Master in Professional Accounting Admissions Blog

Insider Information for Prospective Texas McCombs MPA Students

Tag: MPA Bridge

Specialized Masters Info Session

REGISTER: Join Us In Person to Learn About Specialized Master’s Options for UT Students

October 30, 2024 / / 0 Comments

Connect with the Specialized Master’s recruiting and admissions team to discover the range of master’s programs offered at McCombs. As a UT undergraduate, you can take advantage of the opportunity to earn a master’s degree by staying just one more year at UT.

The info session will cover admission requirements, career outcomes, important dates, and more. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and dive into what makes the McCombs School of Business Specialized Master’s programs highly ranked and well sought after.

Specialized Master’s programs for UT undergrads include:

  • Accounting
  • Business Analytics
  • Finance
  • Information Technology & Management
  • Marketing

REGISTER: SPECIALIZED MASTER’S INFO SESSION FOR UT STUDENTS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5 | 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. CT

BERNARD AND AUDRE RAPOPORT BUILDING (BRB) 2.136

REGISTER: Join Us In Person for the MPA Bridge Meet and Mingle!

October 23, 2024 / / 0 Comments

Are you a current UT non-accounting major interested in expanding your career opportunities? Join us in person at the MPA Bridge Meet and Mingle to learn how you can complement your bachelor’s degree with our Master in Professional Accounting (MPA) degree. Meet and mingle with MPA staff and current MPA students who started their program with a non-business background. Plus, enjoy some Plucker’s on us! Open to all UT majors.

REGISTER: MPA BRIDGE MEET & MINGLE

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 6-7 pm

ROWLING HALL SPECIAL EVENTS ROOM, RRH 5.210

 

Grab a coffee and chat with MPA

Stop By to Chat with MPA Students and Admissions Staff!

October 21, 2024 / / 0 Comments

Interested in the Master in Professional Accounting program? Stop by for some coffee in the McCombs Hall of Honors to speak with a current student or an admissions team member, and learn more about earning your accounting master’s degree in just one year! No registration is needed.

Wednesday, October 23, 2024
11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Hall of Honors, CBA 2.200

MPA Bridge Info Session October 16, 2024

REGISTER: Join the October 16 MPA Bridge Information Session!

October 11, 2024 / / 0 Comments

Are you a current UT undergraduate looking to expand your career options? This program allows you to begin working towards a Master in Professional Accounting (MPA) while finishing your bachelor’s degree in your senior year—regardless of your major.

Join our upcoming virtual info session to discover how the MPA Bridge program can fast-track your path to success. You’ll hear all about the admissions process, curriculum, career prospects, and what life is like in the program.

REGISTER: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16 – 5:00 PM CT

We look forward to meeting you soon!

Jasmin Blas-Mendieta

Jasmin Blas-Mendieta, MPA Senior Recruiting and Admissions Officer.

 

FAQs MPA Bridge Applicants

FAQs: MPA Bridge Applicants

September 13, 2024 / / 0 Comments

Are you an MPA Bridge applicant with questions about our MPA Bridge admissions process? The MPA admissions team put together a list of frequently asked questions. Find answers and tips below!

What are the eligibility requirements to apply to MPA Bridge?

You must satisfy the following criteria to be eligible to apply to the MPA Bridge program for summer 2025 entry:

  • Be a current UT undergraduate student completing a non-accounting bachelor’s degree
  • Have a minimum 3.5 grade point average, both overall and in your major
  • Have senior standing (90 or more credit hours) prior to summer 2025
  • Complete the course pre-enrollment requirements before applying to MPA Bridge (ideal) or before enrolling in MPA classes (required)
  • Have an expected bachelor’s degree completion date of summer 2025, fall 2025, or spring 2026
    • If you plan to finish your bachelor’s degree in spring 2025 or sooner, apply to the traditional MPA program for fall 2025 (with a potential summer 2025 start date)
    • If you will finish your bachelor’s degree in summer 2026 through spring 2027, apply to MPA Bridge next year for summer 2026 entry

When are MPA Bridge admissions applications reviewed for a decision?

The MPA admissions committee reviews completed MPA Bridge applications on a continuous, “rolling” basis. Eligible applicants may apply anytime during the admissions cycle until the final May 6, 2025 application deadline. We encourage you to apply as soon as you have completed the majority of the pre-enrollment courses.

Should I submit my application and transcript before fall grades are available?

If you’re aiming to apply early so that you can receive an earlier admissions decision, you can submit a transcript without fall grades. (We will reach out if we need your fall grades before making a decision.) That said, we highly recommend waiting to submit your application and transcript with your fall grades if:

  • You are taking pre-enrollment courses in the fall, and/or
  • Your GPA will be improved substantially with your fall grades.

It is better to wait and submit the strongest application possible rather than overly rush to apply!

I submitted my application. When will I receive an admissions decision?

Your application will not be considered complete and reviewed for a decision until at least two faculty recommendation letters have been received. Verify the receipt of your recommendation letters in the McCombs application portal (Submitted Applications tab > Manage Recommenders). If needed, send additional requests for letters through the portal. Decisions for U.S. applications are released approximately six weeks after application completion.

Any questions we missed?

If you have still have questions regarding our admissions process, please contact us! We’re happy to help.

 

Meet Current MPA Student Mateen Bashiri

May 10, 2024 / / 0 Comments
Mateen Bashiri

Benefits of the Master in Professional Accounting Program
Mateen Bashiri, MPA candidate ’24, on the path to CFO

When Mateen Bashiri started his undergraduate degree at The University of Texas at Austin, he was sure he would become a doctor. But Bashiri soon pivoted to economics, an area of study he’d enjoyed in high school. Now, he’s about to earn a master’s in accounting.

