Study Accounting in Michigan

When you think of Michigan, you probably think of the auto industry. It makes sense – the Big Three automakers are all headquartered there. But Michigan’s economy is far more diverse, with tourism, manufacturing, professional services, and agriculture as prime sectors.

With these and other economic pursuits, there are plenty of possibilities for employment as an accountant in Michigan. You can earn a bachelor’s degree online and start in an entry-level position. Or you might choose a combined bachelor’s and master’s program to further your career more quickly. If you’re already an accountant, a traditional online master’s program might be right for you.

All these choices are available in the great state of Michigan. The guide below provides details about some of the popular options.

Best Accredited Online Accounting Degrees and Schools in Michigan - Associates, Bachelor's and Master's

Online Accounting Degrees in Michigan

Listed below are some of the popular schools offering accredited online accounting degrees in Michigan:

  • University of Michigan-Flint
  • Franklin University
  • Baker College
  • Michigan State University
  • Central Michigan University
  • North Central Michigan College
  • Walden University
  • Southern New Hampshire University

University of Michigan-Flint

Online Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting

At the University of Michigan-Flint, you can pursue a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting as a stepping stone to a career. In fact, this program is designed to prepare you for an accounting career in various sectors, including public, private, and government settings. Likewise, you’ll get the preparation needed to take the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam.

This program is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International. As such, the standards of excellence are high; you’ll learn a diverse accounting curriculum that’s designed to develop the necessary competencies for success in this field.

The curriculum is divided into several components, each of which you must complete to graduate. First, you’ll complete introductory-level courses in a broad range of liberal arts fields, like math, science, social sciences, and English. These courses are required of all students, regardless of major. The purpose of taking general education classes is to help you develop as a well-informed, highly-skilled student and member of the workforce.

From there, you’ll complete 63 credits of business core courses. These classes are the foundation upon which you build your understanding of accounting and related business practices. For example, you’ll take the following five introductory classes:

  • Principles of Financial Accounting
  • Principles of Managerial Accounting
  • Business Concepts and Careers
  • Introduction to Business Applications
  • Management Information Systems

The business core requires further studies, too. You can choose between courses in Entrepreneurship or Contemporary Legal Issues for Business. You must also take a Communications in Business class. Other required courses hit on various business-related areas, such as Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, and International Business.

This program further requires you to take courses in Critical Writing and Reading, Financial Management, and Human Behavior in Organizations. In other words, you’ll get a well-rounded education in all aspects of working in business and industry.

The accounting focus includes 18 credits of coursework that cover the following areas:

  • Cost Accounting
  • Intermediate Accounting I and II
  • Accounting Information Systems
  • Auditing

You’ll supplement these required courses with your choice of an accounting elective. Since the course you take is your choice, you can tailor it to an area of interest. For example, if you want to work as a tax preparer for individuals, you can take the Income Tax Preparation class. But, if you’re interested in how data analytics can be used in this field, the Data Analytics for Accounting course would be a good choice. Other options include Federal Income Taxation, Taxation of Businesses, and Financial Statement Analysis, among others.

As noted earlier, this program prepares you for the CPA exam. The exam requires you to have 150 hours of college credit; this program is 120 credits. As such, you’ll need to complete a master’s degree to qualify for the exam. UM-Flint offers a 100 percent online Master of Science in Accounting that satisfies the remaining educational requirements to take the exam.

The following qualifications must be met to apply:

  • Submit an online application.
  • Submit proof of graduating from high school (or equivalent).
  • Provide official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
  • Review scholarship options (UM-Flint offers a full-tuition scholarship for eligible first-year students).

Franklin University

Online Bachelor of Science in Accounting

As an online student in Michigan, you can complete a Bachelor of Science in Accounting through Franklin University, which is accredited by the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE). This program helps you build essential and sought-after accounting skills while also preparing you for your choice of professional certifications.

This 124-credit program offers multiple start dates throughout the year. This is advantageous because you can start the program sooner rather than waiting to begin at the traditional fall and spring start times. Further flexibility is offered through Franklin’s generous transfer policy, which allows you to transfer up to 76 percent of the credits needed to graduate. Transferring the maximum number of credits means you can complete this degree in as little as 17 months.

The B.S. in Accounting curriculum is divided into several categories of coursework: general education, major area courses, and university electives. As described earlier, general education courses introduce you to essential topics in a broad range of fields. Likewise, these courses help you build important hard and soft skills necessary for success in life and work, like improved communication skills, critical thinking, and analytical skills.

The university elective component extends your learning with 24 credits of non-accounting coursework. If you want to build additional communication skills, for example, you might take an oral communication class. If improved logic and reasoning skills are what you’re after, a philosophy course is a good choice.

