Accounting Major Guide (USA): The CPA Pathway and the 150-Credit Rule

What an accounting major covers

An undergraduate accounting major in the USA builds the technical foundation for measuring, reporting and analyzing financial information. Core courses typically include financial accounting, managerial/cost accounting, intermediate accounting, auditing, taxation, accounting information systems, and business law, layered on top of a general business and economics base.

• Financial accounting and intermediate accounting (the technical backbone)
• Auditing and attestation
• Federal and sometimes state taxation
• Cost/managerial accounting and accounting information systems
• Business law, ethics, and data/analytics electives

The CPA pathway and the 150-credit-hour rule

The Certified Public Accountant (CPA) credential is the licence many accounting graduates pursue. CPA licensure is granted by individual state boards of accountancy, and the requirements are commonly described as the "3 Es": Education, Exam and Experience (a few states add an Ethics component).

Historically the standard education requirement has been 150 semester credit hours — roughly 30 hours beyond a typical 120-hour bachelor's degree. Students often meet this through a fifth year, a master's in accounting, or extra undergraduate credits. In 2025 the AICPA and NASBA updated the model Uniform Accountancy Act to add a further pathway built on a bachelor's degree plus additional professional experience, and states adopt these rules on their own timelines. Because the exact education and experience requirements vary by state and are changing, do not rely on any single figure here — verify the current rules with your intended state board of accountancy and NASBA before planning your path.

How the CPA Exam is structured

The Uniform CPA Examination is set by the AICPA and administered with NASBA. Under the current model it has three required Core sections — Auditing and Attestation (AUD), Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR), and Taxation and Regulation (REG) — plus one Discipline section that the candidate chooses.

The Discipline options are Business Analysis and Reporting (BAR), Information Systems and Controls (ISC), and Tax Compliance and Planning (TCP). Passing scores, scheduling windows and fees are set officially and can change — do not rely on third-party figures; confirm the current structure, fees and standards on the AICPA and NASBA sites and with your state board before relying on them.

Career routes: audit, tax and advisory

Accounting graduates commonly enter three broad tracks. Audit and assurance focuses on examining financial statements and internal controls. Tax covers compliance and planning for individuals and organizations. Advisory/consulting spans areas like risk, transactions, systems and forensic accounting.

Employers range from public accounting firms to corporations, government and nonprofits. A CPA licence is often valued for audit and signing roles, but many finance and analytics careers are open to accounting majors who never sit the exam. Career outcomes vary by employer, location and economic conditions, and no major or credential guarantees a particular role.

Planning your accounting degree

If CPA licensure is your goal, plan early: map your intended state board's specific accounting and business credit requirements, and decide how you will meet any 150-hour requirement that still applies. Many students choose an integrated or master's-of-accounting route; others add credits during the bachelor's.

• Pick your intended licensing state early and read its board's exact, current rules
• Decide how you'll meet any 150-hour requirement (5th year, master's, or extra credits)
• Seek internships in audit, tax or advisory to test-drive each track
• Build data/analytics and spreadsheet skills alongside core accounting
• Track CPA Exam eligibility windows on AICPA/NASBA before applying