Becoming a Certified Public Accountant is a state licensing process, not a UL Lafayette credential — but our accounting programs are built around it every step of the way.
Here's how a UL Lafayette accounting education prepares you for CPA licensure in Louisiana, and where to go for the parts only the Louisiana State Board of CPAs can tell you.
How Your Coursework Gets You There
UL Lafayette's accounting programs cover the accounting and business coursework Louisiana requires, built around the state's two-tier hour requirement:
- The BSBA in Accounting gives you 120 credit hours.
- The Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Accounting is built for those with a bachelor's degree in another field, satisfying the specific accounting coursework Louisiana requires.
- The online Master of Science in Accounting closes the remaining 30 hours to reach the 150 total semester hours required for CPA licensure in Louisiana, while building advanced skills for public accounting, industry, government, or consulting careers.
See the full curriculum for each program on Curriculum & Catalogs.
Gaining Your Work Experience
Licensure also requires supervised work experience — one year full-time (or 2,000 hours part-time) verified by a licensed CPA, within the four years before you apply. Many accounting majors get a head start through internships and career opportunities arranged through the department and the Moody Business Internship Program.
Applying for Your License
The exam, residency, experience-verification, and licensing process itself is administered entirely by the Louisiana State Board of CPAs, not the University. Visit the Board's own site for exam eligibility, residency requirements, application steps, and continuing education requirements once you're licensed: