CPA Exam & Licensure

Eligibility for licensure as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) requires successful completion of the Uniform CPA Exam and meeting education and experience requirements for a specific jurisdiction. The 55 U.S. jurisdictions include the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Exam and licensure eligibility requirements vary and are determined by the board of accountancy for each jurisdiction.

Note that jurisdictional exam and licensure eligibility requirements are subject to change without notice. The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) provides access to current exam eligibility and application information for the 55 jurisdictions. NASBA communicates exam eligibility information and manages the application process for most jurisdictions. Links to websites for the jurisdictions that communicate their own eligibility requirements and application processes are provided on the NASBA website.

The Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (AICPA) provides current licensure requirement information for the 55 jurisdictions.

The Patterson School of Accountancy is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and offers bachelor’s and master’s degree programs that, in combination, meet education requirements for the CPA exam and CPA licensure in the state of Mississippi. Students who complete both undergraduate and master’s degrees in the Patterson School of Accountancy will meet or can meet, through course planning, the education requirements for all other jurisdictions; education requirements for some jurisdictions inform elective choices in the master’s program. Students who complete only a bachelor’s degree in the Patterson School may need to take additional courses at the undergraduate and/or master’s level to meet eligibility requirements. Students who complete only a master’s degree in the Patterson School can meet eligibility requirements by taking specific electives in the master’s program and/or by taking additional undergraduate courses.

If you have questions or need assistance in planning courses for CPA exam and/or licensure eligibility, please contact Dr. Jennifer McClure, Director of Master’s Programs, at mcclure@olemiss.edu. As part of the planning process, you may need to request an individual evaluation of your education or submit an application to sit for the CPA exam to the board of accountancy for your chosen jurisdiction.