Online Accounting Course ACC 201 – Financial Accounting

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Yes! Earning a degree online from an accredited university (like SNHU) is a great option. Whether you’re looking for individual accounting courses, or you're looking to earn an Associate, Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Accounting or Accounting Finance, the online format allows for greater flexibility, and can be a much more affordable way to achieve your goals.

According to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in 2021 the median pay for Accountants & Auditors was $77,250 per year. The outlook for these jobs remain strong with 6% anticipated growth through 2031—the addition of 81,800 new jobs in that time.¹ While most Accountant and Auditor jobs require a Bachelor's degree, earning your education towards becoming one can be earned completely online at institutions like SNHU.

In an accounting setting, there are lots of skills you’ll need to perform your job well. Depending on the particular details of the job, it’s not always easy to know what online course is best for your particular needs. A good place to start would be a course that teaches a broad range of foundational skills and accounting principles—like SNHU’s online Financial Accounting course. Not only will it give you key skills you may need, but the format is flexible so you can learn around your schedule.

Foundational accounting may also include skillsets in accounting information systems, management accounting, forensic accounting, taxation, financial analysis, cost accounting and auditing. Depending on the job you are seeking you may want to hone in on one specific area, or build skills into a rounded portfolio. Within accounting, there are jobs for all skill levels. Entry-level accounting jobs like bookkeeping and accounting clerk may only require a few courses in areas such as financial accounting. Other career paths such as Accountant will require more advanced skills in such areas as auditing and managerial accounting.

No matter the path you are looking to take, there is online accounting coursework available at every level. There are also a wide variety of degree pathways for those seeking a credential to add to their resume. Everything from an Undergraduate Certificate in Accounting to an online MS in Accounting or online MBA in Accounting is available to you when taking online courses at SNHU.

To be considered an “accountant,” it's generally accepted that you’ll have earned a bachelor’s or master’s degree in accounting. Depending on what area of accounting you'd like to focus on, you may want to seek an advanced credential or degree in areas such as forensic accounting, management accounting, or auditing. In most cases, employers will be seeking formal education and your prospects will improve with former work experience or an advanced industry credential such as a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) or Certified Public Accountant (CPA) certification.

But it’s important to remember that earning a degree—even your master’s in accounting— isn’t all you’ll need if your goal is to become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). To achieve this additional designation, you’ll need to complete specific additional educational and work requirements, as well as pass a CPA exam.  In most states, this includes 150 semester hours of education with various requirements around the type and number of accounting credits, specifically.

Licensing requirements to sit for the CPA exam vary from state to state. Students are encouraged to review their state specific requirements. State-by-state educational requirements can be found on the website of the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA), while state-by-state CPA licensing requirements can be found through the Accounting Licensing Library, powered by the NASBA.

Generally speaking, you don’t have to have an accounting degree if you want to work in the accounting field. Maybe you’ve learned accounting principles on the job or taken individual courses to supplement your knowledge. In those cases, you may possess many of the foundational skills necessary to do most of the work of an accountant. But there are a few things to consider. First, it may be slightly more difficult to break into the field or advance without a degree. Second, a degree in accounting is one of the best ways to gain the knowledge and skills you’ll need if you want to become a CPA (Certified Public Account), which has specific educational requirements in addition to passing the exam in your state.

Without professional experience, earning a certificate or degree in accounting—or taking individual courses—is a great way to get started and stand out among potential employers. At SNHU, for example, accounting courses are career-focused and taught by industry experts with real-world experience, so you’ll be able to learn relevant skills you can use on the job.

If you’re thinking about breaking into the accounting field, there are lots of careers you may be able to get into without a lot of experience, like Bookkeeper, Accounting Clerk, Administrative Assistant, or Tax Preparation assistant. These jobs can help you become familiar with the accounting field, and prepare you with foundational knowledge.

The time it takes to get an accounting certificate will vary from university to university. At SNHU, the undergraduate accounting certificate is 18 credits—which means you need to take 6 courses. How long does that take? Let’s break it down: courses are about two months long, and you could take 1 or 2 courses at a time. So, if you take 1 course at a time, you could earn your certificate in about a year (6 courses x 2 months each). If you took 2 courses at a time, you could cut your time in half, and get your certificate in around 6 months.

The graduate certificate in accounting is 21 credits, which equals 7 courses. And graduate courses are about 10 weeks long. So again, depending on how many classes you take, you could get your graduate certificate anywhere between 9 and 18 months.

Once you’ve finished, you also have the option of stacking the credits from your certificate into an SNHU degree program. You’ll have a great head start!

Like many jobs, there are a lot of factors that go into how hard it is to get. The market conditions, the quantity and quality of other applicants, your experience and skill, your resume and more will all factor into your ability to land a job in accounting. The good news is, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that job opportunities are expected to grow 6% for accountants through the year 2031.¹ Plus, there are lots of opportunities to make yourself more marketable and prepared to enter the field—like accounting courses or a bachelor’s degree in accounting.

If you’re thinking about breaking into the accounting field, there are lots of careers you may be able to get into without a lot of experience—like Bookkeeper, Accounting Clerk, Administrative Assistant, or Tax Preparation assistant. Of course, if you’re noticing that you don’t have the required skills or experience that’s needed for the job you want, upskilling with an accounting course or an accounting degree can help open doors for you.

¹ Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, on the internet, at:

• https://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/accountants-and-auditors.htm (viewed November 1, 2022)

Cited projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth.