An online Accounting Degree can provide a basis for many different career paths including of course accounting, but also finance, management, business, and even legal careers. Within the accounting field there are numerous specialization paths including general accounting, public accounting (CPA), tax accounting, auditing, and corporate accounting to name a few.
What Kind Of Online Accounting Degree Can You Earn?
Degree programs in accounting that are available online consist of Associates Degrees, Bachelor’s Degrees and Master’s Degrees. These are often further broken down into Arts degrees and Science degrees dependent primarily upon the nature of supportive or general education courses required in addition to accounting courses. For example, a Bachelor of Arts Degree (BA) may have a requirement for foreign language classes in order to graduate where a Bachelor of Science Degree (BS) might not. I have seen some colleges waive the foreign language requirement for students who have English as a second language to their native language.
In most cases, completing a Bachelor’s Degree online whether it be in Accounting or any other field will take from three to five years to finish. Prior courses or degrees (even in unrelated fields) can drastically shorten this time but two years will likely be the minimum time required. An Associates Degree is generally two years of study and a Master’s is typically two years as well with a prior Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent.
How Are Online College Degrees Taught?
Online courses generally follow one of two designs, synchronous or asynchronous. Synchronous basically means that online students follow the course instruction the same way a campus class would. All students are present for classes at the same time and in some cases there is an actual campus class that the online students are following and interacting with.
Asynchronous classes follow a schedule but there is much more flexibility on the students part. There might be weekly assignments and homework but students have the ability to make their own schedules and can choose any time of the day or night to receive instruction and turn in course work. There are of course deadlines for the completion of the work so students need to be organized and self-motivated.
Online Accounting Degree Programs and Technology
Online Accounting Degree programs rely heavily on technology to deliver a quality educational program as does any online college program. Students should be somewhat familiar and comfortable with Internet access and using a computer. Teaching and assignment completion are handled in an online environment and many programs have an opportunity to interact with both the instructor and other students.
Online degree programs are ideally suited to students who need the flexibility that online courses (also known as “distance learning”) offer. Whether due to geographic barriers, employment or family obligations, online college classes allow prospective students the opportunity to further their education without having to alter their current lifestyle commitments.