<p>If we graduated from undergrad with a BA in Political Science obviously you didn't take accounting..so my question is this: for those of us who are now somewhat interested in accounting and want to start working for accounting firms, we obviously need to opt for an accounting certificate...but can we get this certificate from your near by community college that offers a certificate program in accounting, or is it better to get it at a local university that offers the certificate as well?</p>
<p>Ultimately, this is after your bachelor's..and is now a certificate..but would employers value you more/hire you if you have the certificate from a better-known university as opposed to a community college? Does a certificate, for employment likelihood purposes, matter where it is obtained from, and thereby increasing your chances of employment with the accounting firm?</p>
<p>I hope I was clear enough regarding the distinction and if anyone knows whether getting it at a university would increase employment chances rather than at a community college...preferably I'd much rather get it at a CC since the expense is much less..but would it still be an attraction for accounting firms if it is from a CC (i.e., Deloitte, a big-one, and we want to be entry-level, obviously). </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>(Btw, this question pertains to other certificate programs in other fields as well; i.e. computer science, programs, etc., getting a certificate at a CC versus university after the fact that you have your BA in another field and want to have a high chance to be employable with big companies...thanks)</p>
<p>What certificate are you talking about? Accounting firms don’t really care what college you went to or what your major was. They only care about your eligibility to sit for CPA exam, if you are eligible for CPA exam, and some hints that you are going to pass it such as high GPA, they will hire you.</p>
<p>Hey there, I’m talking about getting a certificate after undergrad and your undergrad was not accounting. Is it good to get a certificate at a community college? I recently read that getting a CC certificate is useless and comes off bad…so is it better to get the certificate through a university’s extension program? I am concerned if accounting firms will hire you more if you get it at a university as opposed to a community college…what is best?</p>
<p>And don’t accounting certificates only let you through as entry level file clerk/bookkeeper? Is it better to just get a MA in Accounting if you want to work in accounting? I might be speculating here but what is the most effective route for making good money in acct. when you already have a BA in political science?</p>
<p>Hi baller4lyfe: I am sorry I am not expert in this thing. But if you have a BA in political science, why don’t you come back to college and take some accounting classes so that you have enough credits to sit for the CPA exam? It takes only 2 years or less. In accounting, you can not do anything if you don’t have CPA and recruiters really don’t care what your college or major is as long as you have CPA.</p>
<p>^ChristineD, just curious but where are you getting your information? As a person who just graduated from school, the Big4 certainly do care about WHERE you graduated from. The rare instance where they probably would not care as much is if you worked in an accounting based job for a couple years, got your CPA, then applied. For the most part, your school matters for the bigger firms. </p>
<p>Honestly if your goal is a big accounting firm, I’d try to get into a masters program that you know is heavily recruited at. That way you can get the units + get recruited.</p>
<p>From what I can see regarding the Big4, you either get hired out of school, or you work somewhere else for a couple years and come to Big4.</p>
<p>Big4 definitely care where you graduate from.
If you graduate from an Ivy League school, Stanford, MIT, Duke, or any other elite college with 3.6+, they will fight to get you (since most Ivy Plus grads are crazy about investment banking and aren’t interested in accounting).
If you graduate from a good flagship, ok privates school like Boston University, etc. with a 3.6+, chances are that at least one of the big4 will make you an offer.
If you graduate from any other school, you should expect to fight an uphill battle.</p>
<p>My suggestion is go back and apply for a masters in accounting program and do recruitment through your universities channels. That’s probably your best bet to break into accounting.</p>
<p>No you cannot get a certificate at a CC. As far as I know CCs only offer up to Managerial Accounting and you’ll need 8 accounting classes before you are able to take the CPA exam. Therefore you need to go back to an accredited university in order to obtain those classes.</p>
<p>No, I don’t believe most CC’s will offer certificates or even offer the requisite classes for you to sit the CPA. </p>
<p>Research Masters of Professional Accounting programs. They will mostly be 1.5 year programs that prepare you to sit for the CPA and also provide recruiting opportunities. If you can do one in your home state, you could save some money. </p>
<p>Alternatively, you can earn a degree in an online or for-profit program, and sit for the CPA, but it would not provide nearly the number of job opportunities. Again, I’d imagine the instruction you’d receive would be sketchy, but it is up to you.</p>