Commit to the Texas MPA

The accounting faculty and staff hope that all students admitted to the Texas MPA program will commit to enrolling at The University of Texas at Austin. When you enroll here, you'll be joining a highly ranked graduate accounting program, and you'll find that the Austin community has a lot to offer you beyond the classroom. The opportunities that a Texas MPA degree gives you are virtually endless.

As you decide whether or not you will enroll in the Texas MPA program, you may wish to:

• Visit the MPA program and The University of Texas at Austin to learn more about the program first-hand.
• Connect with a current MPA student.
• Read the MPA student life blog to discover the MPA program from an insider's perspective.
• Explore the Texas MPA  and The University of Texas at Austin websites. They are excellent sources of information about our program and the University.

To facilitate planning, please indicate whether or not you plan to attend the Texas MPA program by logging in to the MPA applicant system using your UT EID and password.

If you accept our admission offer, you'll be asked to submit an enrollment deposit of $400 (U.S.). Once received and deposited by the Office of Student Accounts Receivable, the Enrollment Deposit is non-refundable. Enrollment deposit funds will be held until the candidate formally registers and initiates payment activity for his or her fall classes. At that time, all enrollment deposit funds will be automatically applied toward the fall tuition and fee requirements. Please contact Keri Ledezma if you need additional information or assistance as you make your decision.

Visiting UT, McCombs and the MPA Program Office

Campus Visits

We welcome prospective students to visit the Texas MPA Program to learn more about our curriculum, career opportunities, faculty, and students. If you would like to arrange a specialized visit, please complete the Campus Visit Form with your preferred visit options, and e-mail the completed form to the MPA Program Office. Once the arrangements have been made, our visit coordinator will contact you with an agenda and directions to our office. If possible, please notify us at least two weeks in advance to ensure the best possible campus visit experience. If you have any questions, please call the MPA Program Office at 512-471-6559.

Virtual Tour

Get a perspective on The University of Texas at Austin campus and learn more about the history and traditions of the university. The Look Around virtual tour provides a 360-degree view from a dozen of the most compelling sites on campus. Just click and drag your cursor on each image, and you will unlock a panoramic vista from iconic locations such as the Tower, Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium and the West Mall.

• Start Flash tour

The tours open in a new browser window. If you experience problems viewing the virtual tour, install the latest version of Adobe Flash Player.

Directions to UT Austin from Austin Bergstrom International Airport

Plan for a minimum 20-minute drive from Austin Bergstrom International Airport (ABIA) to the University of Texas campus. Exit ABIA onto State Highway 71 West and follow it about five miles to I-35 North. Drive North on I-35 about five miles and take the Martin Luther King Boulevard exit. Turn left and follow MLK Blvd. over the highway. Pass the intersections at Red River, Trinity, and San Jacinto. Turn right into the Brazos Parking Garage (BRG) at the corner of Brazos St. and MLK Blvd. Please visit UT's Parking and Transportation website for garage parking rates. The McCombs School of Business is on the northwest corner of 21st Street and Speedway.

Directions to UT Austin From I-35

Take the MLK Blvd. exit and turn right at the light if you are traveling south. If you are traveling north, turn left and follow MLK Blvd. over the highway. Pass the intersections at Red River, Trinity, and San Jacinto. Turn right into the Brazos Parking Garage (BRG) at the corner of Brazos St. and MLK Blvd.

Important Dates for Summer and Fall 2013

*Incoming MPA students who do not qualify for the ACC 381–Financial Accounting waiver (based on two semesters of financial accounting, including one semester of intermediate accounting, at the undergraduate level with a grade of B or better) will be required to enroll in the second summer session (July 15 – August 19, 2013) and complete two courses: ACC 381-Financial Accounting and ACC 380k.11-Introduction to Taxation. Please note that those students who do qualify for the ACC 381 waiver will not be allowed to start in the summer. In addition, students who have not completed Introduction to Financial Accounting or the equivalent at another institution must enroll in ACC 311-Fundamentals of Financial Accounting in the first summer session (June 6 - July 13, 2013). ACC 311 (or the equivalent) is a prerequisite to ACC 381 - Financial Accounting. If you have any questions about whether or not you will be required to start in the summer, please e-mail Keri Ledezma. 

