MNCPA Accounting Careers Planner

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MNCPA Accounting Careers Planner
Minnesota Society of Certified Public Accountants
www.mncpa.org
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PAGE
Real Life: It’s All About Choices ....................................................... 4
First Things First: Get to College ..................................................... 5
Beyond the Basics ............................................................................ 6
– Sample 150-hour Accounting Degree Program
Financing Your Education ................................................................ 7
– Online Financial Resources
Accounting Career Positions ........................................................... 8
Who Hires CPAs .............................................................................. 9
Minnesota Colleges and Universities with
Accounting Programs ......................................................... 11-16
MNCPA Resources ......................................................................... 17
What I Learned on the Road ................................................... 18-19
Advertisers
Metropolitan State University .......................................................... 2
Minnesota Society of Certified Public Accountants ........................ 10
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota ............................................ 14
3
Real Life
It’s all about choices – what ring you want on your cell phone, which car to buy,
where to live and the quintessential life question – what to be when you grow up.
So what do you want to be when you grow up? The big cheese? Chief financial
officer for an e-commerce company? Maybe you’re just looking for a way to put
all those mystery novels you read as a kid into practice in the real world.
Well, no matter what you’re looking for, you can’t go wrong with a degree in
accounting. Accounting is the language of business that opens the door to success
in every company and organization.
With job titles like “Managing Partner,” “Chief Financial Officer” and “Controller,”
certified public accountants (CPAs) are outgoing, creative and analytical. They’re
male and female and come from every ethnic and cultural background.
Banish the notion that CPAs are just here to count the money. Today’s CPAs have
responsibilities that encompass far more than payroll and taxes. CPAs are financial
planners, helping their companies and clients chart a course for the future. They’re
the chief executive officers and chief financial officers for Fortune 500 companies.
CPAs also run the show for movie studios and track down criminals for the FBI.
CPAs are taking care of business in every industry and there’s no sign of a slowdown. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of accountants and
auditors will continue to grow through the next decade. Accountants who have
earned their CPA certification will have the best job prospects as they enjoy a wide
range of career opportunities. The CPA designation also nets you a 10 percent
salary increase over an accounting degree alone.
Accounting is a growing profession with diverse opportunities.
It’s the start of something big.
Make it your choice today.
4
First Things First:
Get to College
g
Be
Going to college is the best way
to make it to the top. Plus you get
the added bonus of expanding
your mind and discovering your
potential. College experiences
will mold you into a skilled,
knowledgeable and confident
graduate ready to make your mark on
the world.
in
yo
ur
journey.
Applying to college can get confusing. You may
think that the classes you take in high school aren’t
as important as the grades you earn. While your overall grade
point average (GPA) is important in determining whether or not the college
or university of your choice accepts you, the classes you’ve taken also play a
significant role.
Although you should refer to individual university catalogs for high school
courses required for admission, the following is a list of recommended classes that
college-bound students in Minnesota should complete:
Communications and English
Mathematics
Science
Social Studies
World Languages
The Arts
Computers
4 years
4 years
3 years
2-3 years
2-3 years
1 year
1 year
Source: Minnesota Higher Education Services Office
When reviewing your application, colleges and universities will most heavily
weigh your final high school rank combined with your submitted SAT or ACT
scores. Depending on the individual university, participation in extracurricular
activities often plays a large role in gaining acceptance to the college or university
of your choice.
5
Beyond
The Basics
.
y
d
u
What you’ll st
Once you’ve been accepted into
a college or university, it’s time
to think about your classes. Every
college student takes standard
core classes, but you may be
wondering what you’ll study once
you’re beyond the basics.
If you choose to major in
accounting, classes in the business field
will fill your time. Deciding to major in
accounting doesn’t mean you only take business
classes, though. English, government, speech and other
courses are part of an accounting major’s degree plan. CPAs are expected to
be knowledgeable about a wide range of issues and possess analytical abilities,
communication and interpersonal skills that will enable them to serve the public
in a complex and changing environment.
