[irfan778]

Hello Friends,

I am going to share my profile and situation and need your guidance if I should spend effort to do my credits first and then CPA

I moved to USA in Texas in oil and gas and telecoms industry 2 years ago from international experience, I am 40 years old, working as controller in public company.

I have MBA in Finance from UK and have done my CMA from IMA USA

After coming to USA, I noticed that CPA is the gold standard in industry side as well,

Unfortunately CPA Board do not accept my IMA and MBA finance credits and bottom line is I need to do 36 credits (could take 1 1/2 to 2 years to do credits alone)

and then by the time I am 42 years, I start studying for CPA and complete CPA by 44 years.

Based on this and considering I already have MBA and CMA and around 20 years experience among which 10 plus years is in management if I still spend next 4 years doing CPA, will it be worth it at the end towards my long term carrier growth.

Thanks for advise

Regards,

[aaronmo]

Well…it depends on your network and ability. To me, MBAs are a dime a dozen…and it's sort of the lowest level of grad degree. A CPA actually had to pass a standard. I frankly don't think much of MBAs, or non-accountant business students, but I have a definite bias. Generally I see business “courses” as horse crap for people that can't pass a real class.

How can you have an MBA/CMA and need EVERY accounting credit? That doesn't add up for me.

At any rate…is it worth it? You have to determine that. Do you think your network/experience makes you permanently employable? If so, there's your answer. As you're aware…a CPA is generally taken more seriously than an MBA, unless it's an MBA doing the judging. I don't see how it's possible for an MBA to have NO accounting ed. background that would satisfy NASBA/state boards.

[mtaylo24]

^^^You don't need an Accounting degree for a CMA, just a bachelor's degree. A undergraduate business degree and MBA probably only gives you 9-12 accounting credits. @OP What exactly do you need a CPA for? Everyone has a CPA where I live, so the cert also seem dime a dozen. You seem to be doing fine without it.

AUD - 1st - 60 (12/12), 61 (2/13), 61 (8/13), 78! (11/15)
REG - 55 (2/16) 69 (5/16) Retake(8/16)
BEC - 71(5/16) Retake (9/16)
FAR - (8/16)

[Lentilcounter]

@mtaylo24

I'm just wondering but where do you live that CPAs are plentiful? Also, do you regret pursuing the cert? Your perservance has inspired many people on this forum.

BEC = 72 (6/08/16)
FAR = ?
REG = ?
AUD = ?

[chitown87]

I respectfully disagree with some of what Aaron said. My bachelor's degree was in economics and my masters in accountancy, and I found undergraduate economics and finance classes to be SIGNIFICANTLY more difficult than graduate level accounting courses.

I also think you're undervaluing MBA degrees by a bit, but that's not especially relevant.

To the original question, I do agree with Aaron that you'll have to answer that yourself. If you wanted to become a CFO, I imagine being a CPA would be helpful or even necessary.

[mtaylo24]

@Lentilcounter, I'm in Richmond VA and we have a lot of CPAs in this town. No regrets, It was a great achievement and experience, but I'm still working towards (maybe even waiting for) the big payoff. Everyone will have a different experience, so I can't knock the license. Best of luck with your last exam!

AUD - 1st - 60 (12/12), 61 (2/13), 61 (8/13), 78! (11/15)
REG - 55 (2/16) 69 (5/16) Retake(8/16)
BEC - 71(5/16) Retake (9/16)
FAR - (8/16)

[Lentilcounter]

Thanks!

BEC = 72 (6/08/16)
FAR = ?
REG = ?
AUD = ?

[Missy]

In a vacuum your education and experience would open doors for you without the CPA.

But we don't live in a vacuum so that point is irrelevant. The fact is if you find yourself looking to advance over the next 27 or so years you'll be working, MOST of the people vying for the same position will have their CPA and that will work in their favor. You absolutely don't NEED one to be a CFO as long as you're the only applicant to that position. But if your resume is in a pile of 8-10 candidates and 7 of them have a CPA license they'll be the ones interviewed because they'll have as much if not more experience than you and absent even a grad degree had to meet the educational requirements for licensing which is almost splitting hairs with a grad degree (fwiw I have a masters and a cpa and if I had to give one back it would be the masters).

