Is switching to an accounting major worth it?
Switching to accounting as a first-year student requires weighing career value against the uncertainty of changing majors. New students often struggle to decide between different university programs and campus options, and they need advice on whether public accounting is a worthwhile path.
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.
- 1communing to San Jose for the summerDid this help you?
- 2trying to get into Berkeley insteadDid this help you?
- 3asking alumni about their post-graduation salaryDid this help you?
- 4asking for advice on actions to take in college to gain an edgeDid this help you?
- 5Finding an apprenticeship with study supportDid this help you?
- 6Self-learning AAT or getting a baseline qualification as fast as possibleDid this help you?
- 7Doing a general degree and then trying for graduate entryDid this help you?
- 8looking into broader business and management degrees with better institutional supportDid this help you?
- 9contacting universities directly to request exact details of professional exam exemptions before enrollingDid this help you?
- 10Applying to community colleges (like Langara or Douglas) or technical institutes (like BCIT) first and then transferring to a university business school later.Did this help you?
- 11Enroll in university programs with built-in co-op options to build experience before graduationDid this help you?
- 12Target mid-sized, regional, or national non-Big 4 accounting firms for the first jobDid this help you?
- 13Pursue the CPA pathway through industry/financial institutions rather than public accounting firm routesDid this help you?
- 14Focus heavily on networking, maintaining a high GPA, and leveraging CPA prerequisite course exemptionsDid 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.
“My biggest concern is ending up at a school that isn't necessarily considered a target school for accounting recruitment, working hard to maintain a good GPA, getting involved in extracurriculars, networking, etc., but still struggling to find internships or full-time opportunities compared to students from more well-known business schools.”source ↗
“Uc Santa Cruz or sac state public accounting”source ↗
“I’m worried about people looking into my extracurriculars for UBC and SFU because I haven’t done a lot for the community despite living here for like 3 years.”source ↗
“will all of those really be enough for UBC or SFU? and are my grades good enough for BCIT as well?”source ↗
“Should I also apply to BCIT with my grade 11 grades and term 1 grade 12 grades because of the first come first serve basis? Or are my grades not enough if the programs competitive?”source ↗
“How good is their accounting program? I know santa cruz isn’t known for business but wanted to know if its still viable or if i should leave.”source ↗
“I’m looking into becoming an accountant and deciding between an accounting & finance degree at a low-mid tier university, and a business & management degree at a more prestigious, well regarded business school.”source ↗
“Can any accountants advise on this? Am I still employable and will still be considered with a business & management degree?”source ↗
“I’m currently studying Computer Science and looking to switch to an online BSc in Accounting & Finance and struggling for one that sounds good enough (UK based).”source ↗
“The top two have bad reviews and I’ve struggled to get in touch with them to talk to them over the phone for more information, and have had unconditional offers for all of them.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 6Bookkeeping vs accounting qualifications for a beginner
- 5Which entry-level accounting job offer should I take?
- 2Is a master of accountancy worth it under the new 120-credit CPA rule?
- 7Should I switch from accounting to a 1-year nursing program?
- 2Public accounting vs FLDP if I want to leave for industry early?
- 2Scared about graduating with an accounting degree and forgetting everything