Master in Professional Accounting Admissions Blog

Insider Information for Prospective Texas McCombs MPA Students

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MPA Soccer in the Springtime

Texas McCombs’ MPA students organized a co-ed intramural indoor soccer league this semester — aptly named “The Mighty MPAs.”

The Mighty MPAs played their first game last Thursday and won 2-1 (but they said it should have been 3-1)! Games are played Thursday evenings, and the goal is to win their league to get their name up on the wall in Gregory Gym!

This co-ed team is a mix of integrated and traditional MPA students. The official roster is:

“Ray” Hyeongil Lee — Captain
“Duzi” Mduduzi Mugoba
Hannah Edwards
Tyler Wilford
Lydia Elseth
“Jeff” Kuan-ting Chen
Adrian Sauciuc
“Dean” Dong Uk Lee
Roger Telosa
“Daniel” Jae Hyun Lee
Rachel Reese
Lara Garton
Colton Jackson
Muhannad Alsharekh
Madison Mcdonald
Dan Yang
Ebonie Hunter — Team Manager

We’ll continue to cheer them on as they aim to go undefeated and earn all the fame and glory of coming out on top this season! But no matter the outcome, they are all winners in our eyes! 🙂

The Takeaway: An Interview With PhD Alum Nathan Sharp

Nathan Sharp coauthored “Inside the ‘Black Box’ of Sell-Side Financial Analysts” with Lawrence Brown, Andrew Call, and our very own Department Chair, Michael Clement. The FARS (AAA) recently selected that paper as the best financial accounting paper published in the last five years. Nate sat down and chatted with us about life post-Texas McCombs, working at Texas A&M, researching with Michael Clement, and much more. He is pictured with his wife (Holly), daughters (Kennedy, London, and Kate), and sons (Jackson and Austin) in the fall of 2018.

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF.
I spent much of the early part of my life in Utah, but I got to Texas as fast as I could. Next summer will mark 17 years since I moved to Texas. My wife and I have five children, and my family is the center of my world. After I finished my PhD at UT, I started my career as a faculty member in the Mays Business School at Texas A&M University. Coming to Texas A&M was one of the best decisions of my life. My family and I have been so happy to stay in Texas, and I have been blessed with great colleagues and great students at Texas A&M.

HOW DID THE UT DOCTORAL PROGRAM SHAPE YOU TO BE THE PROFESSOR YOU ARE TODAY?
I have thought often of the tremendous debt of gratitude I owe to the faculty at UT-Austin. I was so fortunate to begin my journey into accounting academia at a place where I could be taught and mentored by many of the top scholars in our field. UT’s accounting faculty has a depth and breadth that is unmatched by any other program I know of. The foundations of my career were laid in the PhD program at Texas McCombs, and any successes I’ve had in my career since then trace back to the way UT’s PhD program shaped me.

CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR RESEARCH PAPER “INSIDE THE ‘BLACK BOX’ OF SELL-SIDE FINANCIAL ANALYSTS”?
In many ways, this was a ground-breaking paper in the analyst literature. We were the first scholars to survey sell-side financial analysts to gain detailed insights into the inputs and incentives that influence their research. Using a survey allowed us to ask questions that no other research paper had asked before. Our team of researchers complemented each other very well, and we had a lot of fun working together on this paper and seeing our idea come to fruition. In 2016, 0ur paper became the most highly cited paper in the Journal of Accounting Research among all papers published in that journal during the preceding eight years. One of our coauthors had a relative who worked in finance at a Fortune 100 company, and I still remember the day he reached out to share that the CFO of his company had discovered our paper on SSRN and shared it with the entire finance team at the company. It was neat to see that our paper was making an impact not only within but also outside academia. Our study also received a lot of attention in the popular press; journalists at The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, CNBC, Yahoo! Finance, and The Economist wrote stories about our paper.

