The CPA profession itself has evolved dramatically over the years, and so have the CPA requirements.
Today, CPE online courses are more than just traditional accountants. Many of them hold all kinds of operational leadership positions, while many others remain part of the company's Level C package. Many of them sit on boards of directors and audit committees.
Before you get too involved with this material, let me explain right away that you need a CPA license if you want to do public accounting, especially if you want to partner with an accounting firm.
You need a CPA license to do exam work and provide certification services, two of the most important and largest offerings for accounting firm services. However, you don't have to worry about CPA requirements if you plan to work for a public or private organization.
Some other lucrative careers where a CPA license is invaluable are Management Accounting, Government Accounting, Tax Accounting, Internal Auditing, Mergers & Acquisitions, and Consulting.
Global CPA requirements are increasing
With the evolving global business landscape, statistics show a lack of CPAs, but at the same time, many students are pursuing CPA careers because of the long-term opportunities it offers. By 2020, the number of CPAs is expected to be just under 2 million.
CPAs obtain their licenses from the respective state audit offices. Because of this, CPA licensing requirements may vary from country to country. However, there are many similarities between countries as each country must comply with uniform accounting laws.