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UC Berkeley announces new 'Charter of Professional Accountancy' summer program

UC Berkeley announced this week that a new accounting program, the "Berkeley Charter of Professional Accountancy," (BCPA) will be offering summer courses at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business over the next two summers, open to all members of the community.

The program allows students to earn 30 units in accounting-related coursework - a requirement for those taking the CPA Exam. The BCPA will thus allow undergrad students to meet these requirements before looking to graduate school.

BCPA will also make its classes available to all campus students regardless of major, according to Jose Plehn-Dujowich, the BCPA's program director and an accounting professor at Haas, per a statement. Non-Berkeley students can also participate in the program.

The program was developed over the past year by Plehn-Dujowich and other members of the UC Berkeley faculty. Faculty worked closely with recruiters at accounting firms in designing the program.

Plehn-Dujowich additionally noted that there is a high demand for accountants in the Bay Area and that BCPA will strongly prepare students for obtaining a career in the field.

“People who go for the program, I think, are going to be much more attractive for the recruiters,” stated Panos Patatoukas, an assistant professor of accounting and finance at Haas. “(They) will be more aware of financial accounting and taxes and stuff that recruiters are looking for.”

The cost for each summer session will be $10,995, or $19,995 for both summers. Depending on eligibility, students may have financial aid applied to their course fees. Merit-based scholarships are also available. The classes will take place during the evenings to accommodate students with internships or other daytime activities.

Applications for this summer's program will be reviewed by a committee on a rolling basis until April 1.

For more on UC Berkeley's accounting program, head to the University's site here.

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