Maximize your education
To earn your license, don’t forget the four E’s: education, experience, ethics and the CPA Exam.
Today’s CPAs need a wide breadth of knowledge and skills, so you’ll be required to complete 150 semester hours of education.
Why 150? Tax law and accounting and auditing regulation expansions, tech developments, complex business models and rapidly changing staffing needs have raised the demands on today’s accountants. A four-year degree can count toward your 150 hours, and additional courses will give you the necessary competencies needed to excel in this profession.
To get that golden number of 150, you can:
Earn additional credit hours while pursuing your bachelor’s degree. You can take these courses after achieving your bachelor’s degree but not necessarily in pursuit of a master’s degree. Previously completed college courses taken in high school could also count toward the 150 hours.
Follow your undergraduate accounting degree with a master’s degree at the same or a different school.
Combine a bachelor’s degree in another major with a master’s in accounting or an MBA with a concentration in accounting.
Enroll in a five-year professional accounting program that leads to a masterʼs degree.
