<p>Read title of post......</p>
<p>No, in fact for a CPA, you should major in accounting!</p>
<p>As for the CFA, there are schools, notably Towson University, that has a financial planning track associated with their accounting major.</p>
<p>One good option would be to major in accounting and minor in finance.</p>
<p>What exactly is a CFA and what kind of things do they do?</p>
<p>It is hard, actually, to get a CPA while still in college (if even possible)...if you are in your undergrad program...because you most likely won't have completed education or experience requirements until you have graduated with at least an undergrad plus a little work experience under a CPA's supervision.</p>
<p>As for question above about a CFA (chartered financial analyst), you can find out at:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cfainstitute.org%5B/url%5D">www.cfainstitute.org</a></p>
<p>Thanks for the info so far. I was trying to gauge the difficulty of the CPA and CFA exams to see if it was something I could study for over the summer (I won't be doing anything else productive as it's my summer before college and there are no meaningful summer interships available in the financial industry for recent hs grads). alrite, it seems like the CFA is not something i could pick up during a summer, or possibly two. i appreciate the help, though.</p>
<p>The CPA exam is (--------------------------------------------) this much tougher than the CFA. So to get a head start would be smart. I suggest begin to study the GAAP book (which is like 800-1400 pages long). You can also go to <a href="http://www.aicpa.org%5B/url%5D">www.aicpa.org</a> to get some good information on the CPA exam. It's tough, that's all there is to it.</p>
<p>In many states, you cannot even apply to sit for the CPA exam until you've completed all of the education requirements, which include taking a minimum of 150 credit hours. For the most part, then, you will not qualify to sit even after you complete your undergraduate education.</p>
<p>Some states allow you to sit before you finish the educational requirements IF you are expected to complete them within a certain period (90 days, I believe).</p>
<p>You do not need to complete the experience requirement before sitting for the exam (in most states). </p>
<p>Also, to take the exam, you will most likely need to be an accounting major/concentrator (or have an MSA). If you aren't, you'll need to take most of the courses required to be one in order to sit.</p>
<p>I am studying for the exam right now. It is not something you can take just to fill up some free time. It is a very comprehensive exam that tests you on just about everything you learn in business school (from financial accounting to partnership law to stock valuation). Pre-computerization, it had a 20% pass rate.</p>
<p>The CPA You need to have met the requirements before you can get it, which usually means not until after school.</p>
<p>The CFA from everything I have heard is a lot harder than the CPA. I don't know where 311Griff gets that from, but My brother who is both a CPA and CFA said there is no comparison the CFA is much much tougher. I have heard that from many other people as well.</p>
<p>If you don't know much about the CFA, it is something Harvard MBA's with 15 years of investment banking experience decide to get, and still have to study for hours a day for a couple of years to come close to passing. Most do not ever pass.</p>
<p>The CPA you can pass if you study. It is definitly hard, It is on par with with the bar exam. I know two people with a JD and CPA one said the CPA was a lot harder than the bar, the other said they are pretty much the same in terms of toughnes to pass.</p>
<p>With the CFA from what I understand some people know matter how much they study will not pass it. It's not as black and white as the CPA where you lmemorize rules and regulations. Some people even people who are already CPA's and MBA's can not understand it well enough to pass no matter how much they study. It has a lot more theory, analytital and quantitive than the CPA.</p>
<p>See, I've heard differently... I've heard, from a CFA, that the CPA exam is tougher. </p>
<p>The CPA exam has many, many candidates who don't pass it ever, and most don't pass it, entirely, on the first try. The business world demands CPA's a lot more than CFA's, so a lot of (most) schools have tailored their accounting curriculum around the requirements of sitting for the CPA exam (in fact the AACSB accounting accreditation is centered around a schools ability to prepare students to become CPAs). </p>
<p>Still, a big percentage fail their first attempt--no wonder the CPA exam is not something anybody can take (you have to fulfill certain educational requirements first, no exceptions!!). </p>
