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Tag: master’s degree

REGISTER: Meet Current MPA Students and Alumni on November 16

November 10, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Hear from current Master in Professional Accounting students and alumni at our virtual panel on Wednesday, November 16 from 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. CT! MPA students and alumni will discuss why they chose to study accounting, as well as detail their experiences in the program, including their favorites classes, recruiting and networking opportunities, and life at Texas McCombs. Plus, you’ll have the chance to ask the panelists questions!

Register Now

Event Details:
Wednesday, November 16
5:00 – 6:00 p.m. CT
Virtual – Zoom

Meet the Panelists!

Yadira Avitia

Yadira Avitia  |  Current MPA
Undergrad: Psychology, University of North Texas

Yadira grew up in Fort Worth, Texas and received a bachelor’s in psychology from the University of North Texas. She decided to earn a graduate degree in accounting from Texas McCombs to master the language of business. She strives to service businesses within various industries who are working to make this world a better place.

 

Christine CockerellChristine Cockerell  |  MPA ’17
Senior Financial Analyst at Toyota North America

Christine earned her undergraduate degree in finance/accounting from American University and earned her MPA at UT Austin. She is interested in financial advisory services, particularly in the airline, automotive, and real estate sectors. She was born and raised in Texas and is a private pilot and avid golfer.

 

David O'NeilDavid O’Neil  |  MPA ’15
Senior Associate at Crescent Cove Capital

David earned both his bachelor’s and master’s in accounting from UT Austin. He focused his studies in financial accounting, as well as volunteered as a tax preparer through the Tax Practicum course. His passions include corporate finance, new technologies, and investing.

 

Eric WenEric (Junqi) Wen  |  Current MPA
Undergrad: Accounting, UT Austin

Eric grew up in China and went to high school in Sugar Land, Texas. He is a current student studying in the Master in Professional Accounting Program. Upon graduation, Eric will be working as a strategy analyst at Accenture in Chicago, Illinois.

 

Earning a Master’s Degree in a Fluctuating Economy

June 30, 2020 / / 2 Comments

The past few months have brought on a sense of uncertainty about the future. Going back to school and earning a master’s degree during these times could serve as a way to overcome obstacles and find stability in a turbulent economy. Read on and learn why earning a graduate degree within the next year or two may be the right choice for you.

FURTHER YOUR EDUCATION
Higher education is an excellent opportunity to grow your skills and explore new ones. Whether you get a master’s degree immediately after your undergrad or after working for a few years, the continued learning that an advanced degree provides you will be useful in the long run. This option can also be used as a means of switching career paths. If the field you currently work in or have an undergraduate degree in is no longer a passion of yours – or you have discovered an interest in a different area – pursuing a graduate degree can help you further explore new careers and gain the necessary skills and knowledge to pursue them.

DELAY ENTERING THE WORKFORCE
When the economy is unpredictable and job openings are few and far between, it can be extremely daunting to enter the workforce right after your undergraduate degree. It may also feel like the workforce is uncertain at a time when unemployment rates are rising. However, pursuing a graduate degree can allow you to not only gain more expertise in a given area, but it can also give the economy time to stabilize before you enter or re-enter the workforce. Pursuing a master’s degree is a great investment and productive use of your time as you plan ahead and wait out the current economic fluctuations.

HIGHER MEDIAN SALARY
There have been many studies done by researchers to analyze the differences in median salaries between individuals with bachelor’s degrees and those with graduate degrees, all other factors being relatively the same. One such study, conducted by Georgetown University, showed that college graduates earned around $17,000 more annually on average with a master’s degree than with a bachelor’s degree. This study went into further detail with breakdowns by major to show that, despite what these degrees were obtained in, having a master’s degree showed higher salaries than a bachelor’s in almost every single case.

The reasons mentioned above are compelling when deciding whether or not to pursue a graduate degree not only in general, but especially during an economic situation like the one we are facing now. With the plethora of benefits from earning a graduate degree, giving this option more weight in your decision process is significant to long term success and growth.

If you are interested in joining the Master in Professional Accounting program at Texas McCombs, the application for the MPA Class of 2022 will open on September 8, 2020.

Why Choose Accounting for Your Master’s Degree

May 7, 2020 / / 0 Comments

There’s a common misconception about accounting being for those who simply love to crunch numbers and sit behind a desk all day. In reality, accountants hold vast skillsets that help make financial decisions and affect the bottom line. Let’s take a closer look at why accounting is the language of business and how it might be the perfect fit for you.

Variety of job opportunities.
Accounting is the backbone of a company and opens doors in almost every industry. Keeping the books for a company, understanding its financial stance, and predicting future financial positions are all responsibilities that fall on the accountant. Without it, a company simply cannot successfully move forward. Here’s a list of just a few of the career paths that accountants can pursue:

  • Consulting and Advisory
  • Financial Services and Investment Banking
  • Government and Nonprofit
  • Private Industry
  • Public Accounting

As you can see, any industry that requires financial tracking needs an accountant, and their high demand offers many opportunities for growth.

Developing transferable skills.
An accounting degree offers the development of many versatile skills, including:

  • Budgeting
  • Communication
  • Detail-orientation
  • Leadership
  • Organization
  • Problem-solving
  • Quantitative Reasoning

These skills, along with many others, are gained while earning your master’s degree in accounting and continue to develop and sharpen as you move up in the workplace. The range of skills presented shows an accountant’s ability to apply them to different fields, industries, and parts of life.

Stability and growth.
Accounting, being in high demand for any business, provides a stable rate of employment despite fluctuations in the economy. This field also continues to grow through the years. Taking a look at data from The Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in the accounting field will continue to grow 10% from 2016 to 2026. This rate is higher than the national average for all occupations! Accounting is a field in which unemployment is not as high a concern given the nature of the job and is another reason why it is such an appealing career choice.

Right fit for you?
If you enjoy working with numbers and organizing data but also solving problems and communicating outcomes, accounting may be the perfect fit for you. To sum it up, accountants determine the financial stance of a company so that it can make forecasts about the future and understand the possibilities of each decision. They also record financial statements of the company and are aware of every transaction that takes place.

Watch this video created by the Texas McCombs Master in Professional Accounting program to learn more about accounting and if it’s the choice for you!

Accounting is more than just looking at numbers all day; it’s about building relationships with people and understanding how to improve on previous decisions for better future outcomes. If you think accounting is for you, learn more about the top-ranked accounting program at UT Austin and visit the MPA website.

The application deadline to start your graduate accounting degree this fall is June 1, 2020! Start your application today!

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