Licensing Restrictions and the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Shortage

All US states and territories maintain a high barrier to entry that dissuades students from entering the accounting profession—the requirement that CPAs complete 150 credit hours of academic study in addition to passing an exam. This unnecessary requirement contributes to the current shortage of accountants, delaying the completion of state and local government financial audits and thus inhibiting the public’s ability to hold governments accountable.

Speakers will discuss alternative paths to certification, including reforms to the 150‐​hour rule and competitive accounting certification bodies.

Additional Resources

• “To Combat the Accountant Shortage, States Should Consider CPA Licensing Reform,” by Marc Joffe
• “Reducing a Barrier to Entry: The 120/150 CPA Licensing Rule*,” by Brian Meehan & E. Frank Stephenson
• “Keeping the 150 Hour Rule Is Making the Profession’s Diversity Problem More Pronounced,” by Sharon Lassar, PhD, CPA
• “We Must Change the Conversation around Pathways to CPA Licensure,” by Boz Bostrom
• “Rethinking the 150‐​Hour Requirement for CPA Licensure,” by Steven Mintz, PhD, William F. Miller, EdD, CPA and Tara J. Shawver, DBA
• Message from Boz Bostrom on LinkedIn

PowerPoint Presentations

• “Government Accounting Dimension,” by Marc Joffe
• “CPA Pipeline,” by Sharon Lassar, PhD, CPA
• “The CPA 150 Hour Rule as a Barrier to Entry,” by Brian Meehan