Question & Answers
Q: How soon can I finish an accounting degree?
A: The answer really depends on how much college education you currently have. If you already have a bachelors degree in another field, you may not need to get an accounting degree, you may only need to get a concentration of accounting courses. See Alaska Statute 08.04.120 or 12 AAC 04.185. to determine requirements for a CPA without an accounting degree. Like most states, the State of Alaska requires all CPA’s to have a minimum of 150 semesters hours in order to be licensed. You need 123 semester hours to earn a Bachelors of Business Administration in Accounting at UAF. The state does not specify what the compsition of the remainding hours be in, so as I said earlier, it all depends on how much you have done and how many classes you’re willing to take each semester.
Q: I’ve heard I should have a 4-year plan when I start, how valid is this?
A: A good business person always goes into a new venture with a plan. UAF is a small state university, population wise, compared to others. With that in mind, some required classes are only offered once per year and some courses only have one class scheduled per semester. Most of the accounting as well as some of the business classes build off each other (e.g. must take Accounting I before Accounting II before Intermediate Accounting I before Intermediate Accounting II before Advanced Accounting) and looking ahead to determine which courses are only offered in the Fall or in the Spring will prevent future frustrations when you are closer to graduation. I would recommend build a 4-year or 5-year (if you are starting with no previous college credit) plan, paying close attention to course prerequisites, so you can see what classes will need to be taken during what semester.
Q: I’ve been told to “avoid” taking certain professors or classes, can you tell me which ones?
A: Every professor has their own style of teaching, as well as each student has a preferred way of learning. Same thing with classes, although there aren’t too many classes that can be substituted with another, mostly they are lower level general courses. The key in school, just like in the real world, is to adapt to your environment. I’ve heard some students say a particular professor or class was challenging and I found them to be releatively easy. I’ve also encountered the opposite, where I was told the class was an easy “A”, and the class was by no means easy.
Q: I was told an internship is a must have for an accounting major?
A: An internship is not a requirement for the degree. I know of students who were hired by a big-4 accounting firm without an internship. With that said, an internship will offer you to “test drive” the firm to see if the job is right for you, as well as potentially leading to a job offer upon its completion. The company gets a chance to look at you and see if you are a good fit before making the decision to hire you on full time. It is really a win-win situation for both sides. My recommedation is if you have the time, apply for an internship. If something happens and you decide you cannot do the internship, it is easier to turn down an offer given than it is to accept an offer not received.
