CPA Exam Qualification Certificate

The Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Exam Qualification Certificate is for individuals who hold a bachelor's degree in disciplines other than accounting and need to meet the current education requirement of 51 credit hours in business and accounting, as part of the required overall 150 satisfactorily-completed semester hours, to sit for the Uniform CPA Examination in Maryland. This certificate aligns with the state requirements; therefore, no course substitutions can be made in this certificate.

Many of the courses in this program can be used as part of the Accounting Professional, A.A.S program. Students should work closely with the department chair to see if pursuing the A.A.S. is appropriate for them and/or to meet the requirements of the A.A.S. program.

Prerequisites Required from Bachelor's Degree:

1. Bachelor's degree in any discipline 
2. Bachelor's degree, regardless of discipline, must include:

• A statistics course (if missing, then students will need to complete a statistics course as part of this certificate). 
• An algebra course (if missing, then students may need to complete an appropriate course prior to registering for certain electives).

Prior Degrees from Foreign Colleges or Universities:

In accordance with the guidelines of the Maryland State Board of Public Accountancy, the academic credentials of applicants who have earned degrees from foreign colleges or universities must be evaluated to determine whether the foreign educational preparation fulfills Maryland's education requirements. The NASBA International Evaluation Service (NIES) is the only acceptable evaluation service for foreign transcripts. There are no exceptions.

Information on Updates from the Maryland State Board of Public Accountancy:

All students are advised to periodically check with the Maryland State Board of Public Accountancy for any updates or changes to the exam requirements: https://www.dllr.state.md.us/license/cpa/.