If you want to be a CFO, having a solid background in accounting helps. A large chunk of a CFO's job is signing off on financial statements and dealing with reporting requirements, which means that many of them actually have a CPA. If the MBA program gets good recruiting and gives you enough accounting credits or whatever to let you sit for the CPA exam, it's not a bad option, otherwise I would seriously look into getting your CPA if being a CFO is your end goal. Rotation Programs are a good option too if you can get in.

 

I just don't see a great argument for a Msc in Accounting unless you have a non-accounting undergrad degree and are dead set on going Big 4. Even then I'm skeptical. The MSF doesn't seem to fit the CFO-track as well either. Definitely agree with everyone above on the MBA.

 

You don't need either for corporate finance roles. Get into a bank, and apply when you can post out after a year. Learn us much about accounting and finance as you can within that time frame. The interview comes down to personality and knowledge. I really don't think an MBA is neccesary unless you're trying to break into a top consulting or investment banking firm.

 
Best Response
Withoutapaddle:

You don't need either for corporate finance roles. Get into a bank, and apply when you can post out after a year. Learn us much about accounting and finance as you can within that time frame. The interview comes down to personality and knowledge. I really don't think an MBA is neccesary unless you're trying to break into a top consulting or investment banking firm.

I'm going to strongly disagree with this point. From my personal experience you'll need either a CPA or MBA to advance high up in corporate finance. I personally know of a couple of exceptions, and of course the older executives don't meet that criteria, but the general qualifications for roles manager + ask for a CPA or MBA. Obviously you can in some cases make the jumps without either, but usually it's going to take you longer and you'll plateau sooner.

 

I am. I am in europe and in my country the equilevant of cpa is ACCA so i just get exemptions from the first papers

 

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