2011 Student Writing Competition
The 150 Credit-Hour Requirement – Weighing the Options
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The 150 credit-hour requirement to sit for the CPA Exam is not new. In fact, it started in the late 1970s in Florida. The effect of this first state’s decision has ebbed and flowed over the past 30 years as other states followed suit. Recently, Pennsylvania joined the vast majority of states and decided that it will require the completion of 150 credit hours of education for all candidates seeking to take the CPA Exam beginning in 2012.
Many colleges and universities have developed options for students in accounting programs to help students complete this education requirement. Not all options are created equally, nor do they all have the same cost and benefit for each student. To understand the impact of the 150 credit-hour requirement, every student needs to research the various options available and attempt to identify the best alternative. Deciding how best to evaluate the available options means considering whether they involve completing additional undergraduate courses or pursuing an advanced degree, and the costs associated with these two options vary greatly.
PICPA will award $4,000 to ambitious, business-savvy students with the conviction to present their case regarding the 150 credit-hour requirement through the 2011 Student Writing Competition.
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- Is the requirement an opportunity or a hurdle to entering the profession?
- What is the most cost-effective way to fulfill the requirements?
- Will it broaden educational choice or restrict it to those who can pay?
- Will it increase or decrease student interest in accounting as a profession?
- MBA, MS in Accounting, or 150 undergraduate credit hours: how to determine the best choice?
- Will available job opportunities match the increase in education in both salary and work responsibilities?
- Will the CPA profession lose potential candidates because it is the only business major that requires 150 credit hours?
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Undergraduate accounting or business majors who attend Pennsylvania colleges and universities are eligible, as are those who maintain a permanent residence in Pennsylvania but attend an out-of-state college. Students who are in the fifth year of a five-year MBA program are not eligible to participate in the competition.
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- $2,000 for first place, $1,200 for second place, and $800 for third place.
- The accounting programs of the winning students receive $1,000, $600, and $400 respectively.
- First-place entry is published on the Students and Educators section of PICPA’s Web site, and an excerpt is featured in the Pennsylvania CPA Journal.
- All participants who have not graduated by award time will be offered a one-year, complimentary PICPA Student Affiliate membership.
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- 1,500-2,000 word research paper
- 50-75 word abstract
- No co-authored papers accepted
- 12-point font required
- Must contain proper citation of sources
- Papers are evaluated for content, method of presentation, and writing style
- Every submission must include an author information sheet. Do not include personal information on subsequent pages. Student name may not appear on any page other than the cover sheet.
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Careers in Accounting Team
Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants
1650 Arch St., 17th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103-2099
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April 12, 2011
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Call the PICPA Careers in Accounting Team at (888) 272-2001 or e-mail schools@picpa.org.
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