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Online Bachelor's in Accounting

Bachelor of Science in Accounting

The Bachelor of Science in Accounting degree (BSA) prepares you with the financial skills you need to help organizations run efficiently. Develop specialized skills in managerial accounting, estate taxation, advanced topics in accounting research and more. Earn your online accounting degree and apply your love of numbers to a future as an accounting professional.  

Following higher standards in accounting education

Financial Accounting Standards Board

University of Phoenix adheres to the standards of the Financial Accounting Standards Board, which governs accounting and reporting standards for private colleges and universities.

Advisory Council review

Our Advisory Council made up of leaders in their fields review accounting industry needs and trends, providing valuable insights that help keep the program relevant.

Ignite Your Passion

Start when you're ready

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Courses

Browse courses for your online accounting degree

The Bachelor of Science in Accounting curriculum follows a required course of study in business courses, along with a sequence of general studies courses. You can then complete a series of specialized accounting courses to supplement your knowledge in the field.  You can also complete the first three graduate level MBA courses while you are still in the program through the MBA Pathway option

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Requirements: 120 credits

You’ll need 120 credits (3 credits per course) to complete this Bachelor of Science in Accounting. Your course schedule may vary based on transferable credits or credits earned through the University's Prior Learning Assessment.

Foundational education for your CPA exam

To be prepared to sit for the CPA exam you need 150 credits, and this degree is the typical 120.  Our accounting courses do not lead to licensure as a CPA. So before enrolling, please check with your state accountancy board, as each state sets the standards required to be eligible to take the CPA exam and apply for licensure or certification as a CPA.

Why take the CPA exam?

CPA certification offers distinction in the business community. Successful completion of the CPA certification also expands your job opportunities. Your online accounting degree coursework reflects some of the CPA studies required for the exam including auditing, financial accounting and reporting and regulation.

Schedule

Your academic counselor will help schedule your courses for a Bachelor of Science in Accounting.

Skills-aligned program icon

Earn career-relevant skills in weeks – not years.

Learning shouldn’t take years to put into practice. That’s why we’re empowering you to build career-relevant skills with every five- to six-week course.

We’ve worked with the labor market researcher Lightcast to identify in-demand skills for occupations and mapped those to our related associate, bachelor’s and master’s degree programs.

Tuition

Paying for school

Tuition is based on number of credit hours per course. Courses are typically 3 credits, but can range from 1-6 credits. Costs do not include savings opportunities like transfer credits and scholarships.

Undergrad cost per course

$1,364 / course

Cost per credit 

Credits per course

Resource fee

$398

x3

+ $170

Estimated cost per course

$1,364

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What affects the overall cost of my program?

Your full program cost can vary by: 

  • Savings opportunities. Your cost could be reduced with eligible transfer credits, scholarships, employer discounts and more. Students with eligible credits and relevant experience on average saved $11K and 1 year off their undergraduate degree at University of Phoenix.

With our Tuition Guarantee, you pay one flat, affordable rate from the moment you enroll to the day you graduate from your program.

Discover ways to save time and money on your degree with our Savings Explorer® tool:

Other ways to save on time and tuition

Because we believe everyone deserves an affordable education, we work hard to help our students achieve one. Here’s a few ways you can save time, save money and avoid starting from scratch. 

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Budget & borrow

How to pay for college

Paying for school can be intimidating, but we’re here to help you make sense of it. Our finance advisors can walk you through your options like federal financial aid and savings opportunities to minimize your debt. Plus, we can help you figure out your financial plan.

Careers & Outcomes

What can you do with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting degree?

About 136,400 openings for accountants and auditors are projected each year. Be prepared with the skills and knowledge you need for an accounting career. 

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Each state sets forth standards required to be eligible to take the CPA exam and apply for licensure or certification as a CPA. While this program was designed with consideration for the standards proposed by the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA®), University of Phoenix cannot, and will not, provide any assurance that completion of this program will allow a successful student to qualify within the student’s specific jurisdiction. Potential applicants should check with the appropriate organization within their jurisdiction to determine if this program, combined with their undergraduate degree and any other specific criteria, meets the requirements to qualify for examination in that specific jurisdiction. States frequently change their requirements for examination. There is no assurance that at the time of degree completion the specific jurisdiction’s requirements will be consistent with the requirements at the time of admission.

6% growth

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics opens in new window, job growth for accounting occupations is projected to be faster than average between 2023 and 2033.

The BLS Projected Growth for 2023-2033 is published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. This data reflects the BLS’ projections of national (not local) conditions. These data points are not specific to University of Phoenix students or graduates.

Admissions

Apply for free – no application fee, no obligation.

Starting your accounting degree is a big decision — and we want you to feel great about it. That’s why we remove obstacles from your application.

  • No SAT/ACT required 
  • No essay required 
  • We’ll request transcripts at no cost to you, when possible, and we accept eligible credits from over 5,000 accredited institutions.
G. Galindo - Enrollment Representative

Gabriel G., Enrollment Rep

Receive 1-on-1 support

You have a support team of real people you can lean on. And our academic counselors, who are with you every step of the way, have earned a 5-star rating from 85% of our surveyed students.[1]

[1] Transactional Survey, September 2022-August 2023 (23,739 respondents)

Start a conversation with an enrollment representative today.

Call us at 844-937-8679 or chat with us 7 days a week.

Receive 1-on-1 support

You have a support team of real people you can lean on. And our academic counselors, who are with you every step of the way, have earned a 5-star rating from 90% of our surveyed students.[1] Start a conversation with an enrollment representative today.

[1] Transactional Survey, August 2021-22 (18,645 respondents)

Gabriel G., Enrollment Representative

Call or chat with us 7 days a week.

Student Experience

An education that fits your busy life

Balancing family, work and school

Work toward your Bachelor of Science in Accounting degree without giving up what matters most. Start your accounting degree year-round and take one class at a time.

Online learning

Enroll in classes for your online accounting degree and attend class whenever it fits your life, day or night.

Around-the-clock support and resourcess

You have a support team available up to 14 hours a day, 5 days a week. 

Phoenix provides support and resources for busy students

Faculty Spotlight

Business professionals dedicated to you

Your educational success is a top priority for our business deans and faculty members. Their experience and hands-on perspective in the classroom will help you bridge the gap between academics and business industry knowledge. Our instructors bring an average of 28+ years of real-world business experience to the classroom.

Classroom skills for real world experience

Build your core accounting abilities Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)

The accounting faculty at University of Phoenix focuses on developing the critical rules and guidelines as they adhere to GAAP standards for preparing financial statements — standards followed by publicly traded U.S. business organizations. As a student you will learn to apply these core principles that govern accuracy, good faith and transparency in the accounting field.

Donald Braunstein

Donald Braunstein, MBA

Lead Faculty Area Chair, College of Business and Information Technology 

Accreditation

Count on the quality of your education

Programmatic Accreditation

Our BSACC has been reaffirmed for accreditation until 2027 by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).

What does that mean in real life? ACBSP-accredited business programs adhere to quality standards. The quality of the program is regularly benchmarked against specific criteria that prepare students for the business industry. Accreditation occurs on a 10-year cycle with regular quality reviews.

View the student achievement report (PDF) opens in new window for the University of Phoenix ACBSP-accredited business and accounting programs.

A C B S P Accredited

Frequently asked questions about the Bachelor of Science in Accounting

While widely available, not all programs are available to residents of all states. Please check with a University Enrollment Representative.