YOU HAVE WORKED WITH MICHAEL CLEMENT ON OTHER PAPERS BESIDES THIS ONE — WHAT IS IT LIKE WORKING WITH HIM?
Michael is the type of colleague and coauthor everyone wants to find. I think part of what makes Michael so unique is that he brings together incredible institutional knowledge and experience with one of the top scholarly backgrounds in the country in the areas in which he researches. That is a rare combination. We followed up our sell-side analyst study with research on buy-side analysts, which was published in 2016 in the Journal of Accounting and Economics. Our latest study on investor relations officers is forthcoming in 2019 in the Journal of Accounting and Economics. These three papers are a trilogy of studies that complement each other and provide unprecedented, rich detail about each of these important participants in our capital markets. Frankly, no other team could have completed these three papers without Michael. He brought so much to the table that was invaluable for these projects. I have never had more fun working on research, and I have never learned more than I did through the trilogy of papers we published together. Michael has been the mentor of a lifetime.

WHAT’S NEXT, NATE?
I am enjoying researching and teaching more than ever. The awesome thing about this career is that there are always new challenges, new research ideas, and new frontiers. I hope to follow in Michael’s footsteps by making a positive impact on students and colleagues in our field for many years to come.

Meet Brian White, Associate Professor at Texas McCombs

Brian White is a member of our Department of Accounting faculty and was recently promoted to Associate Professor, effective September 1, 2018. He teaches some of the accounting MBA courses here at Texas McCombs, so you may see him in some of your electives in the near future!

WHERE DO YOU CALL HOME?
Ann Arbor, Michigan is where I was born and lived for most of my childhood. However, my wife’s hometown of Liverpool, England is my adopted hometown. I lived in Liverpool for ten years, our three kids were born there, and we go back at least two or three times every year.

WHERE DID YOU ATTEND SCHOOL?
I received a BS in Foreign Service from Georgetown (I originally planned to pursue a career as a diplomat), an MS in African Studies from University of Edinburgh, an MBA from Manchester Business School, and a PhD in Accountancy from University of Illinois

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO STUDY ACCOUNTING?
Necessity is the mother of invention. My wife and I bought her family business—a small chain of retail stores based in Liverpool—from her grandparents when we were both 24 years old. She had grown up in the business and I had worked as a retail manager in high school and college, but neither of us had any experience running a business. We divided up the duties, and accounting was one of mine. I quickly decided that I needed some more training, so I applied to the evening MBA program at Manchester Business School. While I was there, I focused on accounting and finance because it was so relevant to what I was doing every day at work: tracking and reporting revenues and expenses, designing compensation plans for our employees, managing the annual audit (which was required for nearly all UK companies back then), etc. I also found I was pretty good at accounting, and it was interesting. Ultimately, I ended up becoming a CPA. When I decided to pursue an academic career, a PhD in accounting was the natural choice.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO WORK AT UT?
The combination of our incredible students, world-class faculty, and the city of Austin made it a very easy choice.

WHAT CLASSES DO YOU CURRENTLY TEACH?
I teach the core financial accounting class to all of our incoming full-time MBA students. I also teach the same course in our Houston MBA program. Next fall, I’m looking forward to teaching the PhD seminar on behavioral research in accounting for the first time.

FAVORITE PUBLICATION THAT YOU’VE WRITTEN?
That’s like asking me to choose between my children! If I have to choose, I will go with a paper that I published with Shana Clor-Proell (from TCU) and my Texas McCombs colleague Lisa Koonce. The paper is titled, “How do experienced users evaluate hybrid financial instruments?” It was published in the Journal of Accounting Research in 2016. Hybrids—financial instruments that have characteristics of both debt and equity—are a tricky issue in accounting because it is difficult to know how to classify them on the balance sheet. In the paper, we find that experienced finance professionals rely primarily on disclosed features of hybrid financial instruments, rather than their classification, suggesting that accounting standard setters may want to focus on disclosure. It’s been a fun paper in part because we have had the opportunity to discuss it with board members at the FASB and IASB.

ON THE OTHER HAND… FAVORITE PUBLICATION THAT YOU’VE READ?
That’s a tough one too! I’m going to go with Jeffrey Hales’ 2007 paper, “Directional preferences, information processing, and investors’ forecasts of earnings,” published in the Journal of Accounting Research. That was the paper that convinced me I wanted to do behavioral research in financial accounting. Jeff shows that simply holding stock in a company can change investors’ beliefs about the company’s future performance via a cognitive process known as motivated reasoning.

