I’ve been accepted into UConn’s MSA program and Austin-McCombs’ MPA program and am having a difficult time deciding.
While UConn isn’t a bad school, Austin-McCombs is the better program. However, it costs ~$30,000 more. Also, Austin-McCombs would require moving to Texas and attending school during normal working hours. UConn’s program is an online format which wouldn’t require me to move. I just started a staff accountant job (in November) with the county in which I live.
Will building my resume with my current job while doing UConn’s MSA program make me a more attractive job candidate than attending UT and potentially not working (making it a ~$70,000 cost differential (plus moving costs incurred)?
At this differential, it doesn’t seem worth it to me, as both will make me a decent candidate (better school or better resume) but perhaps I’m mistaken about UConn & UT’s reputations?
My other concern is the recruitment options through an online program. Anyone know if UConn does help with job placement for their online MSA students? I plan on reaching out to the admissions office as well, but am wondering if anyone has personal experience? And if so, what does it entail? The Big 4 doesn’t recruit at the school where I’m getting my undergraduate. I tried to reach out to them about internships on the individual level to no avail. Even with a 3.96, I wasn’t getting any return e-mails or phone calls about any internships (not just Big 4). Thankfully, the job I have now opened up, but I don’t want to be in a similar predicament at the end of my graduate degree.
If you are looking for a strong recruiting base go to ut. Any costs you may incurr during the process will be mitigated by your job after. Also, ut won’t sleep until you have at least a big four accounting job.
Will you have a CPA at the end ? CPA offers more opportunity than MsA but CPA+MsA is much better.
I agree UT Coombs trumps UConn online for job placement but the jobs will be in Texas initially. Do you mind living in Texas?
I’m a CPA and the father of a current MSA student at a to 5 program.
I have a hard time believing that an online degree, even from a state flagship, can be readily compared to to attending one of the top accounting programs. However, in order for you to make a good decision, you need to understand some basics about accounting offers from the Big 4 and other top firms.
On campus recruiting is by far the primary source of internships and job offers. The answer to the question of where should you go should be influenced by good data. You need to know which firms recruit at the schools you are interested in and how many former students have received offers. If each of the top firms take 20 students, that is a big difference from 2 students each.
Each office tends to recruit its own staff While for a few good prospects, there can be opportunities to secure positions in a different region, you need to be prepared that this might not happen. As mentioned in a post above, if you go to UT, most of the jobs are going to be in Texas. If you for sure want to stay on the East Coast, look for a good program in the city you want to work in. As great as the UT program is, there probably aren't too many partners who are UT grads in NYC or Chicago - those cities have their own "favorite" schools.
While the Big 4 firms are known for casting a wide net by recruiting at colleges of many sizes, good students at top programs have more opportunities to secure these jobs with top firms. The firms aren't dumb, the top programs have many top students. While a few top students at smaller programs might receive interest from big firms, its the students further down in the class that might not have as many opportunities.
Starting salary offers at a given office for recruiting classes at the big firms are the same regardless of where you went to school. While the starting salary differs by office due to the local cost of living, every new recruit at an office will start at the same salary. The grads from UT, Notre Dame, USC etc will make the same as any other college that the firm recruits at. Recruits differentiate themselves by their performance on the job - the cream will soon rise to the top.
So, in summary I would say, Big 4 accounting is not quite the same as Investment Banking where the school name is “everything”. However, that being said, you do need to investigate not just which firms recruit on the campuses you are considering, but also find out how many students actually received offers. It is also important to not let USNWR or PAR rankings cause you to make a huge financial mistake. Remember, with the accounting firms, where you went to school will not impact your starting salary, so don’t spend $70,000+ if there is a good local option. Maybe I’m wrong, but I would be sceptical of the recruiting opportunities of an online MSA.
Sorry I had to leave so my previous post was not complete.
If money were no object, or at least not a major obstacle, an elite program provides opportunities and learning experiences that are hard to match. The elite professors, top notch recruiting and placement services and classes where everyone in the room is motivated and bright were noted by my son and made even the driest topics interesting and challenging. Luckily, my wife and I can afford to pay for that experience. However, if the cost presents a big challenge, the fact that firms do not pay more for a big name school makes it hard to justify the cost.
Since the Big 4 do not recruit at your school, with your grades, I would consider casting a wider net to find a good program, with good job placement, that would provide you with a decent scholarship. I know that some programs give most if not all students a decent scholarship. For example, my son is at Notre Dame with a partial scholarship - but the overall cost is still high. He also had scholarship offers from Indiana and Miami OH. These type of scholarships are not automatic, you don’t know the amount until you are accepted.