<p>Hi I am a transfer student who is trying to choose SDSU or UCSB. I want to get my cpa and I do not know which school is better for me. UCSB is a bus/econ major with emphasis in accounting. SDSU is an ACCOUNTING major. I know UCSB is more 'prestigous' but i simply dont know what to do. I dont want to short change myself. but i want the best school for someone who plans to get their cpa and then go on to get an MBA in the future. Please if anyoen has any info please help me!! Thanks
Kat</p>
<p>i'd go to UCSB, i dunno how good SDSU's accounting major is but i know for a fact that UCSB is actively recruited by the big four and other accounting firms. It might be harder at UCSB but it'll probably be worth it.</p>
<p>I'm a CPA here in California (as well as UT) and here's why San Diego state is the better choice:</p>
<p>(1) San Diego State has undergraduate and graduate business departments and grants bachelors and masters degrees in accounting. UCSB doesn't have an undergraduate degree and their graduate program is only in Environmental Sciences and Management--meaning they don't even have a department head in accounting. </p>
<p>(2) You need 27 units of accounting to even apply to take the CPA exam--and I don't think you can even get that many courses at UCSB--so how will you get the courses you need to qualify?</p>
<p>(3) UCSB is not that much more of a "prestige" school than SDSU. In fact, SDSU actually had more applications this year than UCSB.</p>
<p>(4) SDSU is ranked 77th in the country for undergraduate business--which sounds low, but actually puts it 5th in California (after Cal, USC, Santa Clara, and Pepperdine--and tied with UC Riverside). It also ties nationally with well known colleges like Rutgers, Clemson, Temple, University of Richmond, and Univ of Miami (FL).</p>
<p>(5) Both colleges are in great towns, but there's actually more for a student to do in San Diego than Santa Barbara--mainly because the town is larger (2nd largest city in California) and it has more businesses--especially in the biotech area--it is one of two major cities that specialize in this (the other is Houston). Mission Bay is great--as is Del Mar/La Jolla--and it's fun to go across to Mexico on the weekends.</p>
<p>Anyway, that's my two cents worth--good luck to you.</p>
<p>Oh, and I forgot to mention--</p>
<p>In some states (though not in California), you actually need a degree in accounting as a major (not as a minor) to even qualify to get a CPA. (I believe this is the case in both NJ and NY, for example).</p>
<p>Also, it is possible to go from a Cal State to a well-known MBA program. I personally went from Cal State Long Beach as an accounting undergrad to UCLA's MBA program--where I majored in operations mgmt (info systems minor).</p>
<p>I haven't looked at the NJ requirements in awhile, but I believe that they are rather similar to MA's in that you only need a bacherlor's (in any subject)--you just need to have also taken the required accounting courses (which usually means that you have to the requirements to be an accounting major anyway).</p>
<p>I make the distinction only because there are some schools that only offer a business major with a concentration in accounting and that does still qualify you for the exam.</p>
<p>ryanbis,
But that's what I'm saying--UCSB doesn't offer a business major at all (not at the undergraduate level--anyway--and what they call a graduate business program really isn't--it's focused on environmental sciences--I think you take like two management courses to fulfill the program).</p>
<p>If this person was going to UCLA, then it would be different--the econ program there with a minor in accounting at least allows the student to take accounting courses through their graduate business school. I'm not so sure that having no business degree--and then taking less than 27 units of accounting at a school that has no business program would qualify to sit for the CPA in NJ.</p>
<p>I wasn't disagreeing with you about that specific program (I don't know much about California schools)--I was just referring to the quote below.</p>
<p>"In some states (though not in California), you actually need a degree in accounting as a major (not as a minor) to even qualify to get a CPA. (I believe this is the case in both NJ and NY, for example)."</p>
<p>The way the rules are stated, you can have only a philosophy degree. As long as you take the required 30 business credits and 30 accounting credits (part of a degree program or not), your ok to sit. The way you worded it seemed that you absoluted have to have a degree in accounting, which I don't believe is true in any state. The requirement is 150 credits, a bachelor's, (roughly) 30 business credit and (roughly) 30 accounting credits. Your specific major/degree isn't usually an issue.</p>
<p>*UCSB doesn't offer a business major at all *</p>
<p>UCSB does have a Business Economics major with emphasis in accounting however.</p>
<p>ryanbis,</p>
<p>yes, that's the way the code is stated in most states--but like I said, I think there is a state or two that doesn't word their code that way. </p>
<p>Keep in mind that each state sets their own rules--it's not like the AICPA gets to set the rules uniformely across all states. In fact, you don't even have to be a member of the AICPA to be a CPA (and most CPAs aren't members). </p>
<p>Here in California the rules are set by the Department of Accountancy under the Department of Occupational Licensing. Not every state does it the same--nor do they have the same rules--that was my point. I believe there is a state that doesn't word it the way you say NJ does. (Can't remember which state is is, though--and I'm not in the mood to go through all 50 states licensing bureaus to find out).</p>
<p>And rc251--you are exactly correct--UCSB does have an econ major with a minor in accounting. </p>
<p>But the point I was making with my post #6 was that getting that kind of a degree at UCLA (econ with accounting minor) would be more valuable than at UCSB because UCLA's graduate school (which is ranked top 15 in every magazine survey for the past thirty years) is where you would be taking these courses--I speak from experience since that is where I got my MBA and we had undergrad students in the accounting courses when I was there. On the other hand, at UCSB the graduate "management" school isn't teaching accounting, marketing, finance, operations mgmt, and human resources--it's teaching two general business courses--and the rest of their courses are all environmental sciences related.</p>
<p>If I were thinking of majoring in econ with a minor in acct at UCSB, I'd want to see the course catalog so I could see what accounting courses they offer before I went there. Maybe they do offer good courses--but I kind of doubt it because a good friend of mine who lives in Santa Barbara has been driving to LA for the past 4 months to take all of her accounting refresher classes prior to taking her CPA exam.</p>
<p>thank you for everyones info so far!!</p>
<p>I don't know if any state does exist in which you must have an accounting degree, but I can say for sure neither NY or NJ has that policy.</p>
<p>Look, you need 150 hours to sit for the CPA exam. Yes, CA is one of the few states that hasn't adopted the requirement yet, but I think everyone should get it anyway. What if you ever want to practice in another state? Internationally? Better to have a license you can use to participate in substantial equivalency. CPA's can't even join the AICPA unless they have 150 hours.</p>
<p>With that said, any undergraduate business or economics major will give you the 30 business credits. From there, you have 30 more credits to 150 - perfect for taking accounting courses. You'll be able to get any accounting job you want from either school - so I'd choose a school on other factors.</p>
<p>Well, I believe UCSB is a wonderful school also--and obviously the higher ranked of the two overall. Please realize I'm expressing a personal preference. I don't think someone could go wrong with attending either school.</p>
<p>UCSB is a better school overall, but go to SDSU because it is simply a btter choice for you.</p>