WHAT IS SOMETHING THAT MANY PEOPLE DO NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU?
I played the bass guitar in a number of different bands in high school and college. Maybe even more unbelievable is that at the same time I had long, curly hair!

Department of Accounting ranked No. 1 by U.S. News

U.S. News and World Report came out this week with its annual Best Business School rankings, and the Department of Accounting at Texas McCombs topped the list at No. 1 for the 13th straight year!

We are very fortunate to have such an phenomenal group of students, faculty, staff, and alumni who continue to make the Department of Accounting the best in the world.  Read the summary of the rankings below, including the Texas McCombs MBA program coming in at No. 19, or on Texas McCombs News.

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The Texas McCombs MBA hit No. 19 for the full-time MBA and No. 8 for working professionals. Three of the school’s business specialties were among the ranking’s top 10.

Landing at No. 19, the Texas McCombs Full-Time MBA Program maintained its venerable top-20 position in the 2020 edition of U.S. News & World Report ’s survey of the nation’s best graduate schools of business.

The Texas McCombs MBA has counted itself among the top 20 programs in 27 of the past 28 years. Among public schools, McCombs and the University of North Carolina tied for fifth place, behind the University of California, Berkeley (6, tied), University of Michigan (10), University of Virginia (12, tied), and UCLA (16).

Specialty Rankings

The U.S. News ranking also considers strengths in subject areas. Three McCombs business specialties landed in the top 10:

• Accounting: No. 1 (13th year in a row and 27th year in a row among the top five)
• Information Systems: No. 4 (27th year straight in the top five)
• Entrepreneurship: No. 10 (23rd consecutive year in the top 10)

Working Professional MBA Takes 8th

In the best part-time MBA rankings, McCombs placed at No. 8. The working professional MBA programs at McCombs, which include the Texas Evening MBA, the Texas MBA at Houston, and the Texas MBA at Dallas/Fort Worth, have held top 10 status for the past 10 years.

How Sweet It Is: MPA Alumna Spotlight

Texas McCombs was fortunate enough to have two Elijah Watt Sells Award winners in 2017: Hyungmin Kim and Maureen Sweet, both MPA Class of 2016 graduates. Let’s learn more about one of our winners, Maureen Sweet.

Maureen Sweet exemplifies what it is to be a top student and accounting professional. She’s hard-working, smart, and an Elijah Watt Sells Award winner. The 2016 Texas McCombs Master in Professional Accounting alumna is one of only 58 Sells Award recipients in 2017.

Maureen grew up in northeast Ohio and completed her undergraduate studies at Fordham University in the Bronx. She received her BA in Spanish Language Literature and minored in Business, and she especially enjoyed her undergraduate accounting courses. After graduating from Fordham, she managed the finances for Stupid Cancer, a nonprofit in New York City that leads the way in advocacy, research, and support for young adults with cancer. Something clicked for her while she was filing Stupid Cancer’s annual statements. She loved how she could use financial statements to gain insights into how a business operates. “It gave me a holistic picture of the company, and I learned how to problem solve,” Maureen said.

Maureen knew she had found her calling. When she began considering graduate accounting programs, Texas McCombs made her short list. Three things came to mind to explain why she chose to attend UT-Austin: the program’s prestige, the city, and her future. “The reputation of the MPA program speaks for itself. And I knew I’d love Austin,” Maureen added. “Plus, the program would help me get all my credits for the CPA exam in a short amount of time.”

While in the MPA program, Maureen grew relationships with the faculty and MPA staff members, as well as other students. She attended four of her classmates’ weddings last year!

Maureen knew she only wanted to take the CPA exam once, so studying was a top priority. A few months after completing the exam, she was contacted by the AICPA and told that she was a recipient of the esteemed Elijah Watt Sells Award. Needless to say, Maureen was beyond ecstatic. “I was extremely excited and honored to receive the Sells Award,” she commented.

In the fall of 2016, Maureen started her new career at Deloitte Tax in San Jose, California. Before she hit her two-year anniversary, Maureen was promoted to Tax Senior. “This is exactly what I wanted. I love consulting with interesting clients.” Additionally, she is taking advantage of the beautiful outdoors in the Golden State.