For a detailed calendar for Summer and Fall 2013, consult the UT Registrar's Office calendar website.

Academic Advising

Students who are beginning the MPA program in the fall should schedule their initial academic advising appointment prior to the week of August 19 (Orientation), and students who are required to start in the summer should schedule their initial advising appointment before summer registration on July 12.

In your initial academic advising appointment, you and your academic advisor will discuss your background and coursework to date via a review of your undergraduate transcript. Your advisor will determine which MPA classes, if any, can be waived and/or substituted. Please note that it is sometimes necessary to provide the academic advisor with syllabi from your previous coursework to determine your eligibility for course waivers and/or substitutions. For more information about the classes required for your MPA degree and the requirements for waiving or substituting some of these classes, please see our Core Courses page.

In addition, your academic advisor will review your transcript(s) to determine if you have satisfied the pre-enrollment requirements prior to enrolling in the MPA program. If you are unable to meet all of the pre-enrollments prior to beginning your MPA program of work, you will have the option to take the courses at UT at the undergraduate level but at the graduate tuition rate. Please note that these courses will not count toward the MPA degree, and completing this course work after enrolling in the MPA program will most likely extend your graduation date. As a result, you are strongly encouraged to complete the pre-enrollment requirements prior to enrolling in the MPA program. 

Career Consulting

All students who plan to participate in the McCombs recruiting process are required to schedule a resume review with a career consultant (in person or via phone) or attend a resume roundtable review session prior to the resume book submission deadline on July 17 to ensure that resumes are recruiting-ready.

Starting in May, you may contact the MPA Program Office at MPA@mccombs.utexas.edu to schedule your summer appointments and sign up for a resume roundtable. If you wish to discuss career issues beyond the resume, please mention that when you send your email message so that additional time may be reserved for your appointment.

MPA Orientation

Congratulations on your acceptance to the MPA program at The University of Texas at Austin! It is truly an outstanding achievement. To introduce you to Austin, UT and the MPA program, we have planned a comprehensive on-site orientation program prior to the start of fall classes.  Additionally, we will host a career orientation over the summer via webinar to acquaint you with career resources and the rapidly approaching recruiting process.

MPA Orientation Program

MPA Orientation events will be held throughout the week of August 19, 2013. Attendance is mandatory except for those events marked as optional. The orientation schedule will be posted on this web page as soon as it is available. We look forward to meeting you in August!

MPA Career Orientation Webinar

MPA career consultants will provide an overview of MPA recruiting, including important dates and tools for preparation in the MPA Career Orientation Webinar for incoming traditional MPA students.  From your own computer, tune in to learn about specific career services, events and resources available to help MPA students throughout the career development and job search process. 

All new students who plan to participate in on-campus recruiting are required to participate in one of the sessions offered.  All sessions will cover the same information.  You do not have to be on campus to attend this webinar.  It is strongly suggested that you participate in the webinar prior to your scheduled initial career advising appointment if possible. 

Webinar Session Dates and Times:
All times noted are on Central Standard Time (CST)
Tuesday, June 4 at 11 a.m.
Wednesday, June 5 at Noon
Thursday, June 27 at 5:30 p.m.
Monday, July 8 at 2 p.m.

Note that all times noted are on Central Standard Time (CST). Session times are subject to change. Sessions will last less than one hour.  Please register at least three business days prior to the desired session by emailing your name and selected session time to peermpa@mccombs.utexas.edu.  Information needed to access the webinar will be sent to registered participants via email at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled session. 

Technology Orientation

Technology is an important part of the learning environment at McCombs. The business school has a sophisticated network and provides students with valuable resources, such as computer labs, McCombs e-mail accounts, wired and wireless internet access throughout our buildings, and laptops and other media equipment through the McCombs Media Services for occasional use.

