Students should check with the accountancy board to ensure that the courses they are taking towards meeting Texas CPA stipulations are completed at an institution that is accredited by one of the accreditation associations approved by the agency. Graduates of U.S. institutions who have received bachelor's degrees in other non-accounting related disciplines can qualify to sit for the exam by completing the accounting curriculum at one of the Texas community colleges. The chosen school must have the designation Qualifying Education Credit for CPA Examination.
Candidates must complete at least 30 semester credit hours of accounting classes. Although online courses are acceptable, 15 credit hours must be earned by physical attendance in a classroom setting. Attendance must take place on the campus of the school issuing the transcript. Students may select accounting courses from a select list of courses, such as cost accounting, accounting research, financial statements, auditing and attestation, information technology, financial accounting and reporting for business.
CPA applicants are expected to earn 24 semester hours, or the equivalent, in junior-, senior- or graduate-level business courses. All classes in statistics and economics meets this condition. Students may also choose classes from subjects like management, marketing, finance, information systems and business law. The business law course should include study of the Uniform Commercial Code. CPA candidates are expected to complete a business or accounting communication class consisting of at least two semester hours.
Completion of a three-semester-hours ethics class is part of the Texas CPA requirements. This course must be finished before a candidate can submit an Application of Intent. The agency stipulates that the contents of the class must focus on developing within students a solid background in ethical and moral reasoning, professional principles and standards for discerning professional behavior in questionable circumstances. There are very specific conditions that an ethics course must meet. Students should verify that the class they take is approved by the accounting board.
At least one year of experience, part-time or full-time, working under the direct tutelage of a certified and licensed CPA is mandatory. At least 2000 hours of the work must include specific services, such as audits, compilations, reviews, assurance , preparing tax returns, tax consulting, issuing financial reports and auditing services. Certain non-routine work experience that meets the approval of the accounting board can also be credited towards work experience.
Candidates can start the process for determining if they meet the Texas CPA requirements by submitting an Application of Intent. Applicants' education experience will be assessed by the board to ascertain compliance with their standards and is active for two years. An Application of Eligibility can be submitted after the Application of Intent. Individuals submitting the eligibility application are formally submitting themselves to the jurisdiction of the Texas Accountancy Board. Even before candidates are licensed and certified they are subject to disciplinary procedures.