James Castille, a graduate of the University of Southwestern Louisiana, has been working in the finance and business consulting sectors for more than two decades. As the CFO of Empire Group, Inc., he is responsible for overseeing the finances of six corporations and assisting the owner with strategic business planning. Beyond that, James Castille is the owner of Lafayette, Louisiana’s LUMA Capital, LLC, where he also serves as a certified public accountant (CPA).

The first step to becoming a CPA is meeting the educational requirements for your state. Typically, this includes having at least 24 college credit hours in accounting, auditing, and taxation, along with 30 credit hours of business-related courses. On top of that, you must usually possess a bachelor’s prior to sitting for the CPA exam. Many states require you to complete 120 credit hours toward an accounting degree.

Some states, like Louisiana, have a requirement of 150 credit hours to sit for the CPA examination. You must also have a bachelor’s from a college that is recognized by the State Board of CPAs of Louisiana and accredited by one of six regional accreditation organizations, such as the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

Once you meet educational requirements, you can register and apply for the Uniform CPA Exam. When applying, you must submit several documents to prove your eligibility, such as official college transcripts and course descriptions, and pay a $100 application fee. After you pass the exam, you must earn one year of qualifying experience prior to earning your CPA license. This experience must use accounting, financial advisory, consulting, tax, or management advisory skills.