Master in Professional Accounting Admissions Blog

Insider Information for Prospective Texas McCombs MPA Students

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August 10 Info Session Blog Post

REGISTER: Virtual MPA Info Session on August 10

July 29, 2022 / / 0 Comments

With GMAT and GRE scores now being test optional for the traditional Master in Professional Accounting (MPA) program from Texas McCombs, join us at a virtual info session on August 10 from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. CT to learn more about the MPA admissions process and how to make your application stand out. You will also hear about the program’s curriculum, recruiting for jobs and career outcomes, as well as what life is like in Austin.

REGISTER FOR INFO SESSION

In the meantime, you can learn more about test scores being optional on our blog, and you can sign up for a one-on-one admissions consultation with Jasmin Blas-Mendieta, MPA’s Senior Recruiting and Admissions Officer.

We look forward to meeting you soon!

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: For MPA incoming classes, the average GMAT total score (for the new “GMAT Focus” edition that launched in November 2023) was 628 for the fall 2024 incoming class, with a range of 565-685. For the previous GMAT (10th edition, which ended in January 2024), the average score was typically 650, and the average GRE total score (V+Q) is typically 320. The average GPA in upper-level classes is typically 3.75.
  • 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.

REGISTER: Meet Current MPA Students on July 12

July 8, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Join us at the Texas McCombs MPA Current Student Panel to meet people who have experienced the Master in Professional Accounting program first-hand. You’ll hear about their time in the program, why they chose to study accounting, and what they enjoy about the UT campus and living in Austin, TX. Plus, you’ll have the chance to ask the students questions.

Tuesday, July 12 from 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. CT (virtual)

REGISTER NOW

Meet the Panelists

McKinley BodenMcKinley Boden
tMPA ’22
Tax Track

McKinley grew up in the Atlanta area and went to Florida State University for her undergraduate degree. She came to UT to pursue her master’s because she liked the city of Austin and wanted to go to a top program. She is a traditional MPA student on the tax track and will be starting on the tax staff with EY in Denver come January. Until then, she will be working on studying for the CPA exam. Outside of school, she enjoys live music, trying new restaurants, and running.

Joshua CostoJoshua Costo
iMPA ’23
Audit Track

Josh is an integrated MPA student on the audit track. He interned with Caterpillar during his junior year, PwC during the spring 2021 busy season, and will be moving to Connecticut in January to work for the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) after graduation. He is a member of Longhorn Powerlifting and Camp Texas, two beloved organizations that he has been a part of for the past three years. He is excited to work at the FASB post-graduation to help companies and investors understand and solve complex accounting issues.

Francisca GuerreroFrancisca Guerrero
iMPA ’23
Tax Track

Francisca is originally from Quito, Ecuador and moved to The Woodlands, Texas when she was two years old. She is a Canfield Business Honors student, as well as an integrated MPA. Throughout her college career, she has been interested in attending law school and learning about other cultures. As a result, she did an internship abroad in Shenzhen, China, wrote her Honors Thesis on e-commerce in China, and she hopes to pursue a career in international tax accounting at EY where she is currently interning.

Zoe McDowellZoe McDowell
ECON-MPA ’23
Generalist Track

Zoe is from Livingston, Texas and recently graduated from UT Austin with a bachelor’s in economics and anthropology. As a student in the ECON-MPA program, she began taking graduate accounting courses last year. Her favorite course so far has been Intro to Audit with Professor Johanns, and she is pursuing the Generalist Track so she can curate her own course selection. Zoe is currently a Summer Analyst at an investment banking firm and plans to move to New York City after graduation to continue her career in investment banking.

A Peek Into the Classroom: Healthcare Accounting

June 17, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Anindita Roy Bardhan has been sharing her passion for healthcare since 2018, when she brought her Healthcare Accounting course from UT Dallas to McCombs. Learn more about this course and why it’s a valuable addition to the Master in Professional Accounting (MPA) program curriculum.

