What Courses to take to Become a CPA

Can you tell me in detail about the what Courses should I take up to become a CPA or Certified Public Accountant?

[Kiran Chandar]

Requirements for becoming a Certified Public Accountant, or CPA, are determined by each and every 50 U.S. states and five jurisdictions (Washington D.C., Guam, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands).

Education Requirements
Each state in the U.S. has a "state board of accountancy" that is responsible for licensing certified public accountants (CPAs) who practice in that state. Each board issues rules that govern what a person must do in order to become a licensed CPA.

While having a 120-credit bachelor degree in accounting was, at one time, enough to qualify a person to sit for the CPA Exam, most states now require students complete a 150-credit college degree program. Exact rules vary from state to state.

State Boards of Accountancy
In general, state boards require the following:
• A total of 150 semester credits from the college or university whose accreditation is accepted by the state (Colleges and universities typically offer a curriculum designed to meet the 150-credit requirement.)
• A minimum of a bachelor degree
• A specified number of accounting courses
• A specified number of business courses

Meeting the Educational Requirements in Different Ways
Generally, colleges and universities will establish an accounting curriculum that guides students through the entire 150 college credits needed to sit for the CPA Exam. Here are a few examples of people who took a different qualifying route to the CPA Exam:

• Obtained a bachelor degree in accounting from a college or university noted for its outstanding undergraduate program. The candidate then attended a prestigious graduate school to earn an MBA degree.
• Obtained a bachelor degree in accounting from a college or university noted for its outstanding accounting program. The candidate then moved on to another exceptional university and earned a graduate degree in taxation.
• Graduated from college in only four years with the 150-credit degree. This is because the candidate had a "head start" coming into college due to the AP (or PSEO) credits earned in high school.