Accounting and Computer Information Systems

Accounting Professional Resources

Certifications

Certification by a national organization validates your educational experience at PSU and communicates to prospective employers that you are career-oriented. Accounting professionals are fortunate to have a number of certification programs available.

PSU accounting majors are encouraged to pursue one or more of the following certification programs:

The BBA with a Major in Accounting provides a foundation for the pursuit of professional certification.  Graduates holding the BBA with a Major in Accounting are eligible to sit for all of the above certifications except the CPA exam.

The BBA with a Major in Accounting is designed to meet the specific course requirements to sit for the CPA exam in Kansas (see below), but does not fulfill the 150-hour requirement.  The 150-hour requirement may be met in a number of ways, including completing the MBA with a Concentration in Accounting.

CPA Exam Requirements in the State of Kansas

To sit for the CPA exam in Kansas, candidates must meet (1) educational requirements and (2) the residency requirement. For additional information on sitting for the CPA Exam in Kansas, go to the website for the Kansas Board of Accountancy: http://www.ksboa.org

(1)  Educational Requirements

For a pre-evaluation of your college transcripts to determine eligibility to sit for the CPA Exam as a Kansas candidate, access this link: http://www.ksboa.org/pdf/PRE-EVALUATION%20INSTRUCTIONS.pdf Examination candidate must have completed 150 semester hours and hold a baccalaureate or graduate degree from a Board-recognized college or university in post-secondary education to include:

At Least 42 Semester Credit Hours in Business and General Education Including

At Least 11 Semester Credit Hours in Written and Oral Communications

At Least 30 Semester Credit Hours in Accounting Theory and Practice Including

* These are PSU courses required for students pursuing a BBA with a Major in Accounting.  These same courses are also required for those pursuing an MBA with a Concentration in Accounting (which incorporates the business and accounting undergraduate foundation courses).  Other equivalent courses may also satisfy the educational requirements.  The determination of course equivalencies rests with the Kansas State Board of Accountancy.

** The Kansas State Board of Accountancy will apply two semester hours credit towards the 11 hour written and oral communication requirement if a student has completed two, three-hour writing-to-learn courses at PSU.  Students transferring to PSU who are not required to complete writing-to-learn courses must complete an additional three-hour course in written and oral communications.  The PSU Department of Accounting recommends ENGL301 Technical/Professional Writing for these students.

Candidates with foreign educational credentials must have credentials evaluated by any member organization of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) (www.naces.org).  The evaluation of a foreign transcript must be a course-by-course comparison to Kansas requirements.

Educational requirements must be met at the time of application to sit for the CPA exam.

(2)  Residency Requirement

To be eligible for the initial or complete re-examination in Kansas, a candidate must be a resident or have a place of business in, or be employed full-time in a public accounting firm in Kansas.  The board may require satisfactory proof that the candidate meets this requirement.

For more information visit the Kansas State Board of Accountancy web site (www.ksboa.org) or the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy web site (www.nasba.org).

Accounting Organizations and Useful Links