How to Become a CPA in Mississippi | Certification Requirements

When you are rolling in dough, you might be able to afford to miss a couple of decimal places from time to time when itemizing taxes. If you are planning a retirement, saving for education, or figuring out how to open a small business on razor thin margins, there’s no room for error. That makes diligent accounting even more important here in Mississippi, a state that regularly comes near the bottom of the list when it comes to wealth.

So CPAs in the Magnolia State find themselves in high demand. It’s a market that is dominated by small and mid-sized firms, like William F. Horne and Company in Laurel, or Watkins, Ward and Stafford in West Point. A handful of regional firms, like Watkins Uiberall, with an office in Tupelo, or T.E. Lott & Company, with one in Columbus, are also options. So is picking out a small town locale somewhere on the banks of the Mississippi and hanging out your own shingle.

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1. Get Your Education

a. Get in touch with Mississippi colleges and universities to request information on their accounting programs. The Mississippi State Board of Public Accountancy requires all certified public accountants in the state to have completed 150 semester hours of college credit and to have earned a bachelor’s or higher degree.

With the standard bachelor’s degree in accounting consisting of just 120 semester hours, going on to earn a post-baccalaureate certificate or master’s in accounting represents the most tried and tested way to get those 30 additional credits. Many of these programs are available entirely online. You can also find specialized five-year CPA track programs that offer a blended bachelor’s and master’s curriculum to give you the 150 semester hours you need to meet CPA requirements in Mississippi.

b. Mississippi has a residency requirement for its CPAs. This means that you must be a resident of or have a place of business in Mississippi in order to be eligible to take the Uniform CPA Exam and become a Mississippi licensed CPA.

c. If you are still a college student or a recent graduate, ensure that you take/took classes that will be recognized by the Mississippi State Board of Public Accountancy.

The Board requires that your college or university be accredited by one of these regional accrediting bodies:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
Higher Learning Commission
New England Association of Schools and Colleges–Commission on Institutions of Higher Education
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
Western Association of Schools and Colleges–Commission for Senior Colleges)
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools–Commission on Colleges
If you attended school outside of the United States, your academic credentials must be evaluated by any foreign credential evaluation service that provides a comprehensive course-by-course evaluation.

d. Meet Mississippi’s CPA degree and curriculum requirements. The Board requires that you have a bachelor’s degree at minimum and 150 semester hours of college credit, including:

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2. Take The Uniform CPA Exam

Once you have completed 150 semester hours of college credit and earned at least a bachelor’s degree, you may apply to take the Uniform CPA Exam.

a. Fill out the Mississippi State Board of Public Accountancy’s Application for CPA Examination. Check the parts of the test you are applying to take on the application, and which Prometric Testing Center (Jackson or Tupelo) you are requesting.

b. Include the following materials in your application packet:

- A 2” x 2” passport-sized photo
- A copy of your current driver’s license
- Proof of residency. This may include:
  - Copy of voter registration information/card
  - Copy of vehicle registration/tags
  - Copy of Mississippi State Resident Income Tax Return
  - Copy of qualification for Homestead Exemption in Mississippi and/or copy of payment of real estate taxes to Mississippi
  - Transcript showing graduation from a Mississippi university or college

c. Request that your college or university send an official copy of your transcript directly to the Board office, at the Mississippi State Board of Public Accountancy, 5 Old River Place, Suite 104, Jackson, MS 39202-3449.

d. Submit all necessary application fees and fees for each test section for which you are applying. Send fees, application and documentation to the address above. All fees are itemized on the application.

e. Wait to receive a Notice to Schedule (NTS) the Uniform CPA Exam. NTS will be sent from the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) by mail, fax or email (depending upon the method you selected when you submitted your application).

f. Visit Prometric’s website to schedule your test or by phoning the Candidate Services Call Center at 800-580-9648.

g. Report to your selected Prometric testing center one hour before the start of testing on exam day.

h. Wait to receive your exam scores by mail once they have been tabulated.

If you need to coordinate disability accommodations for testing or require more information, call the Mississippi Board of Public Accountancy at 601-354-7320.
For detailed information on the Uniform CPA Exam, click here.

3. Gain The Necessary Experience

Every CPA candidate in Mississippi must fulfill at least one year of full-time, supervised accounting experience before a license will be issued.

Visit your college or university’s career center to find suitable employment opportunities that qualify for the experiential portion required for CPA licensure in Mississippi

This experience may be paid or volunteer work
This experience must have occurred within five years of licensure application
This experience must consist of one year of full-time work, or the equivalent of part-time work
This experience must be supervised by a licensed CPA
This experience must involve the use of accounting and auditing skills, including but not limited to:
- Issuing reports on financial statements
- Management advisory services
- Financial advisory services
- Consulting services
- Preparing tax returns
- Furnishing tax advice
A CPA candidate must complete a Request for Employment Verification for all employers claimed under the experience requirement, and submit it with your licensure application. This will allow the Board to send the request(s) to your supervising CPA(s), who will then furnish necessary employment information to the Board.

