Accountants communicate financial information about a business to shareholders, managers, and others. More than half of America’s accounting students are female, partly because technology enables many accountants to maintain a flexible schedule while working from home. It is a future-focused, family-friendly, and financially rewarding career choice.
There are many specialty areas within accounting:
- Public accounting involves providing audit, tax, and consulting services to the public. Public accounting generally requires one to be licensed as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). The CPA license in Utah requires a master’s degree. USU’s School of Accountancy has consistently ranked in the top 10 nationally for students who pass the CPA exam on their first try.
- Many accountants are privately employed by businesses or not-for-profit agencies, such as hospitals, universities, or charitable groups and work in product costing and pricing, budgeting, and the examination of investment alternatives.
- Internal auditors look at controls and procedures used by their employer.
Accountants can also serve as in-house tax accountants, financial managers, etc.
With a degree in accounting, students may pursue the following careers:
- Public accountant - auditing, taxes, consulting (with graduate degree)
- Finance officer
- IRS agent
- Assurance services
- Forensic accounting
- Auditor
- Consulting services
- Information technology services
- Environmental accounting
- International accounting
- Tax and financial planning
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