A McCombs technology account and email address will be created for you no later than early June. Your McCombs email address will be: firstname.lastname@mpa[year of graduation].mccombs.utexas.edu. For example, if Joe Smith is entering the MPA program in fall 2013, then his anticipated graduation year is 2014, and his email address would be: joe.smith@mpa14.mccombs.utexas.edu. Any messages that are sent to the McCombs email address will be forwarded automatically to the email address you provided at the time of admission. Be sure to keep your email forwarding address current so that you receive all messages sent to your McCombs email address, including messages from the MPA Program Office. Instructions for setting up your McCombs (MSB) technology account, changing your email forwarding address, and changing your name in the email address are available in the online MPA Technology Orientation. Please ensure you have set up your McCombs (MSB) account and McCombs email address before the first day of MPA Orientation.  You will need this information for some orientation activities, as well as to participate in on-campus recruiting.

Excel Skills Training

The University of Texas at Austin MPA program is committed to offering its students a comprehensive education. Our goal is to create highly qualified financial professionals that can serve as leaders in the business community. Our relationship with over two hundred employers allows us to gather input on the essential skills necessary to succeed and lead in today’s business world. Employers have told us unequivocally that one of those skills is a comprehensive knowledge of Microsoft Excel. It is easy to see why. Excel is used to perform a multitude of everyday business tasks and many employers rely on Excel for advanced business decision support. In short, employers will expect you to know how to execute advanced tasks in Excel such as filtering data, working with advanced functions, creating pivot tables, conducting lookups, etc. Due to the importance and prevalence of Microsoft Excel, we’ve teamed with Cengage to design a series of self-paced online Microsoft Excel courses. As an added value, the online training and interactive project course also includes other popular Microsoft applications such as Access, Word and PowerPoint. The online course is called Skills Assessment Manager (SAM).

Mandatory Excel Skills Testing

Every incoming MPA student is required to complete all assigned Excel 2010 projects (not trainings or exams) in SAM and score at least 70% for each project. There are 11 projects in all. All tests must be passed no later than July 1, 2013. A typical path would include viewing an assigned project and reviewing the associated training sections. If a student feels that they already have a deep knowledge of Excel, the student may load the project into Excel 2010 and complete it. (It is highly recommended that a student use Excel 2010 or later to complete the projects rather than earlier versions of Excel). If a score of 70% or higher is not achieved, the student has the option of viewing the trainings and redoing the projects. Microsoft Access, Word and PowerPoint are provided as a courtesy. There is no mandatory testing associated with those products.

Getting Started

The total cost for the SAM training and testing program is only $50.00. It is easy to use, available 24/7 and you can get started right away! To enroll in the SAM course follow the instructions below:

1. Navigate to www.cengagebrain.com/micro/utacampus
2. Use the drop down menu to select a course and select ACE &MPA and click “Add to Cart”
3. Click “ok” on the next screen and then click “proceed to checkout”
4. Click “Check out” and then follow the on-screen instructions to complete the online purchase
5. You should receive two separate messages at the email address you provided
6. The first message will include your order number and a review of your purchase. The second message will include your SAM instant access code
7. Go to http://sam2010.course.com and click the button to create a “new user”
8. Enter Institution Key T2044946 and then your access code (your code is case sensitive)
9. Create a user profile and accept the user agreement
10. Select link on Welcome page to join a section, choose the section provided by your instructor. The section you should join is Texas MPA Class 2013-2014. Click “Save”

NOTE: When returning to SAM, please return to http://sam2010.course.com and enter your username and password created during the registration process. You will not need to remember your access code or Institution Key.

If you have any issues, tech support can assist at 1-800-354 9706 option 5, then 3 or at www.cengage.com/support

1. Your access to this product will stay active until you graduate.
   1. It can be used during the school year if you need to learn something specific for a class you are taking.
   2. You can take additional trainings during the summer or on breaks.
2. If you have already purchased a SAM subscription for a previous class (including classes at your previous undergraduate university and wish to access this course at no charge, please click here.

Estimated MPA Program Costs

Tuition

In general, the total cost of enrollment is determined by the student's residency status, program length and number of credit hours taken in each semester. Please visit the following websites for detailed information on tuition costs:

• MPA estimated program costs
• Office of Accounting's Tuition and Fee Rates: "Professional (excluding Law) Tuition" chart

Living Expenses

The Office of Student Financial Services provides an estimated UT cost of attendance, including room and board, transportation, and personal expenses, which is based upon averages approved by The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The figure may not correspond exactly to the cost of living in Austin. Actual expenses will vary, depending on your lifestyle and family status, but Austin does offer a moderate cost of living. Please note that the tuition rates posted on the OSFS website are general estimates only; refer to the tuition links above for accurate tuition information.

