A Master of Professional Accountancy Leads to a Career Full of Opportunity
In a world run on business, the value of having a master’s in professional accountancy cannot be overstated. Prospective students considering this graduate degree can rest assured that it provides the best route to becoming a certified public accountant (CPA); a certification that opens the door to many more career opportunities than a bachelor’s degree alone.
If you’re thinking about pursuing a Master of Professional Accountancy, there are a number of merits to consider. Here’s what you need to know.
The Focus of Study Prepares You to Pass the CPA Exam
Passing the CPA exam isn’t easy, but it’s the most crucial step in building a professional accounting career. When you pursue a Master of Professional Accountancy (MAcc) degree at Azusa Pacific University, you’ll be prepared to do just that.
“The goal of this program is to help students pass the CPA exam and become a CPA,” said Ken Kederian, CPA, CGMA, an associate accounting professor at APU. “It’s that simple.”
This specialized, two-semester program has students dive deep into topics ranging from advanced auditing and information systems to business law and fraud investigation. It also dedicates a second-semester class to preparing for the CPA exam using the Wiley CPAexcel online preparation tool. And, perhaps most importantly, students can earn the additional credits needed to meet the 150 credit-requirement that qualifies them to take the CPA exam (which graduates of the APU program are well-prepared to pass).
CPAs Have a Wide-Open Job Market Filled with Opportunity
Kederian explained the importance of moving beyond an accounting degree to become a qualified CPA. “If you’re just a degree, you’re simply a glorified bookkeeper,” he said. “But everyone knows what a CPA is. If you go anywhere in the world, they know what a CPA is. It’s a seal of approval.”
This means the job market is wide open to you! As highly sought after analysts, CPAs bring reliability and integrity to understanding the numbers that make the world’s businesses and organizations succeed. In all areas of business, there is room for a CPA, including the following fields:
- Public Accounting
- Law Enforcement
- Corporate Financial Accounting
- Internal and External Auditing
- Financial Services
“As businesses grow, the CPA is the first to be hired and the last to let go,” Kederian added. Pursuing a Master of Professional Accounting could be the first step toward enjoying a long, fulfilling career in the industry of your choice.
Ethical Accounting Is a Priority at APU
Accounting is a career where integrity and trustworthiness are paramount to success. At Azusa Pacific University, this is really taken to heart.
Organizations of all sizes rely on accountants to be honest and truthful about the numbers they encounter and what they mean for business. Accordingly, a trustworthy accountant is incredibly valuable and highly sought-after. Ensuring APU graduates adhere to this high caliber of ethics is rooted in the school’s mission.
The Leung School of Accounting at APU has a vision to be “a premier Christian accounting school, recognized as a thought-leader on accounting character and competence to reflect the life of Christ and shine the light of Truth.” To date, domestic MAcc students at APU have received accounting job (and internship) offers prior to graduation, including roles at the Big Four firms and with many national, regional, and local groups.
As the person who may have to share bad news in a boardroom, it’s important for CPAs to have integrity and fortitude. “You won’t be the most popular,” Kederian shared. “But you’ll be the most trusted.”
Hoping to learn more about the Master of Professional Accountancy program on offer at Azusa Pacific University? Take some time to read up on the Leung School of Accounting and see what opportunities interest you.
Posted: February 5, 2019