Sample 150-Hour Accounting Degree Plan
(will vary based on the university)
General Education (60-80 hours)
•
•
•
•
•
Ethics
Communication
Behavior Sciences
Economics
Liberal Arts (history, philosophy, literature,
languages, arts, humanities, and sciences)
•
•
•
•
Elementary Accounting
Computers
Mathematics and Statistics
Electives
Education in Business Administration (35-50 hours)
•
•
•
•
6
Economics
Business Law
Marketing
Finance
•
•
•
•
Applications in Business
Communication Skills
Business Ethics
Electives
Financing Your Education
Financial aid helps you cover the cost of your college education. Most financial
aid is given on the basis of eligibility or need, determined by the school you are
attending, information you provide about you and your family’s ability to pay for
your education and a set of formulas established by law.
In general, there are four types of financial aid: scholarships, grants, loans and
work study. Scholarships may be based on merit or special interests;
grants are given to students with financial need; loans are
based on eligibility and are required to be repaid;
and work-study provides on-campus jobs for
students with financial need.
The accounting industry provides
hundreds of thousands of dollars in
scholarships to students pursuing
accounting degrees. Your guidance
counselor may have information on
scholarships given to high school
students.
The Career Center section of the
Minnesota Society of CPAs (MNCPA)
web site, www.mncpa.org, has
information about our accounting
scholarships or you can search the
Internet for other scholarship and
financial aid opportunities.
Online Financial Aid Resources
The Financial Aid Information Page
www.finaid.org
Yo
u’
ve
made it.
U.S. Department of Education Student Financial Assistance
www.ed.gov/finaid.html
Fast Web
www.fastweb.com
Scholarships.com
www.scholarships.com
Fresch Free Scholarship Search
www.freschinfo.com
Student Advantage Scholarship Search
www.scholaraid.com
7
Accounting
Career Positions
n
ey
!
You’re thinking about studying
accounting but you really want to
know where it can take you and
how much you’ll get paid.
Show me the
o
m
Staff accountant
(0-2 years experience)
• Helps supervisor by
maintaining financial reports
and general ledgers.
• Average salary of $41,242$50,221 in Minnesota.
Actuary Assistant (0-2 years experience)
• Conducts analysis, pricing and risk assessment to estimate financial outcomes.
• Average salary of $55,274-$67,304 in Minnesota.
Treasury Analyst (0-2 years experience)
• Responsible for financial planning & analysis to forecast budgets
• Average salary of $44,057-$57,503 in Minnesota.
Financial analyst (0-2 years experience)
• Conducts financial analysis projects and statistical studies.
• Average salary of $45,677-$58,515 in Minnesota.
Internal auditor (0-2 years experience)
• Audits the accounting and financial data of various departments within
an organization.
• Average salary of $47,476-$59,528 in Minnesota.
Tax accountant (0-2 years experience)
• Maintains tax records and prepares tax returns, related schedules and
related reports.
• Average salary of $46,491-$57,938 in Minnesota.
Chief financial officer
• Responsible for directing an organization’s overall financial policies.
• Average salary of $258,192-$432,062 in Minnesota.
*CPA certification is worth a 10 percent increase in salary. Salaries for Minneapolis-St. Paul area.
Source: www.salary.com
8
Who hires CPAs
and what are they looking for?
Without a crystal ball, you probably don’t know what employers look for when
they hire CPAs. Wouldn’t it be great if you were in the know before you finished
college and entered in the job market?
MNCPA asked a few Minnesota employers of CPAs and accountants what they
look for in potential employees and what advice they would give students in
accounting. Here’s what they had to say.
