(a) To qualify for the issuance of a CPA certificate,
an applicant must hold at a minimum a baccalaureate degree, conferred
by a board-recognized institution of higher education as defined by §511.52
of this chapter (relating to Recognized Institutions of Higher Education),
and have completed the board-recognized coursework identified in this
section:
(1) no fewer than 27 semester hours or quarter-hour
equivalents of upper level accounting courses as defined by §511.57
of this chapter (relating to Qualified Accounting Courses to take
the UCPAE) or §511.60 of this chapter (relating to Qualified
Accounting Courses Prior to January 1, 2024 to take the UCPAE) to
include a minimum of two semester credit hours in research and analysis;
(2) no fewer than 24 semester hours or quarter-hour
equivalents of upper level related business courses, as defined by §511.58
of this chapter (relating to Definitions of Related Business Subjects
to take the UCPAE);
(3) a three semester hour board-approved standalone
course in accounting or business ethics. The course must be taken
at a recognized educational institution and should provide students
with a framework of ethical reasoning, professional values, and attitudes
for exercising professional skepticism and other behavior in the best
interest of the public and profession. The ethics course shall:
(A) include the ethics rules of the AICPA, the SEC,
and the board;
(B) provide a foundation for ethical reasoning, including
the core values of integrity, objectivity, and independence; and
(C) be taught by an instructor who has not been disciplined
by the board for a violation of the board's rules of professional
conduct, unless that violation has been waived by the board; and
(4) academic coursework at an institution of higher
education as defined by §511.52 of this chapter, when combined
with paragraphs (1) - (3) of this subsection meets or exceeds 150
semester hours, of which 120 semester hours meets the education requirements
defined by §511.59 of this chapter (relating to Definition of
120 Semester Hours to take the UCPAE). An applicant who has met paragraphs
(1) - (3) of this subsection may use a maximum of 9 total semester
credit hours of undergraduate or graduate independent study and/or
internships as defined in §511.51(b)(4) or §511.51(b)(5)
of this chapter (relating to Educational Definitions) to meet this
paragraph. The courses shall consist of:
(A) a maximum of three semester credit hours of independent
study courses; and
(B) a maximum of six semester credit hours of accounting/business
course internships.
(b) The following courses, courses of study, certificates,
and programs may not be used to meet the 150 semester hour requirement:
(1) any CPA review course offered by an institution
of higher education or a proprietary organization;
(2) remedial or developmental courses offered at an
educational institution; and
(3) credits awarded for coursework taken through the
following organizations and shown on a transcript from an institution
of higher education may not be used to meet the requirement of this
chapter:
(A) American College Education (ACE);
(B) Prior Learning Assessment (PLA);
(C) Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education
Support (DANTES);
(D) Defense Subject Standardized Test (DSST); and
(E) StraighterLine.
(c) The hours from a course that has been repeated
will be counted only once toward the required semester hours.
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