As for the future, Maureen plans on staying in public accounting and enjoying the opportunity to see a broad range of experiences with her clients. “I’m looking forward to continuing to be in a career that challenges me every day,” Maureen said. And we here at Texas McCombs cannot wait to see how she changes the world.

Texas McCombs’ other Sells Awards winner in 2017, Hyungmin Kim, is a BBA graduate of Seoul National University and earned his MPA in 2016. He is currently employed with The Dow Chemical Company in Midland, Michigan.

 

Read more updates from the Department of Accounting in the fall issue of The Accounting Times.

Top 9 things to do in Austin!

Whether you are newly admitted into the Master in Professional Accounting program here at Texas McCombs or are looking to apply to our accounting graduate program, take a quick trip down to Austin to learn more about the McCombs School of Business and this top-ranked city.

Visit Austin

We’ve all heard that Austin in the #1 city to live in the country, but WHY did it come out on top? From the 230 days of sun a year to the delicious food scene to the live music, there is plenty to do in the vibrant capital of Texas. So next time you visit Austin, check out these places while you’re here:

 

  1. Lake Travis – Take the 25-minute drive northwest to see Lake Travis. Not only is it beautiful (and did we mention the sunsets are spectacular?) but you can take a dip in the water, grab a bite to eat at one of the many restaurants and brew-pubs, or if you are feeling REALLY adventurous, you can zipline across the lake!

Lake Travis

 

  1. Congress Bridge Bats – You may have heard of the bats that live under the Congress Bridge, but have you ever seen them in person? Over 1.5 million bats fly out from underneath the bridge each night nine months out of the year, and it is a sight to see! You can even get out on the water for an up-close-and-personal view of their flight into the night!

 

  1. Barton Springs Pool – Beat the heat and take a dip into Barton Springs Pool (if you dare)! This pool is a natural watering hole that stays chilly at 68 degrees all year round. It only costs $5 to get in, and it’s free after 9:00 p.m.!

 

  1. Pedal Tour – Discover downtown Austin by bike (or by barge)! Austin has bike pedal AND barge pedal tours all around the city. It’s a fun way to explore, get a little workout in, and enjoy time with friends and family.

Downtown Austin

 

  1. Rainey Street – This residential block is one of the most iconic and unique districts in Austin. Rainey Street’s bungalow homes have been converted into bars and restaurants. It’s an eclectic scene of good food, drinks, hotels, and food trucks.

 

  1. Food Trucks – Speaking of food trucks, they are EVERYWHERE in Austin. From downtown to Rainey Street to the UT campus, you can’t miss them… It’s a great way to try local eats from all genres of food.

 

  1. Live Music – Did you know Austin is the Live Music Capital of the World? We aren’t surprised by that title with Austin City Limits and South by Southwest making their home here, but there are also tons of other music festivals, over 250 live music venues, and stages all over this city… even in grocery stores! Pencil in some time to experience Austin’s talented musicians.

 

  1. Zilker Metropolitan Park – This 351-acre park located a few blocks from downtown Austin is packed with attractions. You can rent a canoe and get out on the water, run around Lady Bird Lake Trail, and even play frolf! Trust us when we say Zilker is one of Austin’s best-kept treasures.

Lady Bird Lake

 

  1. State Capitol – You can’t leave Austin without seeing the State Capitol Building. This granite landmark stands 14 feet taller than the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. You can explore the grounds on your own or join a free guided tour, which are offered every day.

Texas State Capitol

 

Now that you’ve read some of the exciting things Austin has to offer, make a trip down here and start exploring! No matter where you go, you’ll enjoy the weather, the people, the culture, and (of course) the FOOD! Make sure to stop by UT Austin and the McCombs School of Business while you’re here. We’d love to meet you in person! For admitted applicants, two MPA Preview Days are coming up in February and March, or you can schedule a visit that works best with your schedule.

Introducing Sam Henderson, a Texas McCombs tMPA student

Meet Sam Henderson, a current tMPA student here at Texas McCombs. He’s Texas-grown but has worked all over the U.S., and now he is back in the Lone Star State. Here’s his story.

