An Online Education in Accounting

Companies and organizations have to be able to manage their money correctly. More importantly they have to be able to look at the funds they have earned and spent in every area of their business. Employers utilize individuals with proficient skills in accounting to help them succeed in this capacity. Accredited online colleges and universities offer different types of educational programs for accounting.

Accounting is the system of recording and analyzing all financial transactions that take place within a company. The established accounting system is a way of presenting the financial status of a company to individuals, employees, and other companies in a professional way. In today's technology driven society accounting is becoming more integrated with technology. As a result, individuals in the industry continue education throughout their career to stay current on new and developing techniques that drive the field of accounting.

Interested students can gain an online education by enrolling in a degree program. Students can earn an education in accounting by gaining an associate's degree to a master's degree. Other schooling options include accounting certificates, and students can continue higher education by earning a master of business administration degree. Each available program gives a strong educational base to dedicated students.

An associate's degree prepares students to enter the industry as quickly as possible. This typical two-year program can have students studying foundational principles of accounting. These principles include income tax law and the new regulations set forth by the industry. Graduates will have learned the basic procedures that will enable them to work as tax preparers, auditing clerks, and accounting assistants. A bachelor's degree program will teach students the elements of the auditing process, how to analyze financial information, and apply accounting knowledge to company procedures. A bachelor's degree takes on average four-years to complete. Students will learn how to be successful in the accounting field by taking courses on principles and procedures that include budget planning, tax law, auditing, government regulation, and more.

Students who choose to further their education at the graduate level will dive deeper into how to fulfill their role in accounting as a manager. With a solid foundation in accounting already earned by gaining a bachelor's degree, a master's degree will open more doors of opportunity for students to become experts in a particular area of accounting. A master's degree will enable students to move into careers at the corporate level. These areas can include capital planning and analysis.

An online education is a great option for students that cannot take time off of work or put their responsibilities on hold long enough to attend a traditional college. Online training helps already working professionals who want to advance within their career by allowing them to study from home. Those interested in using their skills in math and communication should research accounting degree programs online. Earning an accredited education will increase career options and enable students to step into desired careers.

DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERIC OUTLINE and may or may not depict precise methods, courses and/or focuses related to ANY ONE specific school(s) that may or may not be advertised at PETAP.org.

Copyright 2010 - All rights reserved by PETAP.org.

Renata McGee is a staff writer for PETAP.org. Locate Accredited Online Accounting Schools providing the education you're looking for at PETAP.org, your Partners in Education and Tuition Assistance Programs.

Technology Degrees Allow Gamers to Turn Love of Play Into Their Work

The gaming industry is starting a new campaign this year. It wants more women in gaming. No, not as players, but as employees. According to site, GamesCareers.biz, the industry has discovered that 10% of all applications received are from women. As industry studies state 38% of all gamers are female, it's a situation they feel must be rectified immediately. There is more to this field than just development and a degree from accredited online schools will open many doors.

Admittedly, video games suffer from an incredible overdose of testosterone. Go to a convention and predominantly the only females present are convention employees, booth models and bored dates and mothers. To those in the industry, this means they are missing an incredibly huge part of their market. The best solution is to employ more women, both on the development and marketing side, in order to address this situation.

In fact, the situation is considered so dire that no less than Microsoft itself held a conference in its corporate facility in Redmond, Washington, to review the problem. CNET reported that 150 people showed up, with nearly 90% of them being women. The cable news service joked that it was close to all the women in the industry.

Then again, if one reviews the employment situation, it's easy to see why many women are turned off about working in the game industry. For instance, the gaming giants EA and ActiVision are facing a civil action regarding its working conditions. Game developers are expected to work longer-than-average hours with little or no overtime. As game developers tend to be younger than in most other software providers, this is a situation that is particularly hard on young mothers with infants to pre-teens. No matter how cool their mom's job is, the kids do want to see her occasionally.

One company taking the initiative is Sony Online Entertainment, another leader in the video game field. According to CNN, they have created have created G.I.R.L., Gamers In Real Life, a scholarship program to attract more young women to careers in game development. It is being led by Torrie Dorrell, Sony's Senior Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing.

Gamers In Real Life has already given scholarships of $10,000 each to two deserving women, with plans to announce a third this May. Another perk of the program is the beneficiaries will also be hired as interns at Sony. For those interested in learning more about this program, the Internet will provide additional information.

This aren't the only monies available to women who want to create fun as a career. One thing to consider is that game development is a part of computer science, and as such is considered a STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) career. Another good source for financial aid is the National Science Foundation for an S-STEM scholarship/grant.

Finally, as many accredited online schools offer game development as part of their curriculum, they are excellent places to find out more about the industry. So, a good place for a woman to find out how to facilitate a technology degree online is through her school's financial aid officer. As it is, the gaming industry is aware of the need. It's up to enterprising women to take advantage of it.