision-making, and management skills.
Professionals who add a finance concentration to their accounting degree can qualify for roles like financial analyst, personal financial advisor, and financial accountant.
Financial Accounting
Financial accounting emphasizes reporting financial information — especially external reporting. In financial accounting courses, enrollees learn to apply accounting principles as they evaluate organizations' financial health and report their findings.
While accounting majors often take several financial accounting courses as part of their degree, this concentration offers greater depth into the analytical and reporting knowledge for financial accountant roles.
With a financial accounting specialization, graduates can qualify for auditor, financial accountant, and budget analyst jobs.
Forensic Accounting
Forensic accountants investigate financial crimes using accounting skills. Classes in a forensic accounting concentration explore techniques for examining fraud, financial cybercrime, and related crimes. Students learn to identify evidence for financial malfeasance and collaborate with law enforcement, including acting as expert witnesses in court.
After graduating with a concentration in forensic accounting, professionals can work as fraud examiners, auditors, and forensic accountants.
Information Systems
Financial and accounting organizations increasingly rely on technology to manage information. An information systems concentration adds technology skills to an accounting degree. Students pursuing this specialization learn to manage accounting databases, use financial software, and manage IT teams. They also study accounting networks and security procedures.
Bachelor's programs typically offer upper-division information systems classes, and students can also earn a master's in accounting with an information systems focus. With both accounting and tech skills, graduates can qualify for accountant, accounting systems manager, and management analyst roles.
Management Accounting
Management accounting draws on financial information to make managerial decisions. In management accounting courses, learners explore financial planning, accounting controls, and strategic problem-solving.
While most accounting majors take a management accounting course as part of their graduation requirements, this concentration adds additional upper-division classes. Degree-seekers can also earn a master's in management accounting.
With a management accounting specialization, graduates can qualify for management accountant, cost accountant, and accounting manager careers. The concentration can also help learners prepare for credentials like certified management accountant.
Mergers and Acquisitions
Accounting professionals play an important role in corporate mergers and acquisitions. A concentration in this area typically includes classes about corporate restructuring, mergers and acquisitions modeling, and business valuation.
This specialized path of study trains graduates to evaluate corporate merger plans, recommend acquisition strategies, and shepherd organizations through acquisitions. These skills help prepare professionals for careers in mergers and acquisitions, financial management, and risk analysis.
Statistics
Statistics programs explore methods of analyzing and extracting insights from quantitative data. They often cover mathematical statistics and probability, data analysis, and statistical computing. Compared to general accounting, statistics programs study data analysis methods in much greater depth.
Some schools offer statistics concentrations within business or accounting programs, though they may be called data science, data analytics, or business analytics specializations. Graduates of these programs typically work in business analytics or data science roles.
Taxation
A taxation concentration adds more public accounting and taxation coursework to a general accounting degree. This specialization prepares graduates for careers as tax professionals, including CPA roles.
During a taxation accounting degree program, students take courses in corporate taxation, income tax law, and real estate tax regulations. They learn to evaluate tax regulations and prepare tax returns and other financial documents. In addition to the CPA career path, graduates can work as tax analysts or personal financial advisors.
Questions About Types of Accounting Degrees
What is the best degree for accounting?
The best degree for accounting depends on your career goals and existing education. Students may prefer the flexibility and breadth bachelor's degrees offer. These undergraduate programs can help you qualify for accounting careers with higher-than-average salaries and faster-than-average growth potential while doubling as a knowledge base you can easily upgrade through further education.
Is accounting a four-year degree?
Bachelor's programs in accounting typically take four years of study if you enter as a first-time, first-year undergraduate and study full time. You can reduce this timeline if you have transferable college credits or if you enroll in an accelerated program.
Is accounting a hard major?
Some students may find accounting a hard major because the field engages technical business concepts, complex mathematical operations, and close attention to detail. However, you can succeed with dedication and hard work – even if you initially find accounting difficult.
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