Important qualities in potential job candidates
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Ability to work on multiple projects
Relevant work experience
Flexibility in work habits and processes
Good communication skills
Positive attitude
Analytical skills
Technical skills
Attention to detail
Why obtaining a CPA designation is important
•
•
•
•
•
•
CPAs are widely recognized by the public as trusted business advisers
Provides many opportunities that would not otherwise be available
Respect
Prestige
Enhanced image
Increased base salary
Recommended college minors to combine with an
accounting major
•
•
•
•
Finance
Economics
Law
Foreign Language
Recommended college courses to prepare you
for the real world
•
•
•
•
Communications
Business Writing
Public Speaking
Business Law
9
Minnesota Colleges and Universities
with Accounting Programs
Alexandria Technical College
www.alextech.edu
1601 Jefferson Street
Alexandria, MN 56308
Carole Weber-Brown
320-762-0221
888-234-1222
Anoka Hennepin
Technical College
www.ank.tec.mn.us
1355 W Highway 10
Anoka, MN 55303
Erika Limbacher
763-576-4787
elimbacher@ank.tec.mn.us
Anoka- Ramsey
Community College
www.an.cc.mn.us
Cambridge Campus
300 Polk Street SE
Cambridge, MN 55008
Anita Jeziah
763-433-1112
Coon Rapids Campus
11200 Mississippi Blvd NW
Coon Rapids, MN 55433
Anita Jeziah
763-433-1112
Augsburg College
www.augsburg.edu
2211 Riverside Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55454
Stuart Stoller
612-330-1772
Bemidji State University
www.bemidjistate.edu
1500 Birchmont Drive NE, #30
Bemidji, MN 56601
Sandra Bland
218-755-3716
Bethel College
www.bethel.edu
3900 Bethel Drive
St. Paul, MN 55112
Bruce Olsen
651-638-6320
Central Lakes College
www.clc.mnscu.edu
501 W College Drive
Brainerd, MN 56401
Jeff Wig
218-855-8016
College of St. Benedict
www.csbsju.edu
37 S College Avenue
St. Joseph, MN 56374
Mary Jepperson
320-363-2031
College of St. Catherine
www.stkate.edu
2004 Randolph Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55105
Megan Kalina
651-690-8635
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College of St. Scholastica
www.css.edu
1200 Kenwood Avenue
Duluth, MN 55811
Paul Khoury
218-723-6470
Hennepin Technical College
www.hennepintech.edu
9000 Brooklyn Blvd.
Brooklyn Park, MN 55445
Christine Reineke
952-995-1603
Concordia College-Moorhead
www.cord.edu
901 8th Street South
Moorhead, MN 56560
Ron Twedt
218-299-3484
Eden Prairie Campus
13100 College View Drive
Eden Prairie, MN 55347
Concordia University-Saint Paul
www.csp.edu
Hamline and Marshall Avenues
275 North Syndicate Street
St. Paul, MN 55104
Dennis Zimmerman
651-603-6157
Dakota County
Technical College
www.dctc.mnscu.edu
1300 East 145th Street
Rosemount, MN 55068
Tom Wood
651-423-8391
Fergus Falls
Community College
www.minnesota.edu
1414 College Way
Fergus Falls, MN 56537
Pam Wolfe
877-450-3322
Gustavus Adolphus College
www.gustavus.edu
800 West College Avenue
St. Peter, MN 56082
Timothy Peterson
507-933-7410
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Inver Hills Community College
www.inverhills.edu
2500 East 80th Street
Inver Grove, MN 55076
Cynthia Weishappl
651-450-8526
Itasca Community College
www.itasca.mnscu.edu
1851 East Highway 161
Grand Rapids, MN 55744
Steve Kohost
218-322-2424
Lake Superior College
www.lsc.edu
2101 Trinity Rd.
Duluth, MN 55811
Pat Carey
218-733-7681
careypa@lsc.edu
Metropolitan State University
www.metrostate.edu
1501 Hennepin Avenue
(13th St. & Harmon Place)
