The federal government plays no role in establishing minimum criteria for the profession, and instead defers to states. Qualification to practice accounting in each state is controlled by that state’s board of accountancy (see below).

Generally speaking, modern references to the term “accountant” imply a profession dictated by the fulfillment of minimum education requirements and experience. Certainly this is true for the CPA subcategory. Most colleges offer bachelors’ degrees in accounting, which is almost universally a minimum requirement for employment in the field. While experience was often substituted for education in earlier job vacancies, the technical nature of liability exposure for accounting errors now dictates a more comprehensive minimum educational requirement that ensures uniformity in the learning of various accounting practices and procedures.