Ashley Newton
CS 204: Professional Presence
Unit 7 Assignment
October 13, 2014
Group Culture

The Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA), is the second oldest and fifth-largest CPA organization in the United States. Affiliation with the PICPA represents commitment to the CPA profession. Being a member of the PICPA insures professional and personal support. The organization helps to refine your skills, expand knowledge, connect with like-minded individuals, and achieve bigger and better things at every stage of your professional life.
PICPA members gain access to the most up-to-date courses and technical resources, discounts on resources, opportunities to connect with thousands of other professionals, and more to advance their careers and enhance the quality of service to their companies and clients. With over 22,000 members, the PICPA is one of Pennsylvania’s premier professional organizations for CPAs. The PICPA experience has been described as empowering, invigorating, fun, and valuable.
Members of the PICPA include individuals in public accounting, industry, government, and education. They are partners, presidents, CEOs, executives, managers, and business professionals. The organizational structure of the PICPA is composed of a council, foundation of education and research, committees, chapters, and PICPA staff. Membership of the PICPA is composed of eleven geographical chapters across the state, each led by a chapter president and slate of officers.
Ethics is at the core of the CPA profession and is one of the reasons CPAs are regarded among the most trusted business professionals. As a required component of the CPA continuing professional education regime in Pennsylvania, but also because CPAs have a strict code of professional ethics and conduct. Issues regarding ethics are often routinely in the news. CPAs are often a part of these discussions.
Affiliation with the PICPA represents adherence to the Code of Professional Conduct. The PICPA follows the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Code of Professional Conduct. These consist of the principles and rules as well as interpretations and other guidance. A PICPA Professional Ethics Committee is responsible for investigating complaints against members and maintain the PICPA Code of Professional Conduct.
As part of the PICPA membership, they offer help and resources for future CPAs. Upon graduation, candidates must meet two requirements to sit for the CPA Exam: receive a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university and completed at least 24 semester credits in accounting subjects sanctioned by the State Board of Accountancy. A pre-evaluation will identify academic deficiencies in your education prior to submitting a first time application for the CPA Examination. For information on the exam content, the AICPA has a downloadable document available.
Candidates who have graduated with 150 credits are required to complete one year of work experience through employment in government, industry, academia, or public practice within five years of the date you apply for your license. All experience must be of a caliber satisfactory to the State Board of Accountancy and verified by an individual who is currently licensed to practice as a CPA in Pennsylvania.
As part of the PICPA website, a PICPA Career Center page was established. This link contains employment listings, business opportunities, and an internship directory. Members have exclusive access to certain sections and can post open positions at a special rate. Non-members may post ads without a discount. A career bank link is also available to search for accounting jobs outside of Pennsylvania.
The PICPA Foundation for Education and Research provides a broad spectrum of high-quality programs chosen to enhance professional competence and address timely topics. Onsite training opportunities are available to any member. They offer convenience and