CAREER OPPORTUNITIES       

Accounting majors take jobs in four different fields:

Management Accounting:
As an executive of a business or nonprofit organization, the
management accountant is in charge of developing the
information that is useful for making business decisions. A
CPA certificate is not necessary for a career in management
accounting.  However, the CMA (Certified Management
Accountant) is becoming as important to the managerial
accountant as the CPA is to the public accountant.

Public Accounting:
Public accounting is carried on by independent practitioners,
most of whom are Certified Public Accountants.  In addition to
independent audits and attest engagements, CPAs render
accounting, tax, and management advisory services to various
clients, primarily business organizations.  The CPA, like the
doctor and the lawyer, is a professional person who must pass
a written examination and obtain certification by the state. 
Penn State's degree with a major in accounting enables one to
sit for the CPA exam in most states.

Governmental Accounting:
Local governments need services similar to those offered by
industrial or public accountants.  The federal government
employs large numbers of accountants in the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, the General Accounting Office, the Internal
Revenue Service, and many other agencies.  CPA experience
requirements can now be met in many states, including
Pennsylvania, by those working in certain specified
governmental agencies.  However, a CPA certificate is not
necessary for a career in governmental accounting.

Academic Accounting:
Another professional field open to accountant is teaching and
research.  Many accounting professors also serve as consultants
in management, public or government accounting.  It is
necessary to have a Ph.D. degree for positions in the leading
colleges and universities.  A few positions are available at
community colleges to those with a master's degree and a CPA
or a CMA.