Certified Public Accountant Pre-Professional Pathways at Lewis-Clark State College

General Guidelines

You can prepare for a career in accounting at Lewis-Clark State College. Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) first earn a bachelor’s degree, usually in a program with a strong emphasis on accounting coursework, and they then meet additional requirements to be eligible to sit for the CPA exam, or they may complete a Master’s of Accountancy degree and then sit for the CPA exam. A master’s degree is not required to be eligible to sit for the CPA exam. 

Becoming eligible for, and passing, the CPA exam is a challenging process, but like other LCSC graduates who have passed the CPA exam, you can meet the challenge by working with your advisor, taking the right courses, earning good grades, and participating in certain service activities.

Preparation and Prerequisites for a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) credential 

Pre-requisites are what you need to complete as an undergraduate to be eligible to take the CPA exam.

Recommended Majors:

• BA/BS, Business Administration with a Management Accounting emphasis
• BAS, Applied Accounting

Eligibility Requirements for the Idaho State Board of Accountancy CPA exam:
In order to qualify to take the Uniform CPA Exam, you will need to complete the following:

• A baccalaureate degree (see recommended major, above)
• 30 credits of coursework in business administration; at least 20 of these credits must be coursework in Accounting.

Additional Requirements to become a licensed CPA in Idaho:

• Completion of 150 hours of education (includes the credits for the bachelor’s degree). Other conditions apply: see the Idaho Society of Certified Public Accountants for more information.
• One year of experience, at least 2,000 hours (completed within 12 to 36 months)

Recommended Extra-Curricular Activities:

• Join The Accounting Club. The Accounting Club offers students an opportunity to meet and network with accounting professionals and LCSC alumni in the community. As a part of this process, students can explore career options in the accounting field and develop an awareness concerning educational requirements. Students may also earn credit for their participation.

Get Started

To begin your path toward a career in accounting, contact an accounting advisor today:

• Luther Maddy, Chair, Business, 208-792-2293 or lmmaddy@lcsc.edu
• Karen Andrews, Assoc. Professor, Business, 208-792-2352 or klandrews@lcsc.edu
• Polly Jo Knutson, Assist. Professor, Business Technology & Services, 208-792-2698 or pjknutson@lcsc.edu