Study Accounting in New York
New York, and especially New York City, is an ideal place to study accounting. It’s the financial capital of the world, afterall! But you no longer need to move to New York City to get a quality accounting education – you can do so entirely online.
Online accounting degrees offer all sorts of benefits, from cheaper tuition to accelerated options that allow you to finish your degree faster to flexible scheduling so you can continue to work while you earn your degree. New York offers a further benefit – a lot of online accounting degree options. Let’s explore some of the most popular programs!
Online Accounting Degrees in New York
Listed below are some of the popular schools offering online accounting degrees in New York:
- State University of New York Plattsburgh
- Empire State University
- Brooklyn College
- Monroe College
- SUNY Polytechnic Institute
- SUNY Old Westbury
- Pace University Online
- Lehman College
- Utica University
State University of New York Plattsburgh
Online Bachelor of Science in Accounting
The Bachelor of Science program at the State University of New York Plattsburgh is as flexible an online program as they come. The courses are asynchronous, so you don’t have to “meet” with your professors for class at an established time each week. Additionally, you can start taking classes at any point during the year rather than waiting for a new semester to begin. If you’re ready to go now, you can start classes right away!
You must complete 120 credits to graduate. Typically, this takes four years, but by taking classes year-round, you can reduce the amount of time you need to graduate by a year or more. No matter the timeline you’re on, you’ll complete the same set of courses. Your coursework is broken down into the following components:
- The Cardinal Core Curriculum
- Major Departmental Requirements
- Accounting, Economics, and Finance Electives
- Cognate Requirements
The Cardinal Core Curriculum encompasses the general education requirements you complete during your first and second years as a college student. These classes, which range from math and science to the arts and social sciences and more, give you a broad understanding of many different subjects. These courses focus on helping you develop essential 21st-century skills, such as effective written and verbal communication, information literacy, and quantitative reasoning, to name a few.
The Major Departmental Requirements revolve around building accounting-specific skills. This component includes 75 credits or the vast majority of the credits needed to graduate. These classes start with foundational subjects like Introduction to Financial Accounting, Introduction to Managerial Accounting, and Cost Accounting. From there, you’ll explore more advanced topics such as:
- Advanced Accounting
- Auditing
- Income Tax
- Business Statistics I and II
- Principles of Finance
This portion of the program also introduces you to management and information technology theories and tools. For example, you’ll take a Strategic Management class in which you learn about competitive forces, competitive advantages, portfolio analysis, and a wide range of other topics. You’ll also take a Business Applications and Information Systems course that explores popular business software like Microsoft Office.
The elective portion of the curriculum requires you to take a three-credit accounting course and a three-credit course in either economics or finance. You have many different options to choose from for each. For example, you can satisfy the accounting elective requirement by taking International Accounting, Income Tax II, or Accounting Theory and Research. Likewise, you can take Public Finance, Money and Banking, or International Financial Management (among others) to meet the economics and finance requirements.
The final component of this accounting program is the Cognate Requirements – three to 11 credits in essential math prerequisites and advanced math courses. You must take Elementary College Mathematics or an equivalent course as well as Precalculus or earn a satisfactory score on the Calculus Readiness Test. Additionally, you must pass a class in Calculus for the Life, Management, and Social Sciences, or, you can substitute that class with Trigonometry and Calculus.
The following criteria are considered when making admissions decisions for first-year students:
- Strength of your high school program
- Your GPA (a B average is highly suggested)
- Letter of recommendation from a high school teacher or counselor
- A personal essay
- Standardized test scores (though SUNY Plattsburgh is test optional)
Once completed, this degree satisfies 120 of the 150 education credits needed to sit for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam. You can earn the remaining 30 credits in a master’s program in accounting from SUNY Plattsburgh.
Empire State University
Online Bachelor of Science in Accounting
Empire State University’s online Bachelor of Science in Accounting is another excellent undergraduate option for completing your degree remotely. This degree program focuses on accounting theory, technical accounting knowledge, and other core competencies that prepare you to be a knowledgeable accounting professional.
At 124 credits, this program is slightly longer than usual. However, you can still complete the program in four years, provided you take around 16 credits each fall and spring semester. Taking an extra class each semester can help you finish the program in three and a half years, though. You can shorten the time needed to graduate even more if you take classes during the summer term.
Empire State University offers live online classes within this degree. This means you must attend classes at specific times of day on certain days of the week. On the one hand, this is advantageous because it mimics a real-world classroom setting – you can interact with your classmates and professors as you would if you were in an on-campus classroom.
On the other hand, having set class times reduces the flexibility of online learning. You’ll need to evaluate how flexible you need your accounting program to be before enrolling.
Other features of this program include the following:
- Coursework is 100 percent online with no on-campus visits required.
- You learn from the same faculty as on-campus students.
- You’ll have a personal concierge who helps you with any problems and answers any questions you might have.
- You can earn credit for prior knowledge, furthering your ability to finish this degree faster.
