<p>Hello CC, </p>
<p>I am going to be majoring in accounting. Is it preferred to sit for the CPA exam right after undergrad or go to grad school and become more seasoned?</p>
<p>Since you need 150 hours, many people will get a Master’s in accounting or tax before they sit for the exam.</p>
<p>An MBA from a program that takes students primarily straight from undergrad probably isn’t worth it. There’s limited seasoning to be had that way.</p>
<p>Get some internships for the last two years of school and try to keep that for an extra year, while banging out 30 more credits at some local community college. Then drop the internship and dedicatedly study for a month+ per section. Start on FAR(it’s the hardest). BEC and AUD may be possible in 3 weeks if you’re good. FAR and REG are rather steep hills.</p>
<p>CPA usually requires two years in accounting, if not three. That’s a bigger obstacle than the 150 credits. I would not really advise getting a Master’s first. Very little of what you learn in a MAcc even translates into the CPA exam. </p>
<p>And as a matter of salary vs debt, the CPA will add a good %30 to your salary, while the master’s may add %20 and comes with boatloads of debt. The MAcc is worth getting if you have time - after you’re a CPA. </p>
<p>Another nice thing is if you’re working for a firm, they may even help pay for your master’s. There is really no expense involved in becoming a CPA beyond study materials and loss of time you could be working.</p>
<p>Just a heads up. A good road for a new CPA is internet security particularly internet, internal controls. Consider a Masters in information systems to better compliment the CPA. An MBA is good idea but only for those who want out of accounting and into corporate finance.</p>