PURPOSE: This rule determines the eligibility requirements an applicant shall meet in order to qualify to sit for the certified public accountant examination as a Missouri candidate.

1. (1) The applicant must comply with section 326.280.1(1), (2) and (3), RSMo and either—

   1. (A) If he or she applied for the initial examination prior to June 30, 1999, hold a baccalaureate or higher degree conferred by an accredited college or university recognized by the board with a concentration or major in accounting or substantially the equivalent of a concentration in accounting as described in subsection (2)(A) or (B) of this rule; or
   2. (B) If he or she applied for the initial examination on or after June 30, 1999, have at least one hundred fifty (150) semester hours of college education including a baccalaureate or higher degree conferred by an accredited college or university recognized by the board with a concentration or major in accounting or substantially the equivalent of a concentration in accounting as described in subsection (2)(C) of this rule.

2. (2) The equivalent of a concentration in accounting shall be determined in the following manner:

   1. (A) For candidates who sat for the examination for the first time prior to May 1996, thirty-six (36) semester hours or fifty-four
3. (54) quarter hours of accounting and other related courses are required. At least eighteen

4. (18) semester hours or twenty-seven (27) quarter hours shall be accounting courses with at least one (1) course in auditing. The remaining eighteen (18) semester hours or twenty-seven (27) quarter hours shall be in accounting or other areas of business administration such as business law, tax, statistics, economics, finance, marketing, management, information technology and business communications. These courses shall be taken at an accredited college or university recognized by the board.

   1. (B) For candidates who sat for the examination for the first time during or after May 1996, and whose initial applications for the examination were postmarked prior to June 30, 1999, the requirements in subsection (2)(A) shall continue in effect except that principles of accounting (or introductory accounting) courses will not be credited toward the required number of hours of accounting courses, but may be credited toward the other related courses.
   2. (C) For candidates whose applications for the initial examination were postmarked on or after June 30, 1999, the concentration or major in accounting, or the equivalent of a concentration in accounting shall be sixty
5. (60) semester hours or ninety (90) quarter hours of accounting and other related courses. At least thirty-tree (33) semester hours or fifty (50) quarter hours shall be accounting courses with at least one (1) course in auditing and at least eighteen (18) semester hours or twenty-seven (27) quarter hours of accounting courses taken at the upper division level. For the purposes of this rule “upper division level” courses shall mean courses taken beyond the elementary level. The remaining twenty-seven (27) semester hours or forty (40) quarter hours shall be in accounting or other areas of business administration such as business law, statistics, economics, finance, marketing, management, information technology and business communications. These courses shall be taken at an accredited college or university recognized by the board.

6. (3) An applicant for the examination whose initial application to Missouri is postmarked on or after June 30, 1999, who meets the qualifications in section 326.280.1(1), (2) and (3), RSMo—

   1. (A) Who sat for the examination in another jurisdiction prior to June 30, 1999, or whose original application for the examination was postmarked to the other jurisdiction prior to June 30, 1999, if he or she meets the standard in subsections (1)(A) and (2)(A) or

7. (B) of this rule, then examination credit will be granted in accordance with the provisions of section 326.280, RSMo and rule 4 CSR 10-2.140 just as though the candidate had been approved and had sat in Missouri and he or she will be approved to sit as a Missouri candidate; or

   1. (B) Whose original application for the examination was postmarked to another jurisdiction on or after June 30, 1999 or, if the postmark date is not available, who first sat for the examination in the other jurisdiction after June 30, 1999, if he or she meets the standard in subsections (1)(B) and (2)(C) of this rule, then examination credit will be granted in accordance with the provisions of section 326.280, RSMo and rule 4 CSR 10- 2.140 just as though the candidate had been approved and had sat in Missouri and he or she will be approved to sit as a Missouri candidate.
8. (4) Once an applicant has qualified under sections (1) and (2) of this rule and been approved by the board as a Missouri candidate for the examination, and as long as he or she continues to meet the requirement of subsection 326.280.1(3), RSMo and has not committed an act or acts which would be cause to deny an application under section 326.310, RSMo, he or she will be considered qualified for subsequent examinations.
9. (5) An applicant who satisfies the requirements of section 326.280.1(1), (2) and (3), RSMo shall be eligible to take the examination if the applicant reasonably expects to satisfy the educational requirements of this rule within sixty (60) days after the examination. No license shall be issued or credit for the examination issued unless the educational requirements are, in fact, met within the sixty (60)-day period.
10. (6) Any university or college accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, New England Association of Schools and Colleges, North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools or Western Association of Schools and Colleges is recognized by the board and will satisfy the requirements of section 326.280.1, RSMo and this rule. The board may recognize as accredited, any university or college accepted by two (2) or more states for the purpose of allowing a candidate to sit for the certified public accountant examination.
11. (7) The provisions of this rule are declared severable. If any provision of this rule is held invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining provisions of this rule shall remain in full force and effect, unless otherwise determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid.

AUTHORITY: sections 326.262 and 326.280.1, RSMo Supp. 2005.* This rule originally filed as 4 CSR 10-2.041. Original rule filed Sept. 13, 1978, effective Jan. 13, 1979. Amended: Filed Aug. 6, 1981, effective Dec. 11, 1981. Amended: Filed Sept. 6, 1983, effective Jan. 13, 1984. Amended: Filed Dec. 15, 1983, effective April 12, 1984. Amended: Filed April 9, 1993, effective Oct. 10, 1993. Amended: Filed Oct. 13, 1993, effective May 9, 1994. Amended: Filed March 17, 1994, effective Sept. 30, 1994. Amended: Filed June 10, 1998, effective Dec. 30, 1998. Emergency amendment filed Nov. 15, 2001, effective Nov. 25, 2001, expired May 23, 2002. Amended: Filed Nov. 15, 2001, effective June 30, 2002. Amended: Filed April 5, 2004, effective July 30, 2004. Moved to 20 20 CSR 2010-2 CSR 2010-2.041, effective Aug. 28, 2006. Amended: Filed April 3, 2006, effective Nov. 30, 2006.

*Original authority: 326.262, RSMo 2001 and 326.280, RSMo 2001, amended 2002.