Major: Accounting Technology and Bookkeeping
Next time you’re at a cash register, take note. It’s probably computerized, running on powerful software that tracks every sale and every refund and uses that information to keep tabs on inventory levels. What happens next? A bookkeeper works with the collected data, providing owners, managers, and accountants with information they can use when making business decisions.
You’ll train to work with retail records and much more if you major in accounting technology and bookkeeping. Course work will cover different record-keeping systems, from journals to ledgers to computer programs. By the time you graduate, you’ll be prepared to crunch numbers as an accounts payable clerk, a bookkeeper, or another type of financial clerk.
Students of accounting technology and bookkeeping learn basic accounting and bookkeeping skills. Topics of study include record-keeping, payroll, taxes, and software.
Did You Know?
- This is not the path to take if you want to become an accountant. For that, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree.
Are You Ready To...?
- Take your math skills to the next level
- Get up to speed on accounting software
- Memorize tax laws
- Put together budget reports
- Learn payroll particulars, inside and out
It Helps to Be...
Someone who loves working with numbers, down to the last decimal; accounting is all about accuracy.
College Checklist
- Does the program award an associate’s degree or a certificate?
- Does the program focus more on bookkeeping or on accounting technology?
- Are school computers equipped with the latest accounting software?
- Will the school help you find a job after graduation?
Did You Know?
- The creators of Monopoly have the U.S. Treasury beat: they print more money daily.
Course Spotlight
Scrooge might have been a nicer guy if only he didn’t have to spend long nights bent over his ledgers, keeping financial records by hand. Too bad he didn’t have a computer to ease the burden.
In a course on computerized accounting, you’ll learn how to keep books the modern way. You’ll practice using computer software to accomplish virtually any accounting function, from correcting payroll transactions to calculating depreciation (a decrease in value over time). Your grade will count largely on accuracy and completeness, qualities also important on the job.
