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Online Associate Degree AS in Accounting

Build a Foundation in Accounting and Business with an Online Associate Degree in Accounting

Develop the accounting and business skills that employers desire with an online Associate of Science in Accounting from Southern New Hampshire University. The associate degree in accounting is perfect for professionals who want to enter an accounting-related field or lay the groundwork for further study to become a certified management accountant (CMA) or certified public accountant (CPA).

Once you earn your associate degree, you’ll be prepared to jump into entry-level roles in your industry. You’ll learn how to apply financial, managerial and cost accounting principles to your daily work and become an asset to any company.

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See Yourself Succeed in Accounting

SNHU’s online associate degree in accounting will provide you with the accounting skills you need to succeed, plus the critical-thinking skills and essential business knowledge on which to build a successful career. You'll learn how to:

  • Identify and discuss the major government and private bodies that establish and interpret U.S. GAAP and international standards (IFRS), as well as U.S. tax regulations
  • Maintain basic financial records and financial statements for internal and external users in accordance with governing rules and regulations
  • Analyze, interpret and communicate the significance of accounting information to internal stakeholders
  • Identify the steps in the ethical decision-making process

Southern New Hampshire University, founded in 1932, has a more than 80-year history of graduating successful accounting students. As a private, nonprofit university, SNHU has one mission – to help you see yourself succeed. The benefits of earning your associate degree in accounting online at SNHU include:

  • Affordability. Take advantage of some of the most affordable tuition rates in the nation
  • Convenience. Attend class when it’s convenient for you – online education means 24/7 access
  • Efficiency and flexibility. Complete your undergraduate degree at your own pace, over six 8-week terms per year
  • Expert instruction. Learn from instructors with relevant, real-world experience
  • Networking. Tap into our nationwide network of alumni for internship and career opportunities
  • Simple application process. Just fill out an online undergraduate application, and we’ll retrieve U.S. transcripts from your previous institutions and automatically complete an official credit evaluation. Plus, there’s no application fee
  • Student support. Count on the ongoing support of dedicated academic and career advisors specialized in your area of study
  • Transfer-friendly enrollment. Transfer up to 45 credits toward an associate degree

Career Outlook

The online associate degree in accounting provides a solid foundation in accounting principles and practices to prepare you for entry-level positions in nearly every industry. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in accounting and auditing is expected to grow 10 percent by 2026.* With your associate degree in accounting, you'll be qualified for a number of entry-level roles including:

  • Accounts Receivable Clerk
  • Accounting Assistant
  • Billing Clerk
  • Bookkeeper
  • Payroll Clerk

Earning an associate degree can make a significant financial impact on your life. In 2016, individuals with associate degrees earned 23% percent more after taxes than those with only a high school education.*

An SNHU bachelor's degree in accounting can provide the educational requirements necessary to pursue professional certifications such as certified management accountant (CMA) and certified public accountant (CPA).

Students cannot earn CPA certification simply by earning a college degree; therefore, students wishing to follow the traditional CPA track should individually verify that they will meet any necessary requirements to sit for the exam.

Licensing requirements to sit for the CPA exam vary from state to state. Students are encouraged to review their state-specific requirements. State-by-state educational requirements can be found on the website of the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA), while state-by-state CPA licensing requirements can be found through the Accounting Licensing Library, powered by the NASBA.

Curriculum

The online accounting degree curriculum will give you a foundation in essential accounting principles and practices. You’ll understand how to handle a company’s finances, the basics of economics, statistics and how marketing plays a role in the world of accounting. Courses are taught by instructors with professional credentials and experience in accounting, taxation and fraud examination.

Major Courses
ACC 201 Financial Accounting

Financial Accounting establishes the rules and regulations for preparing accounting information used by internal and external sources to evaluate the financial health of an organization. This course will develop the student's ability to interpret financial accounting information, to communicate this information and to understand the accounting system that produces this information.
ACC 202 Managerial Accounting

Managerial Accounting will explore the financial impact of alternative business decisions and the financial benefits of new business practices. After completing this course, the student will understand how accounting and other productivity information can be used to assess the past and improve the future performance of a business by giving managers essential information they need to make more informed decisions.
ACC 307 Intermediate Accounting I

