UIUC Business in 3 Years?

illinicali
Tue, 02 Apr 2013 13:40:36 +0000

My daughters both took the first two accounting classes the summer after their freshman year in order to step up to junior status by the start of their second year. Otherwise, they had a couple of 16 hour semesters but nothing they couldn’t handle.

If you are looking at a CPA, Illinois is one of the few schools that offers the BS/MS option. Many of their counterparts from elsewhere in the country simply took 150 hours without receiving an MS so that they could qualify for the CPA exam.

They were both grad assistants their fourth year, offsetting tuition expense, and they also received a stipend for their work all while maintaining their class schedules.

They both had internships the summers after their second and third year of school and both had mulitple offers prior to their fourth year masters program.

By finishing in four years, they remained in school the same amount of time as their non-accounting counterparts so no awkward fifth year with only accounting major friends. They saved a full year of tuition and fees by simply taking the two summer courses.

Illinois is a CPA-centric school and they believe that the CPA and Big 4 accounting employment are the be all and end all. If your career focus starts elsewhere then this program may not be your best option. Just a note, the masters is in accountancy not an MBA.