ACCOUNTING involves collection, analysis, organization, and presentation of financial information.  Persons who enjoy working with data and have analytical talents may want to consider the area of accounting.  Accountants also need good communication, leadership, and team building skills.  Accountants have challenging ethical responsibilities to their employees and information users inside and outside organizations.

Example of job placement for accounting minors

PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRMS - Many accounting graduates work for public accounting firms.  Work includes auditing, management advisory services, and analysis of tax issues as well as preparation of tax returns for clients.
NOTE:  Students should have a 3.00 GPA to consider this career path.

INDUSTRIAL and SERVICE EMPLOYERS - The accounting curriculum will qualify graduates to work in financial and managerial accounting areas for corporations.  Work involved may include:  budgetary control, forecasting, long-range planning, capital budgets, investment of trust funds and surplus, cost control, systems design and data processing, internal auditing, taxation, statistics, compliance with law and governmental regulations, credit and collections, insurance, stockholder reporting and financial administration.

FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS - Banks, insurance and investment firms hire students in many of the same capacities as an industrial firm.

U.S. GOVERNMENT - (1) revenue agents for Internal Revenue Service.  After a six-month internship consisting of classroom instruction and work under supervision, investigation to determine correct federal tax liabilities can be added to the responsibilities.  (2)  Indiana government accountants, legal government accountants, national agencies government accountants.

Requirements to sit for the CPA Exam include significant out of school individual study and concentration.

Indiana CPA Requirements:
BS degree from a recognized institution (Purdue is recognized) with an emphasis in accounting.  Forty hours of business courses must be earned.  This must include 21 credits in accounting excluding MGMT 200/201 (6 of the 21 credits may be law.)  Applications are due 60 days before May or November exam dates and students are eligible if tested within 60 days of graduation.  Further information may be obtained from the accounting faculty.  As of January, 2000, Indiana requires 150 credit hours to sit for the CPA exam.

Visit the Indiana CPA Society for more information about the CPA Exam.

CPA Requirements - Other States:
*In general most states require a BS degree with an emphasis in accounting.  Look up other states for specific requirements.