4. Get Your Mississippi CPA License

You are now ready to apply for a CPA license under the Mississippi State Board of Public Accountancy regulations. Check that you have completed each of the following steps along your path to becoming a Mississippi CPA:

a. Checklist

Complete 150 semester hours of college education and earn a bachelor’s degree inclusive of 48 hours of upper division business and accounting courses.
Have your college or university send an official transcript to the Board
Pass the Uniform CPA Exam.
Fulfill the Board’s experience requirement of one year of accounting experience, supervised by a licensed CPA.

b. Prepare the application for your Mississippi CPA License. Complete the Application for CPA License. Along with your application you must:

Attach a 2” x 2” photograph of yourself
Include all necessary fees (itemized on the application)
Have the application notarized
Submit proof of residency
List all prior employment in accounting
Fill out a Request for Employment Verification for each of your supervisors
If you did not pass the Uniform CPA Exam in Mississippi, have your college send an official transcript to the Board and complete the Authorization for Interstate Exchange of Examination and Licensure Information form. Send this form to the Board of the state where you passed the Uniform CPA Exam.

c. Mail the completed application packet to: Mississippi State Board of Public Accountancy, 5 Old River Place, Suite 104, Jackson, MS 39202-3449.

Interstate Reciprocal License

If you hold a CPA certificate or license from another state that is substantially equivalent to Mississippi and want to practice as a CPA in Mississippi, you may apply for a Reciprocal CPA License.

As of this time, all states and territories except the Virgin Islands are substantially equivalent to Mississippi’s regulations under the Uniform Accountancy Act
You must complete an Application for Reciprocal CPA License.
You must first send the completed application to the Board of the state in which you hold a CPA license. After they have filled out their sections, they will return the application to you to complete, have notarized and submit to the Mississippi Board.
Fill out a Request for Employment Verification for each of your previous supervisors within the last 10 years and submit these with your application
Fill out a Schedule of Continuing Professional Education form to list your CPE of at least 40 hours within the past 12 months. The latest form will be posted on the website of the Mississippi State Board of Public Accountancy when available.
Complete an Authorization for Interstate Exchange of Examination and Licensure Information. Send this form to the Board of the state where you passed the Uniform CPA Exam and/or hold a CPA license.
Include all necessary fees and send application and documents to: Mississippi State Board of Public Accountancy, 5 Old River Place, Suite 104, Jackson, MS 39202-3449.

International Reciprocal License

The Mississippi State Board of Public Accountancy will recognize accounting credentials from the following jurisdictions as being substantially equivalent to the CPA requirements of the state. These individuals must pass the International Qualification Examination (IQEX):

Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia (ICAA)
CPA Australia (CPAA)
Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA)
Instituto Mexicano De Contadores Publicos (IMCP)
Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland (ICAI)
Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (HKICPA)
New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants (NZICA)

If you are from one of the above jurisdictions:

Ask your jurisdiction’s credentialing agency to send a Letter of Good Standing to NASBA
Apply here to take the IQEX. Mail your application, fees and any supporting documentation to: NASBA, Attn: IQEX Coordinator, P.O. Box 440555, Nashville, TN 37244
NASBA will send you a Notice to Schedule (NTS) the IQEX by mail or email, at which time you may schedule your test through Prometric.
Test results will be mailed to you as they are available.

While passing the IQEX satisfies Mississippi’s examination requirement, CPA candidates must still must fulfill the state’s education and experience requirements. Contact the Board at 601-354-7320 for more information.

If you hold a CPA license from an international jurisdiction not listed above, you must follow the regular Mississippi licensing procedure, starting with taking the Uniform CPA Exam.

5. Stay Current Through Continuing Professional Education in Mississippi

The Mississippi State Board of Public Accountancy requires all licensed CPAS to satisfy continuing professional education (CPE) requirements in order to maintain licensure.

a. Complete 40 hours of CPE every 12 months

During your first 12 months of licensure, you are exempt from this requirement
20 CPE hours may be carried over from one 12 month period to the next
20% of your CPE hours must be in accounting and auditing topics
Four CPE hours must be in Ethics, Professional Conduct and Public Accountancy Laws and Regulations as follows (a link to current board approved ethics courses is listed at the bottom of this page):
- Ethics – general course – 3 CPE hours
- Ethics – Mississippi Law, Rules and Regulations – 1 CPE hour

b. Report your CPE hours each year on the Continuing Professional Education Reporting Form, even if the total CPE hours for that year are zero.

c. Enroll in approved CPE formats, including:

Formal correspondence or self-study programs (must be approved by the Quality Assurance Services (QAS) program of the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA).
Publishing articles and books that contribute to a CPA’s professional competence
University/college credit courses (one semester hour of credit equals 15 CPE hours)
University/college non-credit courses (one semester hour of credit equals one CPE hour)
Formal and organized in-house education programs
Serving as a discussion leader, lecturer or instructor
Continuing legal education (only if a CPA is also a licensed attorney and practices as such)

Find acceptable CPE programs in Mississippi through:

Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants
American Institute of CPAs
NASBA’s National Registry of CPE Sponsors
Mississippi colleges and universities

Avoid these disallowed CPE formats:

Independent study such as quizzes or programs that only require reading of materials
Personal development programs

d. Maintain records of your CPE hours for at least five years, including:

Organization that sponsored CPE course
Location of CPE course
Title, description and/or course outline
Instructor of course with qualifications
Dates of attendance
Contact hours by category
Number of CPE hours claimed

Now that you’re a CPA in Mississippi

Well done! Your years of education and hard work have paid off, and you are now a licensed CPA in Mississippi! Think about becoming a part of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA). This national professional organization offers its members continuing education, networking and development opportunities. At the state level these opportunities are available through the Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Do you have a special interest within the accounting field? Think about specializing! Specializations that exist within the field of accounting in Mississippi include finance, auditing, information systems, management and forensics.