Financial Aid

Financial assistance programs and scholarships are available to help with the costs of the MPA degree. Please visit the MPA financial aid website for details.

Finding Housing and Living in Austin

Because University housing is quite limited, most MPA students live off-campus.  The following are suggestions for locating both on- and off-campus housing:

On-Campus Housing

Apply as early as possible for on-campus housing! University housing is extremely limited, and demand exceeds the number of available spaces. Application for housing is separate from application for University admission. Acceptance to The University is acknowledged by the Office of Admissions and is not a prerequisite to apply for housing. Although applications are accepted as long as space is available, it is not wise to wait until notification of admission is received to make preliminary housing arrangements. Only full-time students are eligible to live in University Housing.

The University Apartments are approximately six miles from the University campus and are reserved for families, graduate students, and undergraduates with at least 30 hours credit and in good standing with the University. For more information visit the University Apartment website.

Off-Campus Housing

If you are seeking off-campus housing, the Division of Housing and Food Service maintains a website with apartment hunting resources, and the UT Austin Off-Campus Housing website includes a housing guide and database of available listings.

Select a place within the UT shuttle route or Capital Metro route. UT shuttles run more frequently than the Capital Metro buses, but both are free to UT students. Although you may want to drive to UT, parking is limited and the available options are expensive, therefore, having the shuttle available is a good idea.

Utilize apartment finder services to assist you in your search. Locator services can be found in the yellow pages or on the Internet. You should not be asked to pay for this service, as the realtor receives his/her commission through the apartment complex.

Generally speaking, the most popular graduate student neighborhoods are Hyde Park (older rustic houses and apartments close to campus), Far West (apartments further from campus and serviced by the UT Shuttle System), the Enfield/Tarrytown/Lake Austin area (older houses, duplexes and apartment buildings along 15th street and serviced by the UT Shuttle System), South Congress/Riverside (apartments serviced by the UT Shuttle System). West Campus is closest, but this area tends to be populated by undergraduates.

Other Resources

• The UT Graduate School website is a comprehensive resource for information on housing and living in Austin.
• A UT Graduate School graphic illustrates Austin's moderate cost of living.
• The UT International Office provides additional services to help international students make the transition to life in this country, including information on housing.
• Austin Information provided by the McCombs School
• Austin Information provided by The University of Texas at Austin  

  
  

  Search for housing in the classified ads in the local newspapers: 

• Austin American-Statesman Apartment Search
• Austin Chronicle Classifieds

Texas Residency Requirements

Texas law classifies each person who applies for admission to a Texas public college or university as a resident of Texas, a nonresident, or a foreign (international) student. How students are classified is important because it determines whether they pay non-resident tuition rates or in-state rates, which are lower. Individuals can establish residency in two basic ways: one based on graduation from high school and the other based on the establishment of domicile. The option related to establishment of domicile is available to citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. and to international students who hold certain types of visas.

For detailed information about regulations relating to residency, please visit the residency website. If you have additional questions, you may consult with a residency officer.

Admitted MPA Student FAQ

For additional information regarding MPA degree policies, McCombs resources, registration, and other topic areas, please review the current student resources web page.

Accepting the Admission Offer

• I received your admission offer and would like to accept. What do I do now?
  

  1. Accept your offer in our online admissions system.

  2. Submit the enrollment deposit after accepting the offer, and carefully review the information on the next steps. 

  3. Starting in May, set up your summer initial academic advising appointment and resume review by sending an email request to the MPA Program Office at: MPA@mccombs.utexas.edu. Participate in a career webinar if you plan to participate in on-campus recruiting.

  4. Have an official, hard copy of your transcript(s), including evidence of degree(s) awarded, sent to the Graduate and International Admissions Center prior to registration.

  5. Complete Excel skills training by July 1.

  6. Complete MPA Technology Orientation and set up your McCombs (MSB) account and McCombs email and forwarding address before the first day of MPA Orientation.

