Online Accounting Degrees in California

Advanced College

Advanced College was founded in 1999 in South Gate near Los Angeles and seeks to offer training for associates degrees and certificate programs in the information systems, business and healthcare fields. The institution has an articulation agreement with Kaplan University, which offers a 10% tuition discount to students who enter its programs from having completed degrees at Advanced College. The school is accredited through the Council on Occupational Education and the Commission of International and Trans-Regional Accreditation. Its physical campus was designed by award-winning Westgroup Designs, and it offers visa sponsorship for some international students.

Associate of Science in Accounting

Advanced College offers an AS in Accounting meant to prepare students for entry-level accounting positions. Its online offerings serve to offer current professionals the ability to improve their knowledge and skills while maintaining employment. The degree requires 94 credit units for completion; required courses are two classes on composition and rhetoric, one in principles of psychology, one in American literature, an introduction to psychology, a course in critical thinking, three levels of computer skills classes, an introduction to computer networking, database management, principles of economics, introduction to and special topics in business, business communications, two courses in bookkeeping, two in principles of accounting, intermediate accounting, accounting software and managerial accounting. Courses cost $300 per unit, with a $100 registration fee, an $11.50 fund contribution and an estimated $4,280 in materials for an approximate program cost of nearly $23,300. No distinction is made between online and traditional classes in terms of cost or requirements.

Contact
13180 Paramount Blvd.
South Gate, CA 90280-7956
562-408-6969
ac@advancedcollege.edu
Website

California College – San Diego

California College – San Diego traces its history to 1971 with the Scottsdale Education Center in Arizona. As a private, non-profit college, it is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges, and offers degrees at the associate, baccalaureate and master levels in healthcare, business, information technology and graphic arts. Physical locations are in San Diego and San Marcos, with a satellite campus in National City and extensive online offerings through affiliate Stevens-Henager College Salt Lake City/Murray; the San Diego location offers an auditorium, lounges, wireless internet and a recently expanded library to facilitate student success.

Bachelor of Science in Accounting

California College – San Diego offers a BS in Accounting meant to provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to pursue entry-level accounting positions successfully. Offered online and at all physical locations, the degree requires a fairly high 175 credits in 45 courses. Classes include introductory accounting, payroll accounting, computerized accounting, spreadsheets, accounting principles, managerial accounting, income taxes, two classes each in intermediate and federal tax accounting, principles of auditing, intermediate cost and computerized accounting, three classes in advanced accounting, computer uses, databases, motivational psychology, economics and economic principles, twelve credits in writing and communication, finance principles, US history and civilization, management principles, business practice, marketing entrepreneurship, investment, online commerce, business law, operations management, college algebra, critical thinking, solutions concepts, professional development, biological psychology, sociology of aging and statistics. Completion is expected in 30 to 36 months, assuming no prior coursework; transfer rates are not indicated.

Contact
6602 Convoy Ct.
Suite 100
San Diego, CA 92111
619-293-0190
Website

Carrington College California

Carrington College California is the successor of the Northwest College of Medical Assistants and Dental Assistants (founded in 1967) and of Western Career College and offers certificates and degrees at the associate level, primarily in health care fields, although its program offerings are expanding and now include criminal justice. The school is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. It also operates under the aegis of the DeVry Education Group, suggesting that its credits will transfer to other DeVry schools with minimal trouble, depending on the programs in question.

Associate of Science in Medical Billing & Coding

Carrington College California offers an Associate of Science in Medical Billing & Coding meant to prepare graduates to take entry-level positions in the vital role of coordinating the treatments and costs involved in health care. Completion of the degree is expected to take some 72 weeks of instruction (which does not count breaks between terms of instruction) and requires 60 semester credit hours. Twenty-four are general education courses, including English Writing and Composition, Principles of Mathematics, College Algebra, Introduction to Humanities, Introduction to Psychology, Introduction to Sociology, Environmental Science and Computer Literacy. The remaining 36 are specific to the program, including Health Information Technology Theory 1-5, Applications 1-5, a career development seminar and an externship that allows students to gain practical experience in the field. While not strictly an accounting degree, the billing component touches upon accounting and will likely position graduates to transfer into formalized accounting study at other institutions.

Contact
Carrington College California
7801 Folsom Blvd.
Suite 210
Sacramento, CA 95826
916-388-2800
Website

DeVry University – California

DeVry University has sixteen physical locations in California in addition to offering a slate of classes online. It emphasizes the flexibility and self-paced nature of online coursework with classes that start every eight weeks, and it makes available a number of financial aid options to its students. Too, it is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. It reports that its online bachelor’s degrees were rated highly by the US News & World Report rankings, as well, and it an official provider of educational services to US Olympic athletes.

