Major: Accounting Technology and Bookkeeping

What colleges offer a Major in Accounting Technology and Bookkeeping?

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Next time you’re at a cash register, take note. It’s probably computerized, running on powerful software that tracks every sale and every refund and uses that information to keep tabs on inventory levels. What happens next? A bookkeeper works with the collected data, providing owners, managers, and accountants with information they can use when making business decisions.

You’ll train to work with retail records and much more if you major in accounting technology and bookkeeping. Course work will cover different record-keeping systems, from journals to ledgers to computer programs. By the time you graduate, you’ll be prepared to crunch numbers as an accounts payable clerk, a bookkeeper, or another type of financial clerk.

Did You Know?

This is not the path to take if you want to become an accountant. For that, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree.

Are You Ready To...?

  • Learn payroll particulars, inside and out
  • Put together budget reports
  • Memorize tax laws
  • Get up to speed on accounting software
  • Take your math skills to the next level

It Helps To Be...

Someone who loves working with numbers, down to the last decimal; accounting is all about accuracy.

College Checklist

  • Does the program award an associate’s degree or a certificate?
  • Does the program focus more on bookkeeping or on accounting technology?
  • Are school computers equipped with the latest accounting software?
  • Will the school help you find a job after graduation?

Did You Know?

The creators of Monopoly have the U.S. Treasury beat: they print more money daily.

Course Spotlight

Scrooge might have been a nicer guy if only he didn’t have to spend long nights bent over his ledgers, keeping financial records by hand. Too bad he didn’t have a computer to ease the burden. 

In a course on computerized accounting, you’ll learn how to keep books the modern way. You’ll practice using computer software to accomplish virtually any accounting function, from correcting payroll transactions to calculating depreciation (a decrease in value over time). Your grade will count largely on accuracy and completeness, qualities also important on the job.

Degree type: 

This major most often leads to the associate's degree.

HELPFUL HIGH SCHOOL COURSES

  • Statistics
  • Computer applications
  • Business
  • AP Calculus AB
  • Accounting
  • AP Microeconomics

TYPICAL MAJOR COURSES

  • Basic accounting
  • Business math
  • Computerized accounting/bookkeeping
  • Income tax fundamentals
  • Introduction to business
  • Payroll accounting
  • Principles of financial accounting
  • Principles of managerial accounting
  • Spreadsheet applications

RELATED MAJORS

  • Accounting
  • Applied Mathematics
  • Business Administration and Management
  • Computer Programming, General
  • Finance
  • Mathematics
  • Statistics

RELATED CAREERS

  • Actuaries
  • Brokerage Clerks
  • Financial Analysts
  • Financial Clerks
  • Government Accountants and Auditors
  • Management Accountants and Internal Auditors
  • Public Accountants

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