Professional Accounting Designations
Degreed accountants may earn one or more professional designations, depending upon their career path and personal interests. Among the several designations available are the CPA, CMA and CIA.
- Certified Public Accountant: A CPA must meet various state educational and experience requirements in addition to passing the standardized examination prepared by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
- Certified Management Accountant: A CMA candidate must pass a series of standardized examinations prepared by the Institute of Management Accountants and meet other educational and experience requirements.
- Certified Internal Auditor: The Institute of Internal Auditors grants the CIA certificate to accountants after they have successfully completed the IIA examination and have met other requirements.
Nicholls State University accounting graduates are qualified academically to take both the CMA and the CIA exams. Students completing the 121-hour undergraduate accounting program are awarded a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. Upon completion of an additional 29 hours of study, the student meets the educational requirement of 150 hours currently set forth by the Louisiana State Board of Certified Public Accountants to take the CPA exam. Students are strongly encouraged to complete a double major or the Master of Business Administration program to satisfy the additional hours.