CPA/Accounting question

ChicagoBear
Tue, 01 Jul 2014 14:11:22 +0000

Total credits, accounting credits and other business-related credits are three separate concepts.

Within the next year or so, every state will require 150 hours of total credit to be a licensed CPA - otherwise their CPA licenses will not be deemed substantially equivalent for CPA mobility/reciprocity purposes. However, all states also have an absolute minimum number of accounting credits in order to sit for the exam or be licensed - and that number is increasing. Requiring 30-36 hours or more of accounting classes is not uncommon. Most states also require a minimum number of other business-related courses (finance, economics, management, business law etc.) and 20-24 hours is about average for this requirement. On top of this, many states have added special requirements concerning certain topics including: specific ethics classes, business communication credits, accounting research classes and/or requiring two business law classes.

Happy1 is correct, states will accept AP credits for determining the total hours of college credit. I can’t speak for all states, but in Illinois the requirement is that a regionally accredited college needs to list the AP credits on its transcript as accepted transfer credit for the Board of Accountancy to accept them. So, in the OP example, if a regionally accredited college (can be a community college) accepts the Army’s credit as say a general elective or physical education course, it should count towards the total credit requirement of 150 hours.