If you're considering a career in business — either within the military or after you transition out — consider what adding deep knowledge of accounting and finance principles could do for your resume. Think accounting is only for accountants? Think again.  

Military leaders often make successful business leaders. And the most successful business leaders understand their organization's complete financial picture -- the budgets, the profits, the strategy, and how everything works together. That's accounting.

A Master of Accounting (MAC) degree gives you deep technical knowledge and a broad business background. A MAC degree is a versatile toolbox that allows you to unlock lots of different career paths — including many outside of accounting. A MAC builds your business IQ. And a MAC pays off with a remarkable return on investment. 

>> VIDEO: "Why a former Army scout pilot got a Master of Accounting degree" (4:25)

A technical foundation

In any career, you'll be expected to be a good steward of your organization's financial resources. That means understanding your sources of revenue and costs, keeping track of financial information and making good decisions based on that information.

To someone with a MAC degree, those things become second nature. No matter what industry you're in, accounting know-how instantly makes you one of the smartest people in the room.

There's a lot you can do with deep accounting knowledge 

In serving the public good: Government agencies and nonprofits may be mission-driven rather than profit-focused, but they still need professionals to ensure they're managing their money according to the constraints set down by legislators, donors and the law.

In the C-suite: Senior management must understand their organization's complete financial picture and make sound financial decisions. They need experience in budgeting, profit and loss management and setting financial strategy, among other things.

When managing projects: Before a new project is approved, many companies require that its potential return on investment be calculated. Once it is kicked off, project managers – no matter what their industry or functional area in the company – are expected to manage costs and other financial aspects of their projects.

While doing business abroad: Global business is increasingly a reality. Analysts and managers must understand the differences in doing business in different countries, from tax liabilities to currency fluctuations.

When dealing with the law: All organizations need to understand how contracts, taxes and other legal matters affect their finances. And that requires the expertise of a trained accountant. Law firms and law enforcement agencies frequently need accountants to help them analyze and interpret financial information of all kinds.

Whenever trust is important: Leaders must make decisions based on the information they have. They need to be confident that the numbers are right and that there are no hidden nuances that might steer their decisions down a different path. Accountants are frequently the guardians of this trust, making their role critical at the highest levels of any organization.

Many choices 

A MAC degree doesn't lock you into a single career path. Instead, it gives you access to lots of potential jobs in lots of different organizations and industries.

Want to start climbing the corporate ladder? Want to move to another company? Want to start your own venture? A MAC may be exactly what you need to make the jump.

From military to MAC

The University of North Carolina's Kenan-Flagler Business School delivers its top-ranked Master of Accounting degree in online and on-campus formats. GMAT waivers and fellowship awards are considered for those with significant work or military experience and GI Bill Benefits can be used to fund the program's tuition.