Healthcare Accounting Blog Post


HOW DOES THIS COURSE DIFFER FROM OTHER ACCOUNTING CLASSES?
This course is unique in the fact that it includes topics related to financial and managerial accounting and finance in a single course. The purpose is to bring facets of the business side of healthcare to students with an interest in healthcare careers.

WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT HEALTHCARE ACCOUNTING?
As I tell my students, hospitals in the U.S. include a majority of not-for-profit entities. Therefore, this course covers accounting and business issues of both not-for-profit and investor-owned/for-profit entities. It is very rare, if at all, to find both aspects being addressed in a single course!

BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS FROM YOUR CLASS?
Students have the opportunity to:

  • understand how financial statements reflect the performance of a healthcare entity; » analyze strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats based on financial statement analysis and make recommendations to address them;
  • manage working capital using cash budgets and receivables aging;
  • make decisions regarding pricing of products and services, make or buy, using breakeven analyses; and
  • use net present value concepts to make investment decisions.

 

We hope you enjoyed learning more about this elective class in the Master in Professional Accounting program at UT Austin! See all of our electives here, and mark your calendar for August 29, 2022 as our traditional MPA Class of 2024 application opens that day!

Meet Current MPA Student Tabetha Wilhelm!

May 23, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Tabetha Wilhelm grew up around accounting, so when it came time to earn her master’s degree, she had one program in mind: Texas McCombs MPA. Read on to learn more about Tabetha and life in the Master in Professional Accounting program.

 

WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
I’m from San Antonio, Texas!

WHAT SPARKED YOUR INTEREST IN ACCOUNTING?
I come from a family of accountants and small business owners, so accounting has been part of my life whether I knew it or not. My dad earned his accounting degree in Germany in the ’60s before he immigrated to Texas.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO ATTEND THE TEXAS McCOMBS MPA PROGRAM?
The Texas McCombs MPA Program has been my dream program since I started college. I could have worked on a master of accountancy at several different schools in San Antonio, but I knew that coming to Austin was the right choice because I knew I would have top tier professors. Plus, the design of the program provides the opportunity to take courses in the areas of accounting that I am interested in studying and I’m not regulated to a set pre-determined set of classes. I do have required coursework, but the ability to take and the access to elective business and accounting classes stands out compared to the other programs where I was admitted.

Tabetha Wilhem Graduation

WHAT HAS YOUR FAVORITE CLASS BEEN SO FAR AND WHY?
Corporate Tax (aka Taxation of Entities-I). Professor Johnston-Blair is wonderful and makes class so much fun. I don’t think I’ve laughed so much in an accounting class in my life!

WHAT ARE YOUR POST-GRADUATE PLANS?
Over Spring Break, I accepted an offer to join the EY tax team in their San Antonio office, and I am scheduled to start in July 2022!

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PLACE ON CAMPUS?
I have many favorites when it comes to UT’s campus. I love Littlefield Home because I’m a sucker for Victorian architecture, and I also loved having class in Rowling Hall (the McCombs School of Business graduate building). The benches outside the Harry Ransom Center are also a nice quiet place to have lunch outside (and hey, we have a Gutenberg Bible in the HRC!). The turtle pond behind the tower is also a great place to visit.

ANY TIPS FOR THOSE LOOKING INTO THE PROGRAM?
There’s a reason why the MPA program is so highly rated; our professors are amazing and on top of being great educators, they also have the professional experience to back up their knowledge. The career services and networking available to MPA students has already been incredibly useful.

Learn more about the MPA program by attending an event or meeting with the admissions team. The application for fall 2023 admission opens this August!

Last Chance to Join the MPA Class of 2023!

April 28, 2022 / / 0 Comments

There’s still time to apply to the Texas McCombs Master in Professional Accounting program. Complete your application before 11:59 p.m. CT on Saturday, April 30 to be considered for the MPA Class of 2023. If you are experiencing hardships due to the pandemic and those challenges are affecting your ability to take the GMAT or GRE exam, remember that you can petition for a test score waiver.

Learn About MPA Admissions

While you work on your application, check out these four MPA alumni to discover what life was like in the program and where they are now.

