[Anonymous]

Hello, i am international student who graduated 5 months ago from accounting in my country (Venezuela).Since i just received my degree,i was thinking on getting a Masters in Accounting in the US in order to extend my studies and take the CPA exam right after.However, i would like to know,what are the best programs for this? I have been looking at Notre Dame,UT austin and Texas A&M but i cannot decide which one is better for me so i would like to have your opinion.Additionally,are there any reliable and affordable admission consulting companies that can help me with my application and how can i fill the required courses based on my final choice.

Thank You

[ThirdTimesACharm]

I think it depends on what you are looking for from your Masters. I went to the U of M Carlson MAcc. It is nothing like the other MAccs offered. It isn't financial accounting. It is purely to further your knowledge on things like the SEC and internal controls. You can take Master of Tax classes as well as MBA classes. It added a lot of value to my general knowledge and thought process, but it won't do anything really towards accounting. Does that make sense? I would check out the program if you haven't heard of it. I loved it.

REG 80 11/23
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[AlexCPA]

I'm going to repeat what others have told me- CPA degree matters most. With that said, I would suggest trying to find the most affordable/most convenient option as long as they are AACSB accredited and can be used towards the education requirement. Just don't go with University of Phoenix or any of the similar for-profit schools and you should be fine. You will have to learn and re-learn most of things taught in these courses for the CPA exam anyway.

The other thing to consider is recruitment because that is a major factor in finding jobs after school. This is the only reason I would consider paying more to go to school. Unfortunately I did not have this option as most of the highly recruited schools had too many requirements for me.

The Texas A&M online course is good and can be finished in 1.5 years.

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[Tncincy]

What's wrong with the university of phoenix program? Are their degrees considered crap or something ?

It begins with a 75
Been here too long as a cheerleader....ready to pass

[AlexCPA]

Univ of Phoenix and the like have a bad reputation for being ‘diploma mills'. Since they are for-profit schools they accept anyone and people view it as paying for your degree. Not saying this is necessarily true, but this is how recruiters view them. Quick google search and you will find similar testimony of people having trouble getting jobs witha univ of phoenix degree even if they worked hard for it. It used to be that they were not accredited, but I think they are now. Still, better safe to go for a public university.

FAR - 89
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Using Becker and Ninja MCQ

[monikernc]

Appalachian State University in Boone, NC, has an excellent master's program in either accounting or tax concentration. it is very friendly to foreign students and as a state school pretty affordable. they even answer the phones and respond directly to emails. the program tracks to exams, too. downside can be cold, snow in winter and 2 hours from international airport. summers are beautiful. lots of outdoor activities. not many online options. heavily recruited by big4 and mid-size firms.

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[Tncincy]

Well I did my bs and msa with the university of phoenix and I never heard of the bad report. I went with it because I had been out of school so long and it was my opportunity to get it done. but with this information I guess I really need to pass the cpa exam. I run my own business so I don't technically need a job but if I wanted to get something on the side I guess the chances are limited? btw I'm 50.

It begins with a 75
Been here too long as a cheerleader....ready to pass

[Anonymous]

Hey tncincy. Don't get caught up in that school game. Most important to employers and clients is that u r a cpa. I work in public and have an mst from a great school. I've never been asked about that one time. Even when I got my first job it was never even brought up. All that mattered was that I passed the exam and had 150 credits. No one in my firm knows where anyone else went to school. It's pretty much irrelevant.

[Sir Ivalis]

ejrvina, all three of those are excellent institutions. Were you considering only online programs or would you be able to attend on-campus classes in the US? If you are looking at on-campus, I imagine the process would be far more complicated. Not only for working out the logistics of moving, but you would also have to do well on the GMAT or GRE as part of your application. Also, for US grad programs, oftentimes the only undergraduate prerequisites that are accepted must come from a US university as well. Online could be much easier for its lack of those hurdles.

Unfortunately, “affordable admissions consulting” may be a bit of an oxymoron. I checked out such a service when I was applying to law school years ago and it started in the $2,000 to 3,000 range.

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[mystical guy]

@tncincy – An Accounting Professor/former Controller at a Fortune 500, was stating that if you got your Master's degree online, good luck finding a good job. Whether she was joking or not, I don't know. But there's some negative perception about people getting degrees online.

@ejrvina – You have a right to dream and set your eyes high on an Ivy League School but it will be a headache to get into. Or you can apply directly to a large, respectable State College, like Ohio State University, and still get a good respected MAcc degree. MAcc is good because it gives you an introduction to advanced accounting concepts found in the CPA (but not necessarily tested). Those schools have International Students' programs that can help you apply and also get your student visa, funding etc. I would NOT recommend using an agency because they'll just do what you can easily do and then charge you a fortune.

CPA - Since 2015
CISA - Smashed 2012
CIA - Passed 2015

[Author]

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