Frequently Asked Questions

To become a CPA, Massachusetts requires that you:

• pass the CPA exam, and
• meet educational requirements, which include 150 credit hours of college education (a "5th year") and may also include specific course requirements, and
• meet work experience requirements. Work experience requirements may be waived if you have earned an appropriate graduate degree – refer to the licensing requirements below.

Note that each state has its own requirements, so you need to be aware of the requirements for the state in which you intend to practice.

• If you are an accounting major or took several accounting courses in your undergrad program, you might meet special 120-hour eligibility rules that allow you to take the exam as you work on your 150 hours of education.
• If you didn’t take very much accounting in your undergrad program, you may not be eligible (or have the knowledge) to take the exam until after you complete your 150 hours (5th year) of education.
• If you need work experience, it must be completed after coursework but can be received before the exam is passed.  An internship does not qualify.
• Many CPA firms require you to complete your education before starting employment.
• Some employers will allow you to start your job while you finish your education and/or take the CPA exam. Keep in mind that you must complete the 150 hours within 3 years after you pass the exam.

• As of January 2007, you no longer need to have completed your 5th year of college education before sitting for the CPA exam.
• If you choose to sit for the CPA exam after earning your undergrad degree (120 hours) but before completing 150 hours, the requirements are:
  • You must have a conferred bachelor's degree (with at least 120 credit hours.)
  • You must have 21 credits of accounting (this can include introductory level coursework), and your coursework has to include coverage of financial accounting, management accounting, audit, and taxation.
  • You must have 9 credits of business courses, including coverage of business law, finance, and information systems.

If you choose to complete the 150 hours (5th year) rather than sitting for the exam under the 120-hour eligibility requirements, then the educational requirements for CPA licensing also serve as the educational requirements to sit for the CPA exam. See the licensing requirements, below for details. But, in general:

• If you complete a graduate degree in accounting from a separately accredited AACSB program (or one approved by the Board), there are no further requirements for CPA exam eligibility. Bentley’s MSA falls into this category, so you are fully eligible to sit for the CPA exam when you complete our MSA.
• If you complete your 150 hours, but do not earn an accounting graduate degree as in the bullet point above, then there are specific coursework requirements for CPA exam eligibility and CPA licensing. See the educational requirements for licensing below.

• You need to have passed the CPA exam.
• You need to meet educational requirements, which include 150 hours of college credit. Your Bentley BS is at least 120 hours, so you need up to an additional 30 credits, which you can take in the form of a Master’s degree or you can just complete more undergrad courses. Depending on how you complete those extra 30 credits, you may also need to meet specific course requirements. See detailed rules below.
• You need to meet work experience requirements, which vary according to your educational background. Depending on how you complete your 150 credits, you may be waived from any work experience, or you may need to complete one year of experience in public accounting. See detailed rules below.
• You should discuss your specific situation with your advisor, and check with the Massachusetts Board of Accountancy for all of the details. The website for the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants also explains the rules: www.mscpaonline.org
• In simplified form (do not rely on this summary alone!), the educational and work experience rules are:
  • If you complete a master’s degree in accounting from an AACSB accredited accounting program (note that Bentley’s MSA qualifies here), or from a program approved by the Massachusetts Board of Public Accountancy, there are no course requirements and no work experience requirements.
  • If you complete any other business graduate degree, there are no work experience requirements, but you must complete 18 credits of accounting at the grad level (or 30 at the undergrad level). The courses must include coverage of financial accounting, auditing, management accounting, and taxation. Also, 18 credits of grad-level business courses other than accounting are required (or 24 credits at the undergrad level.)
  • If you complete a business undergraduate degree, and a total of 150 hours of college credit, but have no business graduate degree, then there is a one-year work experience requirement. You also must complete 30 credits of accounting at the undergrad level. The courses must include coverage of financial accounting, auditing, management accounting, and taxation. Also, 24 credits of undergrad business courses other than accounting are required, to include coverage of finance, quantitative applications in business, information systems, business law, and at least one of economics, business organizations, ethics, or business communications.
  • If you do not have a business degree (neither undergraduate nor graduate), but complete 150 hours of college credits, then there is a one-year work experience requirement. You also must complete 30 credits of accounting at the undergrad level, including at least 3 credits in financial accounting, auditing, tax and management accounting. Also, 24 credits of undergrad business courses are required, with at least 3 credits in business law, business information systems, ethics and finance. Quantitative applications in business, organizational management, economics, and business communications can be considered business credits.