<p>If the CFA was as in demand as the CPA, then schools would tailor their curriculum around it, making it more passable. But only a handful of schools in the U.S. have programs (albeit, graduate programs like the MS in finance) tailored to the CFA exam. Also, there are no specific educational requirements to sit for the CFA exam, and not as many people desire to obtain charterhood either. </p>
<p>Quite certainly the CFA exam could be tougher, but I don't think it's a matter of people trying to get their CFA, and not being able to, so settling for the CPA. I'm sure that many CFA's don't hold graduate degrees. I'm also sure that there are many CFA's who don't hold bachelor's degrees either.</p>
<p>You have to realize that the CPA and CFA are not remotely related. nobody went for the CFA and settled for the CPA. There is very little in common between the two. </p>
<p>I'm going to assume you already have a good idea about the CPA.</p>
<p>Four years of acceptable professional work experience are required before the CFA charter can be awarded.</p>
<p>acceptable work experience includes evaluating or applying financial, economic and/or statistical data as part of the investment decision-making process involving securities or similar investments, which includes, but is not limited to, publicly traded and privately placed stocks, bonds and mortgages and their derivatives; commodity-based derivatives and mutual funds; and other investment assets, such as real estate and commodities, if these other investment assets are held as part of a diversified, securities-oriented investment portfolio.</p>
<p>The CPA is for accountants. The CFA is for people who wish to become mutual fund or hedge fund managers, or something in that area. They are not related at all</p>
<p>Oh I forgot to mention that a college degree is required</p>
<p>So basically you're saying one does not have to know anything about CPA if they want to get a CFA</p>
<p>There's some content overlap on the exams, but the two designations are for two very different purposes. Few get both and there's rarely a reason to do so.</p>
<p>i got a question..i am in a serious dilemma..i am a senior majoring in finance...also taking accounting classes....</p>
<p>i want to get the cfa certificate..and i am really confused on how to go about it.. i am taking accounting classes also because i want to keep my options open in both finance and accounting fields..(p.s. i want to get into wealth management/portfolio management/investment banking..all finance related )</p>
<p>since i eventually want to get the cfa...what is the best way to go for it??</p>
<p>1) I can go ahead with a masters in accounting..and then start working full time and prepare for the cfa at the same time..thus keeping my options open for both accounting and finance fields since i've herd there are more jobs in accounting than finance...just in case i dont get any job in the finance field?
this way, i can get a cfa..and also be meeting the 150 credits required for the CPA exam..</p>
<p>2) Go ahead with a full time right after graduation, and directly start preparing for the cfa ...</p>
<p>so, i am confused with which path to take to get my cfa..and which pat would be more beneficial...
One more question i have a doubt abiout is....whether i can take the cpa after getting my cfa degree...i.e. is getting a cfa meeting the requirement for writing a cpa exam? this way, i wouldn't have to do my masters in accounting, and directly go ahead with a full time job after my undergraduation...</p>
<p>thanks</p>
<p>Cfa </p>
<hr>
<p>i got a question..i am in a serious dilemma..i am a senior majoring in finance...also taking accounting classes....</p>
<p>i want to get the cfa certificate..and i am really confused on how to go about it.. i am taking accounting classes also because i want to keep my options open in both finance and accounting fields..(p.s. i want to get into wealth management/portfolio management/investment banking..all finance related )</p>
<p>since i eventually want to get the cfa...what is the best way to go for it??</p>
<p>1) I can go ahead with a masters in accounting..and then start working full time and prepare for the cfa at the same time..thus keeping my options open for both accounting and finance fields since i've herd there are more jobs in accounting than finance...just in case i dont get any job in the finance field?
this way, i can get a cfa..and also be meeting the 150 credits required for the CPA exam..</p>
<p>2) Go ahead with a full time right after graduation, and directly start preparing for the cfa ...</p>
<p>so, i am confused with which path to take to get my cfa..and which pat would be more beneficial...
