Nearly 70 percent of respondents in a recent poll believe it's valuable for an accounting or finance professional to have a master's degree in business administration.

The survey was developed by Accountemps, the world's first and largest temporary staffing service for accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals. The study was conducted by an independent research firm and includes responses from 1,400 chief financial officers from a random sample of companies with more than 20 employees.

"Companies today expect their accounting and finance staff to play a more strategic role than ever before, and therefore seek professionals with not only specialized accounting skills, but with broad-based business expertise as well," said Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps. "Accountants who possess MBAs have also gained knowledge in such diverse areas as marketing, operations and management, all of which can enhance one's value to an organization."