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CPA Exam

Become a U.S. Certified Public Accountant by taking the CPA exam. The MPA Program Office will help you along the way to be eligible to take the exam.

  • Working With Your Academic Advisor

    MPA students who wish to earn a CPA license should work closely with an MPA academic advisor to discuss exam and licensure requirements for the state in which they plan to work, as well as a strategy for using their MPA courses to satisfy that state’s educational requirements.
    Contact Your Academic Advisor

CPA Exam Eligibility

Each state’s exam eligibility requirements are available at the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy’s (NASBA) website. Each state’s licensure requirements can be found on individual state boards’ websites which are also collected on NASBA’s website.


The majority of MPA students plan to earn their CPA license in Texas. As a result, we have provided more information on Texas eligibility requirements below. To take the CPA exam and earn the license in Texas, candidates must meet the following educational requirements:

  • A total of 150 semester hours of college credit
  • 30 upper-division or graduate hours in accounting, including accounting research and analysis (beyond elementary such as ACC 311 and 312; no more than 12 hours in tax and no more than 12 hours in accounting information systems)
  • 24 upper-division or graduate hours in business, including business communications (economics and business statistics at any college level will count as upper-division courses; no more than 6 hours from the same discipline)
  • 3 hours of an approved ethics course (such as BGS 381N or LEB 380.17)
  • Completion of an undergraduate degree


Exam candidates must complete all course requirements before being approved by the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy (TSBPA) to take the exam. For more information, visit the TSBPA’s website.

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