David Roby ⋅ Philadelphia, PA U.S. Air Force, Senior Airman ⋅ 4 years served

Make sure the online degree is the exact same as a brick and mortar degree. Basically when a hiring official looks at your degree they cant tell that you received it online. People do make judgements about online degrees. I am going to go to Penn State Online because there is no difference in the degrees basically a Hiring Official cant tell you went to college online unless you tell them.

Lynette Jones ⋅ Gardena, CA ⋅ 3 years experience

Michael

Make sure the school is accredited and afforable. There are so many online institutions out there and they can be good or bad but do your research and see what's right for you. Just because a online school is popular doesn't mean they are the best. Find out what type of accredidations they have and make the best choice for you. What do you want to learn and see if they offer it. Find out what employers are looking for and see if they school will cover that area of work.

Hope this helps.

Aaron Spool ⋅ West Orange, NJ CIT ⋅ 11 years experience

Michael - Let me try to answer what I think are two different questions:
1. On-line school choice - as far as I know, unless the school is strictly on-line such as Phoenix, a potential employer would not know that you were in an on-line program unless you were applying for a job while going to school, and especially if that school was out of state. So if you were in an online program in PA, but were applying for a job and living in CA, it would raise flags...not bad ones, but it would beg the question how you were taking classes. There is nothing wrong with an on-line degree, but since it is a newer concept, there can be some stigma attached. If you have no choice though, by all means, still go on-line. As for the choice of school, do your research. You want to learn, but you also want a good name/network behind you. Most standard university programs do not differentiate between on-line programs and face to face programs when you get your degree, so the school's name, etc would be behind you fully.

2. Choice of degree - if you want to go into accounting, it would greatly help to get a degree in accounting. It will be very difficult to get the credits you need to sit for your CPA while not having an accounting degree. Plus, a large percent of your competition will have that degree, so you will constantly be having to explain why you do not have it. If you want a career in finance or accounting - finance/economics/accounting/applied math are the types of degrees that would most help you...not guarantee the job, but help. I'm a big fan of accounting and have my CPA. It's a great profession...but before you start going down the route of choosing professions, you should talk to people with jobs you might like to have after your degree, and ask them what the job entails. You may find the job is not for you...which is better to find out before you spend the time and money on a degree.

Contact me if you have any other questions and I'd be happy to help.

William Oplinger ⋅ Wilton, CT Alcoa ⋅ 13 years experience

Many people have said the same above, but I'll reiterate ... stick to a program that has a bricks/mortar school behind it, and try to get into a program that is identical to the standard program.

A CPA brings huge credibility. A CMA adds a little more, but is nowhere near as important as CPA. A CFA ... absolutely great if you can pass the tests. These are very hard, but will prove to a potential employer that you are bright.

And lastly, to address your question re. general business degree v. accounting/finance ... I'm biased (13 years in finance) but you will be much better served going the accounting route.

Best of luck,

Bill

Tom Cal, CFA ⋅ San Francisco, CA Army Veteran, Investment Manager ⋅ 25 years experience

Michael,

- I suggest considering both online and face-to-face educational options. Be sure to understand if the institution is a non-profit or a for-profit entity. Understand the entity's underlying incentives and motivations are when "selling" their classes and degree programs.

- In my opinion, overall the "for-profit education" industry is a mixed bag at best. Some for-profit education corporations might play a useful role and offer a decent product, but like any good consumer, be skeptical;

- Ask hard questions and be extremely skeptical. Seek objective verifiable data and information, from both outside the for-profit corporation. Be skeptical of any information, especially information the corporation provides to you.

-Information to seek: default rates on loans, graduation rates, student satisfaction, job-placement, percentage of revenue spent on marketing, etc. See links below.

- Disclosure: I am an investor and may go long or short any stock at any time. I am providing the links below for your skeptical and critical review. Also pursue other information and feel free to please share what you learn.

e.g. see:
http://www.cnbc.com/id/39191498/Greenberg_Behind_Eisman_s_For_Profit_Short

http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/CNBC/Sections/News_And_Analysis/__Story_Inserts/graphics/__MEDIA/Steve-Eisman_2010.pdf

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/30/education/harkin-report-condemns-for-profit-colleges.html

https://www.google.com/search?q=for+profit+education

https://www.google.com/search?q=for+profit+education +filetype:pdf

When selecting a school, I suggest the following criteria, among others:

- quality of classes and instruction (how much will you learn?)

- the school's overall "reputation" (subjective, but still a factor to consider)

- the quality of the school's career center and career support both during your enrollment, and perhaps more importantly, during the years and decades after you graduate

- the quality and availability of the school's alumni network (is there a physical alumni club in major cities? are there alumni chapters in major cities?

- in addition to a CPA, also consider the CFA (Charted Financial Analyst) designation, and explore programs where you can study for and take the CFA exams. For universities that are partnered with the CFA program, see:
http://www.cfainstitute.org/partners/university/Documents/cfa_program_partners_by_region.pdf

- I believe there is a lot of value in attending physical face-to-face classes, especially during your final 2 years of college (making friends, meeting professors in person, networking, etc.)

Also see:
https://www.cfainstitute.org/
http://www.aicpa.org/BecomeACPA/CPAExam/Pages/CPAExam.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Certified_Public_Accountant
http://www.fideliseducation.com/

AnnaMaria Bliven ⋅ Blanchardville, WI Army Reserve ⋅ 11 years experience

Hi:

You have been given advice that addresses both sides of your question. One bit of advice you really need to follow is to make sure the online school is accredited. Potential employers will respect a degree from an accredited school and not one from an unaccredited one. Secondly, there are sub-specialties for CPAs so be sure you know which type of accounting practice you are interested in (i.e. profit, government, comptroller, non-profit, etc.). Choose the school that is accredited and provides the education you seek. In my opinion what matters most is the skill, knowledge and ability you gain from this education. This way you can perform well in your job position. Make sense?

William Burns ⋅ New York, NY Burns Risk Management, Inc. ⋅ 35 years experience

Hi Michael,
Find a brick and mortar school with a good accounting program that provides the educational requirements for becoming a Certified Public Accountant. Attend school with an end game of obtaining a master’s degree, (most accounting degree programs are five year degress now). Penn State has a great accounting program. Accountants will always be needed in good times and bad. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.
Take care,
Mike Burns

Patrick O Leary ⋅ Fort Lauderdale, FL Accenture ⋅ 32 years experience

Generally, go with the program that fits in terms of best quality, ability to complete within your time constraints, and cost. You are on the right track.