Licensed Massachusetts Non Reporting CPA since 2012
Finance/Admin/HR Manager

[irfan778]

Thank you for the feedback,

To answer the question on accounting credits,
CMA I get 0 Credit.
My bachelors is not major in accounting, it was B.Sc In business computing so almost 0 credit.
MBA major finance but as you know MBA is mostly business courses, so I hardly get any credit

Bottom line I had my degrees evaluated by Texas board and was told that I must get numbers of credits, guess it is what it is

Therefore, spending next 3 – 4 years, doing Univ credits and eventually CPA, I do see it adding value on my resume and would give me edge over other CPA candidates in Corp world, if I have CMA and MBA and they don't

Also another benefit of CPA is obtain the license and years down starting my own CPA office if this option is more financial viable vs Corporate Industry world, I feel it just give me extra option if Job market start going south years down the road.

Regards,

[aaronmo]

Personally I wouldn't give an edge to an MBA/CPA over a CPA…the CPA is the standard. An MBA is something people do to get credits for the CPA. The CMA is also a certificate that doesn't have much value relative to a CPA. That you could have those certs without a single legitimate accounting class is part of why I feel the way I do about those certs/degrees. Your edge will be experience and networking…that counts a lot more than an MBA/CMA (or a CPA for that matter).

I think you also might be making an assumption that you're capable of getting a CPA and performing well in accounting classes. Take some accounting classes and see how you do before assuming you can just go and get one in your spare time. Intermediate cycle, cost, non-profit and audit are not easy classes and the CPA exams cover a whole lot of ground.

[Yahmon]

@irfan778. You seem to be doing well without having a CPA. I'm currently a controller at a publicly traded company and I don't have my CPA yet. To be honest depending on where you received your MBA and in what field (finance, economics etc) it might be more valuable than a CPA. The most value to a CPA is in public accounting because you need it to advance. A CPA license will not teach you how to run a company or make real business decisions. That's what experience and critical thinking comes in. However, I am pursuing my CPA because I would like to one day own my own practice and I realize a lot of people place a great value on the designation.

You have to decide what value the CPA would add to your career and make the decision based on that. Good luck!

FAR 8/20/15 - Passed 77
AUD 10/10/15 -
BEC TBD
REG TBD

[irfan778]

@yahmon currently I am doing well, CPA is more for future to build better job security and potential progress in corporate world

Another advantage I see is if one day I like to do my own practice, CPA will be helpful.

[Anonymous]

I haven't read everyone else's replies completely but I'd find out just how much a CPA would be paid for whatever job you were going after, or how much more your current job would pay you if you got the CPA. If they offered like 10,000$ more annually, I'd say skip it and be content with what you have because after tax, you wouldn't be pocketing much over the course of your career. If it was like 20-25, then I'd say do it absolutely. I'd almost bet anything that they would give you another 20-25K a year if you had it. Again, it all depends on what you want/need out of having the license. I remember long ago, on a message board I had for some accounting course or other, there were a good number of older students (I was in my 30s then but these people admitted that they were over 40) and they were back in school specifically to get their CPA-qualifying accounting course hours. One of them said that he simply wanted more letters behind his name than he currently had (maybe he had none then?! lol) Another said “I just want it to bolster my credentials.” I have said this before on other similar threads, and I shall say it again because I just like saying it so much…and here it is: If you are questioning as to whether or not to do the CPA, then just do it. This is what one of my old professors told me personally when I had this same discussion with her. I even asked her how she did and she said that she barely passed. She also had a PhD though so that helped her tremendously as far as jobs. What didn't maybe help her so much was that she was employed at Arthur Andersen around the time of Enron.

Best of lucks!

[irfan778]

Thank you for reply, from my perspective bottom line is I feel in my case it's worth spending next 3 to 4 years doing it,

Better job security and down the line option to open my own practice if I choose to.

[Josh]

@irfan778, I hope you get it done in 6 months or less. I'm also 40 with a MBA. Don't let life hold you back.

[noclady]

I'm 45, a controller and just finished all of my accounting credits last August (I'm also in TX) in order to sit for the CPA exam. My age nor my current position didn't play roles in my decision to pursue my CPA at this point in my life. Overall, I felt like having my CPA would give me more of an advantage as I continued in my career, than if I didn't have it…given my experience. I've read so many articles, forums, etc. and at the end of the day, having a CPA (even over an MBA) is worth it.

[Author]

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