Sam Henderson Student Profile

 

Who inspires you right now?

This sounds cheesy, but my fellow students. I am constantly being impressed by the caliber of people that surround me! They inspire me every day to do better.

Sam Henderson Student Profile with MPAs

 

What motivates you?

My current and future family. I want them to be proud of me and the work I am putting in to make our collective lives better in the future. 

 

How is the MPA Program helping you accomplish your goals?

I’m a career changer and the MPA program is not only giving me the hard skills necessary to succeed in the future, but they are actively helping to map out my future, beyond the program. They are truly dedicated to ensuring a bright future for us.

 

What do you like about Austin?

Austin has always been the home-base for my family. I’ve moved around the nation quite a bit for work, but always come back to Austin for visits with family. The food and music culture are incredible and despite the recent growth, it still maintains a small-town feel.

 

How does Austin compare to your hometown of Houston?

Even though I claim Houston as my hometown (and while I still have love for it), the sheer size can make livability an issue. I often find I don’t participate in as many activities in Houston because of the travel time involved. Austin makes it so easy to participate in a wide range of activities, all relatively close to campus.

 

What led you to apply to the Texas McCombs MPA Program?

It’s the number one accounting program in the nation! Of course, the proximity to my family played a big part in my decision, as well.

 

What is your advice to students debating whether they should apply to the Texas McCombs MPA Program?

The program is first rate, the town is fun, and your fellow students make you better. There is no downside… don’t hesitate to apply.

 

How have you benefited from the MPA recruiting process?

Recruiting is tough. It is a huge time suck and will weigh heavily on your mind even when you shouldn’t be focusing on it. The Recruit McCombs website makes it easy to organize your career options, and the MPA career advisors help you throughout the process, making sure you put your best foot forward.

 

How do you think your experience in the Texas McCombs MPA program stands out?

It stands out in so many ways: your fellow class cohorts, professors with prestigious national standing, MPA program faculty willing to go the extra mile for you to succeed, and a recruiting base that ensures you have the opportunity to get with top companies. All of these experiences stand out and it is impossible to unwind all the benefits they collectively give you. The entire program is geared towards challenging you to be better in all aspects.

Sam Henderson Student Profile studying

 

Alright, Sam… Your turn to fill out this questionnaire:

Sam Henderson Questionnaire

 

If you would like to connect with Sam, you can email him on our Student Ambassadors page.

Meet Flora Sun, a current tMPA student

Flora Sun is a current tMPA student who will be graduating in 2019. Let’s learn a little more about Flora, her journey to Texas McCombs, and the experiences she’s had in the MPA program.

Meet Flora Sun

 

Flora, who inspires you right now?
The faculty members at Texas McCombs are inspiring me every day. Specifically, Professor Steve Kachelmeier inspires me. He encourages my motivation and determination to stay in academia after graduation from the MPA program. I’m taking his accounting research class this semester and can see his passion for research and teaching. Plus, I love his sense of humor during classes. He’s such a great inspiration – he’s experienced, proficient, and passionate in his specialized auditing research area. I admire him, expect to learn from him as much as I can, and become a qualified accounting researcher in the future.

What motivates you?
The upcoming PhD  application! School life has been a little overwhelming these days. I have to balance my time among MPA courses, PhD seminars, TA responsibilities, RA work, and the upcoming PhD application for fall 2019. But I know my hard work is meaningful.

How is the MPA Program helping you accomplish your goals?
It provides unique opportunities to get familiar with the accounting research area. During the past two months, I have talked with quite a few accounting professors who specialize in capital market research and gained tons of insights from them. In addition, courses offered by the MPA program include some accounting research courses that are helping me get prepared for my PhD study. I truly can see the collaborative environment within UT’s accounting department and will definitely apply.

What do you like about Austin?
The city’s “free style” and no “rule of thumb” – be who you are and wear what you like! I also love the popularity of outdoor sports here.

How does Austin compare to your hometown of Hong Kong?
It is less crowded with bigger apartments! I am more relaxed and enjoying life here. Honestly, I fit in with the Austin community much better than I ever thought I could.

 

Meet Flora Sun

 

What led you to apply to the Texas McCombs MPA program?
The prestigious accounting faculty and reasonable program track design.

