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I have an undergrad in Finance and have been working in a corp acct enviroment for the past few years. I am now taking classes through LSU Distance Learning in order to be eligible to sit for the CPA. My question is; Will I be able to get into public acct after I am a CPA candidate even though I don't have an accounting degree? Thanks for your replies
It depends. What setting do you want to work in? If you are looking to work for an established accounting firm....maybe. Simply because you'll be competing against others who have a B.S. and a M.Acc. But if you want to have your own practice...it won't really matter (as long as you obtain your CPA).
If you can pass the CPA exam, I am confident you will be able to break into the field. Perhaps even before you pass the exam, but passing the exam shows you're serious about an accounting career AND demonstrates you have a level of accounting knowledge that would be comparable to what an accounting major would have - if they were to study for the exam, too. So once you pass, I think you'll be able to break in.
That said, you should be aware that right now is historically the peak hiring season for CPA firms staffing up for the upcoming busy season. Much easer to get a job now than it will be, say, next May or June.
Thanks, I should be done with the necessary credits by this spring, so I won't really be looking until next busy season. I really do enjoy corporate, but I believe a little public experience will be very beneficial in the long wrong.
Getting the CPA certificate will help you immensely, even if you do see your career being more outside of public accounting. The reason is easy: any time a new position opens up for advancement, you will likely be competing against someone who IS a CPA, whether that person is working internally or whether they're also hiring from the outside. Sure, if you just want to be a bookkeeper or some staff accountant, you probably could do just fine without the certificate, but if you want to work as a company's controller or internal auditor or something along those lines... the majority of people who fill those spots have their CPA certifications. So I think that's worth pursuing if you're serious about a career in accounting, whether it's public accouting or corporate.
Getting the CPA certificate will help you immensely, even if you do see your career being more outside of public accounting. The reason is easy: any time a new position opens up for advancement, you will likely be competing against someone who IS a CPA, whether that person is working internally or whether they're also hiring from the outside. Sure, if you just want to be a bookkeeper or some staff accountant, you probably could do just fine without the certificate, but if you want to work as a company's controller or internal auditor or something along those lines... the majority of people who fill those spots have their CPA certifications. So I think that's worth pursuing if you're serious about a career in accounting, whether it's public accouting or corporate.
Thanks, that is what I thought too. I guess my main concern was being able to get my foot in the door with a public accounting firm (regional or local, not Big 4) as a CPA candidate with a finance degree rather than an accounting degree
Thanks, that is what I thought too. I guess my main concern was being able to get my foot in the door with a public accounting firm (regional or local, not Big 4) as a CPA candidate with a finance degree rather than an accounting degree
Hmmm....
So, sorry...but I'm a bit puzzled by your post. Unless there's more information that what has been given...
I would think that unless you have work experience in accounting, or the degree, it would be hard to say that you are looking to get into a firm as a "CPA candidate"; unless you've already passed a couple sections of the Uniform CPA examination (in some states, you need XX hours of work experience under another licensed CPA in order to get your license, but you do not need this experience...in most cases...to sit for the exam).
I am also scoping out ways to become a CPA; except my undergrad. degree isn't in business at all. Because of this, I've pretty much resigned myself to studying Accounting in grad school (but first taking the undergrad pre-reqs...which I'm during now). But I'm looking to sit for the exam in Pennsylvania. I live in Florida, but Florida requires that before you sit for the exam, you need 150 credit hours with very specific areas in Accounting covered in at least 39 of those hours (like auditing, taxation, statistics etc.). So if becoming a CPA is your main objective, your course of action will mainly be dictated by your state requirements vs. the coursework you've completed already. I think that most times, when someone hears "CPA candidate", they are referring to those people who have already passed the exam...and need to either get the work experience or the 150 credits (because in some states, you can sit for the exam before getting the 150). I would think that without a accounting degree, and without passing some of the Uniform CPA exam, it would be strange to consider someone a "CPA candidate"....even if that's what you intend to do.
In my case, I've worked as a bookkeeper for 3 years; last tax season, I worked for a local CPA (2 of them actually). I loved the work (doing tax returns, state sales tax filings, monthly business financials, even some forensic accounting)...but the pay was not that great. I searched for similar "accounting assistant" or "accounting clerk" positions, and the pay was along the same range (like $15 or $16 per hour). I make a bit more as a full-charge bookkeeper; although in my opinion, the work is more mundane than an accountant's assistant. But I guess you can get more from a company looking for a "cheap accountant substitute" than you can being an "assistant to an accountant".
Now this is from a friend of mine who was a finance major at University of Florida (not my word...because I really don't know); he was an accounting major for a year, and found it a bit "too much" and opted for finance. He said the accounting major was the most rigorous out of all of the business school programs. I don't think he regrets his decision....because he makes a pretty penny as a day trader. But it's also an eye-opener because the CPA exam only has like a 15% pass rate or something like that (although I think that is a first-time pass rate). He said he rates it right up there with the bar exam.
So I would research the CPA exam....the requirements for your state and compare it with what you already have coursework and experience in. You may be better off just going back for more coursework instead of working for right now. You may also want to talk to others who have taken the exam in your state...or even look into accounting post-baccalaureate programs that accept people that don't have an accounting degree (they are out there....I've looked!)
Being a "CPA Candidate" means that you have met the educational requirements to sit for the exam, which I have almost fulfilled. I think you misread my question. I asked if I would be viewed differently than someone with an undergrad in accounting since my degree is in finance.
Last edited by truckingbronco; 10-22-2007 at 03:55 PM..
Being a "CPA Candidate" means that you have met the educational requirements to sit for the exam.
But everyone who has those requirements does not necessarily wish to take the CPA exam (sometimes they wish to be CFAs or CMAs). Plus the requirements are different depending where you want to be licensed. For example, in Arizona...you just need a Bachelors and 24 hours in accounting; much less than what Florida requires.
I would think, that if someone in HR were reviewing a cover letter, and it said "CPA candidate"; that would not mean that you have only obtained the educational requirements. Maybe if it were substantiated with a progress-plan and/or professional background. Since the CPA exam consists of several parts, it makes more sense that someone presenting themselves as a "CPA candidate" has already passed a portion of the exam. I'm only saying this, because the reality is that there are a lot of accounting majors out there who never bother with taking the CPA exam.
Being a "CPA Candidate" means that you have met the educational requirements to sit for the exam, which I have almost fulfilled. I think you misread my question. I asked if I would be viewed differently than someone with an undergrad in accounting since my degree is in finance.
Hi,
No, I read the post correctly. I would think (and this is my experience...which is limited...because it is only with self-employed, local accountants) that if you did not have a degree in accounting....including the "CPA candidate" would mean that a portion of the exam has been passed. Again, it would depend on your state. If you completed enough credits to sit for the exam, it may be more advantageous to show you G.P.A. in accounting coursework taken. Because "C" or even "B" level work from a non-major is "usually" not enough to get you through the exam. Of course there are always exceptions. I know of a family-run consulting firm where both the father and son became CPAs and did not major in accounting. But the prevalent attitude with accountants is that if you don't have the accounting degree...you have to prove yourself otherwise. They hold the CPA in high regard...and not even all accounting majors can cut it. So it seems that in just about all cases, if you have passed a least a portion of the CPA exam, only then will a non-major really be competitive at the same level as those accounting majors out there.
I myself, I can't stand that corporate kiss-butt stuff. So I'll be more than happy to work for H&R Block or something until I can pass the CPA exam (probably a good 4 years from now at least!)
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