Certified Public Accountant
The Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is the best known of the professional certifications and is the goal of many of our accounting and assurance graduates. In May 2000, 33.3% of our undergraduates who sat for the CPA exam for the first time passed all sections of the exam while another 16.7% passed at least one part.
Currently, more than 40 states and the District of Columbia require students to have a bachelor's degree and a total of 150 hours of course work in order to take the CPA exam. This requirement will be effective in Virginia in July 2006. In response to this new educational requirement, Virginia Tech established the 152-hour program. Eligible students can be admitted to the master of accounting and information systems program at the end of their junior year. At the end of their fourth year, they will receive the undergraduate degree; at the end of their fifth year, they will receive the master's degree.
You need to plan how you will meet the requirements to take the CPA exam in your state.