  7. Submit evidence of required vaccinations at least two weeks prior to your registration date. Please note that international students must meet additional requirements. To check if your medical bar has been removed, log in to your Registration Information Sheet (RIS) to see if you still have a "medical" registration bar.

  8. Keep your phone numbers and email addresses updated with the university in UT Direct.

  9. Obtain your UT ID card at the ID Center. Be sure to ask for a proximity card. Send an email request to: mpaoffice@mccombs.utexas.edu (include your name and UT EID) to have your ID card programmed on the first class day to access the MPA Lounge (CBA 4.352) and MBA/MPA Carpenter Center study rooms (GSB 3.140).

  10. International students: Submit your Certification of Financial Responsibility form, if you have not done so already, so that the International Office can issue your I-20.

  11. International students: Schedule your Immigration Briefing and Check-in through the International Office.

• I need to start in the summer, but my admission letter indicates I was admitted for the fall. Will this be corrected? 
  
  Once your admissions response form and enrollment deposit are submitted, we will backdate your admission to the summer if you are not eligible to waive ACC 381 so that you can enroll in summer courses and so that the Office of Student Financial Services can create your financial aid package for the summer (if applicable). At that time, you will receive a new admission letter from the Graduate and International Admissions Center regarding the change in the semester of admission. In addition, international students will be issued an I-20 based on the new summer start date.

Advising

• Can I schedule my initial advising appointment as a phone appointment? 
  

  Due to the large amount of information covered during the advising sessions, we are unable to schedule phone appointments.

• Am I required to attend Orientation? 
  

  Yes. Attendance at Orientation is mandatory because important information about our program is disseminated at Orientation and because it provides an opportunity to meet your fellow classmates, alumni, faculty, staff and employers.

Financial Aid

• When will I find out if I received a departmental scholarship or out-of-state tuition waiver? 
  

  Scholarship decisions are made and awardees are notified via e-mail prior to the MPA admission response deadline. Please note that all admitted applicants are automatically considered for possible departmental scholarships and out-of-state tuition waivers; no separate application is required. Due to limited funding, departmental scholarships are offered to U.S. applicants who demonstrate a superior record of academic accomplishment in their application materials.

• Are international students eligible to receive departmental scholarships or teaching assistant (TA) positions? 
  

  International students are not eligible for federal loans or departmental recruiting scholarships and therefore should be prepared to meet all expenses, for up to a 42 credit hour program, from their own resources. However, international students who completed an undergraduate degree in accounting are eligible to apply for a TA position in accounting. Additional details are available on our financial aid website.

• How do I apply for a teaching assistantship (TA) position in the Department of Accounting? 
  

  A very limited number of graduate assistantship positions are available through individual academic departments across the campus. Interested students should request application information directly from the department(s) of their choice. Details regarding the Accounting Department TA positions are available on our financial aid website.

• Who should I contact with questions about my financial aid package? 
  

  Financial aid packages for graduate students automatically assume the enrollment of 6 hours in the summer and 9 hours in the fall, unless the financial aid office is notified otherwise. If you plan to enroll in more or fewer than 6 hours in the summer or nine hours in the fall, you will need to contact financial aid (at: ask@finaid.utexas.edu or 512-475-6282, option 4) so that your financial aid package is adjusted accordingly. Keep in mind that you will need to have completed a FAFSA in order to be packaged for financial aid.

• Do I qualify as a Texas resident for tuition purposes? 
  

  For detailed information, please visit the residency website.

Housing/Campus Resources

• Do most MPAs live on or off campus? Where do most MPAs find off-campus housing? 
  

  The majority of MPA students choose to live off campus, as Austin offers a moderate cost of living. A very limited amount of on-campus housing is available through the UT Division of Housing and Food Service. For detailed information, please visit the relocation website.

• Am I required to purchase a laptop? 
  

  Purchasing a laptop is completely optional. Laptops can be very convenient for group work, checking email, presentations in class, etc. Students interested in purchasing a new computer for school can get special educational discounts, promotions, and pricing through the Campus Computer Store. The Campus Computer Store also sells a range of applications at special educational pricing. Certain applications, including antivirus software, are available for free download from the BevoWare website. Check both places before you buy any commercial software.

