You can work as an accountant without being a Certified Public Accountant. However, the CPA certification improves your job prospects in certain fields of accounting. Although a national organization gives the CPA exam, the requirements for who can take the exam vary from state to state. For example, some states require work experience in accounting or more education.

Certification is also available for those who specialize in management accounting or auditing.

Some business courses in high school can be useful preparation for a career in accounting. However, you should take only a few, so that your high school transcript shows that you are preparing for a demanding college-level program.

The same applies to your college courses. Business is part of the larger culture, so you should take courses in non-business subjects. Good skills in writing, speaking, and critical thinking are needed for advancement in the business world.

Accountants need to uphold high ethical standards. Thus a course in business ethics may be helpful.