• If you want to sit for the CPA after earning your undergrad degree (under the 120-hour rules), any of the following will be eligible:
  • Accounting majors, if they take AC 350 (tax) and either AC 470 (Financial Statement Audit) or AC 472 (Internal Audit).
  • Corporate Finance and Accounting majors, if they take as electives: AC 340 (AIS), and either AC 470 or AC 472, and AC 350.
  • Information Systems Audit and Control majors, if they take AC 350 as an elective.
• To fulfill the 150-hour course requirements for exam eligibility, or for licensing, any of the following combinations of Bentley programs will work.
  • Any undergrad major, combined with the MSA.
  • An undergrad accounting major, combined with any graduate degree – but only if you took Audit and Tax in your undergrad degree, and you must take an additional accounting course in your graduate degree in order to meet the required 30 credits of accounting.
  • Many other combinations can fulfill the requirements if your grad and undergrad electives are chosen carefully. Be sure to see your advisor for help.

• Yes, but for exam eligibility after only 120 hours, you need to choose your undergrad electives carefully.
• For licensing eligibility or for exam eligibility after earning the 150 hours, you will automatically fulfill all requirements if you complete the MSA here at Bentley, regardless of what your undergraduate major is. However, if you choose a graduate degree other than Bentley’s MSA, you should see your advisor to make sure that you fulfill the accounting credits required for the CPA.

The 5-year program doesn’t obligate you to do anything, but it does give you options that you wouldn’t otherwise have. For example, as a Bentley undergrad in the 5-year program, you are automatically accepted into the grad school with no need to take the GMAT (unless you want a merit-based financial aid), get recommendations, write essays etc.; and if you have only a few courses left to finish your undergrad degree, you can start your grad degree in that same semester.

• As a Bentley undergrad, you have until the end of your first semester junior year to apply to the 5-year program. You should try to apply as soon as possible so that you get the specialized advising available to 5-year students.
• You must have a 3.2 GPA or higher to be accepted into the program, and you must maintain at least a 3.2 GPA to stay in the program.

No. As a 5-year student, you have the option to take grad courses in the last semester of your senior year (a blended semester) as a means to gain more flexibility in your graduate program, but it is not required.

In a “blended semester”, you will be completing your undergrad course requirements and starting your grad program requirements in the same semester. In that case, your grad courses are taken to fulfill the grad DRS. This is a good way to get ahead in your grad program.

• You don’t have to do a 5th year at Bentley just because you’re in the 5-year program. You are free to finish your undergrad degree and stop, or go elsewhere for your 5th year, or you can opt to defer your admission to Bentley’s McCallum Graduate School for a semester if you prefer.
• If you decide to continue at Bentley, you can do your 5th year full-time or part-time, taking as many or as few courses as you want. Or, you can complete most of the MSA over two full-time summers – our summer/summer program.

• You can apply to one of Bentley’s graduate programs even if you aren’t in the 5-year program, but you will have to complete a full application, including the GMAT, recommendations, essay etc., and your acceptance is not guaranteed.
• If you aren’t in the 5-year program but you think you might want to get into Bentley’s grad school, you should meet with an adviser to make sure that you are taking the appropriate courses to be prepared for the graduate program you’re interested in.

• Yes. Some kind of 5th year is necessary if you are interested in becoming a CPA in Massachusetts. Or, if you aren’t interested in the CPA, you might still want to finish your Masters degree now.
• If you are an AIS, ISAC, or FA major and you want to be eligible to sit for the CPA exam in Massachusetts, make sure to choose your graduate program and courses carefully since you will need additional accounting credits.

• Yes. If you’re in the 5-year program and you have less than a full semester left to finish your undergrad degree, you can start your grad program in the same semester – called a “blended semester.”
• You will be billed as an undergrad in that semester, and you might be able to continue with your undergrad financial aid. Be sure to check with the Financial Aid office to see if you will still be eligible in your blended semester.

• The Big 4 employers and other major CPA firms may offer you a job but require you to finish the 150 hours before starting your job. Typically, students will do an internship in the summer after senior year and will complete a graduate degree over their 5th year. Their permanent job will typically start the following fall.
• For students with AP credit or who otherwise are ahead in their undergrad programs, this process can be accelerated by a year. Note that this schedule is not recommended for most students, as it is very intensive. To accelerate, students can apply for internships for the summer following junior year, with the understanding that they will graduate from their undergrad program one semester early, that is, in December of their senior year. In January, these students start the MSA and take a wintersession graduate course, followed by 5 spring semester grad courses and four summer semester grad courses to complete their MSA.