Studying Accounting

Businesses see a lot of in-flows and out-flows of cash. This money could be what the companies pay to their employees, shareholders, suppliers, branches and offices or the government as taxes and tariff. The other side of this is the money coming in from customers, government as tax rebates and returns from investments. In addition to these companies also need to forecast their revenue and prepare a budget allocating money to different departments and/or purposes.

Keeping tracking of all these transactions, ensuring payments are made on time and that all money is accounted for is a colossal logistical challenge. That is why companies need suitably qualified accounting professionals to keep on top of all things financial.

Some of the most popular universities in the United States that offer programmes in accounting include:

• Brandeis University
• Maryland University
• Northern Arizona University
• Webster University
• University of Central Oklahoma

Salary and Career Prospects

Accounting graduates find work in all sectors, including IT and technology, accountancy and professional services, retail and hospitality, banks and the government.

Some of the roles graduates take up are Accountant, Staff Accountant, Accounting Associate, Revenue Accountant and Fund Accountant.

Salaries vary depending on qualifications, location and experience. As a guide, accounting professionals earn around $74,000 a year (52 lakhs INR).

Why study in USA?

The United States of America is the most popular destination for international students. Its universities are widely regarded as being among the best in the world for teaching, learning and research. In fact, American universities consistently outrank non-American universities in QS World Rankings every year.

The US economy is the world’s largest. The country is the birthplace of conglomerates like Amazon, Dell, Microsoft, Citi Group, Ford and Walmart. American companies operate in pretty much every sector or industry, ranging from IT and technology to pharmaceutical to retail, transport, and hospitality. Different regions of the United States are known for excelling in different industries. California, for example is a world-leading IT and technology hub and New York is a major business, banking and finance hub. In addition to this, several international agencies like the United Nations, World Bank are headquartered in USA.

The country is a popular tourist destination, with millions of tourists drawn to its vibrant cities, breathtakingly beautiful national parks and landscapes, excellent dining, hospitality and leisure options and historic buildings, museums and art galleries. New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Seattle are among the biggest cities.

There is no language barrier because English is the de facto official language. However, USA is a multicultural country and several hundred languages are spoken at community level.

International graduates are able to apply for a post-study work permit, or optional practical training (OPT) as it is called in the States for a period of up to 36 months.