<p>I am getting a lot of questions about whether folks should get their 150 credits finished before going for an accounting job or seeking a job right after graduating from college without the 150 credits.</p>
<p>If your goal is to obtain your CPA, I strongly suggest that you finish your 150 credits first before you seek full time employment with an accounting firm. Why?</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Although firms will hire kids without finishing the 150 credits, it will be MUCH easier to get a job once you have these credits under your belt. It really does give you an advantage over those that don't.</p></li>
<li><p>Working for an accounting firm is VERY hard work. If you have to also both take courses and study for tests after work, you will find this very difficult. I guess if you want to give up your life for several years, you can do it,but I don't advise it.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Moreover, after you finish these credits , you then have to study for the CPA exam, which is no easy feat. It is very time consuming.</p>
<ol>
<li>Although the extra 30 credits can be in anything, whether it be accounting related or not, I do recommend that you use these credits for something accounting related such as a masters in accounting, tax,forensics, internal control expertise etc. It will really help you both on the job and in passing the test.</li>
</ol>
<p>Bottom line: Take my advice, get the extra 30 credits first before working full-time for an accounting firm. You will be glad that you took my advice.</p>
<p>without the 150, the choices they make probably won’t include sitting for the cpa though. besides, it’s always a pain to go back to school, regardless of full time or part time. </p>
<p>most accounting majors these days not only get their 150 right away, but they also get their masters. this tells the employer (or future employer): “my credit hours are very solid, because they are quality accounting/business courses instead of underwater basket weaving online.”</p>
<p>it’s been said that in the future, having a masters degree (not just 150 credit hours) might become a prerequisite for cpa eligibility.</p>
<p>Im probably going to double major in accounting and industrial & operations management and then go for my master’s in accounting in chicago. Do any of you think the ops mgmt undergrad degree would help to set an applicant apart from the rest? I understand a number of other factors come into play, but at first glance, what do you think?</p>
<p>dsteve, frankly, I don’t see why operations management will help you if you are going for an accounting job. Better duel majors with accounting might be computer science, criminology ( for forensics), english ( for better writing skills) etc.</p>
<p>Taxguy,
I’m not a young guy with alot of time to burn or money to throw away.
I have looked at my state board to become a CPA.
All I need is the 30 hours that can be taken at a community college.
It is legit and on the board’s list of acceptable colleges.
I already have a History/Political Science degree with business minor.</p>
<p>Community College is low in cost. I’m not trying to get on the staff at a “Big 4”.
I have friends that work for a them, but not sure if I should go to them for work.
One is a partner.</p>
<p>Where should I look to work and get a CPA to sign off for me?
I have work experience just not in accounting.</p>
<p>LSU, it is my understanding, which could be in error based on your state, that you have to have one year of accounting or accounting related work experience. I don’t know if the requirement is with an accounting firm or with the accounting department of a corporation. Maybe someone more in tune with today’s requirements can answer this.</p>
<p>I am also surprised that you can take all of your accounting credits at a community college. I certainly believe you when you said that you checked it out,but I would get that in writing from your state board of accountancy. That would be a disastrous mistake if you were wrong.</p>
<p>It suprised me. I called the Texas State Board of Accountancy. They emailed me Houston CC info.
Here is also what Houston CC says on it’s website.</p>
<p>The Board considered limiting the accounting courses that could be taken at a community college to six semester hours, and chose not to implement this as a requirement. A student may enroll in one 3-hour course or all 30-semester hours in accounting. Students do not have to complete the accounting courses from one board-approved community college. It is acceptable to take the courses from more than one of the four community colleges that are recognized by the Board.</p>
<p>There also may be some confusion about how the Board counts the ethics course that is required for the CPA exam. The ethics course is a separate requirement and will not be counted in the 30-hours of accounting. To be eligible to take the exam, an applicant must have completed the following:</p>
<p>Bachelors degree from an accredited university;
150 semester hours of college credit;
30 semester hours of upper-division accounting courses;
24 semester hours of upper-division related business courses; and,
3 semester hour board-approved ethics course.</p>
<p>I have everything execpt ofr th the 30 hours of upper-division.</p>
<p>LSU is correct. There’s two other community colleges in Texas, maybe three, which are acceptable. For the last period with statistics at the Texas Public Accountancy Board, HCC apparently produced 19 candidates who passed 53% of the sections they attempted. Not a whole lot(UT Austin had 200 or so) but not insignificant.</p>
<p>I’ll get the 30 extra credits for the total 150 in a community college as well.</p>
<p>The difference with my case is that my major is Accounting so I will have satisfied all accounting requisites, as stated in the accountancy boards of various states, “27 semester hours in accounting with at least 15 of the hours at the junior, senior or graduate level and 24 hours in business subjects.”</p>
<p>Therefore, the courses I’ll take for the 30 extra credits to achieve 150 will be “underwater online basket weaving fast-track” LOL
I hope they’ll accept them as they claim to do so. If not I’ll move to Colorado :)</p>
<p>Taxguy, I had an interview with a partner from the BDO office here in charlotte last october. I didn’t get the internship since I was so early into my major, but he seemed very intrigued by the operations management major on my resume. That’s the main reason why I’ve kept it so far. Im just now taking the intro operations management class so I will see if I even like it or not.</p>
<p>look, i understand that the requirements for cpa do vary by state, and maybe in certain states like texas it’s possible to fulfill the 150 hours by community college credits. however, i would strongly avoid going with this option. </p>
<p>the prestigious school vs. local school debates assume the fact that both schools are 4-year universities. i don’t care how much money people can save from going to a community college. even if this is a viable option, it just looks bad on the resume. not to mention getting the 150 is only a part of the story; the opportunity to have a decent job after graduating is another important factor to contemplate.</p>
<p>personally, i would suggest going to a school that’s known for accounting (ie: UT austin if you’re in texas). i realize that not everyone has the time or resource, but community colleges are NOT the solution, unless you’re working your way to transfer to a university.</p>
<p>True enough taxguy. Still, I guess it’s a backup degree if everything goes to hell in the next few years. Computer science, criminology and the likes are of no interest to me, and I don’t think I would fare very well in them. My reasoning behind choosing the major was that it would (vaguely) show that I was a capable of operating within a business as a senior/manager/partner or whatever. I don’t know if me hoping to stay in public accounting vs going industry has any relevance in the long run. Your thoughts??</p>