MPA Admissions Blog

Insider Information for Prospective Texas McCombs Students

Author: Keri Ledezma (page 14 of 15)

Financial Jobs in Texas

Texas is the place to be if you’re seeking employment in the financial sector. According to a recent FINS.com article, Texas added the greatest number of financial sector jobs over the past decade. Even better, The Business Journals reported that Texas is the national leader in private sector job growth.

Ready to relocate?

Accounting Job Market Strong

Although the unemployment rate remains high, public accounting firms and companies in industries such as financial services, health care and consumer goods have increased their hiring of accountants. Jim Franklin, director of the Texas MPA program, was recently quoted in Fortune magazine:

“Of the 330 accounting and finance majors graduating from the Masters of Professional Accountancy program at The University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business, 90 percent have already landed jobs.”

Our students have pleasantly discovered that the supply of accounting graduates is barely meeting the demand!

Texas MPA Alum Receives Sells Award

Isaiah Massey, MPA ’09

Isaiah Massey, MPA ’09, was recently named as an AICPA 2009 Elijah Watt Sells Award winner. Sells awards are designated on an annual basis. To qualify, candidates must achieve the highest cumulative scores on all four sections of the Uniform CPA Examination and pass each exam section on the first attempt.  In 2009, over 93,000 individuals sat for the Uniform CPA Examination, and only 15 award winners were selected. Congratulations, Isaiah!

Candidates from the University of Texas at Austin typically have CPA Exam pass rates much higher than the statewide and national averages, and several MPA alumni have been granted the Sells award in previous years.

Career Options

Chris Doll, MPA ’07

The 10-year job outlook for accounting-related careers is strong. Even in tough economic times, 90% of our MPA students secure employment by the time they graduate. The majority of our students opt for positions with public accounting firms upon graduation. However, our top-ranked program attracts employers from a variety of sectors, such as consulting, finance, industry, and public service.

Several McCombs Today articles highlight the interesting and varied career paths of our MPA alumni:

  • Chris Doll, MPA ’07, worked in corporate real estate development and started his own real estate investment firm before launching a not-for-profit organization called House the World, with a mission to provide innovative housing solutions for people who live in substandard conditions throughout the world.
  • Bonnie Chan, MPA ’94, is currently a director of finance at Sara Lee. Upon graduation, she worked for the City of Austin in performance auditing. She then moved to the Internal Audit Department for Gateway Computers and served as accounting manager for Dean Foods before joining Sara Lee.
  • Don Maranca, BBA, MPA ’93, initially started his career in public accounting with Arthur Andersen and then Maxwell, Locke & Ritter. He subsequently worked as a financial analyst at Dell, started his own event management company, joined Applied Materials, worked in business development, and served as director of operations for two smaller firms.
  • Thomas Garza, BBA, MPA ’09, decided to volunteer for Teach for America prior to attending Harvard law school.

Need more information on career options? I recommend visiting the Start Here, Go Places web site created by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

MPA Courses

As a prospective student, you most likely have questions about our MPA courses, such as:

  • How challenging are the courses?
  • Is IFRS covered?
  • How are the courses structured (team projects, case studies, etc.)?
  • Do professors grade on a curve?

A great way to get the “inside scoop” is through the student blog in which our current students share their experiences as they progress through the MPA program. Students describe the nature of MPA courses and provide words of advice in the following blog posts:

I would encourage all prospective students to read the blog regularly and send comments and questions to the bloggers. They would love to hear from you!

Texas Primed for Economic Recovery

A recent Newsweek article mentioned several cities in Texas, including Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio, as four of the top ten locations that are well positioned for economic recovery. Diversification, pro-business policies and low taxes were indicated as contributing factors to Texas’ economic strength. Austin, in particular, “boasted the strongest job growth in Newsweek’s Top 10, both last year and over the decade.”

Austin Featured in Time Magazine

Austin, TX is highlighted in the recent Time magazine cover story and in a Time.com video feature. The article “The Workforce: Where Will the New Jobs Come From?” illustrates why cities like Austin are showing early signs of job growth. Time.com also published the “10 Jobs for the Recession,” and, not surprisingly, accountant was listed at No. 2!

Austin: A Great Place to Live!

I know I may be biased, but many will agree with me that Austin is a fabulous place to live. It offers a moderate cost of living, a high quality of life, and a climate that allows you to enjoy outdoor activities year-round. Earlier this year, Austin was rated as one of the best cities for recession recovery, according to Forbes.com. Austin also topped Forbes’ list as the best big city for jobs, along with five other Texas cities, including Houston, San Antonio, Fort Worth and Dallas. Our city is included at the top of countless other rankings. Here are a few examples from the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce Web site:

  • Top city for your career (SalesHQ, 8/25/09)
  • Top 10 start-up city (Entrepreneur, 8/09)
  • #3 “Best City for High-Paying Jobs” (Forbes, 7/14/09)
  • Second most affordable city in “Best Cities for Families” (Forbes, 6/29/09)
  • One of “10 Best Places to Live” (U.S. News.com, 6/8/09)

If you haven’t been to Austin or you would like to learn more about the Texas MPA program, I would encourage you to visit when you have an opportunity. I suspect you won’t be disappointed!

Start Here, Go Places

“Start here, go places” sounds like a fabulous marketing campaign for the Texas MPA program, but it’s actually a very informative Web site that was created by the AICPA. I highly recommend visiting this site, particularly if you have a non-accounting background. It contains a wealth of information about accounting career options, including portfolios of real CPAs. One highlight is the “Build Your Future Me” interactive feature. After answering a series of questions, you will receive suggestions for jobs in the accounting profession that may be a good fit for you, as well as a plan for getting there.

Check it out and let me know what you think!

FAQ: Will the Texas MPA Program Prepare Me for the CPA Exam?

I’m glad you asked! We’re proud of the fact that accounting students from The University of Texas at Austin

As you progress through the Texas MPA program, you and your academic advisor can tailor your academic plan so that you are eligible to sit for the CPA Exam by the time you graduate. Please note that your educational background and the state in which you plan to sit for the exam will determine whether you will need to complete coursework beyond your MPA degree requirements to meet exam eligibility.

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