Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) are highly in demand, as their services are required in a number of different fields. They can work as CFOs, forensic accountants, financial investigators, environmental accountants, risk analysts, procurement managers, and international accountants, to name a few. Each state in the US has different requirements for people to qualify as CPAs. A Utah CPA has to have at least 150 hours of college credit and a Bachelor’s degree before they can qualify. Those who are still in college can still apply for CPA credentialing as long as the Board of Accreditation recognizes their school. If foreign students want to become a CPA, their education has to be assessed before they can take the exams.
Paths to becoming a CPA in Utah
There are a few different ways in which accounting students can qualify to becoming CPAs in the state of Utah:
- Get a graduate degree in accounting
- Earn a BS or MBA with an emphasis in accounting courses such as Auditing, Tax, Management and/or Financial accounting.
- With a BS or MS in the area of computers, law, economics, finance, statistics and ethics, students can qualify for a CPA if they have minors in Finance, Auditing methods, Cost or Management accounting and taxation
Students can take the Utah CPA exam through correspondence or CPA review courses as long as their degree is from an accredited college. They have to register online for the CPA Exam Services and send transcripts of their completed coursework. When they feel ready, they take the tests in different CPA modules.
Qualified CPAs in Utah need at least one year of work experience before they can get their license. To qualify, they have to pass a Professional Ethics course with 90% marks. The next step is to meet all the requirements of the Utah Accounting Board – 2000 hours of hands-on work experience in the field with a qualified CPA firm or under their supervision. These hours have to be documented as a part of the certification process.
The Utah CPA licensing process is quite rigorous and only when all the in-state requirements have been fulfilled can a person become a full-fledged CPA. CPAs with licenses can work in Utah as well if they can provide all the necessary documentation to the state. Those from foreign countries can work in Utah as long as they pass the International Qualification Examination. They are required to do continuing education programs to maintain their licenses.