JOHN BOBER | MPA ‘82
From earning an undergraduate degree in history to making a professional pivot into accounting and finance, John has had a long and successful career. After earning his MPA, John started at Arthur Andersen and quickly made partner. He then transitioned to GE Capital, where he spent nearly 23 years of his career. John retired from GE Capital in March 2018 and is now the Director of The Alta Group based out of Connecticut.

 

WILL BRAEUTIGAM | MPA ‘05
Will received his bachelor’s degree in economics from UT Austin in 2004, then earned his MPA is 2005. He joined Deloitte as an auditor after graduation and has been with the firm ever since. Will attributes the program’s core accounting curriculum, group projects, and technology/finance classes helped prepare him to execute strategies and innovate on the job. He is now a partner and special purpose acquisition companies (SPAC) leader at Deloitte’s office in Houston, Texas.

 

MAUREEN SWEET | MPA ‘16
Maureen grew up in Ohio and completed her undergraduate studies at Fordham University. She received her bachelor’s in Spanish Language Literature and minored in Business, and she especially enjoyed her undergraduate accounting courses. After graduating from the MPA program in 2016, Maureen worked at Deloitte for three years before transitioning to a Senior Tax Accountant at National Instruments in Austin, Texas.

 

ARTURO OLIVAREZ | MPA ‘20
Arturo earned his bachelor’s in accounting from The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, then came to Texas McCombs to earn his MPA. Arturo has always been fascinated by the intersection of business, government, and society, so he focused his electives and recruiting efforts on government while in the program. After graduation, Arturo worked at the Texas Senate and is now working with the U.S. House of Representatives in San Antonio, Texas.

Email us with any questions or comments as you work on your application. We are here for you every step of the way.

REGISTER: Meet Current MPA Students and Alumni on April 14

April 12, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Attend the virtual Current Student and Alumni Panel as we chat with five people who experienced the Master in Professional Accounting first-hand. You’ll hear about their time in the program, why they chose to study accounting, and their career path since graduating from the program. Plus, you’ll have the chance to ask the students and alumni questions.

Thursday, April 14 from 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. CT (virtual)

REGISTER

Meet the Panelists

DavidDavid Elliott, MPA ’22
Current Student

David is originally from Houston, Texas and earned his bachelor’s degree from UT Austin in economics. He wanted to get his foot in the door in the business world but found it difficult with only an economics degree. He found he had a passion for accounting after minoring in it and taking an Introduction to Tax course, so David decided to go back to earn his master’s in accounting at the McCombs School of Business.

 

ReneeRenee Hoekstra, MPA ’18
Assistant Controller, Waste Connections

Renee earned her undergraduate degree in accounting at Michigan State University, then came to UT Austin to earn her master’s in accounting. While in the MPA program, she was a student ambassador and met with prospective and newly admitted MPA students. After graduating from McCombs, she worked at PwC for three years before transitioning to her current role at Waste Connections as Assistant Controller. She is based out of Chicago, Illinois.

 

EnriqueEnrique Munguia, MPA ’22
Current Student

Enrique is from San Antonio, Texas and will earn his MPA degree this summer. Enrique has had internships in accounting, finance, and data analytics at Goldman Sachs, Holt CAT, and Noroc Naturals. After graduating this summer, he will move to Atlanta and work as an Accounting/Finance Analyst at Google. Enrique is currently the President of the Longhorn Wrestling Team, and he is an NCWA All-American and NCWA Southwest Conference champion.

 

KarinKarin Schultz, MPA ’16
Senior Analyst, Emerson Global Financial Services

Following her time in the MPA program, Karin joined Emerson in St. Louis, Missouri as an Internal Auditor, progressing to becoming a Senior Auditor before moving to an Analyst role in a newly created Global Financial Services Group. In mid-April she will be taking a Manager of Financial Controls and Analysis role at Emerson’s Appleton Business Unit based in Chicago, Illinois.

