III. The education requirements for a certificate shall be as follows:
(a) Until January 1, 2005, a baccalaureate degree or its equivalent conferred by a college or university acceptable to the board, with an accounting concentration or equivalent as determined by board rule to be appropriate.
(b) After January 1, 2005 and until June 30, 2014, at least 120 semester hours of college education including a baccalaureate or higher degree conferred by a college or university acceptable to the board, the total educational program to include an accounting concentration or equivalent as determined by board rule to be appropriate; provided however, that candidates for a certificate may sit for the examination described in paragraph IV if they have at least 120 semester hours of college education including a baccalaureate degree conferred by a college or university acceptable to the board, the total educational program to include an accounting concentration or equivalent as determined by board rule to be appropriate.
(c) On or after July 1, 2014, at least 150 semester hours of college education including a baccalaureate or higher degree conferred by a college or university acceptable to the board, the total educational program to include an accounting concentration or equivalent as determined by board rule to be appropriate; provided however, that candidates for a certificate may sit for the examination described in paragraph IV if they have at least 120 semester hours of college education including a baccalaureate degree conferred by a college or university acceptable to the board the total educational program to include an accounting concentration or equivalent as determined by board rule to be appropriate. The applicant's degree shall include 30 semester hours of accounting courses. The accounting credits shall include coverage in financial accounting auditing, taxation, and management accounting. In addition, the degree shall include, or be supplemented by, 24 semester hours of business courses other than accounting courses. These business courses may include, but not be limited to, coverage in the areas of business law, business information systems, finance, professional ethics, business organizations, and economics.
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