Accounting vs Finance

College Majors
1

<p>What is the difference between the two majors? What is more marketable in terms of demand?</p>

<p>I don't really enjoy math, but I've been told that there really is not much "hard" math involved in neither majors. Is this true?</p>

2

<p>There is no real math in (undergraduate) finance or accounting. If you can do Basic math you can do fine in it. Yes it is true.</p>

3

<p>Thanks; did you know what the main difference between accounting vs finance was?</p>

4

<p>I’ve always been told that an Accounting major can do 100% of what a finance major can do, but a finance major can only do 75% of what an accounting major can do. The most clear way for you to see the difference between the two is to go the degree requirements and read the class discriptions. Finance, to me and my experience, is more about banking and investing, whereas accounting is more about the mechanics of business in general. But thats a very simplistic, general way to put it. I too would appreciate a more refined definition.</p>

5

<p>Accounting majors learn how to keep business records and prepare financial statements for various purposes, while finance majors (supposedly) learn how to use these information to make sound business decisions.</p>

<p>Typical courses for an accounting major:</p>

<p>financial accounting
managerial accounting
cost accounting
non-for-profit accounting
accounting information systems
individual taxes
corporate taxes
auditing
business law
corporate finance
business ethics</p>

<p>Finance programs are not standardized, but a finance major might take:</p>

<p>calculus
statistics
a couple accounting courses
a few economics courses
production and operations management
insurance and risk management
estate planning
employee benefit planning
investments</p>

6

<p>If you can add and subtract, with a little multiplication thrown in, then you can do accounting. Accounting is more about proper filing/categorizing and keeping track of other people’s (or companies’) money.</p>

<p>The “math” in finance might get a little more difficult. Derivatives, interest, etc.</p>