I'm a Corporate Recruiter with a specialization in IT and Engineering, however I have dealt with many other positions over the years including accounting positions. I can say with 100% confidence that CPA designation will open more doors than and MBA. If your experience is valid and you have a related post secondary education then nearly every company will look past a lack of MBA. They will not look past a lack of CPA.

That said, there are exceptions to every rule.

 

thanks for your input guys... i guess i'll be leaning towards CPA. =) Besides, it's 190134890348 times cheaper than USC Marshall.. Their program costs $80k.. ugh.

 

If you follow QUIKAG's advice about pursuing the CFA designation, I know that UCI offers review courses for the exams, and that their instructors are top-notch: the best, no question about it.

 

CPA. MBA is just icing. I speak from experience.

 

I, for one, like icing.

 

MBA is like doing a BBA again. Unless you go to a good school you really won't learn much. IMO, a MBA is SUPPOSED to be about learning how to work in a team. Unfortunately most programs don't emphasize this at all and that makes the degree worthless from a philosophical point of view.

CPA is totally different. IMO, the CPA may be worth more to start unless you go to a great MBA school.

 

My brother went to school to become a CPA then ended up back in the business side of things because accounting wasn't a good fit. His advice rings pretty true, and is why I'm a business admin major...

If you can think outside the box and accept that your degree is only going to get you where your intelligence and business skills take you, get your MBA. There are lots of positions that require MBAs in the business world, but you'll also be interviewing with five other people holding the same degree. As a CPA, you have a "harder" or more defined area of schooling, and will be qualified for jobs that far fewer people are qualified for.

With three years of school under my belt, I can say CPA is a much safer choice. Looking at getting my BA in Business Admin and then getting my MBA, I still can't draw a clear view of wtf I'll be doing with it.

 

That is the problem with a BBA in business and an MBA. If you don't have good work experience AND don't get an MBA from a top school, you're going to have some difficulty.

If you get your CPA, it will get your foot in the door and you'll get some great work experience. Try to work for one of the Big 4 for a couple years doing audit, tax, or a combination of both. You can then parlay that into pretty much whatever business track you desire.

With your CPA, as you move up with a company, you might be surprised to find out that quite a few companies will pay for your MBA if it's required to make the next step. Of course, at this point, you have proven your worth to the company and they are willing to make that investment.

 

I don't know if it's so much the school, I think it's the impression you cast on those who interview you. I know a kid with a BAA from USC that can't get a job paying better than $14/hr because he casts NO air of authority or confidence. Business Admin majors who make big money out of school better be used car salesmen when trying to sell themselves.

 

Absolutely. If you can't sell yourself and present yourself in a desirable way to a potential company, then you don't have a chance irrelevant of your credentials.