This program offers a typical accounting curriculum with requirements divided amongst several areas. The general education requirements for this program are similar to those described earlier. You must complete coursework in a variety of academic fields that demonstrate a well-rounded and diverse curriculum. This includes coursework in the natural sciences, social sciences, the arts and humanities, and English composition, to name a few.
The next portion of the curriculum are the accounting and business courses. You must complete introductory or lower-division studies first, then move on to advanced or upper-division classes. For example, you’ll take lower-division courses such as:
- Introductory Financial Accounting
- Introductory Managerial Accounting
- Microeconomics
- Macroeconomics
- Legal Environment of Business
Next, you’ll take upper-division courses in accounting and business, including the following:
- Intermediate Accounting I and II
- Cost Accounting
- Advanced Accounting
- Corporate Finance
- Organizational Behavior
Moreover, you’ll complete studies in areas like Federal Individual Income Tax, Federal Income Tax for Corporations, Partnerships, Estates, and Trusts, as well as Auditing. You’ll also take numerous business and accounting electives in specialties that interest you. For example, you might take a course in forensic accounting or accounting analytics.
Like other undergraduate degrees in accounting, this one prepares you for the CPA exam. You need to complete 26 additional credits to meet the 150-credit educational threshold for the exam, which you can do by completing a relevant master’s degree at Empire State University or another school.
You must meet the following requirements to apply:
- Submit proof you completed high school (e.g., a high school diploma or GED certificate)
- Provide official high school transcripts
- Provide official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended
- Submit proof of immunization
Brooklyn College
Online Master of Science in Accounting
The City University of New York’s Brooklyn College offers a Master of Science in Accounting online that builds on the entry-level accounting knowledge and skills you gained in your bachelor’s degree program. The advanced topics you’ll study in this Master of Science enable you to be a more effective accounting practitioner.
Likewise, this 30-credit program, which is accredited by the Association to Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), meets the educational requirements to sit for the CPA exam. Throughout your 30 credits of study, you’ll complete classes that advance your knowledge and understanding of critical accounting topics.
For example, you’ll take courses in Advanced Accounting Theory, Federal Taxation, and Auditing Concepts. You’re also required to complete classes in Financial Statement Analysis, Controllership and Managerial Accounting, and International Accounting. Other required courses are as follows:
- The Legal Environment of Business
- Operations Research and Decision Sciences
- Money and Capital Markets
- Managerial Economics
These courses emphasize a deep understanding of topics such as tax research and planning, accounting requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and asset valuation and the problems associated with enterprise reporting. You’ll gain specific hard skills related to working as an accountant, too, including the following:
- Ethical reasoning
- Information literacy
- Strategic thinking
- Quantitative reasoning
- Written communication
- Critical thinking
You’ll learn about these and other topics in a fully online environment. What’s more, all classes are asynchronous to give you added flexibility for completing the program requirements. Most students are able to complete the 30 credits needed to graduate in one year.
Brooklyn College has something else that’s valuable to you as a future accountant – ample networking opportunities and internship opportunities. The college offers job fairs and maintains a database of internships in the greater New York City area where you can gain real-world experience before graduating. Some of the college’s internship partners include:
- New York Life Insurance Company
- JPMorgan Chase & Company
- KPMG
- Bank of America
- Citibank
The following admissions requirements must be met prior to applying:
- Have a 120–credit undergraduate degree from an accredited institution. The degree must include at least 15 credits in accounting and 24 or more credits in general business coursework.
- Submit transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
- Provide two letters of recommendation from academic or professional references.
- Provide evidence of English language proficiency if English is not your native language. This can be done in a number of ways, including satisfactory TOEFL or IELTS scores. You can also use PTE or Duolingo scores.
The application deadline for fall admission is August 15th. You must submit all materials by December 15th for spring admission.
Monroe College
Online Master of Science in Accounting
Located in the Bronx, Monroe College offers another option in New York City for completing your master’s studies. Its Master of Science in Accounting is a 36-credit online program that builds on your undergraduate studies to give you a thorough education in essential accounting topics. Combined with an appropriate undergraduate degree, this master’s program enables you to sit for the CPA exam.
You must take a foundational statistics course before you’re fully admitted to the program. This course – Foundations of Statistics – is a workshop covering essential topics, such as descriptive and inferential statistics, and probability. This course is required because it strengthens your understanding of statistics while also enhancing your ability to think critically and your ability for abstract thought.
As you’d expect, the curriculum includes coursework in Managerial Accounting, Accounting Data Analytics, and Advanced Accounting Information Systems. You’ll also take classes in Taxation of Entities, Financial Accounting Theory and Reporting, and Advanced Auditing.
This coursework is supplemented with studies in other advanced accounting fields. For example, you’ll take an International Accounting class that examines accounting trends and principles on a global scale. You’ll learn how financial reporting and analysis is undertaken in other areas of the world, and gain competence in areas of standardization, harmonization, and consolidation of financial statements for global companies.
Another interesting course you’re required to take is Managerial Economics. This field is an applied form of microeconomics that looks at how resources are allocated and examines how analysts and managers make tactical decisions. To do so, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of marginal analysis, decision analysis, and forecasting, among other concepts.