This is the first of three courses in intermediate accounting. These courses are designed to extend a student's knowledge of financial accounting practices. The first course focuses on understanding the theoretical framework that provides the foundations for the development of various accounting standards, regulations and practices. This followed by a review of the accounting cycle, including adjusting, correcting, reversing, and closing entries. Students will learn how to prepare accurate and complex financial statements including required disclosures that must accompany an organization's income statement, balance sheet and statement of cash flows; and how time value of money impacts the recording of various transactions. The course concludes with a presentation of techniques to analyze income measurement and profitability analysis.
ACC 308 Intermediate Accounting II

This is the last of two courses in intermediate accounting. Intermediate Accounting is at the core of professional accounting work as well as CPA Exam financial accounting and reporting skills tested. These courses are designed to extend a student's knowledge of financial accounting practices. The second course increases a student's understanding of how to account for a company's plant and intangible assets, investments, long-term debt, income taxes, stockholders' equity and more complex cash flow statement transactions. Other financial reporting issues discussed include the evolving GAAP on leases, accounting for post-retirement benefits and pensions, SEC reporting, and using the FASB Codification database. Throughout the course, students will develop greater technical knowledge of accounting transactions and techniques, and will learn how to record complex financial transactions and prepare financial statements and disclosures.

ACC 330 Federal Taxation I

A detailed presentation is made of the theory and practice applicable to the preparation of federal income tax returns for individuals.
BUS 206 Business Law I

The background, foundation and ethical aspects of the United States' legal system are examined. Torts, product liability, criminal law, contracts, sales, business organizations, and agency and cyber law also are explored.
INT 113 Introduction to International Business

This course is the foundation for business in a global context with an emphasis on applications. It offers a survey of fundamentals and principles of management in the context of globally oriented firms and primarily presents an assessment of the differences between business in domestic and international context. The course explores fundamental issues in business in an increasingly interdependent world; including management principles and techniques in a global context. Themes constituting fundamentals of international business such as economic, political, cultural and social environment of business; organizations that facilitate international business and organizational structures; trade theory; government influence on trade; international business modalities and entry strategies into foreign markets, global financial system as well as the emerging issues related to international business; are also explored.
IT 210 Business Systems Analysis and Design

This course provides students with the necessary level of information technology education relative to understanding the uses and roles of information systems in business organizations. Students receive instruction on the information concepts and methodologies associated with the development of business information systems, and their effective application to the solution of business problems. Students learn the major issues of managing information technology in the contemporary business environment and the relationship between organizations' structures and information technology. Team approaches are utilized along with structured computer laboratories and cases using spreadsheet and database management tools. Writing intensive course.
MKT 113 Introduction to Marketing

This course examines the organization's functions for creating, communicating, and delivering value to customers. These functions, designed to meet customers' needs and organizational goals, include marketing research, environmental monitoring, target market selection, product selection, promotion, distribution and pricing.
OL 125 Human Relations in Administration

The human relations skills that managers need to develop interaction skills that contribute directly to effective human resource management and the development of higher productivity are studied. Skill areas include leadership, motivation, communications, group dynamics, organizational development, management by objectives, and stress and time management. Students learn techniques for becoming more effective managers, subordinates, peers and persons. Students are introduced to the international aspects of human relations.
ACC ELE - Students may select one Accounting elective

Free Elective Credits: 6

Total Credits: 60

Program Outcomes

Tuition & Fees

Tuition rates for SNHU's online degree programs are among the lowest in the nation. We offer financial aid packages to those who qualify, plus a 30 percent tuition discount for U.S. service members, both full and part time, and the spouses of those on active duty.

Online Undergraduate Programs Per Course* Per Credit Hour*
Degree/Certificates $960 $320
Degree/Certificates
(U.S. service members, both full and part time, and the spouses of those on active duty) 		$675 $225

*Tuition Rates are subject to change and are reviewed annually.

Additional Costs
No Application Fee, $150 Graduation Fee, Course Materials ($ varies by course)

University Accreditation

Southern New Hampshire University is a private, nonprofit institution accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges as well as several other accrediting bodies. More...

This program is accredited by both NEASC and ACBSP. Consumer information is available on the College Navigator.

*Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, on the Internet, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/accountants-and-auditors.htm (viewed online December 15, 2017). Cited projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth. U.S. Census Bureau, Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance in the United States, 2015, Table PINC-03; and Internal Revenue Service, 2014; as reported by Education Pays 2016, The College Board, on the Internet, at https://trends.collegeboard.org/sites/default/files/education-pays-2016-full-report.pdf (viewed online December 15, 2017).