According to a recent survey by the National Associate of Colleges and Employers, 86 percent of employers agree that applicants holding a degree in accounting or finance are among the most desirable job candidates today. It’s no wonder why. Accounting is an extremely valuable skillset to have, as it is essential to every type of business and organization. Yet not everyone can do it and do it well. If you have a natural knack for numbers, are interested in the financial aspects of business – budgeting, profitability – and know how to handle money, take advantage of it!

Advance your skills with an accounting education.

There are many different paths you can take in an accounting college. Accounting programs are offered at the Associate, Bachelor, and Master’s degree levels. The type of degree you choose will depend on your interests, your flexibility, and ultimately, your career goals.

Right now, you might be considering a 2-year accounting degree. It is a shorter-term path that still offers the foundational skills you need to launch a financial career. Among the many other benefits of an Associate in accounting, it is in fact the fastest track you can take towards an accounting career.

There are many reasons one might consider pursuing a 2-year accounting degree. Maybe you are not fully ready to commit to the long journey towards a CPA. Maybe you’d prefer to get into the workforce more quickly than that. Perhaps your goal is to work as a bookkeeper or accounting assistant, rather than at the executive-level. Or, maybe you are interested in growing your financial skillset and experience, to become more attractive to future employers.

Associate, 2-year accounting degree programs teach a variety of organizational, analytical, problem-solving, and reporting skills needed to be successful in finance. Through the Associate degree in Accounting program at Goodwin College, for example, you can expect to:

• Strengthen your critical-thinking skills by identifying, gathering, measuring, summarizing, and truly “crunching” financial data
• Learn and apply your technological skills to accounting and business problems
• Develop awareness of professional and ethical issues facing the accounting industry
• Create professional financial reports and analysis for your clients
• Leave fully prepared to sit for professional certifications in bookkeeping, Microsoft Excel, and accounting software like QuickBooks
• Qualify for many entry-level accounting jobs in bookkeeping, payroll, and more

Associate accounting programs like Goodwin’s offer a quality education as well as a faster track to the workforce. But if you need more reasons to pursue a 2-year accounting degree, keep reading!

1. There is a strong demand for many associate-level finance professionals.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than one million job openings are expected for skilled, trained, and educated financial specialists over the next few years. Entry-level accounting positions such as bookkeepers, payroll officers, auditing clerks, and accounting assistants – careers that are all attainable with a 2-year accounting degree – are all expected to open up to aspiring graduates:

“Because bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks constitute a large occupation, there will be a large number of job openings from workers leaving the occupation. Thus, opportunities to enter the occupation should be plentiful,” writes the BLS in their Occupational Outlook Handbook.

The constant demand comes with stable pay, as well. Connecticut is rated the second highest-paying state for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks, sources say.

2. Associate accounting programs are flexible.

There’s no doubt that you want a flexible college program – that’s a big reason why you’re considering a 2-year accounting degree. But what if we told you that it’s possible to earn your Associate in Accounting in less than two years? Well, you can at Goodwin College!

The accounting school at Goodwin College offers classes in the standard, 15-week format, as well as at an accelerated pace. Accelerated accounting courses run in 7.5-week sessions, for even faster degree completion. Courses can also be taken during the days, evenings, and weekends – meaning you’re bound to find courses that fit into your busy schedule.

In addition to the class flexibility of our accounting program, students at Goodwin College benefit from six class starts annually and three academic sessions per year. You can apply to our accounting program at any time, and the classes you need will be available to you, right when you need them.

3. A 2-year accounting degree is a great stepping stone.

The beauty of an Associate degree is that it leaves great room to grow. As you take accounting courses, you will come to find out where your passion lies. Are you interested in transactional management? Are you interested in record keeping? Are you interested in working with large corporations, or in a small business or non-profit setting? Are you interested in learning more about Auditing, Inventory, and Tax? By finding out what interests you most, you might decide you are happy with an Associate degree, or that you would like to explore more areas of accounting down the road.

With an Associate accounting degree, you can easily transition into a Bachelor’s and later, a Master’s, program if and when you are ready. Even if you don’t know what you want to do right now, an Associate degree can help dictate your interests and lead the way towards more career options in the future.

Interested in the accounting degrees at Goodwin College? Call 800-889-3282 to learn more!