Need some help starting my career as an Accountant

<p>I graduated this spring with my BA in Economics, and decided I want to pursue a Masters in Accounting. I was toying around with the idea for the past year, but now I'm positive I'm going to go through with it. The program I'm looking at isn't prestigious or anything, but I was told by teachers there that the Big 4 does recruit there. </p>

<p>Now I'm slightly worried though. The program is rolling admissions, so I'll be able to start the second summer session or the fall at the latest (depending on when I sit for the GMAT). I'm wondering if the Big 4 does its recruitment in the fall for internships? This poses a problem because I'll still only have Financial Accounting as my background at that point, with no GPA or anything for the Masters program (undergrad GPA was 3.5 though). </p>

<p>I'm also imagining that getting the internship and doing a good job will give me my best opportunity to work for the Big 4. Do they also recruit people who don't have prior Big 4 work experience? </p>

<p>This seems like it's my best choice also for a program since it is rolling admission, 30 credits to obtain the degree, and I may qualify for my tuition to be reduced.</p>

<p>Any help is appreciated, thank you.</p>

<p>Ok I didn’t want to start a new topic, but I need help with finding a MAcc program. I decided rather than enter a lesser known program this fall, I’ll just save up as much money as I can over the next year to help pay for a better program. I’m already 38k in debt from undergrad, and don’t want to be buried in it for the rest of my life. I’m shooting for a job in the Big 4.</p>

<p>I’m currently studying for the GMAT and looking for programs. Programs like UTexas-Austins MPA are perfect, but it is pricey and difficult to get into. </p>

<p>Any recommendations would be helpful. Thank you.</p>

<p>I think if you get an MPA from UT with a high GPA, you might be able to get a Big Four job without an internship. At least, the statistics at those company profiles for the Big Four seem to indicate that SOMEBODY is getting jobs there without being interns first. I think 85% of interns are offered jobs…so that’s the best way…but not everyone offered a job did an internship. I think anyway. I’m not 100% sure if those stats include non-accounting type jobs. </p>

<p>I think if you can find a job doing something else part-time and only go to school part-time you might be able to stretch out the window for getting an internship. I dunno if the fee structure will really punish you for doing that though.</p>

<p>Well if I went to UT-Austin’s program I wouldn’t have to worry about not getting an internship. It actually seems they help you out with an internship. The other program I was looking at (at a school in NJ) seems more like a fend for yourself because it doesn’t mention internships on the site at all, and when I emailed faculty there they didn’t really have much to say about getting an internship through the program. I don’t know if I’m making sense or not. </p>

<p>I’m looking at programs like UT because they help with internships and set you up for the CPA exam. I WAS looking at Fairleigh Dickinson because it’s cheaper, but a job at the Big 4 seems less likely. I am also looking into Rutgers Professional Accounting MBA, which would set me up for the CPA, but I’d rather avoid having the MBA attached.</p>