Within the accounting major, you’ll complete required foundational courses, required classes, and electives. The foundational courses explore many broad fields within accounting, such as:

  • Financial Accounting
  • Business Law
  • Managerial Accounting
  • Principles of Finance
  • Introduction to Microeconomics

You’ll build on this foundation by taking higher-level courses in areas like Cost Management, Auditing, and Accounting Information Systems. You’ll also take an Accounting Research and Analysis class, which emphasizes the development of strong research skills and the application of accounting techniques and theories in a capstone experience.

Two other major areas are emphasized: Intermediate Accounting and Federal Income Tax. Both courses include two components and extend over two full semesters. The Intermediate Accounting courses explore financial accounting, including cash flow, balance sheets, retirement benefits, and liabilities. The Federal Income Tax classes help you understand income tax structures for individuals, investors, sole proprietors, and other categories. Likewise, you’ll learn about the formation and operation of entities like partnerships, S-corporations, trusts, and estates.

Beyond that, you must choose an accounting elective worth four credits that explores a niche topic. This program offers more than a dozen options to fulfill this requirement, including the following:

  • Fraud Examination
  • Foundations of Entrepreneurship
  • Advanced Financial Management
  • Tax Planning
  • Accounting Ethics and Professional Responsibilities

Franklin also offers experiential learning opportunities as electives, including a Tax Practicum and an Accounting Internship. Each of these options can be counted toward the required elective component. Both courses also enable you to get valuable real-world experience working in an accounting setting prior to graduation.

Admissions requirements are as follows:

  • Have a high school diploma, associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree, or master’s degree.
  • Submit official high school transcripts showing the date of graduation (if you have fewer than 60 college credits). An official GED certificate, a passing score on a State High School Equivalency Exam, or a home school completion certificate is also acceptable.
  • Provide official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
  • Demonstrate English proficiency if it is not your native language.

Baker College

Online Bachelor + Master of Business Administration in Accounting

Baker College offers a 4+1 program that combines a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting with a Master of Business Administration in Accounting. This combined, accelerated program allows you to complete both degrees in five years (four years for the BBA and one year for the MBA). This represents a time savings of at least a year.

A combined program like this is ideal if you want to gain advanced skills, sit for the CPA exam, or qualify for higher-level accounting positions right out of college. The program is entirely online, so you can earn both degrees without ever stepping foot on campus.

The online format offers you the flexibility to complete your studies as your schedule allows. You’ll have the advantage of learning from the same expert faculty as on-campus students. You’ll also have access to online labs and hands-on applications that help you apply what you learn in your classes.

The curriculum of this IACBE-accredited program follows a traditional format, including undergraduate general education requirements and major-area studies, along with graduate-level studies in business and accounting.

The undergraduate portion of this program is 120 credits. This includes 30 general education credits, 36 credits within the accounting major, nine elective credits, and 15 graduate-level credits completed during the third and fourth years of your undergraduate studies.

As is the case with most accounting undergraduate programs, you’ll complete a broad range of studies within the major, including the following:

  • Governmental and Not-for-Profit Accounting
  • Auditing and Assurance I and II
  • Taxation I and II
  • Accounting Information Systems
  • Advanced Accounting

Baker College also requires you to complete an undergraduate accounting work experience. This experience includes at least 120 hours of paid or unpaid accounting work in a supervised setting. You can complete the hours with a public entity, private business, tax preparation organization, or CPA firm, among others.

Additionally, since this is a combined BBA and MBA, you’re required to complete 30 hours of undergraduate business courses and 15 credits of MBA courses. The undergraduate section includes studies in Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, and Principles of Finance. You’ll also take a course on Organizational Behavior and Management that helps you understand leadership issues in businesses and organizations, including organizational design, culture, and structure.

The graduate-level courses you take as an undergraduate expand on these topics. For example, you’ll take classes in Human Behavior Management of Organizations, Accounting for the Contemporary Manager, and The Economic Environment, to name but three.

Once you begin the master’s component in earnest, your studies focus on high-level accounting and business coursework. For example, you’ll take dedicated classes on Taxation, Financial Accounting, and Global Accounting. You also have the option to choose between a Non-Profit Accounting class and a CPA Preparation course.

On the business side of the MBA, you’ll explore topics like Human Resource Management, Management Information Systems, and Marketing. In other words, you’ll not just exit the program with bachelor’s and master’s degrees; you’ll also graduate with a broad base of knowledge and skills relating to all aspects of business and accounting.

You must complete at least 60 credits towards the BBA degree before applying to the 4+1 program. You must also have a 3.0 cumulative GPA to qualify for admission. When applying, you may be asked to provide the following:

  • Official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
  • A current resume.
  • An admissions essay.
  • GMAT or GRE scores (though this is optional).

