Maryland Community Colleges
Accounting Programs
Accounting programs at community colleges in this state. Financial accounting, managerial accounting, and CPA-track coursework.
6 colleges · 98 sections · 41 unique courses · Fall 2026 · Updated today
Accounting is one of the most direct community-college-to-career pathways in Maryland: graduates with an associate in accounting step into bookkeeping, accounts payable/receivable, payroll, and entry-level staff accountant roles at small businesses and CPA firms across the state. The 98 sections this term at 6 Maryland CC colleges cover financial accounting, managerial accounting, tax prep, payroll, and QuickBooks.
For students aiming at the CPA license, an associate's covers roughly the first two years of the 150-credit-hour requirement — the rest comes from a bachelor's in accounting plus enough upper-division coursework to hit the threshold. Compare college below by graduate earnings and award counts; some Maryland CC programs have tighter articulation with university accounting programs than others.
Earnings & outcomes for Accounting graduates
Federal College Scorecard data on what graduates of this program actually earn after completion. Where a school’s cohort is too small to publish, we show the national benchmark for the same field of study.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, per-program (4-digit CIP) data. CIP 5203 — Accounting and Related Services. School cohorts are suppressed by the federal source when fewer than ~30 completers in the reporting cohort.
Colleges offering Accounting
| College | Sections | Courses | Online | Awards/yr | 5-yr earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prince George's Community College | 28 | 14 | 13 | 36 | $65,648 |
| Howard Community College | 26 | 12 | 16 | 35 | — |
| Harford Community College | 13 | 6 | 7 | 38 | — |
| Frederick Community College | 12 | 9 | 7 | 16 | — |
| Carroll Community College | 11 | 7 | 6 | 3 | — |
| Hagerstown Community College | 8 | 3 | 4 | 14 | — |
Accounting Availability Snapshot
How accounting sections are being offered across 6 colleges in Maryland this term (98 sections total).
Delivery format
- online53 (54%)
- in person38 (39%)
- hybrid7 (7%)
When sections meet
- Morning (before noon)26
- Afternoon (noon–5 PM)8
- Evening (5 PM and after)11
- Asynchronous / TBA53
Start dates
Sections begin on 15 distinct dates. 86 late-start more than two weeks after the term's earliest start.
Instructor diversity
Taught by 15 distinct instructors across 6 colleges.
Degree requirements by college
Expand a college to see the courses required for graduation. Data sourced from each college's official catalog.
Anne Arundel Community College1 program
Certificate Requirements: 51 credits
51 credits- ELEC XXXGroup I - Accounting and Ethics Education (30 credit hours) An applicant must have successfully completed 30 undergraduate semester credit hours in accounting and ethics subject matter. Applicants must have completed the following: one 3-credit semester credit hour course each in auditing, accounting information systems, U.S. federal income tax, and business ethics; a minimum of nine semester credit hours in financial accounting; and a minimum of nine semester credits in elective accounting courses.not offered
- ELEC XXXRequired (24 credits)not offered
- BPA 138Business and Professional Ethics4 sections
- BPA 201Financial Accounting9 sections
- BPA 202Managerial Accounting4 sections
- BPA 241Intermediate Accounting 11 section
- BPA 242Intermediate Accounting 21 section
- BPA 255Accounting Information Systems1 section
- BPA 262Tax Accounting1 section
- BPA 263Auditing1 section
- ELEC XXXAccounting Electives (6 credits) Choose two from the following:not offered
- BPA 217Small Business Accounting1 section
- BPA 245Advanced Accountingnot offered
- BPA 261Cost Accountingnot offered
- BPA 264Advanced Tax Accountingnot offered
- ELEC XXXBPA 264, Advanced Tax Accounting, is strongly recommended for sufficient coverage of material tested on the CPA examination.not offered
- ELEC XXXGroup II - Business-Related Education (21 credit hours) Courses from the list of subjects below must be completed to meet the business-related educational requirements to qualify for a license. At least three undergraduate semester credit hours in business law and 18 undergraduate semester hours in at least five of the nine subject areas. These subject areas are: statistics, economics, corporation or business finance, management, marketing, data analytics, business communications, information technology/systems, quantitative methods, or other business-related content areas included in the Uniform CPA Examination Blueprints.not offered
