For those that have done their due time in college, learning all there is to know about money and finances, there are many careers available with a Master's in Accounting. Having reached such a high educational summit, your job options are far greater than they were at the bachelor's or associate's levels. As such, we take a look at some great careers for those of this esteemed accreditation.
Accountant
Although there are external certifications that must be obtained, the Master's of Accounting puts graduates directly in line for this highly applicable career in finance. As an accountant, one must handle the client's finances, financial goals, and financial obstacles. The client may be a large, corporate entity or simply a private individual. The caseload and number of clients can also fluctuate greatly depending on how much work the accountant is willing to take on.
Independent Auditor
Inside of all of the accounting that can take place in a business, there can sometimes be erroneous information and figures present. The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board specifies these to typically take the form of either intentional fraud or accidental error. In all cases of error however, the consequences can be quite far-reaching, affecting consumers, companies, and investors alike. Independent auditors can be brought in by the company seeking to check its own accuracy, or by government investigative action.
Forensic Accountant
Similar to the independent auditor, the forensic accountant is an investigator of sorts. These particular, investigative efforts however are always sponsored by law enforcement. In cases of financial crimes, law enforcement agencies employ their teams of forensic accountants to dissect the entire story told by the suspect's complete financial picture. Rather than chronologically working forward as in most careers available with a Master's in Accounting, the forensic accountant often must work in reverse.
Valuation Specialist
In business, it is important to know the value of your company as well as the individual assets under its control. Whether for sales, stock, or insurance purposes, all businesses actively seek this ever-changing information about themselves. The valuation specialist takes care of this concern for businesses. By assessing market factors against business assets, the valuation specialist is then able to provide these complete specs on value to that business.
Risk Analyst
The final spot on our short list of careers available with a master's in accounting goes to the risk analyst. The risk analyst works one hop upstream from a company's regular accountants. Taking the informational product of the accountants and other statistical data into consideration, the risk analyst gauges the financial risk associated with anything a business does. The company can then make more financially-informed decisions with regard to staffing, procedures, asset storage, and more. In addition, high salaries and higher than normal job growth as cited by researchers at Learning Path, make this career choice an even more attractive option.
Related Resource: 25 Most Affordable Top Ranked Schools for an Online Master's in Accounting Degree
Today's world is very busy in matters of business, trade, finances, and money. Accounting is the most directly engaged discipline with regard to handling these areas of society's needs. These five careers available with a master's in accounting are an excellent reflection of this exploding world of trade, commerce, and money management of modern times.