Minneapolis, MN 55403
Joe Rockers
612-659-7279
Minneapolis Community
and Technical College
www.minneapolis.edu
1501 Hennepin Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55403
Mike McGee
612-659-6105
Northland Community and
Technical College
www.northlandcollege.edu
1101 Highway One East
Thief River Falls, MN 56701
Norma Konschak
218-683-8613
Minnesota State
University-Mankato
www.mnsu.edu
South Road & Ellis Avenue
Mankato, MN 56001
DianeFrandenburg
507-389-2965
Northwest Technical College
www.ntcmn.edu
Regional Office
905 Grant Ave SE
Bemidji, MN 56601
Gary Sorenson
218-333-6624
Minnesota State
University-Moorhead
www.mnstate.edu
1104 7th Avenue South
Moorhead, MN 56560
Sheri Erickson
218-477-4073
Northwestern College
www.nwc.edu
3003 North Snelling Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55113
Charles Kuizinen
651-631-5316
Minnesota West Community
and Technical College
www.mnwest.edu
1593 11th Avenue
Granite Falls, MN 56241
Leslie Bauman
320-564-5030
Normandale Community College
www.normandale.mnscu.edu
9700 France Avenue South
Bloomington, MN 55431
Kathy Reeslund
952-487-8326
North Hennepin
Community College
www.nhcc.edu
7411 85th Avenue North
Brooklyn Park, MN 55445
Maria Yang
763-424-0826
Pine Technical College
www.pinetech.edu
900 4th Street SE
Pine City, MN 55063
Julie Shores
320-629-5138
Rasmussen College
www.rasmussen.edu
St. Cloud Campus
226 Park Ave S
St. Cloud, MN 56301
320-251-5600
Eagan Campus
3500 Federal Dr.
Eagan, MN 55122
651-687-9000
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Rasmussen College (continued)
Eden Prairie Campus
7905 Golden Triangle, Suite 100
Eden Prairie, MN 55344
952-545-2000
Brooklyn Park Campus
8301 93rd Ave N
Brooklyn Park, MN 55445
763-493-4500
Ridgewater College
www.ridgewater.mnscu.edu
Brian Wilson
320-234-8510
Hutchinson Campus
2 Century Ave SE
Hutchinson, MN 55350
320-234-8500
Willmar Campus
2101 15th Ave NW
Willmar, MN 56201
320-222-5200
Riverland Community College
www.riverland.edu
2200 Riverland Dr.
Albert Lea, MN 56007
Kim Hansen
507-379-3342
Albert Lea Campus
2200 Riverland Drive
Albert Lea, MN 56007
507-379-3300
Austin Campus
1900 Eighth Avenue NW
Austin, MN 55912
507-433-0600
Owatonna College & University Center
965 Alexander Drive SW
Owatonna, MN 55060
507-455-5880
Rochester Community and
Technical College
www.roch.edu
851 30th Avenue SE
Rochester, MN 55904
Len Cronin
507-280-3138
St. Cloud State University
www.stcloudstate.edu
720 4th Avenue South
St. Cloud, MN 56301
Bruce Busto
320-308-3967
St. Cloud Technical College
www.sctc.edu
1540 Northway Drive Street
St. Cloud, MN 56303
Jim Anderson
320-308-5013
St. Johns University
www.csbsju.edu
P.O. Box 2000
Collegeville, MN 56321
Mary Jepperson
320-363-2031
Saint Mary’s University of MN
www.smumn.edu
700 Terrace Heights
Winona, MN 55987
Teresa Speck
507-457-1449
St. Paul Technical College
www.saintpaul.edu
235 Marshall Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55102
Bill Gray
651-846-1436
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South Central
Technical College
www.southcentral.edu
Joanie Olson
507-389-7383
North Mankato Campus
1920 Lee Boulevard
North Mankato, MN 56003
507-389-7200
Faribault Campus
1225 3rd Street SW
Faribault, MN 55021
507-332-5800
Southwest Minnesota
State University
www.smsu.edu
1501 State Street
Marshall, MN 56258
Jan Christenson
507-537-6114
University of
Minnesota – Crookston
www.crk.umn.edu
2900 University Ave.
Crookston, MN 56716
David Crawford
218-281-8284
University of
Minnesota – Duluth
www.d.umn.edu/lsbe
Dept. of Accounting
Labovitz School of Business &
Economics
360 LSBE
1318 Kirby Drive
Duluth, MN 55812
Al Roline
218-726-8550
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University of Minnesota
www1.umn.edu/twincities/index.php
321 19th Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Judy Rayburn
612-624-3840
University of St. Thomas
www.stthomas.edu
2115 Summit Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55105
Diane Matson
651-962-5149
Winona State University
www.winona.edu
P.O. Box 5838
Winona, MN 55987
James Hurley
507-457-5172
*This list includes schools that are
accredited by the North Central
Association of Colleges and
Universities.
