<p>Hello all, allow me to go into detail on my question:</p>
<p>Obviously, after 2014, a masters (or unit equivalent) will be required to take the CPA in California. Prior to this, it was highly recommended that the undergrad school you chose had an AACSB accouning program due to recruiting and other facors that increased likelihood of a solid job with a larger firm. There are very few AACSB undergrad accounting programs in CA; however, MANY masters-Acc programs are AACSB accredited (including my local CSU)</p>
<p>The dilemma I will have is, as a post-2014 graduate, should I be concerned about the lack of undergraduate accreditation, so long as the masters is AACSB accredited? It is MUCH more monetarily efficient to attend my local CSU (no aacsb-BA accounting) and then transfer to an accredited masters program. I could also attend my local CSU accredited masters, but it seems that they dont get as much attention as somewhere like Fullerton or USC.</p>
You’re right that there aren’t many Accounting AACSB schools in CA, however there a a good handful of general Business AACSB schools. So long as the undergraduate business program is accredited, then you shouldn’t need to worry. Since it will be a req for the MAcc by time you graduate to sit for the exams (I seem to be talking about this daily at work now), then that’s where the Accounting specific accredation will serve best.</p>
<p>IMO, the only real concern you should have as an undergrad is if the overall business accredation is there.</p>
<p>This leads me to two additional questions, if you find time:</p>
<p>1) Do the Accounting accredited undergrads enjoy significantly more recruiting from top firms than the BA-only accredited schols? The local college is CSU Bakersfield, by no means “prestigeous” and definitely only business accredited. I fear that recruiting and networking may be weak.</p>
<p>2) You mentioned the MAcc(AACSB). CSU Bakersfield only offers MBA-Acc focus, but not MAcc. If I go with an undergrad school for BABA-focus accounting, with JUST business accreditation, then for my masters should I be focusing on a school that offers accounting accredited MAcc (ie Fullerton) rather than a MBA-Accounting focus school that has JUST the business accreditation (ie CSUB)?</p>
<p>For example:
Assuming I attend CSU Bakersfield for a BABA-accounting focus (Business accreditation only)…
Should I continue at CSUB for a MBA-Accounting (with business only accreditation)?
Or transfer to an AACSB MAcc program (such as Fullerton or USC)?</p>
<p>If you have < the required work hours exp for CPA in the post 2014 world by time you would graduate the MBA-Acc/MAcc, then strive for the AACSB Accounting at CSUF or USC.</p>
<p>I say this because as soon as you get your CPA the MBA-MAcc or MAcc won’t even matter. So, if by time you graduate from undergrad and you think you’ll have enough work hours to apply for the CPA right after the MAcc-type program, then the accredation won’t matter since the CPA will trump your masters. If by time graduate from undergrad and you think you won’t have enough hours to apply for CPA right after your masters and the exams, then the Accounting related accredation should serve you more appropriately during the time that you are gaining those hours. I hope that makes clear enough sense.</p>
<p>You could always play it safe and strive for the Accounting accredited institutions just in case you don’t end up with enough hours to apply for CPA right away. The hours are always the biggest hurdle for new grads because of how the culture works (i.e. the Big 4 aren’t going to be hiring undergrad students for enough hours to make headway on that req when they can get the best and brightest who have already graduated).</p>
<p>So essentially:
Go to ANY business OR accounting AACSB undergrad. If by the time undergrad is approaching graduation, evaluate my hours. If I dont appear to be on track for the CPA upon graduation with masters, go to an accounting accredited AACSB masters school like USC/Fullerton. If I am on track to complete my hours, just go to whichever of those masters school is most convenient.</p>
<p>Is this correct?</p>
<p>According to a friend, graduation from USC with MAcc (around 5 years ago) immediately had her 7 job offers. I realize there are many other factors, but sounded like this was not with her CPA (her undergrad was also not accounting). I inferred through our conversation that the name of the school plus the degree essentially guaranteed any remaining internship hours. Not ideal, but good to know.</p>
This was probably significantly attributable to the fact that her degree said “University of Southern California” and less so for the fact that it was AACSB accredited, though it’s nice that that route nets someone both effects.</p>
<p>You’d be hard pressed to find someone, even these days, that would disagree with a MAcc from USC at least gaining you an almost automatic job somewhere in the accounting industry to fulfill whatever hours you’d have remaining for the CPA. And as you state, there are many other factors.</p>
<p>Best of luck.</p>
<p>EDIT: You should also keep in good contact with that “friend” as they may also greatly help you in fulfilling the hours req by pulling a few strings, if they still have any. ;)</p>
<p>EDIT 2: For the record, my co-worker attended University of Notre Dame Mendoza School of Business for accounting and says he wishes he’d of just stayed in CA and gone to a CSU to learn the same exact stuff for less $ and less stress.</p>
<p>^ He can do a MBA w/ acct. But he has to make sure he meets 24+24+20+10 just like a Bachelor degree only. But a master needs only 24+24+10, since the master itself is equivalent to the 20.</p>
<p>^Right, I don’t think he’d want to get an MBA-Acc just to have to turn around to find somewhere else to get the 20 when a MAcc, MT, or MLT would do the trick in a single shot (EDIT: assuming he has already met the other 24+24+10). Since the MBA-Acc won’t satisfy the 20.</p>
<p>Question for a_mom and turtlerock or anyone else out there reading this. Does the 20 in accounting study have to be on top of the 24 already done in accounting or can it include the 24 worked on in accounting? I’m assuming it’s the former.</p>
<p>^ 20 in accounting study has to be on top of the 24 accounting + 24 business. A single course can not be counted in more than one category.
Since 20 in accounting study calls for minimum of 6 units in accounting subject. It’s much easier to interpret (24+24+20) into (30 in acct + 38 in busi).
Anything you do beyond 30 in accounting can be counted as business/acct related. But not the other way.
Also, it seems audit can be in ethics category. But if you use audit in ethics, it can NOT be counted towards acct subject.</p>