Master in Professional Accounting Admissions News

Insider Information for Prospective Texas McCombs MPA Students

Category: Application Tips (page 2 of 2)

It's time to apply to the MPA program

Apply Now to Join the Master in Professional Accounting Program in 2026!

September 4, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Are you ready to take the next step in your educational and career journey? The McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin is excited to announce that the Fall 2026 Master in Professional Accounting application is now open! Whether you will have a bachelor’s degree and are interested in pursuing the one-year traditional MPA (tMPA) program, or you are a current UT undergraduate (non-accounting major) and would like to get an early start via MPA Bridge, Texas McCombs offers a top-quality learning experience that will provide you with a solid background in the language of business and prepare you for a variety of careers.   

APPLICATION CHECKLIST

Our admissions committee takes a holistic approach to evaluating MPA applications, taking all of your application materials into account. Your essays, previous academic performance, letters of recommendation, and non-academic achievements all play an important role in your acceptance into the MPA program. Find tips on enhancing your application in this admissions blog!

  1. Online admissions application
  2. Application Fee (traditional MPA applicants)
  3. Academic Transcripts: Traditional MPA applicants: provide copies of official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. MPA Bridge applicants: provide copy of UT academic summary.
  4. Resume: Highlight your accomplishments and skills, such as honors, awards, language or computer skills, extracurriculars, volunteer and leadership experiences, internships, full-time work experience (if applicable), and other experiences outside of the classroom that developed your professional skills.
  5. Two Recommendations: Preferably from faculty if you are currently in school, or if you already graduated with your bachelor’s degree, individuals who can speak to your professional capabilities and leadership potential. 
  6. Two Written Essays and One Video Essay: These essays provide additional insights into your strengths, skillsets, and goals. 
  7. English Proficiency Test (international applicants): Traditional MPA: All international applicants must submit either a TOEFL or IELTS official score report for the MPA application unless exempt (view exemptions for qualifying countries). MPA Bridge: MPA Admissions will review the official TOEFL or IELTS scores on your UT record; you are exempt if you were allowed to waive the test requirement for admission to UT Austin. 
  8. Optional Test Scores (traditional MPA applicants): GMAT and GRE test scores are optional for the Texas McCombs MPA admissions application. Applicants will not be disadvantaged in the admissions process if they do not submit test scores, and applicants who feel that their test scores reflect their potential for success in graduate school may submit scores for consideration. See this blog post for tips on whether you should consider submitting test scores.

 APPLICATION DEADLINES

MPA Bridge (all applicants) and traditional MPA (U.S. applicants) admissions decisions are made on a continuous, rolling basis throughout the admissions cycle. Traditional MPA (international applicants) decisions are released in two rounds: after the early and final deadlines. Online applications must be submitted no later than 11:59 PM Central Time on the final deadline date, and all application steps must be completed by the final completion date. 

TRADITIONAL MPA DEADLINES

Early – U.S. and international applicants

Deadline to submit online application: November 1, 2025

Deadline to complete application: November 8, 2025

Final – International applicants

Deadline to submit online application: January 13, 2026 

Deadline to complete applicati0n: January 20, 2026

Final – U.S. summer starts*:

Deadline to submit online application: March 15, 2026

Deadline to complete application: March 22, 2026

Final – U.S. applicants:

Deadline to submit online application: May 5, 2026

Deadline to complete application: May 12, 2026

*Students who are unable to waive ACC 381 ideally should start in the summer (see tMPA core course waivers), and U.S. applicants are highly encouraged to apply by the summer start final deadline. We cannot guarantee a summer start date for applications received after this deadline. Depending on your academic background, starting in the fall may result in a delayed graduation date.

 

MPA BRIDGE DEADLINE

Final – All applicants:

Deadline to submit online application & all recommendation letters received: May 5, 2026

 

READY TO BEGIN?

Start by attending an upcoming information session to explore our program and admissions process in depth. Then thoroughly review the following resources before applying:

TRADITIONAL MPA 

Traditional MPA website

Traditional MPA admissions packet

MPA BRIDGE 

MPA Bridge admissions website 

MPA Bridge admissions packet

QUESTIONS?

Connect with our admissions team. We’re here to support you every step of the way!

Prepare to Apply

Prepare to Apply to the Texas McCombs MPA Program!

July 30, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Interested in earning a master’s degree in accounting? Look no further than the top-ranked Master in Professional Accounting (MPA) program at The University of Texas at Austin! The fall 2026 traditional MPA application and the summer 2026 MPA Bridge application open on August 27, 2025. It’s never too early to start preparing to apply. Here are suggestions to get you started.

