Both internal accountants and internal auditors are strategically positioned for further advancement within their companies and in industry, with many rising to chief financial officer and chief executive officer positions during their careers. Government accountants assist in the federal, state and local taxation systems, the regulation of securities trading, corporate governance, law enforcement, the legislative and executive process, and a myriad of other government and regulatory programs. Government accountants have a significant oversight role in insuring that laws and regulations are applied in a fair and equitable manner and that the intent of the legislators is being met. The financial rewards of government service are not as great as in public or private practice. However, the expertise developed while in government service may be marketable in the private sector, and there are numerous examples of accountants who switch from government to public or private practice at significant increases in compensation.
Graduate education offers opportunities for accountants.
Graduates of prestigious MBA programs can command high starting salaries. Several recent Creighton Department of Accounting graduates have attended such prestigious graduate programs as Stanford, Wharton, the University of Chicago, and the University of Illinois. While there is compression of salaries over time, there are additional rewards from being in the educational part of the accounting profession. Accounting offers significant professional satisfaction as a business career. Employment and placement opportunities are varied, and Creighton is fortunate in that many nationally recognized firms recruit graduates from the accounting program and place these graduates in locations around the world.