Traditional MPA FAQ

The traditional MPA is designed for students who will have earned a bachelor’s degree (or comparable) from a four-year accredited college or university prior to enrolling in the MPA program.

The integrated MPA is designed for current students in the McCombs School of Business who have not yet earned a bachelor’s degree. Through the integrated MPA, students will earn a BBA degree in accounting along with an MPA degree.

The MPA Bridge is designed for current UT undergraduates (both McCombs and non-McCombs students) who are pursuing a non-accounting bachelor's degree. Students get a head start on MPA courses during their senior year. 

The MPA program ranges from 31 to 43 required semester credit hours, depending on the student's undergraduate coursework. Students with an undergraduate accounting degree often complete a 31-hour program. Students with an undergraduate degree in an area outside of accounting or business typically complete a 43-hour program. A 31-hour program can be completed in nine months to one year (in fall and spring OR fall, spring, and summer). A 43-hour program can be completed in just over one year (in summer, fall, spring, and summer). 

GMAT and GRE test scores are optional for the Texas McCombs MPA admissions application. Applicants will not be disadvantaged in the admissions process if they do not submit test scores, and applicants who feel that their test scores reflect their potential for success in graduate school may submit scores for consideration. Read more on our blog.

Principles of Macroeconomics, Principles of Microeconomics, Introduction to Statistics, Introduction to Financial Accounting, Introduction to Managerial Accounting are our pre-enrollment requirements. View the pre-enrollment course descriptions. 

Rather than accepting transfer credits, the MPA program will waive up to four core courses and substitute electives for additional courses if the equivalents were completed with grades of ‘B’ or better prior to enrolling in the MPA program. Details are available on our curriculum webpage.

The MPA program admits for the fall semester only. However, students who have not completed the equivalent to Financial Accounting (ACC 381) must begin in the summer.

The average incoming MPA class is between 60-90 students. Check out the MPA Factsheet for the class profile.

An internship is an optional component to the MPA program. The internship program is designed to give students an opportunity to combine their formal academic preparation with an exposure to the accounting profession. This experience is beneficial to students not only upon graduation but also during the remainder of their time in the MPA program. After an internship, students are more confident in expressing their opinions about the profession and related issues. In addition, the students are more aware of the skills needed to be successful in the accounting profession. 

A set of curriculum paths has been designed that allows you to tailor your program of coursework based on career interests. If you aren't sure of your career path, your advisors can work with you to help you craft a foundational program of coursework that will prepare you for your career.

CPA exam eligibility requirements vary widely from state to state. Your educational background and the state in which you plan to sit for the exam will determine whether or not you will need to complete coursework above and beyond your MPA degree requirements in order to be eligible to sit for the CPA exam.

The University of Texas at Austin does not offer a part-time, evening, online, or weekend MPA program. Students are expected to enroll full-time (in at least 9 credit hours) in the fall and spring semesters. Classes are generally held at various times within the 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. timeframe.

We do not offer a dual MPA/MBA program. A student must complete these degrees separately through each individual program. You can find out more about the Texas McCombs MBA program by visiting their webpage.

MPA students enroll in MBA courses to fulfill the graduate business electives that are required as part of the MPA program. The number of business electives completed for the MPA degree varies for each student, depending on the number of core courses that are substituted for an elective based on equivalent coursework completed prior to entering the MPA program. 

Because our graduate-level accounting courses are in high demand by the students in the MPA program, we typically are unable to accommodate non-degree-seeking students in our graduate accounting courses.

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 can be found on the MPA Career Management webpage. Additionally, the MPA website provides information on placement and salary statistics and a sample of employers who recruit MPA students.