Walton College

Federal Title IV Licensure Requirement

The 120-credit-hour undergraduate degree alone, does not meet the 150-credit-hour education requirements for CPA examination eligibility. Passing the CPA examination is the first step in licensure. Completion of the MPA program, when combined with an accounting undergraduate degree of at least 120 hours, meets the 150-credit-hour education requirements for eligibility to sit for the CPA examination through the Arkansas State Board of Public Accountancy and the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy according to their published guidelines as of July 1, 2020. We have not made similar determinations in other states. Although all states require at least 150 hours for licensure, each State has unique examination eligibility requirements and those requirements can change over time. The State Boards ultimately make the decision as to whether a student qualifies for CPA examination eligibility. Occasionally, State Boards may also enforce unpublished requirements or change requirements during an academic year. Students should work closely with the Department CPA Examination Advisor to select the appropriate coursework for CPA Exam qualification purposes for the state where licensure is desired.

The State Boards of Accountancy also provide possible avenues for license reciprocity between states once licensure is achieved. However, both the professional requirements for licensure, and the reciprocity agreements vary by state and occur well after coursework is complete. Therefore, we cannot make a specific determination of when requirements will be met for either of these.