London School of Economics

<p>I am an American student who's considering LSE. I want to major in accounting and information systems, and I've always liked the UK. My only problem is that I'm not sure how a British degree would affect my accounting career. Do I need different certifications if I were to be an accountant in the UK versus the US? Do I still get the same education?</p>

<p>No, you do not get the same education (for accounting). You would be eligible to be an accountant in UK/Europe, but not in the US. Likewise, if you study accounting in the US, you can’t be an accountant in Europe.</p>

<p>Thanks for replying! How can I get certified to be a CPA and a CCA?</p>

<p>The requirements for CPA vary from state to state. You need to look up the requirements for the state in which you’d like to be a CPA. The big sticking point is likely going to be that the baccalaureate degree has to come from an accredited institution recognized by the state, which international institutions by definition are not. I can’t help but imagine, though, that there are exception procedures, at least in most states. I think what I’d be caught doing is asking for an informational interview with a Big 5 firm and asking them how you might prepare for an accounting career if you want to earn your degree abroad.</p>

<p>To be a CPA you need to pass a test. To take the test, you need a certain amount of credits from an accredited school. Accredited schools in the US teach GAAP accounting classes (the kind you need to take to go towards the CPA). Schools in Europe teach IGAAP classes (which don’t count towards the CPA).</p>

<p>You may want to think hard about LSE as an undergrad. The academic experience is in no way comparable to the experience of US undergrads. Neighbor’s daugther, who attended an international school and was very comfortable in an international community, found LSE a very disheartening experience and transferred to University of Bath. She felt that it made more sense for students who were planning to do graduate work or where there as part of the 1-year program LSE offers for US students who want to study in London.</p>

<p>Thank you for all inputs! I think I’m going to do a study abroad program instead.</p>