 

GarrettGarrett Shuffield, MPA ’18
Associate, Jackson Walker

Garrett is an attorney in the Wealth Planning practice of Jackson Walker’s Austin office. He was a summer associate at the firm in 2019 and 2020. While studying for his MPA degree, Garrett served as a teaching assistant in the accounting department. He was also a research assistant while in law school at The University of Texas at Austin.

 

Register today and email us with any questions, and we’ll see you there!

View the MPA Class of 2022 Profile

April 1, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Check out the profile of the traditional Master in Professional Accounting Class of 2022! These students came to Texas McCombs from a variety of backgrounds and with an array of experiences and started classes in the fall of 2021. They will graduate this spring or summer.

MPA Class of 2022 Profile

 

The traditional MPA application is still open for U.S. citizens and permanent residents. Apply today and join the MPA Class of 2023! The application deadline is April 30, 2022.

REGISTER: Attend the Virtual MPA Faculty Open House

March 14, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Join us virtually on March 23 for the Master in Professional Accounting Faculty Open House as members of the MPA faculty will be present to speak about the courses they teach, the curriculum taught within the program, and career opportunities in their areas of expertise.

March 23 from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. CT (virtual)

Please feel free to join the Faculty Open House for all two hours or you can join during the time(s) you’d like to hear from certain professors (see below).

Professors Who Will Be Present from 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. CT

Patrick Badolato
Financial Statement Analysis Course and Investment Banking/Consulting Topics

Patrick Badolato’s teaching expertise focuses on Financial Statement Analysis, a case-based class that moves away from generic ratios and metrics and towards critical thinking in an effort to use an array of financial information to understand the past and form well-motivated predictions for the future; Financial Accounting, a class that emphasizes the importance of accounting’s thoughtful and logical representation of business events; and Accounting Concepts and Research, a class that offers a deep dive into the business reasons and economic motivations behind accounting standards.

Jeff Johanns
Audit/Assurance and Its Importance in Financial Reporting

Jeff Johanns is an Associate Professor of Instruction in the McCombs School of Business at UT Austin. He is a former U.S. Assurance Risk Management Leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and a Certified Public Accountant licensed in Texas with more than 30 years of experience in public accounting and the private industry. His clients at PwC ranged in size from Fortune 500 public companies to private start-ups.

Donna Johnston-Blair
Corporate Tax Course and Building a Portfolio of Tax Knowledge

Donna Johnston-Blair started her career at Arthur Andersen (in both Toronto and Denver) as audit staff and eventually became a tax manager. She also worked at Deloitte and Storage Technology Corporation before starting her own consulting practice and ultimately becoming a professor. She has taught across the United States and has been at McCombs since 2013. Donna was named a Texas Ten professor of the year in 2018.

Professors Who Will Be Present from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. CT

Jeff Hales
Environmental, Social, and Governance Course

Jeff Hales has taught financial accounting at all levels, and his research has appeared in multiple journals, including The Accounting Review, Journal of Accounting Research, Journal of Accounting and Economics, and more. He is currently an editor at Contemporary Accounting Research and an editorial board member of The Accounting Review and Accounting, Organizations and Society. He also serves as Chair of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board, is a member of the Climate Disclosure Standards Board, and is a member of both the Financial Accounting Standard Board’s Financial Accounting Standards Advisory Council and the UK Financial Reporting Council’s Future of Corporate Reporting Advisory Group.

Nick Hallman
Analytics Course

Nick Hallman is an Associate Professor at the McCombs School of Business with a focus in audit. He received his PhD from the University of Missouri-Columbia and is a member of the editorial board for both The Accounting Review and Auditing: A Journal of Practice and Theory. This fall, he will teaching a data analytics course at UT Austin tailored specifically for Master in Professional Accounting students.

Mallary Tenore
Writing Skills Course

Mallary Tenore is a lecturer at The University of Texas at Austin’s School of Journalism. She’s also the Associate Director of the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas at UT Austin. In 2013, she was named one of the top 50 female innovators in digital journalism. Mallary’s articles and essays have been published in The Washington Post, The Dallas Morning News, Austin Moms Blog and more. She will teaching a writing skills course for Master in Professional Accounting students in the fall of 2022.

