Accounting Minor

The Accounting minor at the Rady School of Management provides a high-quality education for students seeking a professional career in accounting. The minor meets the interests of those students who understand the related importance of accounting in other career tracks such as finance, investment, project management, operations, entrepreneurship and general management. The Rady School’s Accounting minor is designed to provide students with the understanding of accounting theory and practice. The program emphasizes International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) guidelines, the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) rules and the general international viewpoint, which are overtaking individual national standards such as the U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). For many students, this will be the first step in achieving a Certificate in Public Accounting (CPA).

Upon graduation, UC San Diego students with an Accounting minor will be prepared for positions with accounting functions in a plethora of commercial, non-profit and governmental organizations. Graduates pursuing careers not directly related to accounting will still encounter common accounting practices, and an Accounting minor will add valued knowledge to their initial employment.

CPA Requirements

The California CPA licensure requirements will change on January 1st, 2014. All current students planning to pursue their CPA license will need to meet the new requirements. Review the CPA Licensing Handbook published by the California Board of Accountancy for information for first–time applicants.

Pathway 1 for licensure listed in the Handbook will be eliminated, leaving only Pathway 2.

Pathway 2 Requirements for CPA Licensure

• Existing education requirements:
  • 36 Quarter Units – Accounting Subjects
  • 36 Quarter Units – Business-related Subjects
• Additional new education requirements:
  • 30 Quarter Units – Accounting Study
  • 15 Quarter Units – Ethics Study
  • Overall total of 225 quarter units of education
• 1 Year Work Experience
• Pass CPA Exam

Find specific information about subjects required under the new education requirements on the CPA Board's Tip Sheet. The new requirements (in green and red) do not need to be completed before you take the CPA Exam, but will need to be completed before you apply for your CPA License. While reviewing the tip sheet, note that semester and quarter units are weighed differently (semester units x 1.5 = quarter units).

A student who completes 9 Rady School accounting courses (the 7 courses required for the minor plus two accounting electives) will satisfy 36 units of the accounting education required for CPA licensure. Business classes offered at Rady and many classes offered by Economics, Communication, Computer Science and Engineering, and other departments at UC San Diego may also be used to meet the educational requirements.

Note that CPA applicants will also need to accrue an overall total of 150 semester units of education (225 quarter units). A 200 unit maximum until limitation applies to most UCSD students (speak with your college advisor for information about your limit). To meet the 225 unit requirement, additional course work can be completed by obtaining a Masters Degree in Accounting or by taking additional courses at a community college or at a continuing education program such as UCSD Extension.

Find more information about the educational requirements, a tip sheet, and FAQs on the California Board of Accountancy website.