  • Attend an information session for an overview of the MPA program and application process.
  • Review our traditional MPA or MPA Bridge admissions website thoroughly. Deadlines and updated instructions will be published before the application opens.
  • Enroll in courses this summer or fall if you have not completed our pre-enrollment requirements (traditional MPA or MPA Bridge).
  • Traditional MPA applicants: Determine whether you will submit GMAT or GRE scores (optional). If so, take the test early and have your official scores sent to UT Austin.
  • Traditional MPA international applicants: Unless you are exempt from the requirement, take the TOEFL or IELTS early so that we receive your official test scores by the application deadline.
  • Start preparing your written and video essays and touch up your resume (traditional MPA or MPA Bridge). They are important factors in our holistic review of your application.
  • Consider who will write a letter of recommendation on your behalf. We require a minimum of two recommendations, ideally from academic references, although professional references are acceptable if you earned your bachelor’s degree and have been working full-time.
  • Stay tuned to this admissions blog for additional application tips, program information and event announcements.

If you have questions along the way, we encourage you to send us an email or schedule an admissions consultation. We’re here to help!

GMAT and GRE Test Scores are Optional

July 12, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Traditional MPA applicants:

GMAT and GRE test scores are optional for the Texas McCombs MPA admissions application. Applicants will not be disadvantaged in the admissions process if they do not submit test scores, and applicants who feel that their test scores reflect their potential for success in graduate school may submit scores for consideration. 

If you opt to submit GMAT or GRE scores, you will provide either your test scores or a future test date in the online application and arrange to have an official score report sent directly from the testing agency to The University of Texas at Austin. If you report test scores or a future test date in the application, the admissions committee will hold on a decision until the official test scores are received. Please notify the MPA admissions team if your testing plans change after you submit your application.

Should you submit GMAT or GRE scores? Here are some factors to consider.

Holistic Application Review

MPA admissions decisions are based on a holistic review process that considers your entire application and serves to assess the overall strength of your candidacy, including, but not limited to, readiness for academic rigor, leadership potential, career goals and fit with our program.  Previous academic performance, non-academic achievements, essays and letters of recommendation play an important role in the application review. The admissions committee will look for evidence of skills and attributes that contribute to success in the MPA program, such as maturity, determination, attention to detail, analytical aptitude, evidence of personal and/or professional growth, and communication and interpersonal skills.

Academic History 

Does your undergraduate or graduate transcript accurately reflect your academic ability? If not, one way to demonstrate your ability to succeed in our rigorous MPA program is to submit strong GMAT or GRE test scores.  

Are your quantitative abilities reflected elsewhere in your application? If you do not have a quantitative or business background, you can demonstrate your quantitative abilities through the GMAT or GRE. Both tests include a quantitative section. As an alternative or in addition to submitting GMAT or GRE scores, you can highlight areas in your background that demonstrate quantitative or business skills, such as strong grades in the pre-enrollment courses, a relevant internship or a leadership role in a student or volunteer organization.

Internships and Other Extracurricular Activities 

Although full-time work experience is not required to apply to the Texas McCombs MPA program, full-time employment or internships and volunteer, leadership and other extracurricular activities are viewed positively in the application review. For those with limited experiences, a strong standardized test score can make your application more competitive. 

Additional Considerations

  • Overall class profile: The average GMAT total score (for the new edition that launched in November 2023) was 658 for the fall 2025 incoming class, with a range of 645-695. The average total score was 628 for the fall 2024 incoming class, with a range of 565-685. For the previous GMAT version (10th edition, which ended in January 2024), the average total score was typically 650, and the average GRE total score (V+Q) is typically 320. GMAT and GRE test scores are valid for up to five years. The average GPA in upper-level classes is typically 3.78.
  • The admissions committee does not have a preference for either the GMAT or GRE exam. Either test can demonstrate academic potential for business school.
  • Be sure to plan ahead! It typically takes at least 3 weeks for your official score report to be received and uploaded to your application record.
  • Once an official score report has been received, it becomes a part of a submitted application record and cannot be removed.
  • If you retake a test, we will consider only the score report with the highest total score. Please notify the MPA admissions team if you plan to retake an exam.
  • View additional application tips in this admissions blog before crafting your application.

Need more advice?

Attend an information session, send us an email with your questions, or schedule a consultation with our admissions team.

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