<p>Accounting and econ aren’t similar. Accounting is very specific, firm-oriented, and requires lots of information processing. You’ll be nitpicking transactions to determine how they affect the business and how you want to record them to provide the best information to insiders and outsiders. You might also learn some tax law and auditing practices. By the time you’re done with accounting, you’ll be flipping through annual reports and financials like they’re nothing, but there is no macro picture involved.</p>
<p>Econ is far more conceptual/broader picture and math will prepare you nicely for this.</p>
<p>If you want your associates to help you build up to your econ degree, then take math. But accounting helps you understand the inner workings of a business very well, and econ doesn’t require much upper level math. So if you have a desire to learn accounting, don’t take math–it’s preparation for econ, but not completely necessary preparation.</p>
<p>BTW an Associates in accounting is one of the most marketable degrees you could have without a bachelor’s. Any non-CPA job is available to you–bookkeeping, A/R, A/P, internal accounting, tax prep. The only thing you can’t do is auditing.</p>