While Bashiri was still an economics undergrad, he enrolled in Texas McCombs’ Master in Professional Accounting (MPA) Bridge program, which allowed him to get a head start on his graduate MPA coursework in his senior year. He’s currently on track to graduate this spring.

Bashiri tells us why he’s pursuing an accounting master’s degree, the benefits of the MPA Bridge program, and his experience in the MPA program.

Q: How did you decide on your career path?

A: I’m from Austin originally. I went into college as a science major and was going to be a doctor. But I quickly saw that it wasn’t for me. My dad is an accountant — a financial controller for a med tech company — and a lot of other family members work in accounting, too. Growing up, I saw their careers develop. I also really enjoyed my economics classes in high school. I really like the business aspect. After getting my undergraduate degree in economics, it was close between whether I’d go into accounting or finance. Ultimately, I decided I wanted to become a certified public accountant (CPA).

Q: How did you decide to pursue an MPA degree?

A: I knew I needed my master’s degree to get the hours I needed, especially since I didn’t have an accounting background. I also knew UT students have a very high pass rate for the CPA exam; you’re prepared very well to succeed. Plus, the MPA is a great degree given that my goal is to eventually become a CFO. There are a lot of CPAs who become CFOs. This degree is such a great propellent into many other career opportunities.

Q: What benefits did you see in enrolling in the MPA Bridge program?

A: I was set to graduate a semester early from undergrad, and for most other master’s programs out there, I would have had to skip the spring semester and enroll the following fall. The Bridge program let me go right into my master’s academic work, and it really gave me a great head start for the graduate portion of the MPA program. I took one class as part of the MPA Bridge program in the summer before I graduated while finishing my undergraduate degree, and then I took two classes in the fall. After that, I started full time in the MPA program in the spring. Coming into the accounting program with an economics background also definitely helped me, especially in the foundational accounting courses. I didn’t feel at all unprepared.

Q: What has been the most exciting part of the MPA program to date?

A: The best part, even though it sounds somewhat cliché, has been meeting so many people from all across the country. I wasn’t expecting that. And a lot of us regularly keep up with each other, too.

Q: What’s your plan for after you graduate?

A: Currently, I’m taking one class and I’ll graduate this spring. I’m also working on preparing for the CPA exam, and I’m hoping to finish that over the next five or six months. Then I’ll start my new job as a financial analyst with Dell Technologies in their Accounting Development Program. Last summer, I interned with Dell, and the company offered me a full-time job. The internship was an opportunity that came onto my radar because of McCombs — there are a lot of recruiting events with many different kinds of employers.

Q: What would you say to non-accounting UT students thinking about applying to the MPA program?

A: Definitely do it. It’s been such a great experience. You get to meet great people and get very well prepared for the CPA exam. It’s nice being around people who are so driven. UT’s program is the No. 1 program for a reason. The professors are very good, really intelligent, and they present topics in an exciting way. That’s why so many have been around for a while. This program prepares you, whether you have an accounting background, or not, for long-term career success.

Meet Current MPA Student Sophia Matar

April 26, 2024 / / 0 Comments
Sophia Matar
Full Speed Ahead for This MPA Student 

Sophia Matar, MPA candidate ’24, credits McCombs’ career coaches and corporate partners with starting her off well

Sophia Matar is no stranger to the fast track. She started her undergraduate education at The University of Texas at Austin with enough dual credit and Advanced Placement coursework to graduate in just three years — majoring in economics with a minor in accounting. So, the opportunity to get a head start on graduate coursework through Texas McCombs’ Master in Professional Accounting (MPA) Bridge program was, she says, “just too good to pass up.”

She’s currently set to graduate at the end of the Spring 2024 semester, with an audit position awaiting her as she steps off the stage. She talks about accounting as both stable and dynamic, how the MPA Bridge program matched her ambitions, and how real-world exposure at McCombs gave her the confidence to land her first job.

Q: After studying both economics and accounting, what finally drew you toward a master’s in accounting?

A: I found economics coursework to be a lot more theoretical, while accounting is more structured and practical. So, the stability drew me in. But it’s also an exciting field because there are so many avenues to pursue, so many different types of jobs, and plenty of potential to work directly with clients. Some people who study accounting end up as investment bankers or as CFOs — it’s not sitting at a desk and booking journal entries.

Q: What benefits did you see in enrolling in the MPA Bridge program?

A: My plan was to graduate in three years, and I saw the Bridge program as a way to start my graduate studies in my third year of college and then finish my master’s in my fourth year. Finishing two degrees in four years was just too good to pass up. It definitely helped to save money, too.

Q: What aspects of the one-year MPA program have you enjoyed and have been helpful for you?

A: I’ve gotten so much help with professional development. McCombs’ career coaches have met with me multiple times, helping me with interview prep and to rework my résumé. Because of all their help, I now feel extremely confident in my networking skills.

It’s also been really helpful to hear from so many guest speakers in classes — people who are out working in the field right now. Hearing their experiences has helped me to understand that not everybody is on the same path, but that accountants come from many different backgrounds and succeed in a wide range of really interesting roles. Right now, for example, I’m in an internal audit class and we’re paired with a company to do internal audit work for them. It’s so great to get that experience while I’m in school.

Q: What’s your plan for after graduation?

A: Initially, I figured I would do general consulting after graduation. But during my MPA experience, I’ve been exposed to so many different ways in which to be an accountant, and I realized that I really like the internal side of audit versus the external side. I ended up taking a tech risk consulting position with EY, where I’ll be doing internal control work and risk assessment.

Q: What about advice for potential accounting program applicants?

A: The program is well worth it — and not just because of the coursework, even though that has been instrumental for me. It’s valuable because you have access to real-world experiences and one-on-one development opportunities. McCombs’ MPA program is one of the most well-known and prepares you very well for whatever accounting path you choose.

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