The curriculum also includes an Advanced Investment Management course that focuses on modern portfolio theory. You’ll study topics like risk-return trade-offs, portfolio optimization, and index models, among others. Other required courses include the following:
- Accounting, Tax, and Audit Seminar
- Graduate Research and Critical Analysis
- Managing in the Global Environment
While you’re in this program, you’ll have many different opportunities for professional development and networking. In fact, The King Graduate School at Monroe College is home to numerous organizations that can help you meet important contacts in accounting.
For example, provided you have the necessary academic acumen, you can join the Delta Mu Delta International Honor Society, which recognizes top students at institutions around the globe. Alternatively, as a black or Latino student, you can join the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) or the Association for Latino Professionals of America (ALPFA).
Furthermore, Monroe College offers graduate-level professional internship options that enable you to work in an accounting or business setting in the Bronx or another area of New York City. An accounting internship is one of the best ways to solidify your competency as a pre-practice accountant.
You’ll have opportunities to observe and shadow licensed accountants and participate in daily accounting activities. Doing so under the watchful eye of a licensed accountant allows you to get real-time feedback that helps you address your weak areas and enhance your strengths even further.
The graduate application for admission to Monroe College is available online. You must meet the following requirements to apply:
- Have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
- Submit official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended
- Provide two letters of recommendation from professional references
- Submit a resume
- Provide a personal essay or goal statement that explains your academic and professional goals.
How Long Does It Take to Get an Accounting Degree Online?
The time it takes to complete an online accounting degree typically mirrors that of traditional on-campus programs. Generally, earning a bachelor’s degree in accounting online takes about four years of full-time study. However, some factors can alter the duration.
For students who need more flexibility or have prior commitments, many online programs offer part-time schedules, which can extend the completion time. Conversely, some schools provide accelerated courses that allow students to complete their degree faster, possibly within three years if the student is committed and can handle a more intensive course load.
Additionally, for those who already have college credits or a related associate degree, many online programs offer transfer policies that can significantly reduce the remaining coursework needed for a bachelor’s degree, further shortening the overall study time.
The duration to complete a master’s degree in accounting online typically ranges from one to two years.
Is a BA or BS Better for Accounting?
Choosing between a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or a Bachelor of Science (BS) in accounting largely depends on your career goals and personal interests, as both degrees can lead to successful accounting careers but offer slightly different educational paths.
Bachelor of Science in Accounting
- Focus: More heavily concentrated on math, accounting, finance, and quantitative skills.
- Curriculum: Typically includes more courses specific to accounting and related fields, such as advanced finance, audit practices, and tax law.
- Career Path: Particularly beneficial for students looking to become CPAs or those interested in positions that require strong technical accounting skills, such as auditors, tax specialists, or financial analysts.
Bachelor of Arts in Accounting
- Focus: While it still covers essential accounting principles, it often includes a broader liberal arts education.
- Curriculum: Students may take more courses in humanities, social sciences, or communication, alongside their accounting coursework.
- Career Path: Ideal for students who are interested in roles that combine accounting with broader business management, human resources, or roles that require strong communication skills, such as corporate communications within financial institutions.
Both degrees should adequately prepare you for accounting certifications like the CPA, especially if the programs meet the credit hour requirements for taking the exam. Some employers may have a preference for one type of degree over the other, depending on the nature of the job. However, many value the specific accounting skills and knowledge over the type of degree.
In short, both degrees are valuable and choosing between them should be based on how well each aligns with your career objectives and educational interests. If you’re clear about your career direction in accounting, that might guide your choice more effectively than simply choosing between a BA and a BS.
What are the Requirements to Become a CPA in New York?
Basic Requirements
To qualify for CPA licensure in New York, you must first complete 120 semester credits. This includes 24 credits from upper-division courses in auditing and cost accounting, with at least three credits each in taxation and financial accounting based on U.S. standards.
You also need to complete 24 credits in general business courses, with at least 21 of these credits being upper-division and including three credits in U.S. business law. Additional accounting courses may also count towards the general business credit requirement.
CPA Exam
Before sitting for the CPA exam, you must apply and receive a Notice to Schedule. This notice gives you six months to schedule and complete the first part of the CPA exam at a Prometric testing center. Failure to schedule the exam within six months requires reapplication.
The CPA exam is divided into four sections, each requiring a minimum score of 75 to pass. You can attempt these sections simultaneously or over an 18-month period.
Additional 30 Credits
After the CPA exam, you need to acquire an additional 30 credits, which can be earned through a master’s degree in accounting or standalone courses. At least six of these credits must be from upper-division courses in auditing or cost accounting, and a minimum of 12 credits must be in general business.
Work Experience
The work experience requirement in New York consists of one year of work, which can be completed either part-time for no more than 104 weeks or full-time for no more than 52 weeks. The experience must be in areas such as accountancy, attestation, compilation, financial advising, taxation, or consultation, and must be verified by your supervisor (a licensed CPA).
Final Application
Once your experience is verified, you can submit your final application package and fees to the New York State Education Department Office of the Professions for licensure.