Master of Accounting and Financial Management

DeVry University offers an online Master of Accounting & Financial Management degree that integrates the Becker’s CPA Exam Review into its course sequence. Three emphases are available within the degree: Finance, Certified Public Accountant and Certified Fraud Examiner. Each requires 45 credit hours of coursework, of which 18 are core program requirements: Accounting and Finance: Managerial Use and Analysis; Managerial Accounting; Intermediate Accounting I, II and III and Federal Taxes and Management. Each also requires a set number of elective credits (3 for the CPA emphasis, 12 for the other two) and 15 credit hours in the emphasis; required courses will vary. Nine of the credit hours in the CPA emphasis are explicitly devoted to preparation for the CPA exam. Degrees can be completed in as short a time as 30 months; each three-credit-hour course costs $2,298, with anticipated materials expenses of $2,100 to $2,625. Other fees may apply.

Contact
DeVry University’s Keller Graduate School of Management
Administrative Offices
Highland Landmark V
3005 Highland Parkway
Downers Grove, IL 60515
888-653-5537
Website

Golden Gate University – San Francisco

Golden Gate University in San Francisco was founded in 1901 and focuses on offering instruction to adult learners. It is a private, non-profit institution accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and awards certificates and degrees at the bachelor’s, master’s, and professional doctoral levels—including law. Current enrollment at the physical campus is in excess of 4,700 students, with approximately four-fifths attending part-time. Online enrollment exceeds 5,000 (excluding hybrid classes). On offer are tutoring and advising services as well as healthy student life, career services assistance, a general library and a law library.

Master of Accountancy

Golden Gate University offers a Master of Accountancy meant to facilitate career changes and improve the skills and knowledge of those already in the field. It will frequently satisfy requirements for the Certified Public Accountant or Certified Managerial Accountant exams, with review courses for them counting as electives toward the degree. The degree may be completed in twelve months as part of an intensely focused cohort. Required coursework comprises some 45 units of classes, of which nine are foundational requirements: Financial Accounting for Accounting Majors and Intermediate Accounting I and II. Program core courses account for another 21 units, including work in economics, finance, international business, law and ethics, research and communication, and more advanced coursework. Three concentrations are available—general accountancy, forensic accounting and taxation—and concentration coursework varies. Tuition for accounting courses is $2,610 per three-unit course, with other types of courses varying in rates and variable fees.

Contact
536 Mission Street
5th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94105
415-442-6559
info@ggu.edu
Website

Los Angeles Trade Technical College

Los Angeles Trade Technical College was founded as the Frank Wiggins Trade School in 1925 and is the most senior two-year college in the Los Angeles Community College District. A public institution it is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and employs nearly 750 faculty, staff and administration. Tuition is $20 per unit for California residents; nonresidents pay nearly ten times as much. Fees are extra. The campus covers some 25 acres two miles south of the Central Business District of Los Angeles, offering easy access to the community.

Associate of Arts in Accounting

Los Angeles Trade Technical College offers an Associate of Arts degree in Accounting meant to equip students to work in general and corporate accounting or to continue formal education in a four-year program. The degree requires 60 units of coursework, including general education requirements. Program-specific requirements comprise 47 units of coursework to be taken over four semesters; courses are Introduction to Business, either Business Communications or Technical Report Writing, Microcomputer Software Survey in the Office, Oral Communications, Introductory Accounting I and II , Computerized Accounting Methods and Procedures, Principles of Economics II (Macro), Office Machines, Business Law I, Spreadsheet Analysis, Intermediate Accounting, Cost Accounting and either Tax Accounting or Computerized Payroll Accounting. Some courses are only offered in the Fall or Spring term of each year, so students will need to plan their curricula carefully to be able to meet program requirements in a timely manner.