What is your advice to students debating whether they should apply to the Texas McCombs MPA program?
There is no reason to not apply! The professors are great and there’s plenty of academic and career resources from the MPA Program Office. It is an intense program, but you will accumulate a lot of knowledge and experience.

Meet Flora Sun

 

How have you benefited from the MPA recruiting process?
I have had multiple opportunities to meet potential employers before real interviews. Additionally, I have succeeded in pushing myself out of my comfort zone in order to professionally communicate with workplace elites.

How has the MPA Career Services team helped you with recruiting in the U.S.?
It’s more difficult than I thought for international students to find jobs here. I accept this reality and think that the Career Services team has done an excellent job in helping me get familiar with the U.S. job market. Jo and David held special sessions for international students and talked about the H1B visa and other immigration issues when international students look for jobs in the US.

And I love the mock interviews… I met real employers, practiced my interview skills, and obtained feedbacks from the interviewers. This is such a privilege provided by the MPA program!

You were an Assurance Associate with PwC Hong Kong for a few years. How has the MPA program challenged you even though you already have an undergraduate degree and professional experience in accounting?
My previous accounting knowledge focused on IFRS. And it was not very “up-to-date.” Here, I am refreshing my knowledge base and learning more about U.S. GAAP. Because I’m also taking some challenging accounting research courses, I’m really forcing myself to link my previous working experiences to academia. I’m definitely entering a deeper knowledge area, which requires more logical and creative thinking.

What are you looking forward to on your Study Abroad venture to Buenos Aires?
I CAN’T WAIT! I was once an exchange student at University of Strathclyde in Glasgow during my undergraduate study. I mingled with local students and traveled all around the U.K. Beyond coursework, culture exposure is my favorite. You never know what an outside world looks like until you see it yourself. That’s the main reason why I applied for Study Abroad Program to Buenos Aires in summer 2019. I’ve never been to Argentina and imagine it is a passionate and energetic country. I will probably fall in love with the country and move there later. Who knows!

How do you think your experience in the Texas McCombs MPA program stands out?
I see myself as a proactive and diligent person. So far, I am quite satisfied with my academic performance. Also, I feel some sense of achievement as professors are giving positive feedback on my TA and RA work.

Can you elaborate on how the office facilitates engagement between students and staff/faculty?
I have a sense of belonging as an MPA student. I went to two MPA tailgates, and we had our own MPA tent which felt like home… where MPA staff and students talked and shared things about football, school life, and other fun stuff. I even ran the Zilker Relays for the MPA program! It was exciting and gave me a totally different experience beyond classroom study. By the way, the tacos provided after the relay were delicious! I also attended two MPA Educated Eats sessions with Professor Sara Toynbee and John McInnis. I’m not taking their classes, but the Educated Eats provided me with the chance to listen to about study and work experiences, get to know their research interests, and know what their life looks like off campus. All in all, I truly feel that the MPA Program Office is creating an environment where faculty and students can easily communicate and interact. I feel very comfortable and free when talking with staff and faculty here. They are supportive to students and really willing to share!

 

Meet Flora Sun

 

Last question… Will you fill out this questionnaire for us? Choose wisely! 🙂

FloraSunAnswers

REGISTER: Texas McCombs MPA Information Session

Interested in the traditional MPA? Come to our on-campus info session to meet the admissions team and learn how the Texas McCombs MPA can benefit you.

Date: Thursday, October 18, 2018
Time: 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Location: Legacy Events Room, CBA 3.202

RSVP today!

Meet the Texas McCombs MPA Team!

Are you interested in earning a Master in Professional Accounting (MPA) degree from Texas McCombs?

Meet the MPA team at one of these fall events! We will be available to answer your questions on the MPA program and the benefits it offers you. We look forward to seeing you soon!

MCCOMBS CAREER EXPO
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 3-5 P.M.
UT REC SPORTS CENTER, 2ND FLOOR

UT MARKETPLACE
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 10 A.M.-3 P.M.
SPEEDWAY OUTSIDE GSB/CBA

MAJOR MINOR EXPO
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 11 A.M.-2 P.M.
GREGORY GYM PLAZA

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