Though licensure requirements vary by state, a bachelor’s degree in accounting is typically required if you’re interested in sitting for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam and becoming an accountant. Many states require at least 150 credit hours for CPA licensure. 

Generally, earning an accredited accounting bachelor’s degree online is the first step toward becoming an accountant. Proper education is key in a field requiring professionals to be knowledgeable, prepared, and familiar with accounting processes and documents. As an accounting and data analysis major at Liberty, you will study a variety of subjects and prepare to serve clients with excellence. 

Because our bachelor’s in accounting and data analysis degree online is 120 hours, you may need to complete another 30 credit hours worth of study to become a CPA. In this instance, pursuing one of our online certificate programs may be a good additional step to take Our certificates allow you to work toward the credit requirement needed to become a CPA, gain valuable knowledge, and earn standalone credentials that prove your knowledge of several subject areas. 

If you’re an accounting student and looking for other ways to satisfy the credit hour requirement to become a CPA in your state, adding a minor to our online bachelor’s in data analysis and accounting degree online is also an excellent way to make progress toward your goals.

Depending on your degree level, earning an accounting degree online can be done in a relatively short time frame. Our bachelor’s degree in accounting and data analysis can be completed in as little as 3.5 years — 1 full semester shorter than the average length of a residential bachelor’s degree program. 

At Liberty, undergraduate students can take up to 18 credit hours per semester. If your goal is to graduate as soon as possible, we recommend speaking with an academic advisor, indicating your desire to graduate quickly, and creating a semester-by-semester graduation plan in which you take as many credit hours as possible each semester. 

Because prerequisites may come into play, we recommend you contact us at (800) 424-9595 so an advisor can walk you through the courses our online accounting and data analysis bachelor’s degree requires, as well as which courses have prerequisites and which courses pair well with others. We are committed to your success and readily available to assist you as you take the first step toward an accounting career.

The best designation is the designation that aligns with your career goals. Several unique benefits come with the designation as a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Certified Public Accountant (CPA), or Certified Management Accountant (CMA). 

The CMA certification is designed to help you analyze a variety of financial situations and use your findings to make sound, informed business decisions that help companies move forward. CMAs are qualified to perform numerous roles – like cost management, budgeting, performance management, investment decision making, and financial reporting – in multiple sectors. The CMA is a globally recognized credential that is excellent for financiers. 

The CFA certification is an excellent pathway for financial analysts to show that they are competent, knowledgeable, and ethical. Becoming a Chartered Financial Analyst is a rigorous process that requires the passage of several exams that cover a variety of economic and financial topics. 

The CPA designation is very popular among accountants and ideal for professionals who hope to pursue and secure long-term careers in accountancy. CPAs can be paid by individuals and businesses alike for their services – which typically entail accounting and tax work for clientele. Each state has different requirements for becoming a CPA.

The first step in pursuing a career in accounting is earning a respected, relevant degree in accounting: like Liberty’s Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Data Analysis. A degree can help equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in an accounting career – and it can typically satisfy education requirements put in place by employers.

After earning your degree, you may want to consider pursuing CPA certification. Depending on your state, you may be required to complete additional credit hours beyond what a bachelor’s degree in accounting requires. For more information, please contact your state board or see our state licensure page. 

There is more to a good accountant than simply being good with numbers and knowing business lingo. Accountants do need to be highly trained and knowledgeable about what they do — they must possess confidence, intelligence, and critical thinking skills if they hope to succeed professionally. 

Accountants need to be confident problem solvers who are not intimidated by a challenge. As an accountant, clients will come to you with questions they don’t know how to answer and situations they’re not sure how to navigate. Tax and reporting regulations can be complicated and long-winded. As an accountant, it is your job to tackle such challenges and deliver for your client or company while maintaining the highest degree of ethics. 

Liberty University holds institutional accreditation through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Accrediting (SACSCOC). In addition, our School of Business is among only 3% of business schools worldwide to be accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). 

Furthermore, our BS in Accounting and Data Analysis also holds programmatic accreditation through ACBSP. When you choose Liberty, you choose a regionally accredited university, an accredited school of business, and an accredited online accounting and data analysis degree. SACSCOC and ACBSP accreditation confirm that our online data analysis and accounting degree is academically excellent, capable of helping you master new concepts, and able to help you pursue your career goals.

Not necessarily, though CPA requirements vary by state, students commonly need to complete around 150 credit hours to sit for the CPA exam. Many students take a route to satisfy this credit hour requirement as an undergraduate student. For more information on your state’s CPA requirements, see our state licensure page. 

However, an MBA is an excellent option if you’re hoping to earn a graduate credential, boost your earning potential, and vie for new career opportunities. If you’re interested in building your accounting knowledge beyond the bachelor’s level, Liberty’s 100% online Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Accounting may be a great fit for you.

No. Diplomas from Liberty do not say whether you graduated from our online or residential campus — they simply say “Liberty University.” One small distinction is that online diplomas are signed by the online provost, while residential diplomas are signed by the residential provost.

Our online bachelor’s degree in accounting and data analysis does not have any internship requirements. However, participating in an internship is an excellent way to implement the skills you learn in class. An internship can also help you build connections, teach you new skills, be an excellent addition to a résumé, and give you more confidence when applying for full-time jobs.

Liberty offers an Associate of Arts (AA) in Accounting degree online, allowing you to test the waters of accounting before diving into a bachelor’s degree or working toward your CPA certification. Better yet, each of the courses you take as part of the AA in Accounting can transfer directly into the Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Data Analysis. That way, you’ll have a head start on your bachelor’s in accounting and data analysis if you decide to pursue it following your associate degree in accounting.