- ELEC XXXRequired (3 credits)not offered
- LGS 253Business Law 19 sections
- ELEC XXXElectives (18 credits) Choose 6 courses from at least 5 of the 9 subject areas:not offered
- ELEC XXXBusiness Communications:not offered
- BPA 162Business Communications4 sections
- ELEC XXXCorporate or Business Finance:not offered
- BPA 256Introduction to Corporate Financenot offered
- ELEC XXXEconomics:not offered
- ECO 211Principles of Economics 18 sections
- ECO 212Principles of Economics 24 sections
- ELEC XXXInformation Technology/Systems:not offered
- CTA 100Computing and Information Technology27 sections
- CTS 107Cyber Essentials12 sections
- ELEC XXXStatistics:not offered
- ECO 232Business Statistics5 sections
- ELEC XXXornot offered
- MAT 135Statistics19 sections
- ELEC XXXManagement:not offered
- BPA 142Principles of Management5 sections
- BPA 190Organizational Behavior1 section
- ELEC XXXMarketing:not offered
- BPA 125Principles of Marketing6 sections
- BPA 127Digital Marketing and Analytics3 sections
- ELEC XXXQuantitative Methods:not offered
- ECO 233Data, Sampling, and Analyticsnot offered
- MAT 235Introduction to Data Science1 section
- ELEC XXXU.S. Business Law:not offered
- LGS 254Business Law 2not offered
Source: College catalog
Carroll Community College1 program
Fall
Spring
Fall
Spring
Fall
- ACCT 230Principles of Auditing1 section
- ELEC XXXElective - Select a course from the Elective list, below.not offered
- ELEC XXXElective - Select a course from the Elective list, below.not offered
- ELEC XXXElective - Select a course from the Elective list, below as needed to meet the 10-credit requirement.not offered
Electives
Source: College catalog
Common Accounting courses
- ACCT 101Principles of Accounting I(12 sections)
- ACCT 111Computerized Accounting(12 sections)
- ACC 1001Principles of Accounting I(11 sections)
- ACCT 102Principles of Accounting II(8 sections)
- ACC 101Principles of Accounting I(5 sections)
- ACCT 112Prin of Accounting II(5 sections)
- ACC 1002Principles of Accounting II(3 sections)
- ACC 1000Fundamentals of Accounting(2 sections)
- ACC 102Principles of Accounting II(2 sections)
- ACC 1030Accounting for Managers(2 sections)
- ACCT 201Intermediate Accounting 1(2 sections)
- ACCT 202Intermediate Accounting II(2 sections)
Career outlook for Accounting graduates
Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data for the primary career outcome of this program (2024 OEWS release). Compare Maryland’s typical pay to the national picture before choosing where to study.
Maryland's typical pay is about 9% above the typical state — a strong sign of healthy local demand.
Wage data reflects all workers in the occupation, not just recent CC graduates — entry-level pay is typically lower. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I become a CPA with just an associate degree?
- No. The CPA license requires 150 college credit hours (typically a bachelor's plus 30 extra hours) — an associate is 60 hours. The associate is a great first step that covers the intro accounting sequence at much lower tuition, but you'll need to transfer to complete the bachelor's plus the extra credits.
- What's the difference between bookkeeping and accounting jobs?
- Bookkeepers record day-to-day transactions, manage AP/AR, and produce monthly trial balances. Accountants analyze the books, produce financial statements, handle tax compliance, and advise on financial decisions. An associate in accounting qualifies you for full-charge bookkeeper and staff-accountant roles; the higher-paying senior accountant and controller titles typically require a bachelor's.
- Does Maryland have a high demand for accountants?
- Yes. Accounting is one of the most stable, highest-employment occupations in every state — every business needs at least one bookkeeper, and the field is largely recession-resistant because tax compliance and AP/AR don't go away in downturns. BLS projects 4% employment growth nationally through 2032.
- Does accounting credit transfer to a bachelor's in accounting?
- Yes, with the usual caveats — both colleges (CC and 4-year) must use the AICPA model curriculum for the credits to fully apply toward the upper-division accounting major. Maryland's Maryland CC accounting programs are generally well-articulated with the state's flagship universities. Compare colleges below; articulation strength varies.
Compare Accounting programs in other states
Same comparison view, different state systems. Useful if you’re considering an out-of-state community college or just want to see how Maryland’s accounting programs stack up.
Other programs in Maryland
Some programs may not be offered at every college — pages render only when the program meets a coverage threshold for the state.