Sign up to meet these professors and explore the classes you can take as an MPA students! We’ll see you on March 23!

Meet MPA Alumnus Arturo C. Olivarez

March 7, 2022 / / 0 Comments

From majoring in accounting and political science at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley to earning his MPA at Texas McCombs, Arturo C. Olivarez (MPA ’20) has always had his sights set on government and accounting. Not only has he worked at the Texas Senate and U.S. Congress, but he recently started a new alumni chapter in the RGV. Meet Arturo below!

Arturo C. OlivarezWHAT’S YOUR STORY, ARTURO?
Howdy! I’m a proud second-generation Longhorn and have had the privilege of being born, raised, and educated in Texas. I currently serve as an Outreach Coordinator and Constituent Services Representative for a U.S. Congressman. I’m also the chapter leader for the McCombs Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Alumni Chapter. When I’m not at work, you can often find me hunting, playing the drums, or cheering for the Longhorns and the Dallas Cowboys.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO STUDY ACCOUNTING?
I’ve been fascinated by the intersection of business, government, and society as a result of growing up in one of the most impoverished regions of Texas. The purpose of my college experience was to answer one question: how can I improve the American financial system? I believe that accounting offers a comprehensive understanding of the processing, communication, and analysis of financial data for both public and private entities.

WHAT WAS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE MPA CLASS?
For the sake of giving credit where credit is due, there are three classes that have been especially impactful in my career and my life. Business and Policy in the Age of Inequality with Professor Cobb taught me the importance of corporate social responsibility. Financial Statement Analysis with Professor Zhao helped me connect the overarching theories of accounting and translate them into sound decision-making for investments. Lastly, the Legal and Ethical Environment of Accounting with Professor Jue honed my reasoning skills as I developed a rudimentary understanding of the legal system and how to navigate it as a working professional.

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO SINCE GRADUATING FROM MPA?
I was very fortunate to have had a job waiting for me when I graduated. I was hired as a Legislative Aide for a Texas State Senator after interning with their office in my final semester of the program. I stayed with the Senator through the 87th legislative session, and I midnighted as a contracted Legislative Policy Analyst for Stateside Associates, a boutique government consulting firm in Washington, D.C. I was then was hired by a U.S. Congressman last August. Additionally, I recently helped establish the McCombs Rio Grande Valley Alumni chapter this past spring, and it’s been a fantastic way to strengthen the McCombs presence in South Texas.

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO RECRUIT FOR A JOB IN GOVERNMENT?
Simple: I want to rewrite the American tax code. As a legislative staffer in Congress with an MPA degree, I hope to craft innovative policy solutions for the ever-changing business world. I believe the U.S. could learn a thing or two from Texas, and I’m hoping to demonstrate that once I get to D.C.

TELL US ABOUT THE McCOMBS ALUMNI RIO GRANDE VALLEY CHAPTER.
I distinctly remember scouring the McCombs alumni website during my first semester as an MPA student to find resources available for residents of the Rio Grande Valley. I was discouraged to find that there was not an established alumni network in South Texas. After some correspondence with the McCombs Alumni Office, I established the official McCombs Rio Grande Valley Alumni chapter. I’ve been grateful for the support of the Alumni Office as well as other chapter leaders who have guided me through the creation of this organization.

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS AS THE RGV CHAPTER PRESIDENT?
I have two primary goals as chapter leader: 1) Unite McCombs alumni who are living and working in the RGV; and 2) provide resources for current McCombs students who hail from the RGV. Fundamentally, I want to create a reliable network for current students and alumni in South Texas. We are a young organization, and the pandemic has made events very difficult to organize, but there are close to 1,000 McCombs alumni in the Rio Grande Valley that are actively shaping the business landscape of South Texas, and I want to help organize our movement.

The U.S. traditional MPA application is still open! Make a difference in the world like Arturo and change the trajectory of your career – apply to MPA before the April 30 deadline.

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