Michigan State University

Online Master’s in Accounting and Data Analytics

The Master’s in Accounting and Data Analytics from Michigan State University’s Broad College of Business is a 100 percent online graduate degree that allows you to work at your own pace. Courses are asynchronous, so there are no regular class meeting times. However, you can participate in synchronous online activities with your classmates and professors if you wish.

This program requires you to complete 30 credits. These credits are broken into 10 courses, each of which is seven weeks long. If you work on your studies full-time, you can complete the program in one academic year. Most students opt for part-time studies, though, which requires 1.5 to two years to graduate.

The degree requirements include a core of 18 credits in accounting, information systems, and data analysis. To complete the core, you must pass each of the following classes:

  • Principles of Financial and Managerial Accounting
  • Accounting Database Systems
  • Financial Reporting and Data Analysis
  • Principles of Federal Income Tax Accounting
  • Performance Measurement and Control Systems
  • Auditing- Assurance and Data Analysis

As you can see, this sequence of courses prepares you for careers in accounting, data analytics, and finance. These core courses build on your existing knowledge in this field and help you acquire new skills essential for career advancement.

The second component of the curriculum is your choice of concentrations. Though you’re only required to complete one concentration, you can choose to complete as many as you’d like (though this adds time and expense to the program). The specialization options are as follows:

  • Accounting Analytics
  • Managerial Analysis for Decision Making
  • Taxation
  • Transaction Services

In each case, you must complete at least nine credits to complete the concentration. For example, the Accounting Analytics option includes coursework in Accounting Analytics and your choice of two of the following three classes: Advanced Auditing, Information Systems Project Management, or Value Chain Accounting and Analytics.

In contrast, the Taxation option requires 12 credits of study in the following:

  • Tax Research
  • Federal Income Tax of Corporations and Shareholders
  • U.S. Taxation of Multinational Transactions
  • Accounting and Tax Implications of Mergers and Acquisitions

Whatever concentration you choose to pursue, you’ll gain specialized knowledge in a niche area of accounting that’s of the most interest to you. As a result of these specialized studies, you’ll be better prepared to pursue your career goals with upper-level, in-demand skills. In fact, graduates of this program have the tools needed to work in many different roles in accounting and data analytics. Popular careers include Risk Analyst, Tax Accountant, Financial Analyst, and Auditor, to name a few.

To apply, ensure you meet the following criteria:

  • Have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
  • Have a 3.0 undergraduate GPA or higher.
  • Submit two letters of recommendation.
  • Submit a statement of purpose in which you explain why you’re interested in this program and how the program will help you achieve your career goals.
  • Submit a resume.
  • Submit unofficial transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.

Entrance exam scores (e.g., GMAT, GRE) are not required, but you can submit them in support of your application if you wish.

How Many Years Does It Take to Get a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting?

A bachelor’s degree in accounting typically takes four years to complete for full-time students. This timeline includes completing approximately 120 semester credits, covering core accounting courses, general education requirements, and electives.

Is an Accounting Degree Very Hard?

An accounting degree can be challenging due to the need for strong mathematical skills, attention to detail, and a rigorous workload. You’ll study complex topics like financial accounting, managerial accounting, auditing, and taxation.

Success requires precision, analytical thinking, and staying updated with financial regulations. Exams are rigorous, and practical experience through internships is beneficial. Despite the challenges, dedication and effective study habits can lead to success.

Here are some factors that contribute to the complexity of an accounting degree:

Course Content

  • Mathematical Rigor: Accounting involves a significant amount of mathematics and statistics. Comfort with numbers and analytical thinking is crucial.
  • Complex Concepts: You’ll study various complex topics such as financial accounting, managerial accounting, auditing, taxation, and financial analysis.

Attention to Detail

  • Precision: Accounting requires a high level of accuracy. Small errors can lead to significant discrepancies.
  • Regulatory Knowledge: Staying updated with financial regulations, accounting standards, and tax laws is essential, which requires continuous learning.

Workload

  • Intensive Study: The coursework can be demanding, requiring consistent effort and time management.
  • Project and Case Studies: You’ll often engage in practical projects, case studies, and real-world applications of accounting principles.

Exams and Assessments

  • Rigorous Testing: Exams in accounting programs can be tough, with a strong emphasis on problem-solving and application of theories.
  • Certifications: If you pursue professional certifications like CPA, you’ll face additional challenging exams.

Skill Development

  • Technical Skills: Proficiency in accounting software and tools is often necessary, adding a technical component to your studies.
  • Analytical Skills: You need to develop strong analytical and critical thinking skills to interpret financial data accurately.