  Please note that ITS provides the campus community with both wired and wireless access to UTnet (the university's network), as well as the external Internet. Business students also have the option to check out laptops (and other media equipment) through the McCombs Media Services for occasional use.

• When and where can I get my student ID card? 
  

  Because you have been admitted to the MPA program, you may obtain your UT ID card at any time and avoid the lines during Orientation week. Be sure to ask for a proximity ID card, which will grant you access to the MPA Lounge (CBA 4.352) and MBA/MPA study rooms (GSB 3.140) in the McCombs School of Business. Please note that if you do not ask specifically for a proximity card, we will not be able to program your ID to grant you access to these rooms. Once you have received your card, please contact the MPA Program Office at: mpaoffice@mccombs.utexas.edu to have it programmed on the first class day. Also note that when you pick up your ID card, your EID will also be upgraded to "high assurance."  Highly confidential information and transactions are only available with a high assurance EID, such as accessing student loan information and viewing your grades online.

  The ID Center is located in the Flawn Academic Center (FAC), on campus between the Texas Union (UNB) on Guadalupe and the Main Building (MAI) ("The Tower") [Click on Region 2 of the campus map]. Go through the second set of glass doors to the lobby area. The ID Center is at the left end of the Information Desk, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. You must show a photo ID (e.g., either a driver's license or passport).

• Will I receive a business school email account? When can I start using this email account? 
  

  A McCombs technology account and email address will be created for you no later than early June. Your McCombs email address will be: firstname.lastname@mpa(last 2 digits in year of graduation).mccombs.utexas.edu. For example, if Joe Smith is entering the MPA program in fall 2013, then his anticipated graduation year is 2014, and his email address would be: joe.smith@mpa14.mccombs.utexas.edu. Any messages that are sent to the McCombs email address will be forwarded automatically to the email address you provided at the time of admission. Instructions for setting up your McCombs technology account, changing your email forwarding address, and changing your name in the email address are available in the online MPA Technology Orientation. Be sure to keep your email forwarding address current so that you receive all messages sent to your McCombs email address, including messages from the MPA Program Office.

• What student organizations can I join? 
  

  A list of possibilities can be found on our student organizations website. The Master in Professional Accounting Council (MPAC) is the student organization specifically designed for MPA students. Officer elections are held in the fall semester each year.

Registration/Internship Credit

• When do I register for Summer and/or Fall, and which classes will I be taking? How many hours will I enroll in, and how to I register for classes at UT? 
  

  Please visit our web page on Important Dates for Summer and Fall. The registration process is described on the Registrar’s website and will also be covered in initial advising. Students who have not completed Introduction to Financial Accounting prior to the start of the summer should enroll in ACC 311 at UT (or the equivalent at another university or community college) in the first summer session, and those who have not completed Intermediate Accounting 1 will enroll in ACC 381-Financial Accounting and ACC 380k.11-Introduction to Taxation in the second summer session. Because each student’s degree plan is customized, your fall schedule will be determined during your initial advising appointment. MPA students take between 9-16 hours, or an average of 12 hours, in each semester.

• Where can I purchase my textbooks? 
  
  Textbooks can be purchased at the University Co-op. There are three Co-op locations throughout Austin; the main store is located across campus on Guadalupe Street. You can search for your textbooks and purchase them online at the University Co-op website.
• Am I required to complete an internship as part of the MPA degree program? 
  

  Internships are an optional component of the MPA curriculum. The internship program is designed to give students an opportunity to combine their formal academic preparation with an exposure to the accounting profession. 

• I am interning this summer and starting the MPA program in the fall. Can I receive MPA degree credit for this internship? 
  

  Internship credit cannot be granted for internships completed prior to entering the MPA program.

Recruiting

• What types of career fields can I enter with an MPA degree? Which employers recruit MPAs? What are the placement statistics? What are the MPA graduates’ average starting salaries? 
  

  Recruiters from various industries pursue our students to fill a diverse range of internship and full-time positions. Detailed information about MPA careers and recruiting will be covered during Orientation. Also, the MPA website provides information on placement and salary statistics and a sample of employers who recruit MPA students.