USC Leventhal Masters in Accounting

<p>I am interested in the MAcc program, I do not have a business-related undergraduate major, nor work experience in accounting or business. I know that admission into the program can occur for those without accounting backgrounds.</p>

<p>My question is, what is the career placement available to MAcc grads beyond working for the big 4? I'm specifically interested in whether there are opportunities in finance. Also, since the program is 1 year, I would think it would be difficult to get into finance without an internship summer. The Leventhal website does not provide placement information so that's why I'm asking.</p>

<p>Halp! Thanks</p>

<p>Doesn’t it make sense to get experience in the field you want to go into before getting the masters in accounting? That way, when you meet recruiters and talk to employers while you are in the MAcc you can have something to show them. IMO the main benefit of one MAcc program over another is what recruiters they have at their events.</p>

<p>I’m considering going into a MAcc program but only if I beef up my resume a bit first.</p>

<p>For you, considering you don’t have a business degree or accounting experience, I think an employer would see you as risky to hire because they don’t know if you even like accounting or business work.</p>

<p>Well, I don’t think accounting experience is necessary. Many of the masters in accounting programs do not have previous accounting/business or degree requirements. I think Big 4 is always interested in someone that can become a CPA, which is easily possible after 150 credit hours of class (Undergrad + masters) + a few months on the job (I think). But I am not solely interested in working for Big 4; I’m trying to figure out if one can use MAcc to get into finance if they’re having trouble breaking in with an unrelated undergraduate major.</p>

<p>I have a 3.086 undergraduate UCLA Econ GPA. If I get a 3.6+ GPA at a MAcc, you think the Big 4 will give me an interview?</p>

<p>One year or not, that’s an awful lot of accounting for someone who is not primarily interested in accounting. The thought of all those accounting classes makes me nauseous and I’m a practicing CPA.</p>

<p>Why not try an MS finance program? Such programs are rare but worth seeking out if finance is where you want to work. The school-career progression is much more certain in accounting than in finance, but what good is that if it leads to a career in accounting and you want something else?</p>

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<p>I believe most every MS Finance program requires a math-heavy background in undergrad or finance work experience. I know there are ways to transition into finance after transferring within a big 4 into a few of the departments, I am not sure about straight into finance from MAcc though.</p>

<p>There are non-quant MS Finance courses, just not very many.</p>

<p>Here are two:</p>

<p><a href=“http://npv.sdsu.edu/Assets/MSBA_Finance_forprinting2.PDF[/url]”>http://npv.sdsu.edu/Assets/MSBA_Finance_forprinting2.PDF&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://www.claremontmckenna.edu/rdschool/academic/masters/[/url]”>http://www.claremontmckenna.edu/rdschool/academic/masters/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>The Claremont McKenna program is highly selective, the SDSU program not so much. Neither program will open doors like a BS from Harvard but you have to start somewhere. Starting with several years of accounting is the hard way to go if it turns out you don’t like accounting.</p>

<p>The Claremont McKenna program looks like something I’d be interested in. </p>

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<p>That’s an issue I guess, but not impossible. Is the GRE easier in math than the GMAT? The median GRE is 790!</p>

<p>Must be a typo. 740 is 92nd percentile. 790 is 98.</p>

<p>Still, not an easy ticket and I read somewhere they only enrolled 17 students for the current year so they didn’t reach down to fill up the class.</p>

<p>How much can you expect to make with a Masters in accountig from USC with no work experience starting off? Does anyone know how much the big 4 pay?</p>