Degree Description: Axia College of the University of Phoenix offers students interested in business a quality degree program that will give them the necessary set skills and knowledge needed to begin successful careers as accountants. Students who have less than 24 transferrable credits are required to take 24 credits in general education coursework in the communication arts, social sciences, mathematics, life sciences, and the humanities. To obtain an accounting degree specifically, in addition to 9 credits for interdisciplinary studies, students are required to take 18 credits of course work that will strengthen their mathematical, financial and processing skills that are imperative to any accountant. Such coursework will include introduction to finance, accounting information systems and accounting ethics, just to name a few. A total of 52 credits are needed to earn this degree. The cost is $365 per credit. Full-time students pursing this program usually take about two to three years to earn the degree.

Degree Outlook: Larger accounting firms and businesses typically hire bachelor’s and master’s degree holders. However, associate degree holders usually don’t have any difficulty finding career opportunities in smaller accounting firms and organizations. Associate degree holders are typically hired as accounting assistants, accounting clerks, bookkeepers or hold a position that requires them to crunch numbers on a daily basis. The accounting sector of the business industry in expected to be quite prosperous within the next few years, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. While accountants and auditors held 1,290,600 jobs in 2008, job growth is expected to increase 22 percent, providing about 279,400 new jobs in the market during the 2008-18 decade, according to the Bureau.The Bureau notes that additional positions will become available due to retirement. While salary can vary upon place of employment, accountants and auditors earned on average of $59,430 in 2009, according to the most recent statistics available from the Bureau.

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