Just Imagination Blog

There are many excellent reasons why becoming a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is worthwhile.

For starters, the prestige. CPAs are highly regarded in the field of accounting. Having a CPA license proves you are a professional committed to being a skilled accountant. It shows you went through the rigors of educational and professional experiences and passed a difficult exam to become the highest-level accountant.

What CPAs Do

CPAs are recognized as ethical advisors who serve the public interest.

A CPA may have expertise in one or more of the several financial and accounting areas including financial planning, auditing, taxation, forensic accounting, and company management.

The journey to becoming a CPA requires advanced accounting and business knowledge and abilities. A CPA’s skills should be relevant to the changes and complexities of the economy. As the accounting field evolves, the CPA profession must also adapt quickly to technological developments in areas such as data analytics, robotics, and artificial intelligence.

Thus, CPAs now may offer guidance on many topics including information technology, financial planning, and business deals. This means they should have the interpersonal skills and sound professional judgment to communicate with different individuals and teams. 

Critical Skills for a CPA

There are critical skills that CPAs and accountants need to succeed and thrive today. These skills include:

• Leadership—CPAs often need to make decisions that require the confidence to convey messages, manage projects, motivate colleagues, and contribute to improving their company’s methods and operations.
• Critical thinking—The ability to gather various information and find solutions to complex financial problems, as well as adjust strategies for business changes.
• Communication—Accounting professionals work with stakeholders from various parts of the organization and should be able to explain complex financial concepts in ways people understand.
• Tech savvy—As accounting becomes more technology-driven, CPAs need to stay up to date on their knowledge of emerging technologies.

Ohio CPA Requirements

Certain educational, testing, and experience requirements must be met to become a CPA in Ohio:

• Be an Ohio resident. CPA candidates must meet the residency requirement if applying for certification by examination or transfer of grades. They must fulfill the residency requirement by passing a section of the exam as an Ohio resident, or be a resident at the time of application for the CPA certificate.
• Must successfully complete the CPA exam or possess a CPA certificate issued by another state.
• A candidate must have completed a Board-approved course in professional standards and responsibilities (PSR) within the last year. This course should emphasize Ohio accountancy law and Board rules.
• Experience performing accounting services. Four years of accounting experience is required for CPA certification for candidates approved under the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT).
• Approved criminal records checks.
• Completed and approved application.

Furthermore, there are the academic requirements for admission to the CPA exam in Ohio. A prospective CPA may hold a bachelor’s degree in accounting, having completed at least 120 semester hours from an accredited educational institution; completed 24 semester hours in accounting courses, with one course each in financial accounting, management accounting, taxation, and auditing. Additionally, they must have 24 semester hours in business-related courses including finance, management, economics, and marketing.

Become a CPA in Ohio

A license as a Certified Public Accountant offers access to more opportunities. You can fulfill educational requirements to become a CPA at John Carroll University. Graduates of the Bachelor of Science degree in Accountancy program in our Boler College of Business become CPAs serving within public accounting firms, public and private corporations, and government bodies and municipalities. During the past decade, Boler Accountancy graduates have been among the nation’s top performers on CPA exam pass rates. We are also proud of the nearly 100% job placement for all Accountancy graduates.

JCU is a private Jesuit university located in University Heights, Ohio, near Cleveland.