Furthering my Eduction (universities, salary, live)

[ambernoland]

I currently have a Bachelors Degree in Criminal Justice. As I was finishing up my last semester I got a great job in a office handling payroll, invoices etc. I do not plan on leaving this job because it is so great. I was thinking about going for my Masters at one point and was wondering what is the best masters degree to help me succeed in this new field that I have?

[idr591]

Originally Posted by ambernoland

I currently have a Bachelors Degree in Criminal Justice. As I was finishing up my last semester I got a great job in a office handling payroll, invoices etc. I do not plan on leaving this job because it is so great. I was thinking about going for my Masters at one point and was wondering what is the best masters degree to help me succeed in this new field that I have?

Would need more information. Is this a large company with significant room for advancement? Would they see value in you continuing your education?

[ambernoland]

I have already been told that in a few years I would get bumped up into a salary position. I run basically the whole office. Its not a huge company but it is the perfect fit for me.

[kyle19125]

An Accounting MBA would be your best option if planning to continue the same or similar track with your career. If finding time on a regular basis is an issue there are a ton of options for online programs from well-known/well-regarded universities. I would avoid online-only universities that do not have traditional campuses, as most employers don't look upon them as having the quality of education desired. UF, FIU and FSU all have highly ranked programs with more attractive Florida in-state tuition rates probably.

http://www.usnews.com/education/onli...ngs?int=a2b309

[katestar]

Possibly taking the accounting courses you will need to sit for the CPA might a good option too. I have an MBA in accounting and so far it has paid off. However, as I continue, I think the CPA might be worth while. For me, I will need 8 accounting courses and then I can sit for the exam. I am 32 and my goal is to get the CPA before I'm 40. I don't feel rushed to get it because I'm happy where I am, but I think it might be useful down the line. I'm trying to get my employer to pay for the courses. Check out UCLA (and other UC websites) for online courses/certificates. They are cheap ($500/course) and online. They work in quarters vs. semesters.

I would spend a considerable amount of time looking at your options before spending time and money on anything since you are a fairly new graduate.

Another trend I see in the accounting world is learning some programming, such as mySQL, CSS. Learning how to write Macros in excel, some database knowledge etc. Would really make you stand out.

If I were to do it over, I would try to go to a full-time MBA program. Basically you quit your job for a year and do your MBA. I probably could have done that, but I didn't consider quitting my job to be an option at that time. Going back, had my parents lived in the same state, I could have possibly quit, moved in with them for a year and did it. That is my only "regret."