<p>At this point in my life, I am only able to attend online. I have an Associate's in General Studies, but would like to earn a Bachelor's in Accounting. I know Washington State has the only online AACSB-accredited program, but future employers will be able to tell it is an online degree since I don't and never have lived in Washington. </p>
<p>My state school offers an Accounting Bachelor's online, and since I live in-state, employers would not be able to know it was earned online unless I disclose it. It is, however, not AACSB-accredited. </p>
<p>Which is more important -- an online AACSB-accredited program or an online program non-AACSB accredited where my online degree earning status is less likely to be known? </p>
<p>As an accountant (CPA), I personally do not consider the online vs. in-person degree issue to be of particular interest. On my current engagement, one of the senior associates I work with got his B.S. in Accountancy from Strayer. No one really cares and it’s not something that would hold him back in his career.</p>
<p>I think it does matter what you are trying to do with this degree. Are you trying to go on to work in public accounting or do you want the degree so that you can work in private industry (ie as an accounting clerk, controller, etc?) If you want to be a public accountant, the most important designation isn’t your Bachelor’s degree but your CPA license. The only point of undergrad is to get the required credits and learn the required course content so that you can pass that exam. </p>
<p>In terms of AACSB-accredited schools, my understanding based on my own experience is that AACSB accreditation is a plus but it’s not necessarily required especially at the undergrad level. It’s not required for the CPA but if I had a choice I would go with the AACSB school (all else being the same) just on the off chance that you happen to be in a state where the AACSB designation matters. </p>
<p>An undergraduate degree from an unaccredited program may make it hard if you decide to get an MBA later down the road from an accredited program. Keep your options open and get the accredited degree. I would never say to anyone to get a degree from an unaccredited program.</p>
<p>Accredited - you get a bonafide education and a degree
Unaccredited - you get a degree. Education is optional and up in the air.</p>
<p>Sorry to put it bluntly.</p>
<p>Degree mills, rent a degree, degree factories are all lumped in with the few good ones in the unaccredited pile. As a hiring manager, I don’t have time to sort out which is which. Next candidate!!!</p>
<p>There is a difference between “unaccredited” and “non-AACSB” accredited schools. Accredited usually means the college/university is accredited by a regional accreditation organization. I agree that you should stay away from an unaccredited school. There is simply too much competition out there to spend your money on a degree from one of these schools. The AACSB accreditation is a specific accreditation usually only given to schools that are already regionally accredited and meet the standards of the AACSB. As DimitR says, whether you should attend an online AACSB school versus an online non- AACSB school depends on the factors s/he lists. A degree from an AACSB school certainly never hurts, and if the online program is AACSB accredited, employers will know that it meets a certain quality of education, even if it is online.</p>
<p>Also keep in mind, WSU makes no distinction between you (on-line) and traditional classroom students. The degree doesn’t have a big red “ON-LINE” watermark over the top. As an employer I just care about the degree, not the delivery method. </p>
<p>I almost view it the same as if somebody transferred from a CC or another school. As long as the degree was granted by the university, the route they took to get there & delivery method is of little concern to me. </p>