Qualify to sit for the CPA exam with a certificate from Oregon’s largest accounting program.
Portland State University’s post-baccalaureate accounting certificate provides students to efficiently meet the educational requirements for a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license.
Offered by PSU’s nationally-ranked and accredited School of Business, the accounting certificate is open to anyone who holds a bachelor’s degree in a non-accounting discipline, and to international students with any bachelor’s degree. If you seek an Oregon CPA license, our accounting post-baccalaureate certificate equips you with the professional accounting expertise you need to:
- Sit for the CPA exam
- Migrate to an accounting career
- Acquire accounting skills to add value to your current job
PSU accounting students routinely find accounting positions with Big 4, regional, and local accounting firms, as well as corporations, nonprofits, and governmental agencies. Whether you’re a recent college graduate, military veteran, or mid-career professional, our post-baccalaureate accounting program provides a flexible, affordable path to a CPA license.
- Outstanding industry connections. Since PSU’s accounting program is so well connected in Portland and throughout the Pacific Northwest, you’ll interact regularly with accountants and employers both on and off-campus. Employers from all sectors actively recruit our accounting students for jobs and internships, and they’re often on campus for job fairs, classroom activities, and other events.
- Practical skills development. The post-baccalaureate accounting program emphasizes applied skills that have high value in the job market. You’ll work with industry-standard accounting software like Tableau and Quickbooks in the classroom and in real-world settings such as professional internships.
- Flexibility and affordability. Our accounting certificate classes are scheduled to accommodate the demands of working professionals. You can take upper-division courses on campus, online, or in a hybrid (online/on-campus) format.
- Outstanding faculty. Accounting courses are taught by high-quality instructors who combine advanced scholarship with direct experience in the accounting industry. They’ll share lessons you can’t find in any accounting textbook, along with professional contacts, career guidance, and mentorship.
- Excellent hiring record. PSU accounting graduates work throughout greater Portland for corporations, accounting firms nonprofits, and government agencies. Because of our high name recognition and strong reputation with employers, PSU’s post-baccalaureate accounting certificate helps you stand out in the job market.
Accounting Postbaccalaureate Certificate Highlights
- Nationally ranked business school
- Elite dual accreditation in accounting and business from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
- Flexible format with upper-division courses available on campus, online, or in hybrid (online/on-campus) format
- More than 800 business internships and jobs posted to PSU students each year
- Accounting Mentor Program offers career guidance from active accounting professionals
- Career development support hones your interviewing, resume writing, job search, and business etiquette skills
- High-touch academic advising
- Convenient application and admission procedures
- A strong foundation for Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam
- Highly active, award-winning chapter of Beta Alpha Psi (BAP), the student accounting honors society
The post-baccalaureate accounting program advances you toward eligibility to sit for the Certified Public Accounting exam and is viewed as equivalent to a bachelor's degree in accounting in the regional job market. Many graduates of our accounting certificate program become practicing CPAs in audit or tax. You can also use the degree to earn a promotion with your current employer, take on expanded job responsibilities, or explore new career pathways in:
- Consulting
- Corporate accounting
- Managerial accounting
- Governmental accounting
- Nonprofit accounting
For CPA licensing requirements in Oregon, visit the Oregon Board of Accountancy. For CPA licensing requirements in other states, visit the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy.
POSTBACCALAUREATE ACCOUNTING CERTIFICATE CURRICULUM
In order to begin this certificate, students must complete or have completed the following classes. Students can complete these courses at PSU or at a community college. If you have questions about these requirements, please connect with the business advising team.
- BA 211 – Fundamentals of Financial Accounting
- BA 213 – Decision Making with Accounting Information
- EC 201, 202 – Economics Micro / Economics Macro
- STAT 241 - Applied Statistics for Business
Download the Post Baccalaureate Accounting Sequence Sheet for additional details about prerequisites, requirements, credits, and suggested sequences.
ACCREDITATION & RANKINGS
Portland State University is fully accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU).
One of less than 200 business schools worldwide — top 1% — to be accredited in both business and accounting by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). AACSB is the elite business school accreditation known internationally.