Make your way to a top position in the financial field by earning a Master of Business Administration with a Concentration in Accounting online. This degree combines the breadth of an MBA, which incorporates studies in leadership, teamwork, effective communication, and ethics, with a special focus on accounting, preparing you for success in the public or private sectors in key positions such as chief financial officer, corporate accountant, budget analyst or senior auditor.
Develop an Employer-Desired Skill Set
When you complete the requirements for an MBA in Accounting, your skills grow beyond a facility with numbers. You’ll have an opportunity to improve your analytical, organizational, communication and math skills while stimulating critical thinking and problem-solving capabilities. Engaging in related coursework based on real-world issues builds a skill set that ranks high on employers’ wish lists.
Earning your MBA in Accounting represents a demonstrated ability to evolve and adapt both skill set and mindset to meet the challenges of an ever-changing marketplace. Primary skills desired by employers — and ones developed through an advanced degree — include the ability to set priorities, solve problems, communicate skillfully and interact with others as a team member.
Positive Job Outlook
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts a 10 percent growth rate — higher than the 7 percent projected for all other job categories — for accountants and auditors through 2026. Globalization and economic factors have increased the demand for employees who can negotiate what the BLS describes as a “complex tax and regulatory environment.”
Data compiled by the Graduate Management Admission Council’s 2018 Alumni Perspectives Survey of nearly 11,000 people who earned a graduate business degree also indicates a strong job outlook with almost 90 percent of respondents employed. Of those surveyed, almost 86 percent held an MBA. The survey compiled information from alumni working in eight broad areas: products/services, technology, finance/accounting, government/nonprofit, manufacturing, consulting, healthcare and energy/utilities.
More recent graduates were found starting off in mid-level positions, with subsequent advancement into executive and higher positions, with participating alumni reporting a median base salary of $115,000 per year. The survey also found that the rate of alumni taking an entrepreneurial path increased with each year following graduation. More than 80 percent of MBA-holding alumni indicated their degrees had advanced their careers as a result of the skills they had gained through their studies.
Amenities Beyond the Financial Rewards
U.S. News & World Report places “accountant” at No. 7 in Best Business Jobs and No. 8 in Best STEM Jobs. It also touts the potential for upward mobility and excellent pay in the field of accounting. Those who obtain advanced credentials like an MBA hold appeal for employers seeking specialized skills.
Advanced education also provides a solid foundation for taking the Certified Public Accountant exam. Job amenities for accounting professions include “a low stress level, good work-life balance and solid prospects to improve,” according to U.S. News & World Report, which adds that you “might as well have a job that’s enjoyable and a career that’s fulfilling.” The GMAC alumni survey found similar results, with 76 percent of respondents reporting a satisfying career.
Researchers for College Board’s 2013 Education Pays report also point to positive results stemming from higher education, including an upward trend in earnings, while noting that the “knowledge, fulfillment, self-awareness, and broadening of horizons associated with education transform the lives of students and of those with whom they live and work.”
Learn more about Southern Oregon University’s online MBA program with a Concentration in Accounting.
