Certified Public Accountant Exam

Dr. Sawers and two Accounting students

Accounting students at Seattle Pacific University can meet the requirements to take the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam and enhance their educational experience.

Students Taking CPA Exam

Students who plan to take the CPA exam must have completed 225 college credits. Students may meet this requirement by earning a second bachelor's degree or by taking any additional 45 undergraduate credits.

However, CPA bound students are encouraged to apply for admission to a graduate program in the School of Business, Government, and Economics – either the Master of Business Administration (MBA) or the Master of Science in Information Systems (MS-ISM). If you are interested in these programs, plan to do the following:

  • Participate in a cooperative education program with an accounting firm for at least one year.
  • Take the GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) exam for the MBA or the GRE (Graduate Record Examination) for the MS-IS in Autumn Quarter of your senior year.
  • Apply for admission to the graduate program in the Winter Quarter of your senior year.
  • Begin taking three graduate courses per quarter starting in the summer following the completion of your senior year.

Note: If you plan to obtain the professional designation for Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Management Accountant (CMA), or Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), you should contact an Accounting faculty member for advising.

Faculty Contact

Kim Sawers

Professor of Accounting, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies
PhD, University of Washington

Email: ksawers@spu.edu
Phone: 206-281-2221
Office: McKenna Hall 228

“Knowing and seeing people who allow their faith to shape their career path is a huge encouragement. It shows me that my faith should shape my accounting career. Both Dr. Stewart and Dr. Kauppila’s classes have made me think about the current economy and accounting standards from a biblical perspective.”
Michelle Teng
Accounting Major