Slice of Life Video: Master of Professional Accountancy

What is it really like to be a student in the UC Davis Master of Professional Accountancy program? 

In this Slice of Life, MPAc students share how they are turning classroom learning into career preparation while building connections with classmates, faculty and program leaders. 

The nine-month, STEM-designated program offers a close-knit cohort experience designed to help students deepen their accounting knowledge and prepare for what comes next. 

From applying lessons learned during internships to finding mentors and career support, hear directly from students about the experiences, relationships and opportunities shaping their time in the UC Davis MPAc program.

Video Transcript

Jason Loo MPAc 26
I really enjoyed accounting in undergrad. I thought it was just kind of my thing, so I committed to it. And then going into my internship, I was really scared, just because you don't really know that much, even though you take the classes. But then what's really great about, I think, the accounting industry is that they expect you to start from the bottom, so they train you on everything.

And then going into the program, what’s really special about it is that, because of my internship experience, I was able to kind of pick out, like, “Oh, I kind of saw this in the internship,” and then I'm actually applying it in the classroom setting and able to build upon that. So, then going back to work at Deloitte, I think it's going to be really great because I can take that knowledge and skills that I built upon from my internship into the program and back into Deloitte, where I can kind of expand on that knowledge and grow those skills.

Rishita Dwivedi MPAc 26
The directors of this program are a huge help throughout the career search, throughout the program, throughout my time management. And they always have an answer for me. If they don't, they're able to still figure out the answer with me, and I don't think that I would be able to manage my time. 

I wouldn’t have been able to sort of find a path moving forward, if I didn't have their support. I'm the kind of person that's like always: I like dumb questions. I'll ask them because I just need to know the answer. And they take all of my dumb questions and they answer them. So, I'm really thankful to the leadership team of the program. 

Claire Galerkin MPAc 26
The MPAc is really great in the sense that it builds a very small community. Coming from undergrad, you're in that kind of public school environment where you're in those really large, intimidating class sizes. So, it's a lot more intimidating to talk to a professor one-on-one. 

But here at the MPAc program, with the cohort-based program that we have, it's really easy to just go up to a professor and ask them questions that you have about your career path or about the curriculum. So, I really appreciate the fact that within the GSM, you can really talk to anyone, even if they're not your professor. And so I really appreciated that
support from faculty.