Contact
Ms. Paulette Bailey, Chair, Business Administration / Computer Applications & Office Technologies
Los Angeles Trade Technical College
400 West Washington Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90015
213-763-7269
BaileyP@lattc.edu
Website

National University

National University is based in San Diego. Founded in 1971, it is currently the second largest private, nonprofit college in California and twelfth-largest in the US. It offers online curricula and physical programs at more than 45 locations throughout the southern United States. National University makes a point of minority outreach having been cited by Diverse Issues in Higher Education as awarding more master’s degrees to Hispanic and African American students than any other California college; it also stands as one of the top ten schools in granting master’s degrees to women. The institution is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

Bachelor of Science in Accountancy

National University offers a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy that seeks to prepare students for many accounting and related careers; it can be taken entirely online or at any of nine physical locations. The degree requires 180 quarter units, including general education requirements, 45 units in residence at National University and 76.5 at the upper-division level. Program-specific requirements include 18 quarter units of preparation for the major, 22.5 of core business courses and 54 of accounting coursework. The first includes an introduction to quantitative methods, principles of micro- and macroeconomics, and financial accounting funds. Business core courses cover legal aspects of business, information management in organizations, principles of management and organization, business finance and one of the following: global business, marketing fundamentals or management science. Accounting courses include Applied Technology for Accountants, Government and Nonprofit Accounting, Managerial Accounting I and II, Intermediate Accounting I-III, Advanced Accounting, Taxation (Individual and Business) and Auditing I and II.

Accountancy (Master of Accountancy)

National University offers a Master of Accountancy degree designed to meet the needs of those who have no previous accounting experience (the program is specifically described as “not appropriate for students with an undergraduate degree in accounting”) and which aligns with the Uniform CPA Exam. Courses may be taken online or at any of three physical locations. The degree requires 63 quarter units of coursework at the graduate level, of which 13.5 may be transferred from other institutions under certain circumstances. The curriculum is narrowly structured, with fourteen courses required: Foundations of Financial Accounting; Accounting Information Systems; Financial Accounting I, II and III; Advanced Financial Accounting; Taxation of Individuals; Taxation of Businesses & Other Entities; Cost Accounting; Advanced Managerial Accounting; Accounting for Government & Not-for-Profit Entities; Auditing Principles; Auditing Procedures and Cases in Accounting & Auditing.

Contact
National University Academic Headquarters
11255 North Torrey Pines Road
La Jolla, CA 92037
BS: 916-855-4137
MAcc: 619-563-7293
BS: cfajardo@nu.edu
MAcc: jellis@nu.edu
Websites:
BS 
MAcc

Saddleback College

Founded in 1968, Saddleback College offers certificates, occupational skills awards and associate degrees in nearly 200 program areas; many of its programs guarantee transfer to schools in the University of California System. Enrollment in the 2012-2013 academic year exceeded 40,000. California residents pay $46 per unit in tuition; non-residents pay $190, and foreign students $269. Fees are extra in all cases. Saddleback College is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. It offers athletics programs for men and women; the mascot is the Gauchos.

Associate in Science- Accounting

Saddleback College offers an Associate in Science in Accounting that proceeds from one of the three accounting certifications offered (general accounting, computerized accounting specialist and tax preparation) and largely aligns with the continuing education requirements for the California Certified Public Accountant Exam; it is not intended primarily for those who seek to transfer an associate’s degree to a four-year institution. The degree requires the completion of 60 hours of coursework, including general education classes and others that vary by certification. The general accounting track requires Financial Accounting, either Managerial or Cost Accounting, Intermediate Accounting I and II, Individual Income Tax, Partnership and Corporate Taxation, Auditing and either Business Law or Legal Environment of Business. The computerized accounting track requires Financial Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Individual Income Tax, Spreadsheets: Excel, Computerized Accounting: QuickBooks—Advanced and an elective. The tax preparation track requires Financial Accounting, Individual Income Tax, Partnership an Corporate Taxation, either Business Law or Legal Environment of Business, Spreadsheets: Excel and Computerized Accounting: QuickBooks (either Beginning or Advanced).

Contact
28000 Marguerite Parkway
Mission Viejo, CA 92692
949-582-4773
dbowman@saddleback.edu
Website

University of Phoenix – Southern California Campus

The University of Phoenix offers classes at more than 100 physical locations and online, awarding degrees at the associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels. While the institution is currently accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, it is formally on Notice and must correct the problems identified or risk loss of its accreditation. The Southern California Campus in Costa Mesa offers 23 classrooms, 20 computer stations, copy services, study rooms and workshops. Campus hours are Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Associate of Arts with a Concentration in Accounting

University of Phoenix offers an Associate of Arts with a concentration in Accounting that provides students with foundational knowledge in general education and a focus on the role of accounting in the business world. Courses are offered in reinforcing pairs in nine-week sessions, and the degree requires a total of 60 credits. Courses for the degree include a survey of accounting, a course in ethics, an introduction to finance, financial reporting, an introduction to college algebra and the course itself, a success seminar, an introduction to personal finance, another to health and wellness, yet another to life sciences (including a lab), basic chemistry, critical and creative thinking, media studies, cultural diversity in the US (including race, ethnicity and gender), psychology, contemporary US history and two courses in composition and communication. Tuition is $395 per credit hour with an added $90 materials fee per course.

