[wtblog]

Hi, I’m currently an undergrad and I want to get into accounting. Our university does not really have an accounting major. However we do have a business school (Haas, UC Berkeley).

Unfortunately, I did not realize I wanted to do accounting until the end of my sophomore year when I took Managerial Accounting and really enjoyed it (currently taking Financial Accounting in the summer). Since then, I’ve started signing up for other accounting classes for my junior year like Auditing and Intermediate Financial Accounting.

So I couldn’t get into the Business Administration major because I realized so late. However, I’m trying to make up for it by taking as many accounting courses as I can. I’m currently an ECONOMICS major.

I was wondering how hard is it to break into the Accounting field and possibly work for a Big 4 firm out of undergrad (around 3.5 GPA). I’m trying to get an internship for next summer after my junior year. A lot of firms recruit heavily from UC Berkeley, so I’m confident I can land one.

Thanks

[Anonymous]

If you're taking accounting classes and you attend recruiting events, you could still have a shot at getting into the accounting field. I'm Big 4 and my roommate at 2nd year national training was a math major who took accounting classes.

The thing I worry about for you is that you need enough accounting classes to meet the requirements for the CPA exam, while still taking enough economics classes to get your degree – make sure you look into your options so you know what you need to do.

But as for accounting firms – keep up the GPA, take some accounting classes, and attend as many recruiting events that you can.

That's what I think – obviously I have no way of knowing if the firms in your area will feel the same way. Good luck!

[wtblog]

Hmmm, thanks for the response.

I'm not exactly looking to take the CPA immediately after graduating. I was hoping to be able to land an entry level job at a public accounting firm and from then work my way up to the CPA possibly taking classes at night or in the summer.

It's not rare for people to get entry level positions before passing the CPA in the future is it?

[Anonymous]

most college recruit positions have no CPA requirement, but do maintain that you have 150 credits, or a plan to get 150 credits, to be considered for the position

[acamp]

People with all sorts of degrees can get into public, but they will usually want you to have the requirements met to sit for the CPA. So a bachelor's in econ will likely also need the 24 business units and 24 accounting units, etc.

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[Anonymous]

I mentioned the CPA exam because it's always a good thing to be thinking about. I put it off for a while and seriously regret it – so now I tell everyone to start as soon as they can. However if you plan to take extra classes to meet the specific CPA exam education requirements later on, then it's not really something you need to worry about now.

Recruiting events will be your biggest opportunity to get into Big 4. If you have good grades and they like you, you would have a great shot at getting into Big 4.

[neika822]

There's a few grad programs out there that are specifically geared toward Non-accounting majors. I work at a undergraduate liberal arts college, and one of the student workers who helps us in the office majored in poli sci but is going for her MSA in the fall. We also have another school in the Boston-area that is specifically geared toward non-accounting majors (I'm sure there's a few out your way, too).

I also worked with a girl who majored in math, and then went on to get her CPA and MSA. It's not completely unheard of, but I'd definitely work on getting the requirements for the CPA down. Or at least have them on mind when recruiters ask you your plans. A lot of big firms won't even hire unless you have 150 credits nowadays.

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[wizards8507]

You absolutely do not have to have 150 hours to be recruited to a Big 4 firm. You won't get into the Tax or Audit functions, but there is nothing strictly “Accounting” about the consulting arms of these firms. Finance, Economics, and IT/Systems majors get into Advisory all the time without ever getting 150 hours or even intending on getting 150 hours.

NY CPA

[wtblog]

I easily have the 150 semester units. The thing I will struggle with is the ethics/accounting units coursework.

I'm pretty confident I can finish the 30 and 38 units of accounting and business coursework, respectively. However, I might be some units short of the ethics study requirement (10 units).

These are going by CA state requirements. Since you technically don't start full-time until after summer. Could one finish their CPA requirements in the summer?

Also, how hard is it to get into advisory compared to audit and tax?

[Author]

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