*It is the student’s responsibility to
make sure that the school he/she
chooses offers an accounting program
in line with the requirements of the
Minnesota State Board of Accountancy
if he/she is interested in sitting for
the CPA exam. To determine the
accreditation and specific accounting
programs of individual schools,
please contact the school’s accounting
department.
Resources
ar
rs
Where caree
MNCPA
Once you pass the CPA Exam,
the next step is to become part
of your professional association
by joining the Minnesota Society
of CPAs (MNCPA). Membership in
your professional society gives you the
competitive edge needed to continue
along your career path to success. The
MNCPA provides information, education,
resources, and opportunities for professional
development to help you meet your career and
personal goals as a CPA.
e
str
en
gthened!
Founded in 1904, the Minnesota Society of Certified Public Accountants
is a professional organization that serves over 9,100 members across Minnesota,
the country, and the world. Members come from public practice, corporate,
government and education.
Headquartered in Bloomington, Minnesota, the MNCPA operates through a full-time
staff, volunteer councils, task forces, statewide chapters, and a board of directors elected
by the membership. Membership in the Society is open to anyone holding a CPA
certificate from any state, those preparing to take the CPA exam and college students
enrolled in a full-time accounting program.
The MNCPA sponsors a variety of educational and professional development
activities throughout the year. Seminars, conferences, luncheons, breakfasts,
workshops, forums and social events are available to members and the general
public. These programs are taught by nationally recognized instructors from across
the country and help keep members up-to-date with education requirements and
current trends.
The combination of dedicated volunteers and knowledgeable staff allows the
MNCPA to offer a wide variety of benefits and services to its members. In
addition to networking opportunities and discounted CPE, Society members have
access to an online career center, credit union membership, discounted movie
tickets, a referral service, a free professional e-mail account, Society coordinated
publications and much more. Get connected. Get the edge. Join the MNCPA!
www.mncpa.org/join
17
What I
Learned
Pr
es
ide
nt
on the Road
Be
tsy
A
CP
Adrian, MN
I’ve been fortunate to visit
some of the college accounting
programs in Minnesota over
the past year. My discussions
with faculty have been really
interesting. Let me share some
thoughts with you:
Accounting faculties care about their students. So much so, that
if they believe accounting isn’t a good fit for you, they’ll sit you
down and tell you so. Accounting has become such a popular
major that some students choose it without a real talent and/or
commitment for the work. If your accounting professor tells you
to rethink your major, listen. It could save you a lot of heartache
in the future.
•
There are twenty-two accounting programs in Minnesota.
Programs at large universities and small colleges, public schools
and private schools. There’s a good fit for you out there, but you
have to do your homework. Visit several schools to figure out
which program best meets your needs and finances.
•
If you’re thinking about starting your education at a community
college, be absolutely sure that all your credits will transfer
100 percent to the college of your choice. Different colleges and
universities have different transfer rules. It can be painful to find
out that many of your credits won’t transfer when you’re ready
to move on to a four-year college.
18
t’
s
I
•
th
•
Consider how you’ll meet the 150-hour requirement for CPA
certification in Minnesota. Do you want to complete the extra
hours as part of your undergraduate training, do you want to get
a Master’s degree or do you want to get a job when you receive
your undergraduate degree and then get the extra credits you
need? Some colleges have set up tracks so you can get the 150
hours completed in 4 years and won’t have the extra year on
campus to pay for. Make sure to ask questions when you visit.
•
Ask about whether faculty members have passed the CPA exam
and if there are faculty members with “real life” accounting
experience. Faculty with this type of experience can be
extremely valuable to you as mentors.
Becoming a CPA is a very rewarding career choice. I encourage
you to explore all the options in our fine Minnesota accounting
programs and find the one that fits you best.
I
t’
s
th
e
bi
g.
Good luck!
g
n
i
th
star
e
m
t of s o
19
.
A
Pi
ct
ur
a
e y
ourself as
CP
Published by the
Minnesota Society of Certified Public Accountants
1650 West 82nd Street, Suite 600
Bloomington, MN 55431
952-831-2707
www.mncpa.org
Copyright© 2009-2010 by MNCPA