Can I get an accounting job with an unrelated degree?
Breaking into accounting with a non-business undergraduate degree often requires taking extra prerequisite courses or pursuing a specialized master's degree instead of a second bachelor's. Without these targeted credentials, applicants struggle to land entry-level or adjacent positions, leaving them questioning whether a pivot into the field is even possible.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1taking accounting classes during the final year of an unrelated undergraduate degreeDid this help you?
- 2planning to complete remaining prerequisite professional education program courses post-graduationDid this help you?
- 3taking prerequisite classes at a community collegeDid this help you?
- 4consulting online forums and hiring perspectives on degree valueDid this help you?
- 5Working a warehouse job that may not pay the bills long termDid this help you?
- 6Considering going back to school for business or financeDid this help you?
- 7Looking into working at the university levelDid this help you?
- 8taking some introductory accounting coursesDid this help you?
- 9looking into online MAcc programsDid this help you?
- 10looking for adjacent accounting roles like ERP implementation or IT auditDid this help you?
- 11continuing to apply for software engineering roles insteadDid this help you?
- 12Pursuing an online MAcc program and graduate certificates to break into the fieldDid this help you?
- 13Considering specialized subfields like compliance or forensic accounting where previous background might overlapDid this help you?
- 14Spending another four years getting a bachelor's degree in educationDid this help you?
- 15Looking into accounting certificatesDid this help you?
- 16Considering an associate degreeDid this help you?
- 17Trying to buff the resume for entry-level openingsDid this help you?
- 18Pursuing a master's degree in accountingDid this help you?
- 19Completing required post-baccalaureate coursework independently to sit for professional examsDid this help you?
- 20Searching for entry-level roles willing to hire candidates with non-traditional backgrounds while studying part-timeDid this help you?
- 21Attending networking events like Meet the FirmsDid this help you?
- 22Joining an accounting clubDid this help you?
- 23Studying for and passing all four sections of the CPA exam before looking for a full-time jobDid this help you?
- 24searching online for entry-level roles such as MSP support or NOC technician positionsDid this help you?
- 25Writing for the student newspaper to gain relevant experience.Did this help you?
- 26Getting an internship to build a portfolio instead of relying on a major.Did this help you?
- 27Doing freelance consulting for SMEs to build practical experienceDid this help you?
- 28Considering starting at the internship level to get a foot in the doorDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I dont have the money nor time (employed in a medical office so my 9-5 is full) to do a four year degree so I have been looking at accounting certificates and wanted to know what the merit of those is.”source ↗
“It feels too late to get any sort of internship.”source ↗
“I’m sure that it’s very difficult to get a job with no internship or experience, so I feel screwed in this regard.”source ↗
“I worry that I’m just going to be stuck in my shitty, boring hometown with no opportunities.”source ↗
“what are the chances I get an entry level accounting or accounting adjacent job without the official undergrad.”source ↗
“Am I dreaming? Is this going to be impossible?”source ↗
“Should I complete a full associates and then bachelors in Accounting, or just finish my prereqs and complete the Masters.”source ↗
“I’m trying to figure out what direction makes the most sense without completely starting over professionally.”source ↗
“my biggest concern isn’t necessarily whether I can become a CPA—it’s whether doing so means essentially starting my career over at the bottom to get relevant experience.”source ↗
“having trouble identifying the paths where my existing federal/program/data/administrative experience would actually be an asset rather than irrelevant.”source ↗
“I'm a recent CS graduate and I'm currently trying to keep accounting as a serious backup career option while I continue looking for software engineering roles.”source ↗
“My question is: what would you recommend someone in my position do over the next year to become a stronger accounting candidate?”source ↗
“I'm not necessarily looking for someone to tell me whether I should choose accounting over software engineering. I'm mainly trying to figure out how I can make myself genuinely more prepared and employable in accounting if I ultimately decide to pursue the MAcc.”source ↗
“I'm in a similar position with my irrelevant undergrad and would love to hear how to navigate this kind of thing.”source ↗
“Is AI implementation/business transformation realistic entry point into consultancy firms for someone with my background, or is the lack of a technical degree a major barrier?”source ↗
“What would make someone like me more credible to hiring managers?”source ↗
“I’m doing psychology at uni (UK) and I don’t like it, but I’m too far in it to change and if I dropped out, I’d have to somehow fund 2 years of the next degree myself.”source ↗
“I’m so, so worried that I won’t be able to get into the field I want to with a more unconventional degree background.”source ↗
“I was a sub last year and I wasn't good at it. I got exposure to public schools and the things teachers go through and it made me come to the conclusion that I don't want to be a teacher.”source ↗
“I'm working a warehouse job for now and I don't think this is paying my bills long term.”source ↗
“My dad says I have to because I have a degree in history so teaching is pretty much the only thing I can do with it.”source ↗
“I have a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and want to become a high school English teacher (7–12) in NYS. Would that be possible to do without spending another four years getting a bachelor’s degree in education?”source ↗
“I'm looking for advice on how to pivot from this unpaid project to a role where I can make a living doing the equivalent, or at the very least, something vaguely related.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 5How to make good money without a degree
- 9Can you switch accounting service lines before starting your job?
- 23Should I get an accounting certificate or degree while working?
- 3Applying for jobs before you graduate
- 6How do you break into a specialized industry with no experience?
- 6Why can't I get a job as a generalist?