Spring 2022 registration will begin on October 25. As that date approaches, we will send our usual series of registration instructions with lists of graduate accounting and business electives available to MPAs. Among the many options for graduate business electives is MAN 385 – Texas Venture Labs Practicum. We’re making this announcement now because there is an application process if you want to take this particular class. The application deadline is October 17.  See the Texas Venture Labs’ message below for more information including info session dates this week and next.

Important notes about the application:  Applicants must mark their “Degree Type,” which should be “Masters” even if you are still technically an undergrad iMPA.  Your “Degree Program” should be “Master in Professional Accounting.”  Your “Expected Graduation Year” refers to your final MPA graduation date.  Lastly, applicants are typically expected to have had internships or work experience that can inform their contributions to the project.  If you have not had much experience, but would still like to apply, be ready to highlight what you believe you can contribute despite a lack of formal work experience.

If you have questions about how this MAN 385 graduate business elective fits into the remainder of your program, feel free to reply to this email or reach out to your academic advisor.

Jon Brumley Texas Venture Labs (TVL) is now accepting applications for our Spring 2022 TVL Practicum class. If you would like to learn more about this unique course and our other programs, please attend one of our upcoming info sessions.

Virtual info sessions: bit.ly/TVLinfo22s-v

In-person info sessions: bit.ly/TVLinfo22s-ip

The TVL Practicum is a cross-campus elective course that teaches graduate students how to work and consult with startups. Multi-disciplinary teams of grad students work through a project-driven curriculum that immerses them in research, teaches about business strategy and terminology, and provides a framework for strategically thinking through business problems to directly deliver positive outcomes for Texas-based startups. These startup companies from our TVL Accelerator engage with the students as “consulting clients”, so this is real-world, hands-on experience for course credit!

Here is what TVL Practicum alumni have to say about their experience:

  • “Through TVL, I built the skills and gained the business acumen that allowed me to be successful in consulting interviews.” Jaime Hibbard – Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Biology 2021, Incoming LSS at L.E.K.
  • “I really enjoyed working with a team of students who had expertise in areas that I didn’t have…this further highlighted how diversity is so important. The experience was very similar to the consulting work I’m doing now and I think it prepared me well.” Tammy Chun – MBA 2020, Consultant at Boston Consulting Group
  • “The learnings in this class directly fed into all the non-technical aspects of working in a corporate setting and has definitely given me a boost as I navigate my career going forward…a great addition to the skillset I already had.”  Aditya Jain – MS in Computational and Applied Mathematics 2020, Data Scientist at SparkCognition
  • “TVL Practicum gives you behind the scenes access to real startup challenges.”  Aimy Steadman – MBA 2013, Founder & COO at Future/Proof

Fun fact: Many of our students come from UT’s non-business colleges and do extremely well…in fact, our brilliant Master’s and PhD students learn a great deal from each other as they work through their projects together!  We consistently receive positive feedback on our cross-functional approach and because we are cross-listed in many departments, the TVL Practicum is fantastic opportunity for grad students to network beyond their existing ecosystem.

Graduate students should attend one of our upcoming info sessions to learn how participating in this elective can help them expand their knowledge base, their networks, and become strong leaders in their future careers.