Virginia just became the second state to create an alternative CPA pathway.
Starting in January 2026, accountants will have two options:
A Bachelor's degree plus 2 years of experience
A Master's degree plus 1 year of experience.
Either way, you'll need to have an accounting concentration or equivalent, as defined by the Virginia Board of Accountancy.
If you already completed 150 semester hours of education, don't worry. You can swap your extra 30 semester hours for one year of experience.
Virginia also set up automatic mobility.
CPAs from other states who have passed the CPA exam will be granted " practice privileges” automatically without needing a Virginia license or paying extra fees, as long as their principal place of business is outside Virginia.
My only concern is the continued requirement for an accounting concentration.
There are lots of smart people who don't major in accounting but would love to become CPAs.
Making them return to school to sit in class learning something they already know wastes time.
I'd love to see states drop the requirement for an accounting concentration or at least reduce the number of required courses.
If you can learn accounting well enough to pass the CPA exam, you should be able to become a CPA, even if your degree is in a different major.