One more question i have a doubt abiout is....whether i can take the cpa after getting my cfa degree...i.e. is getting a cfa meeting the requirement for writing a cpa exam? this way, i wouldn't have to do my masters in accounting, and directly go ahead with a full time job after my undergraduation...</p>
<p>thanks</p>
<p>I can't really give you much advice as for what you should do, but I'm not sure if you realize the CFA is not something many people get out of college. It is something using attained by middle aged people with many years of wall street experience.</p>
<p>I can't imagine being able to study for the CFA while working in public accounting and studying for the CPA. Both will require lots of time, and you would probably be working 50-80 hours depending on the season in public accounting.</p>
<p>Why are you so dead set on a CFA? It doesn't sound like you really know much about it. </p>
<p>Heres the path my brother took, he has both a CPA and CFA.</p>
<p>Went into public accounting after undergrad (this was pre 2001 150hr requirement) got his CPA while in public accounting. After 4 years of public accounting, he went back to school to get an MBA. After his MBA he went into investment banking and was an associate for 3 years before leaving to work for a hedge fund. While at the fund he studied for the CFA about 20-30 hours a week for I think about a year or year and a half or so. Then he passed the exam I think in different sittings.</p>
<p>Since I'm on it he has since started his own Hedge fund with 3 other partners and associates.</p>
<p>Well..i plan to get into wealth management/portfolio management..and i think to be successful in these fields...a cfa will be really beneficial.. i would like to think of it as.. being already a finance major...no better way to accomplish your finance education success than getting your cfa..</p>
<p>and i do know what the cfa is about and about how hard it is...i was just not sure of wen exactly to get one...before an mba..or after an mba..</p>
<p>"and i do know what the cfa is about and about how hard it is...i was just not sure of wen exactly to get one...before an mba..or after an mba.."</p>
<p>I'm not the most qualified to answer, but I would say before an MBA. The MBA can help you get the required experience to get the CFA. If you get a CFA first, I don't think you would have much of a reason to get an MBA unless you wanted to change your career, effectively not using the CFA you already earned.</p>
<p>Sorry to bring up an old thread, but I was wondering if someone could give more feedback/opinions regarding this topic. Like sparty419, I'd like to get into the investment management/private wealth management field. </p>
<p>I'm currently a finance + accounting major and I originally planned to take the CPA exam soon after graduating. I know the CFA would be more beneficial for my career; but after graduating, I would only need to complete 2 more classes to sit for the CPA exam (something I could take as night classes while getting the work experience). Studying accounting was something I wanted to do because I was interested in the subject, and because I knew it would add value to my business knowledge. But right now I'm faced with these questions:</p>
<ul>
<li>Would employers question my career goals if I decide to pursue a CPA (to the extent that they wouldn't hire me)?</li>
<li>Is it worth the time and effort to study for the CPA?</li>
</ul>
<p>If I don't go forth with the CPA, I could get a head start on studying for the CFA. But like many people have mentioned, the CFA requires a minimum of 4 yrs experience to get chartered.... and you may not even get chartered!!</p>
<p>Hi dollface,</p>
<p>The CPA wouldn't hurt, but it might give employers the impression you are undecided in your career path. The CFA would show much more direction and may be a better choice if you are going into invesment management. </p>
<p>Remember, the CFA requires 3 exams spread over 3 years in addition to the 4 years of work experience. Also, you can only take the exam once a year, so it would be great to take it right out of undergrad. I took level 1 while I was a senior this past spring and now that I've graduated I still have 2 more test levels to go.</p>
<p>Conversely, I know several individuals in finance who have their CPA, but all of them started in public accounting and its not a bad background to have. I believe most states require some type of accounting experience before you can receive the CPA(my state requires certain # of hours).</p>
<p>Overall, it would depend on what you would want to do right after school. It is always best to show employers what direction you want to go in and don't pursue designations/degrees/certifications just to have them, you want to make sure to fully use them.</p>