The Illinois CPA requirements have changed in the last decade. After all, Illinois was a two-tier state until 2012, when it stopped issuing CPA certificates. Today, Illinois remains a popular option among Canadians and other international CPA candidates. Besides, Illinois does not require a Social Security Number and welcomes license applicants for the IQEX.
Illinois CPA Requirements
1. Education Requirements to Sit for the CPA Exam
Bachelor’s degree or above.
150 credit hours from an accredited university or educational institution.
Plus, you need to fulfill one of the following:
(a) Graduate Degree in Accounting from a school accredited by AACSB or ACBSP:
Automatically qualified.
(b) Master’s Degree in Business from a school accredited by AACSB or ACBSP:
Accounting courses: 30 credit hours at the undergrad or graduate level, including at least one class each in:
Financial Accounting
Auditing
Taxation
Management Accounting
Or, 2 credit hours of accounting research
(c) Bachelor’s Degree in Business
Accounting courses: 30 credit hours at the undergrad or graduate level, including at least one class each in:
Financial Accounting
Auditing
Taxation
Management Accounting
Or, 2 credit hours of accounting research
Business courses: 24 credit hours (undergrad or grad level)
(d) Bachelor’s Degree (general)
Same as (c)
Note:
Business courses accepted by the Board include Economics, Business Law, Marketing, Finance, Business and Technical Communication, Business Ethics, International Business, Legal and Social Environment of Business, Management, Business/Management Information Systems, Quantitative Methods, and Statistics
Note to international candidates:
The Illinois State Board only accepts NIES (NASBA International Evaluation Services) as the foreign credential evaluation provider. The NIES process is clearly stated on the board’s website.
On whether Illinois State Board accepts other professional qualifications (e.g., Indian CA and CIMA), there is no blanket answer. But, the rule of thumb is that the qualification must have an academic component. The state board may accept part of the related courses. Candidates are encouraged to send in all of the transcripts and degrees that are related to the qualifications.
2. Additional Illinois CPA Requirements to obtain the License
Education
Same as the exam requirements.
Work Experience
1 year of experience in government, industry, academia, or public practice
Experience is not required to be under the supervision of a licensed CPA. You can check out Admin Code 1420.10 for the exact wording, and the Illinois CPA Society‘s explanation of initial licensing.
Experience must have been gained after completion of the education required to take the Uniform CPA Examination
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