Accountants are in demand. Even in the recession, companies need accountants to save money and control their finances. While a bachelor degree in accounting has its merits ' including more specialization options and more credits toward a professional designation ' some people seek a certificate in accounting to augment their business or non-business degree with more financial acumen. 

College certificate programs in accounting come in many forms, from basic accounting courses to post-grad certificates. Seneca College, for instance, offers various programs of study, including a one-year certificate, a three-year diploma, apprenticeship program, post-grad certificate and a bachelor in accounting. 

Programs like Seneca's give students a lot of choice and there are a lot of pathways for them to make upper level connections if they decide to. As Jeff MacCarthy, associate chair of the School of Accounting and Finance, Seneca College, says, Our whole accounting program framework is set up for students to have a lot of options ' from a certificate level to a degree level ' and they also have a lot of pathway options. So either the two-year diploma or the three-year diploma, they can transition one into the other, and all of them can pathway into the degree as well.

With so many options, how do you choose the right study path? It depends on what your background is and what your career aspirations are. We certainly have people that take our one-year and two-year programs. So they aren't getting a professional designation or necessarily interested in becoming professional accountants. Some are just interested in just acquiring some basic or intermediate level accounting skills. For instance, there are students in accounting or payroll programs interested working for their family business or starting their own business.

Some institutions offer accelerated certificates and diplomas in accounting that can be completed in less than a year. Ashton College in Vancouver, BC, is a private college that offers a variety of options in accounting programs, from accounting software courses to a fast-track, eight-month accounting diploma. Jane Chang, vice president of Business Development, says that students enrolling into accounting programs come from diverse backgrounds. A lot of students who come to our college are adults who already have a degree. We also deal with a lot of new immigrants interested in getting a Canadian designation and that's where we come in. ... So we want to give people a lot of options. We aren't asking students to make a commitment to a degree program. Instead, they can even start off with the certificate or even with the software programs, like QuickBooks or Simply Accounting.

Another benefit of taking an accounting certificate in college is the schedule flexibility. Jonathan Gould, chair of Business and Legal Studies at the Centre for Continuous Learning, George Brown College, says,

Our continuing education courses are scheduled in the evenings, making it possible for those who work full-time during the day to attend. Because students have the flexibility to take one to five courses per semester, those wishing to get a taste of accounting before committing to the certificate can do so very easily.

So there are some great choices in accounting programs for students at every level. But before committing to any program, make sure to do your homework and investigate what the program prepares you to do. As with any other program of study, do as much of a background check as possible to have a better understanding of the accounting field and the jobs available once you graduate.

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