Accounting careers require you to earn an accounting degree. The majority of accounting jobs will prefer you have at least a bachelor’s degree and CPA licensure. Education plays an important role in the development and preparation of budding accountants, as evidenced by the fact that the majority of new hires in accountancy come straight out of college.

Associate Degree
Though most accounting positions require a bachelor's degree, there are some entry-level accounting careers where you can get started with an associate degree. The degree spans half the length of a regular bachelor’s and covers only general accounting (e.g., taxation, cost accounting, financial statements analysis and payroll accounting). The downside of obtaining an associate is that almost every state requires a bachelor's degree to take the CPA exam. If you are looking only to gain employment as an account clerk or bookkeeper for a small business or accounting firm, then this might be an ideal program.

Bachelor’s Degree
The Bachelor of Science in Accounting degree provides you with a broad educational foundation for business and economics while focusing on accounting skills. An online accounting degree at any online college will reinforce four key skills: communication, team work, problem solving and computer usage. The online accounting degree is offered in both 120 and 150 credit programs. Many states require you to earn 150 credits before you can take the CPA exam, so check your individual state's requirements. An accounting college degree will normally cover the traditional subjects of taxation, business law, ethics, finance, marketing, auditing and accounting information systems, to name a few subjects.

At the same time, accounting degree programs are starting to broaden in accordance with industry trends. Accounting software is becoming quite popular for bookkeeping, and online colleges will teach you the basics for using such software. Many large corporations are starting to hire business and finance majors as well as individuals with technical degrees like management of information systems (MIS). Any education in technology you can gain will prove quite valuable in an entry-level position.

Master’s Degree
After earning a bachelor’s degree in accounting, should you choose to pursue a master’s degree you can take one of two paths: accounting or business. Some accountants pursue a master’s of accounting (MA), though many find themselves more attracted to an online MBA (master’s of business administration) and specialize in finance or accounting. Earning a master’s gives you a special advantage in the CPA exam and in many accounting careers because of the added understanding of complicated accounting techniques and concepts.

Ph.D.
The highest online accounting degree you can receive is the Ph.D. or Doctoral Degree. Any online college will require that you earn a bachelor’s degree prior to beginning this stage of educational advancement, so it will be no easy task. The Ph.D. will take several years of additional study and culminates in a final dissertation that will rival most novels in length. Upon completion of your doctoral, you would find few barriers in the way of you filling most accounting positions.

Certifications
Unfortunately, you can’t immediately begin working at a public accounting firm without proper certification. State regulations require that all accountants become licensed in order to protect public interest. In order to become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), you will have to pass the Uniform CPA Examination. CPAs are the only licensed accounting professionals, and licenses must be issued by the state boards of accountancy in the 55 nation-wide jurisdictions (the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands). Accounting degrees help prepare students for taking the Unified CPA Examination, though additional courses may also be necessary.