Professional Certificate in Accounting
UCR University Extension · Riverside, CA
- Cost
- $7,885
- Length
- 78 weeks
- Working 6 months later
- 80%
Program names, program descriptions and occupation titles appear here in English, because that is the only language the federal and state records publish them in. Everything else on this page is translated.
What happened to people who took this
- People enrolled
- 50
- Finished the program
- 32%Based on 62 peopleTypical California program: 85% of 1,951 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
- Working 6 months later
- 80%Typical California program: 69% of 1,690 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
- Earnings in one quarter after
- $10,201A single quarter of earnings, roughly three months, not a yearly salary. Do not compare it directly with the yearly pay shown for the occupation.Typical California program: $10,900 of 1,339 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
The jobs this trains for
This describes the jobs people do, not the classes this program teaches. It comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, which asks people already doing the work. The Department publishes it in English only, so the job names and the sentences below stay in English on this page.
Trains for more than one job. The outlook shown is the weakest of them.
Where California publishes a separate figure for Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties), it appears beneath the statewide one. Statewide stays the headline: people who train here do not necessarily work here.
Tax Preparers
Job ads may call this: Tax Advisor · Tax Preparer · Tax Associate · Enrolled Agent
Some of what people in this job do. The Department rates how important each one is, and they appear in that order.
- Compute taxes owed or overpaid, using adding machines or personal computers, and complete entries on forms, following tax form instructions and tax tables.
- Use all appropriate adjustments, deductions, and credits to keep clients' taxes to a minimum.
- Interview clients to obtain additional information on taxable income and deductible expenses and allowances.
- Furnish taxpayers with sufficient information and advice to ensure correct tax form completion.
Show 4 more things this job involves
- Prepare or assist in preparing simple to complex tax returns for individuals or small businesses.
- Review financial records, such as income statements and documentation of expenditures to determine forms needed to prepare tax returns.
- Check data input or verify totals on forms prepared by others to detect errors in arithmetic, data entry, or procedures.
- Explain federal and state tax laws to individuals and companies.
- Typical pay in California
- $71,205per yearRiverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: $37,218
- Projected openings
- 15,610Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 780
- Projected change
- +12.1%
- Usually needs
- High school diploma or equivalent
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- 1 to 12 months
These are the federal government's answers for the occupation, not rules this provider sets. California publishes the same two answers for every one of these jobs.
What people in this job actually studied
Most common: Four-year degree — 34% of the people doing this work.
California says this job usually needs: High school diploma or equivalent. 2% of the people doing it went less far than that.
- No high school diploma
- 2%
- High school diploma
- 11%
- Started college, no degree
- 20%
- Two-year degree
- 11%
- Four-year degree
- 34%
- Master's degree
- 17%
- Doctorate or professional degree
- 6%
This counts people already doing this job, across the whole United States. Every other figure on this page is California's, and the federal government publishes no state version of this one. It is what people happen to have, not a rule about who gets hired. A small row does not mean you would be turned away, and a large one is not a promise of a job.
Billing and Posting Clerks
Pay, hiring, and what people studied
Job ads may call this: Biller · Billing Clerk · Medical Biller · Pre-Audit Clerk
- Verify accuracy of billing data and revise any errors.
- Resolve discrepancies in accounting records.
- Prepare itemized statements, bills, or invoices and record amounts due for items purchased or services rendered.
- Operate typing, adding, calculating, or billing machines.
Show 3 more things this job involves
- Review documents, such as purchase orders, sales tickets, charge slips, or hospital records, to compute fees or charges due.
- Post stop-payment notices to prevent payment of protested checks.
- Keep records of invoices and support documents.
What this pays in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties)
Each bar runs from the lowest-paid tenth to the highest-paid tenth. The darker middle is where half the people are, and the line is the median.
| Area | The lowest-paid tenth earn under | Half earn under | The highest-paid tenth earn over |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties) | $42,707 | $53,138 | $72,649 |
| Across California | $43,854 | $57,591 | $79,088 |
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties) beside the same figures for the whole state. A region can sit well below or above the statewide spread, and the statewide number is the one most often quoted — so where they differ, the local row is the one that describes the work near this program.
- Typical pay in California
- $57,591per yearRiverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: $50,821
- Projected openings
- 44,130Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 3,500
- Projected change
- +4.8%
- Usually needs
- High school diploma or equivalent
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- 1 to 12 months
What people in this job actually studied
Most common: Started college, no degree — 31% of the people doing this work.
California says this job usually needs: High school diploma or equivalent. 3% of the people doing it went less far than that.
- No high school diploma
- 3%
- High school diploma
- 28%
- Started college, no degree
- 31%
- Two-year degree
- 16%
- Four-year degree
- 17%
- Master's degree
- 4%
- Doctorate or professional degree
- 0.8%
Program details
This program provides online instruction, e-learning, or distance learning only.
An Accounting Certificate from UCR Extension will open doors for career opportunities in companies large and small, government offices and the nonprofit sector. Whether it's for tax planning and auditing or budget analysis and preparing financial statements, accountants are continually sought after to provide support to almost every type of organization. Participants in the certificate program will: Understand and be able to apply important accounting principles to private, public and nonprofit organizations. Understand how to meet legal and regulatory requirements necessary to perform public accounting functions for clients .Be able to analyze financial statements. Be prepared to advise clients regarding important financial reporting requirements, strategic financial decisions and other matters related to accounting practice. Completion of this certificate meets one of the State of California educational requirements to sit for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam. -- Currently being offered online.
Someone else may be able to pay for this
This program was on California's Eligible Training Provider List when the state last reported it to the U.S. Department of Labor (2026-08-04). Programs on that list can be paid for through an Individual Training Account. Listings are renewed periodically and can lapse, so a program listed when the state last reported may not be listed today. Ask before you rely on it.
The place to ask is an America's Job Center of California
Riverside Workforce Development Center AJCCComprehensive center
Phone: 951-955-3100
1325 Spruce StreetSuite 110Riverside, CA 92507about 2.7 miles away
Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm Closed Holidays
Has a veterans' representative
Moreno Valley Business and Employment Resource Center/AJCCComprehensive center
Phone: 951-413-3920
12625 Frederick StreetSuite K-3Moreno Valley, CA 92553about 3.2 miles away
Hours: Monday- Thursday 8:00am - 5:00pm Closed Fridays and Holidays
Has a veterans' representative
Moreno Valley Youth Opportunity CenterAffiliate site
Phone: Public Phone: 951-653-1311
23080 Alessandro Blvd.Suite 236Moreno Valley, CA 92553about 4 miles away
Hours: Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.( Closed 12:30pm-1:30pm) Third Saturday of the month 7am-3:30pm
Distances are straight-line, so the drive is longer. Call before you travel: opening hours here are as the federal directory published them, and the state notes its own staff are not present at every location.
Find a center anywhere in California, and check what is on the list today:
CareerOneStop — American Job Center Finder (U.S. DOL) · California EDD — Office Locator · California EDD — Eligible Training Provider List
How this gets paid for, and what to ask →
Whether a person can have a program paid for is decided by their local workforce development board and the America's Job Center staff who interview them — not by this site, and not by the training provider. California has 45 local workforce development areas and each sets its own policies, so the answer can differ between two people in neighboring counties. Nothing here is a promise of funding or a determination of eligibility.
The rules cited here, and the state and federal sites linked to, are published in English.
How this site gets its figures, and what they do not tell you →