Bachelor of Science in Accounting

University of Phoenix offers a Bachelor of Science in Accounting both online and at its Southern California location. The degree is designed to offer graduates broad experience in the concerns of business and management while allowing them to focus on developing the knowledge and skills to successfully enter into an accounting career. Tuition and fees for courses are $395 per credit for lower division courses, $585 per credit for upper division, and $95 for materials for each course. The degree requires 120 credits of coursework, including a general education core, a slate of electives and seventy-two credits of major courses that cover such fields as business communication, computer use, management theory, accounting principles, accounting ethics, business law, economics, finance, marketing, quantitative analysis, organizational development, corporate taxation, individual and estate taxation, government and non-profit accounting, cost accounting, auditing, research and special accounting topics that will vary by term.

Bachelor of Science in Business

University of Phoenix offers a Bachelor of Science in Business meant to equip students with general knowledge and skills in accounting, marketing, information systems and business principles so that they can effectively involve themselves in business ventures. Tuition and fees for courses are $395 per credit for lower division courses, $585 per credit for upper division, and $95 for materials for each course. The degree requires 120 credits of coursework, including a general education core, a slate of electives and such courses as Business Communication, Introduction to Computer Applications and Systems, Statistics for Decision Making, Principles of Accounting I and II, Critical Thinking and Decision Making in Business, Ethical and Legal Topics in Business, Principles of Micro- and Macroeconomics, Organizational Behavior for Managers, Finance for Business, Marketing and Integrated Business Topics. While not strictly an accounting degree, the BS in Business does offer grounding in accounting principles and presents the broader context in which accounting is conducted.

Master of Science in Accountancy

The University of Phoenix Master of Science in Accountancy explicitly seeks to align with the educational standards established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants for professionalism and competency in communication, leadership and strategy, critical thinking, and the use of technology; it is expected that graduates will sit for the CPA in their states. It also seeks to prepare graduates to move into management positions through exposure to and engagement with theories and principles that underlie much accounting work. Tuition per credit is $740, with a materials fee per course of $115. The degree requires thirty-six credits in a core of courses and a slate of electives. The core courses include Communications for Accountants, Financial Accounting, Accounting Theory & Research, Accounting Information Systems, Managerial Accounting & Legal Aspects of Business, Internal Control Systems, Financial Reporting, Auditing, Taxation, Not-for-profit & Government Accounting, Forensic Accounting and Accounting Ethics.

Contact
3090 Bristol Street
Costa Mesa, CA, 92626-3099
800-888-1968
Websites:
AA in Accounting
BS in Accounting
BS in Business
MS in Accountancy

West Los Angeles College

Opened in 1969, West Los Angeles College is a member of the Los Angeles Community College District and covers some 70 acres in Culver City. It enrolls some 12,000 students (traditional and extension) and employs nearly 525 faculty and staff; each semester sees nearly 1,000 classes offered, leading to certificates and associate degrees. The institution is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Childcare services are available to help facilitate student attendance at class, and a number of support services are available to meet other student needs.

Associate of Arts in Accounting

West Los Angeles College offers an Associate of Arts degree in Accounting that “is primarily designed for vocational education” rather than to facilitate transfer to a four-year school; students interested in transfer are advised to pursue an Associate of Arts in Business Administration. Instructional focus is on easing entry into the workforce. The degree requires at least 60 units of coursework that include general education classes (composition, mathematics, arts and humanities, social and behavioral sciences, physical and biological sciences and either a non-English language or oral communication) and program courses. For the Associate of Arts in Accounting, the program courses are Introductory Accounting I and II, Automated Accounting, Business Communications, Microsoft Advanced Business Application, Business Law I, Principles of Economics I and II, Principles of Selling and electives selected from among Tax Accounting I, Managerial Accounting, Business Law II, Principles of Management and Principles of Marketing.

Contact
9000 Overland Avenue
Culver City, CA 90230
310-287-4434
LudwigG@wlac.edu
Website

It is not always easy to know that program fits best, but those which have local connections tend to be better for those nearby. It is always better to find a place that engages with the community and which can be found in the event of any trouble. This is particularly true for online accounting degrees in California.

For more information on obtaining your Online Accounting degree, please see Top 10 Online Master’s in Accounting Degree Programs.