Financial Accounting Research 

You are on the verge of entering the public accounting profession (or private, governmental, or not-for-profit sectors), a challenging, but rewarding field. While a pivotal skill set in your career will be the application of financial accounting research (thank goodness you are in this class!),  another critical component of your career success will be earning the CPA license within the first few years of being in the profession.  

In a 2-3 page essay (not including the reference page), please include the following and include in-text citations and a reference page, where necessary: 

1. Changes that are currently being discussed with regard to the CPA exam and what stage said changes are in currently. You should look up articles in The CPA Journal and Journal of Accountancy, as well as visit the NASBA website for information on this. 
2. A written plan of your path to CPA licensure, including, but not limited to, 150-hour  options, when and how you will take the CPA exam, and what firm (i.e., Mazars,  EisnerAmper, etc.) and area (i.e., audit, tax, advisory, etc.) you wish to work in for one year in order to complete the licensure process. 
3. In your 10-year career plan, are there any other certifications you would like to earn  (i.e., CFE, CIA, CMA, etc.)? If so, why? If not, why?  
4. If you plan on beginning your career in public accounting, in an ideal world, do you think you would like to stay in public accounting or branch out into other areas, such as accounting education, governmental/not-for-profit accounting, or private accounting? 
5. If you do not plan on pursuing your CPA license or beginning your career in public accounting, please describe why this is the case and what your plans are. If you have answered a through d already, this question does not apply to your submission. 
6. While not required, if you wish to submit a copy of your resume to me along with your extra credit assignment, I will be happy to review it and provide comments, changes,  etc.

Point Value: 5 additional points on your individual group paper grade and 5 additional points on your individual group presentation grade. 

Note: I reserve the right to not give you full credit for the extra credit assignment if you do not include in-text citations, a reference page, or if there are grammar and/or spelling mistakes within the submission.