How to Become an Accountant in Michigan?

To become an accountant in Michigan, you need to fulfill these requirements:

  • Education: Earn a bachelor’s degree with 120 credits, including 30 accounting credits and 24 business-related credits. Complete a total of 150 credits through additional coursework.
  • CPA Exam: Pass all four sections of the Uniform CPA Examination.
  • Work Experience: Gain one year (2,000 hours) of supervised professional accounting experience.
  • Licensure: Apply for CPA licensure, including proof of education, experience, and exam scores.Education Requirements

Education Requirements

To qualify for the CPA exam in Michigan, you must have or be near completing a bachelor’s degree. Your education must include required accounting and business courses.

To take the Michigan CPA exam, you must complete a bachelor’s program covering at least 120 semester hours or the equivalent in quarter hours. You can apply for and take the CPA exam before completing your degree, but you must satisfy all academic requirements of your program within 60 days of taking your first CPA exam section.

Your 120 semester hours must include at least 24 semester hours in accounting and 24 in general business. Michigan CPA standards use a multiplier of 1.5 to determine the quarter-hour equivalent. Thus, 24 semester hours equals 36 quarter hours.

Additional specifics apply to the accounting education requirements, including at least 21 semester hours covering:

  • Accounting systems and controls
  • Accounting theory and financial accounting
  • Governmental or fund accounting
  • Managerial accounting and cost accounting
  • Taxation

You’ll also need at least three semester hours in auditing. Internal auditing coursework is not accepted.

Your 24 semester hours of business education can cover any general business subject. Examples include but are not limited to economics, finance, and management.

It is important to note that to obtain a CPA license in Michigan, you need at least 150 college credits. You have several options for earning these additional credits, including graduate courses, certificate programs, and master’s accounting programs. You can earn these additional credits after taking the CPA exam.

Experience Requirements

Michigan maintains straightforward work experience standards for CPAs, requiring at least one year of experience covering at least 2,000 hours of employment.

Several qualifying factors apply:

  • Obtain the experience over at least one calendar year.
  • Accrue all 2,000 hours within no more than five calendar years.
  • Gain the experience through employment, which disqualifies unpaid practical training.
  • Academia, government, private industry, and public accounting practice qualify as valid employment venues.

A licensed CPA must supervise and validate all work experience with Michigan’s CPA Experience Form. You do not need work experience to sit for the CPA exam in Michigan. You can accrue the experience before or after taking the exam if you acquire all 2,000 hours within five calendar years.

Eligibility to Take the Exam

You may apply and sit for the Michigan CPA exam after meeting the 120 semester hour requirement. First-time examination and licensure candidates do not need to pass the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ (AICPA) Professional Ethics Examination.

If you have not yet completed all educational requirements for the exam, you may still apply for and take the exam. However, you must meet the education standards within 60 days of writing your first exam section. Failing to do so invalidates your exam scores.

Michigan does not impose age, citizenship, Social Security number, or state residency requirements on CPA exam eligibility. Candidates educated outside the United States must have their credentials evaluated by the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) International Evaluation Services or a member organization of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services.

Applying for and Scheduling the Exam

You can apply for the CPA exam in Michigan directly through the NASBA website. The exam application and scheduling processes differ. When you apply, NASBA will evaluate your credentials. If your credentials meet Michigan’s standards, you’ll receive a Notice to Schedule (NTS) through your NASBA account.

When applying, you must submit official academic transcripts from all educational institutions you have attended. You can have your school(s) send official transcripts electronically if they offer this service. If not, you must obtain hard copies and send the sealed documents.

If you are still in school, you can apply and sit for the CPA exam provided you’ll meet all education requirements within 60 days of taking your first test section.

Michigan CPA standards allow you to take the Uniform CPA Examination in one or more sections at a time. You’ll select the sections you wish to take when applying.

After Passing the Exam

You’ll take a major step toward licensure by passing the Uniform CPA Examination. However, several additional qualifiers apply.

First, you must earn at least 150 semester hours or the equivalent, along with meeting the work experience requirement of at least 2,000 hours obtained over 1-5 calendar years. Finally, you must be at least 18 years of age and of what the Michigan Bureau of Professional Licensing describes as “good moral character.”

You’ll apply for licensure through the Michigan Professional Licensure User System (MiPlus). Licensees seeking to verify their status to employers, clients, or institutions also submit their requests through MiPlus. The Michigan Board of Accountancy evaluates license verification requests.

How Long Does It Take to Become a CPA in Michigan?

    It typically takes between 6 to 7 years to become a fully licensed CPA in Michigan. This timeframe can vary based on individual circumstances, such as whether you gain work experience concurrently with your education or the time you take to pass the CPA exam.

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