Professional Certification
CPA Licensure
Each state is responsible for the certification and licensure of its certified public accountants. Thus, each state determines its requirements to sit for the exam and for licensure. You are responsible for investigating and meeting the requirements of the state in which you choose to sit for the exam.
Virginia requires that you complete at least 30 semester hours of accounting, including courses covering the subjects of financial accounting, auditing, taxation and management accounting at the undergraduate or graduate level. In addition, you must complete at least 24 semester hours of business courses (other than the courses described above) at the undergraduate or graduate level. You must also have received your bachelor's degree (or equivalent) from an accredited college or university.
Non-business majors:
Students who have not majored in accounting or business need to take special care in selecting their courses, to make sure they accumulate enough total credits (usually 150), accounting credits (usually 30) and business credits (usually 24) to be granted a CPA license. Different states have different rules, and we suggest that you research the requirements in your preferred state and raise any questions during your admissions interview.
CPA Requirements:
Explore these resources for more information:
Other Certifications:
Certified Management Accountant (CMA)
