Accounting and finance certification offers students to study generalized accounting or a certain accounting topic in detail and also prepares students for the next steps in their work or educational career. There are two important kinds of accounting certification. In that a few certification are designed for recent high school graduates without a specific accounting education who are preparing for entry-level accounting positions. These credentials are perfect for those trying to attain work experience in these areas before beginning an associate’s or bachelor’s degree.
There are several other certification, which are aimed at well-experienced professionals in the accounting field who want to expand their professional skill set. These accounting programs are developed for those who have already earned or are in the process of pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree, and those preparing for licensing and certification designations. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reports that around 815 not-for-profit colleges and universities in the US provide accounting and finance certification.
Aspiring accounting professionals without undergraduate degrees usually register in introductory accounting and programming certification programs to prepare for jobs which include accounting clerk or bookkeeper. These professionals earn a median annual salary of $41,230, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and can serve as stepping stones to higher-paying positions.
Several students usually utilize the graduate-level accounting and finance certification to meet the educational needs for professional certifications which include Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or Certified Management Accountant (CMA). Accountants and auditors made a median annual salary of $71,550.
Why doing accounting and finance certification is useful?
Accounting certification provide several professional advantages to both new and experienced accounting professionals. Many students without college degrees usually choose accounting and finance program certification to qualify for entry-level clerking or bookkeeping positions, while college graduates may help certification to help meet professional certification needs.
The accounting and finance certification goal is that the new accounting students provide foundational qualifications that will transfer to accounting associate degree or bachelor’s degree programs. More advanced accounting certification programs also provide qualifications that transfers to accounting master’s or Ph.D. programs.
• Objectives of doing accounting certification
a) To understand basic concepts of accounting
It is very important to understand the fundamentals of accounting concepts in entry-level accounting positions. Students in the entry-level accounting and finance program will get a wide overview of accounting principles and must be able to apply basic accounting skills, which are valued in almost all the entry-level positions, which include financial record keeping, tax preparation, and payroll administration.
b) To perform quantitative and record-keeping
Individuals who have accounting and finance programs must possess the ability to reliably report financial information, budgets, and payroll activity. Accounting accuracy, and high professional standards, and ethical behavior, are critical in the accounting field. As these are very helpful to perform accurate quantitative and record-keeping skills.
c) Further study or CPA
Individuals who are interested in an undergraduate or graduate degree, an accounting and finance certifications will offer basic knowledge to help further study or for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) examination. Graduates with bachelor’s or master’s degrees can also opt to finish the accounting certification as a part of their preparation for the CPA examination and to meet the 150-hour rule.
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