How to Advance Your Accounting Career at Tulane

Accounting expertise is in demand. When staffing firm Robert Half surveyed finance and accounting leaders in 2026, 74 percent of respondents reported that their firms intended to hire additional permanent staff in the second half of the year. However, 61 percent also reported difficulty finding professionals with the proper skills. 

Given the ongoing demand for accounting skills, individuals who are interested in launching or advancing their careers in accounting need to know about their options for acquiring knowledge in the field. The A. B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University offers various accounting degree programs tailored for individuals at many points on their accounting career path. Those programs include: 

• Bachelor of Science in Management (BSM) degree program with a major in accounting, which can be a good option for those just beginning on the accounting career path 
• Joint BSM and Master of Accounting (MACCT) degree program for individuals who want to gain advanced expertise by earning both degrees  
• MACCT degree program for individuals who have already earned an undergraduate degree and want to gain knowledge and skills to advance along the accounting career path  

It can be beneficial for anyone who wants to establish or advance in a career in the accounting profession to explore the types of educational programs that can help them progress in a rewarding field. 

Why Now Is the Time to Pursue a Career in Accounting 

Now is a great time to become a certified public accountant (CPA). Organizations of all types rely on the expertise of accountants, but they face a shortage of people who have the proper skills. A 2024 analysis in the Journal of Accounting Education attributed this shortage to factors such as an increase in retirements among experienced accountants and shifts in the labor market away from accounting toward fields such as finance and technology. 

Forecasts for accounting jobs also reveal a strong employment outlook for the profession. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has projected a 5 percent increase in jobs for accountants and auditors from 2024 through 2034. The BLS estimates that, on average, the U.S. will have job openings for 124,200 accountants and auditors each year through 2034. 

Demand for new types of accounting expertise is also driving the need for people who have knowledge and skills in accounting. For example, as artificial intelligence (AI) continues to extend its reach across all types of businesses, organizations need accountants who are skilled in using AI tools to gain insights from financial data. Also, as new types of digital and virtual assets, for example, crypto assets, continue to emerge, organizations have a growing need for accountants who have the expertise to properly account for those assets and manage the tax consequences associated with owning them. 

Starting Your Accounting Career Path at Tulane 

Tulane’s business school offers students two ways to acquire the expertise necessary to take the first step on the accounting career path. 

BSM With a Major in Accounting 

In the BSM with a major in accounting, students acquire comprehensive expertise by taking required courses in subjects such as financial accounting, managerial accounting, and taxation. They also have the opportunity to take elective courses that align their education with their career goals. For example, they can take elective courses in subjects such as: 

• Accounting analytics 
• Accounting information systems 
• Auditing 
• Financial statement analysis 
• Forensic accounting 
• Operational risk management 

Earning a BSM with a major in accounting prepares students for roles such as accountant, auditor, and budget analyst. 

BSM/MACCT Degree Program 

In four to five years, students in the joint BSM and MACCT degree program earn both an undergraduate degree (BSM) and a graduate degree (MACCT). They also earn the credits necessary to sit for the CPA exam. In addition, students in this program have the option of completing a summer internship to gain valuable, real-world experience working in accounting. 

For the BSM portion of this degree program, students can pursue a major in finance, legal studies, management, or marketing. In addition to completing the requirements for a BSM, they complete all prerequisite accounting courses for the MACCT. For their MACCT degree, students can choose accounting specializations in subjects such as analytics, risk management, structured finance, or taxation. 

Graduate-level courses that students in the BSM/MACCT program can take include subjects such as: 

• Econometrics and forecasting 
• Financial modeling and analytics 
• Forensic accounting 
• Investments and asset pricing 
• Operational risk management 
• State and local taxation 
• Individual taxation 
• Valuation 

Earning a BSM and an MACCT prepares students to fill senior accountant and auditor positions. As individuals acquire experience in the profession, their graduate degrees can help them advance into positions such as accounting manager, audit manager, corporate controller, or chief financial officer (CFO). 

How to Advance Your Accounting Career 

For professionals who already have an undergraduate degree, earning a master’s degree in accounting is a great avenue for advancing along the career path for accountants. 

Tulane’s business school offers an MACCT degree program that accounting professionals can complete in two to three semesters. To be eligible for admission to this program, students must complete prerequisite courses in Financial Accounting Principles, Managerial/Cost Accounting Principles, Intermediate Accounting I, and Intermediate Accounting II. 

As with the BSM/MACCT program, students in the MACCT program: 

• Can pursue specializations in analytics, risk management, structured finance, or taxation 
• Can take courses in a wide variety of subjects, such as econometrics and forecasting, financial modeling and analytics, taxation, operational risk management, and state and local taxation 

Earning an MACCT is a key credential in progressing into high-level careers in accounting and finance. Examples of careers for MACCT degree recipients who have significant experience working in accounting include director of accounting, tax manager, corporate controller, and CFO. 

Acquire Accounting Expertise at Tulane University 

Whether they want to start a career in accounting or advance on the accounting career path, individuals need to acquire the accounting expertise necessary to succeed in this in-demand field. Accounting offers professionals rewarding careers with the opportunity to advance into fulfilling roles that offer increasing levels of responsibility. 

Individuals who are interested in starting or advancing in an accounting career can explore how the undergraduate and graduate accounting degree programs that Tulane offers can help them achieve their career ambitions.  

• Individuals who do not already have an undergraduate degree can explore the BSM degree program with a major in accounting or the joint BSM/MAACT degree program.  
• Individuals who already have an undergraduate degree can explore the MACCT degree program. 

Students in these programs get the opportunity to establish a solid educational foundation in accounting and prepare for meaningful careers using expertise that employers need. 

Start your journey on the accounting career path today. 

Sources: 

Deloitte, Introducing Accountant 2.0 
Indeed, “Careers to Pursue With a Master’s in Accounting (Plus Salaries)” 
Intuit, “What Jobs Can You Get With an Accounting Degree?” 
Journal of Accounting Education, “Addressing the Shortage of Accountants: Suggestions for Academe and the Profession” 
KPMG, Crypto Assets Handbook 
Robert Half, 2026 Finance and Accounting Job Market: In-Demand Roles and Hiring Trends 
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Accountants and Auditors