<p>Im 22 and ill be a junior this year in accounting. I know im kinda late, but i already have a degree in political science and pre-med concentration. Little bit of confusion in career path. </p>
<p>Anyways I attend the University of Tennessee- Knoxville. Here they only offer 24 credits in accounting, thus when you get your bachelors in accounting you still cannot sit for the CPA exam. It requires 30 Acc. credits. They also dont allow you to just take 2 grad level classes to fulfill the requirement, rather they force you get a masters of accounting degree (additional yr of school). </p>
<p>My question is should I stay at UTK for the MaCC program or am I better off looking to apply to better programs?</p>
<p>What are the best schools that offer a masters in accounting?</p>
<p>Look for better programs like UTexas Austin, UMich, BYU, and UIUC to name a few. In this economy, no reason to risk money and time on crappy programs.</p>
<p>What about them? They are hard as hell to get into like sub 10% acceptance rate. If you can get in, then by all means take that over Accounting any day.</p>
<p>How many hours are you going to have upon graduation if you get a MAcc?</p>
<p>Do you feel like you need the recruitment opportunities another school might offer?</p>
<p>Why couldn’t you just take two grad courses and not finish? Or you could just take two more courses at a community college if they offered them.</p>
<p>I’ll have almost 200 hours because I already have another degree as I said in the original post. It’s just that at UTK they don’t allow you to take grad school level class to get the additional 6 credits of accounting classes you need to sit for the CPA. You have to be in their MAcc program to take them. You need 30 and they offer only 24 in undergrad. UTK is a feeder school to the big 4, but I was thinking since I have to get a MAcc why not try and go to the highest ranked school I can. I’ll probably a bigger foot into the door at a big 4 firm. </p>
<p>They don’t offer high level accounting classes at community colleges. I’d have to apply and take them at another state school that would have them</p>
<p>If UTK is a feeder school to the Big 4, then stay there for the MAcc. It’s only an extra year and you are already know the teachers, have familiar classmates, and know what is expected.</p>
<p>As for places like Wharton, if you want an MBA there, they expect you to have some professional accomplishments by then and hence rarely accept students right from BS programs.</p>
<p>Yes, the reason I asked about hours is because you mentioned you have another degree. It’s an unnecessary expense to go for a full blown MAcc when you already have enough hours unless you feel you need the campus recruitment opportunities, which you feel you don’t. Maybe money isn’t an issue for you, though.</p>
<p>And what I was referring to about taking grad classes at your current school… Why are you unable to apply for the MAcc program but only take 2 classes? You can go through the process as though you will finish the full program but stop after you get the classes you need. You’d have to take the GMAT/GRE anyway.</p>
<p>It seems as though the way your program is set up is to make it necessary for Accounting students to enter a MAcc program if they want to take the CPA exam, which I feel is silly. I wouldn’t want to perpetuate the lack of options they give students to achieve their goals.</p>
<p>Geo1113: Yeah UTK is the best accounting program in the state (25th nationally so just decent). I was thinking that if I were accepted to top program like Mccombs or Ross I could better a better position at a big 4 firm to start?</p>
<p>WailingContestant: I could have taken their accelerated program for degree holding students which allows you just to take the 24 hrs of accounting credits then go right into the MAcc program. When I put it all down on paper it only accounted to finishing a semester early compared to getting a whole bachelors in accounting. </p>
<p>Next, yeah I could do that like get into the MAcc program, finish the necessary credits then drop out. I even asked my accounting professor (she’s the coordinator of setting up students with jobs and internships, basically she communicates with the firms) she said no student has ever done that successfully. She also said that usually the MAcc students all have jobs lined up before starting the macc program and the job is contingent on their graduation from the MAcc program. </p>
<p>Finally, yeah I don’t like how they basically force their students to get a masters in a field where it’s not really necessary. </p>
<p>Another Question for everyone: is it better to specialize in taxation or audit? Like which has a better career path?</p>
<p>I have like 145 overall credits. I don’t want to work in Tennessee at all. I’m dying to move away lol. But I will work/live wherever my best shot is at the big 4. </p>
<p>Ideally I would prefer to work in Texas, California, or New York. </p>
<p>I had listed Ross and Mccombs just because of the prestige and weight their MAcc programs hold</p>
<p>@geo: that’s awesome! So I guess I’ll just keep my options open, and see what happens. When time comes ill probably still apply to those other schools in just incase. </p>
<p>Beyond grades, you know I just want to maximize my chances by utilizing all my resources to get that step into the door.</p>
<p>Sorry I’m being really anal retentive about this stuff. </p>
<p>To put it into an analogy, I want to be the harvey specter of accounting. (If you’ve seen the show suits)</p>
<p>It can’t hurt applying. But definitely try to get an internship with one of the bigs. But even the next level firm would be good if you cant get one of the bigs right away. </p>
<p>I have only seen the promo for suits. I’ll have to check it out.</p>
<p>Another example into my observation, many colleges that have MAcc program push students getting into MAcc to fulfill 150 units; while colleges that don’t have MAcc program encourage students overload or taking class in summer to fulfill 150 units before graduation.</p>
<p>TP, modeling is work and employers like people who work. Could someone be put off by it? It’s possible. But my experience is that people notice resumes that are different. If you have the qualifications that the firms seeks, being noticed is a plus.</p>