Accounting PHD Programs

In general, accounting PHD programs require 2 years of course work to complete, however, some schools may require 3 years to finish. They usually consist of written and oral qualifying and comprehensive exams and a dissertation.

Some accounting PHD programs have a dissertation phase of 3 to 4 years, depending upon the dissertation committee, the opinion of the faculty regarding the dissertation phase, and your committment to completing it.

For those who wish to work independently, you can get an online accounting degree at the PHD level. The classes you take will depend upon the type of accounting careers you wish to pursue. This can be a bit of a challenge initially, as the majority of students who enroll in accounting PHD programs are unsure of the type of research they want to do.

Students enrolled in such a program will normally enroll in 3 accounting research seminars. They are designed to enhance a students knowledge of research and independent research methods. In addition, 2 independent research projects to be completed during the 1st and 2nd years of enrollment in an accounting PHD program are standard.

The 1st project that is to be completed will require the student to research an area of accounting, review the present materials on the subject and begin researching a hypothesis. The 2nd project requires the student to complete the research and compile the results.

Along with the required seminar projects, students will take courses that are in line with their research goals. The basic coursework that accounting PHD program students take are: Regression and Correlation, Seminar In Financial Theory, Congitive Psychology, and Introduction To Econometrics.

After successfully completing the coursework, students will have a firm grasp of accounting concepts related to general linear regression, autocorrelation, financial asset valuation, stepwise regression and elementary matrix algebra.

Methods Of Obtaining A PHD In Accounting

Generally speaking, accounting PHD programs offer two avenues of completion, known as archival and behavioral. The archival path focuses on finance and economics. The behavioral path emphasises psychology.

Depending on the school offering the program, they may only have archival or behavorial to choose from, while other schools have an option that combines both. If you are confident in your math, calculus, finance and economics skills, the archival route might be the best fit for you. If your strengths lie in the areas of how and why people make decisions, and in psychology-based topics, the behavorial route would be a good choice for you.

Another thing to keep in mind when choosing between the archival and behavorial routes is the area of accounting that you find most interesting. Most areas of accounting can be studied from either an archival or behavorial perspective, however, you should make sure that the school has professors who do research in the area you are interested in.

For example, your goal might be to study financial accounting at a school that has well known financial accounting professors. But if you want to do archival financial accounting research and the professors at that school do behavioral financial accounting research, the accounting PHD programs offered at that school are probably not right for you.

Choices For Accounting Careers

There are a variety of career paths in the accounting profession. They typically start with entry level bookkeepers and proceed up to the Chief Financial Officer of an organization.

To reach jobs with greater responsibility and bigger saleries, you will need to have a graduate degree in accounting as well as professional certifications and designations.

Becoming a CPA – Certified Public Accountant is considered a huge point of an accountant’s career path. In order to achieve this designation, you will need to major in accounting and successfully pass the national CPA examination.

In addition, you will need to work with and gain experience from working with a CPA firm. The amount of time varies from state to state, however 2 years is the general rule. Once you have achieved these requirements, you will be able to offer your trade to the general public as a Certified Public Accountant.

For many, this step is just one of many while advancing along the accountant career path. In general terms, a controller is considered the chief account for a business operation. Along with preparing the financial statements, is the controllers responsibility to manage the entire accounting system as well as keep up with the latest accounting and tax laws.

Budgeting and financial planning are also duties of a controller. Smaller companies may have a single accountant who controls everything. Once an organization grows, additional employees may be required to deal with the workload that is a result of such expansion.

Other aspects of a company are impacted by expansion, and the controller has the task of figuring out how many more employees the company can pay without having a negative effect on growth and profitability. The controller also has the duty of preparing business tax returns. Another hot specialization is Forensic Accounting.

Forensic Accounting Is In High Demand

The forensic accounting degree is one of the hottest programs on college campuses all over the world. In fact, US News & World Report magazine says that the field of forensic accounting is one of the top careers of the future.

Forensic Accounting Degree Requirements

While each program has specific guidelines, the basic forensic accounting degree requirements are pretty much the same at the majority colleges. You will need to have an accounting degree or at least a certificate in accounting.

If you don’t have an accounting degree, expect to complete about 40 credits in core accounting subjects in order to get your certificate. Typical core credits include:

If you have already earned your degree in accounting, expect to complete about 12 credits that will lead to a certificate in forensic accounting. Typical classes include:

Completion of a degree in forensic accounting allows you to sit for the Certified Fraud Examiners and Certified Forensic Accountants examinations.

Online Forensic Accounting Degree

You can complete a Master of Accounting Degree with concentration in Forensic Accounting online. Because it is taught via the web, you can finish the program from anywhere in the world, as long as you have a computer and an Internet connection. One such program that is popular is offered by Florida Atlantic University.

They feature Saturday morning class lectures, back-to-back, that last for only an hour and a half. Videos of all class meetings are streamed to your home or office via the web, for viewing at a time of your convenience.

They are an accredited AACSB business school and are ranked as one of the top ten universities in the USA for their CPA examination pass rate. They even have federal financial aid programs available.

Get Your Forensic Accounting Degree

Overall, an forensic accounting degree is all about the legal and investigative aspect of accounting. As a result, this type of degree program emphasizes fraud investigation, prevention and the resolution of disputes.

In addition, this major also focuses on litigation support, money laundering, valuation as well as expert testimony. Those who have obtained their forensic accounting degree have found the subject matter to be exciting, interesting, fulfilling, and have went on to enroll in an accounting PHD program!

Benefits Of Online Accounting Programs

Many shy away from the profession as they are worried that it requires an exorbitant amount of schooling. However, did you know that you can study for an online accounting degree in your spare time?

Perhaps you have a full time job as well as family obligations and just can’t imagine yourself sitting in a classroom. If so, then the persuit of an online accounting degree is perfect for you as it can be as simple as logging in to your home computer!

It is an excellent way to expand your career opportunities and discover that dream job that you have always wanted. Best of all, thre is no need to attend classes in the traditional sense and you don’t have to put your life on hold for 3 or 4 years.

Finding A Good Online Accounting Degree Program

To achieve you goal of graduating with an online accounting degree, you only need to find a school that fits your requirements and sign up for the necessary classes. It is really simple!

Because there is such a wide variety of excellent programs available, finding a school that is right for you will be easier than you think. And if you are strapped financially, just about every program offers financial aid options, so you don’t have to worry about being broke while studying to achieve your goals.

Study At Your Own Pace

Studying for your online accounting degree can be acomplished during your spare time. You can study in the morning when you wake up, at lunch time, before you go to sleep, or anytime in between. It is the same as being a student who physically attends a college campus, without all of the hassles.

Once you have completed your online accounting degree and are certified, you can expand your horizons and apply for positons knowing you have the advantage with your degree.

All that it takes is for you to enroll in the accounting classes you need and start stydying to achieve your goals! Who knows, you could end up enrolled in accounting PHD program in no time!