Best Online Graduate Programs For Aspiring Accountants

Individuals aspiring to become Certified Public Accountants, or CPAs seeking further career advancement, could greatly benefit from attending a school offering online graduate programs. These programs provide students with the knowledge they need to pass the CPA exam and earn recognition within their field. Good online graduate courses either deepen the accounting student's understanding of foundational principles or provide specialized knowledge of a specific sub-field. Many online graduate programs include a mix of both course types.

Kaplan University's Master's in Accounting program, listed among the U.S. News Directory's top online accounting programs, includes core classes like Ethical Issues in Business and Accounting, Business Communications, and Economics for Global Decision Makers. These courses provide information that can be applied to a broad spectrum of accounting topics. For instance, Ethical Issues in Business and Accounting "examines moral development and ethical choices within the framework of business and accounting," paying special attention to psychological and social theories about the way people make economic decisions.

Students of Kaplan's Master of Science in Accounting program can also choose between four specializations: auditing, finance, government, and tax. Auditing courses include Fraud Examination. Specialized finance courses cover topics like Enterprise Risk Analysis and Planning. The government specialization includes a course on Government and Not-For-Profit Accounting. Lastly, the tax specialization covers topics like Tax Research and the IRS, as well as Taxation of Estates and Trusts.

Southern New Hampshire University, also found on the U.S. News Directory's list, offers similar courses and specializations. One core course, Business Law, instructs students on the "theory and application of business regulations and the laws of contracts, agency, property and business organizations." Within the program's taxation concentration, the university offers specialized, in-depth information about various topics related to the more complicated side of U.S. tax code. Its Special Topics in Taxation course specifically looks at "Major, contemporary problem areas of taxation."

Students of SNHU's online accounting program can also choose courses from the graduate program's auditing or forensic accounting concentrations. Each course within these concentrations covers important issues that affect those sub-fields of accounting. The Advanced Auditing course, for example, relies on case studies, student presentations, and reviews of professional research to teach students about the ethics of auditing as well as how to handle audits that go poorly. On the other hand, many of the university's forensic courses cover topics related to fraud. Principles of Forensic Accounting and Fraud Examination, for instance, introduces students to the basics of fraud identification, investigation, prevention, and recovery.

Accountants and aspiring accountants looking for a convenient, affordable way to advance their careers would be wise to look into taking a few online graduate courses. Accredited online programs offering a Master's in Accounting cover a range of generalized and specialized content. Moreover, students can choose the online program and courses most suitable to their career needs and time constraints.