Prerequisites for Online Accounting Programs
Nowadays, you can earn just about any accounting degree online. From a certificate to a master's degree, you have the option of pursuing an accounting degree via the Internet, rather than in a classroom. If you've decided that online accounting school is the educational route you want to take, then be aware that there are still prerequisites you must meet before being admitted to a program.
Undergraduate Prerequisites
If you are interested in earning an undergraduate degree or certificate in accounting through an online university, then you're in luck. Admissions requirements for such programs are relatively easy to fulfill.
For most online associate's and bachelor's degree programs, the minimum requirement is a high school diploma or equivalent. Acceptable equivalents include a General Education Development (GED) certificate or a Home Study certificate. Some schools, such as DeVry University, allow students who do not meet the minimum admissions criteria to take a basic skills evaluation test to gain admission.
A word of caution: be wary of online schools that do not require a high school diploma and instead require a simple online test. They may be unaccredited diploma mills that will take your money and give you a worthless degree in return.
Graduate Prerequisites
The admissions requirements for most online master's and doctoral programs are much more stringent than their undergraduate counterparts. All graduate programs require an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited or nationally accredited college or university. Depending on the school, you will also need to have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
DeVry's business school requires that graduate degree applicants complete the GRE, GMAT, or the DeVry equivalent. The University of Phoenix requires at least three years of post-high school employment for its master's degree program. Some online universities, like Kaplan University, only require an unofficial transcript that proves you have a degree from an accredited college or university.
In short, to get into an online master's program in accounting, you must posses at least a college degree. Some colleges will require that you also have at least a “B” average in math and science classes.
Public universities and private nonprofit universities with online graduate programs will usually have harder admissions requirements than for-profit online universities. To get into the University of Maryland University College's master in accounting program, for example, you must have at least 15 credits of undergraduate accounting classes with a grade of C or better in each course.
Miscellaneous Requirements
The admissions requirements for online universities may be very similar, but they are not all the same. Every respectable school will require at least a high school diploma or GED certificate. Beyond that, many schools require different things of applicants. For example, the University of Phoenix requires that all students are employed or have access to an organization where they will be able to apply their skills. DeVry University requires that all applicants interview with a DeVry University admissions advisor. And ITT Tech is one of a handful of online universities that require a minimum score on either the ACT or SAT for admission.
Article Resources:
University of Phoenix
DeVry University
Kaplan University
ITT Technical Institute
University of Maryland University College