Frequently Asked Questions
Please view the following FAQs. If you have a question that is not covered, please contact us.
Graduate Programs
1. Who do I talk to about the Accounting graduate programs?Dr. Jane Baldwin is the Director of Accounting graduate programs. She can be reached at Jane_Baldwin@baylor.edu or 254.710.6180.
2. Why should I go to grad school?
It really depends on how far ahead in your career you want to plan. You will be able to get a job with an undergraduate degree. However, your career is more than just that first job. The changing accounting environment has resulted in an expanded body of professional knowledge. This knowledge cannot be taught effetively in four years. Graduate education allows for the opportunity to build upon your technical accounting knowledge with accounting and business courses designed to help apply that knowledge to various business decisions. Your ability to think beyond the numbers to what the implications of those numbers are is what will affect your ability to move ahead in business.
Additionally, now that most states require 150 hours to sit for the CPA exam, you will be competing for advanced positions with other individuals who have masters degrees. All other things equal, the candidate with the masters degree is more likely to get the job.
We have designed a program of study that makes getting the master degree very efficient. While you are already in school, you should go ahead and get the degree. Going back to school after you have started working is very difficult because the opportunity costs are much higher. Should you desire to go to law school or an MBA program 3-5 years after you start working, your MAcc or MTax will set you apart from other students.
3. What does it take to get in to grad school?
To get into grad school, you must make application with the Baylor Business Graduate School. You will need to submit transcripts from all colleges attended, your GMAT score and letters of reference.
Students with an acceptable GMAT score and overall and accounting GPAs above 3.0 will be considered for graduate school.
If at any time your cumulative GPA falls below a 3.0, you will be put on probation. You must bring this up to a 3.0 within the next nine hours of graduate study to remain in the program.
4. What do I need to know about the GMAT?
The GMAT consists of quantitative (high school level math), verbal (grammar, reasoning and comprehension), and analytical writing assessment (writing and logic) sections. You have 75 minutes to answer 37 quantitative questions, 75 minutes to answer 41 verbal questions, and 30 minutes for each of two written essays. The essays are first, followed by an optional five-minute break, then the verbal and the quantitative sections, with an optional five-minue break between each. Total testing time is approximately four hours. The GMAC site has some sample questions a mini-test that you can take on-line.
The GMAT is a computer-adaptive test. The computer displays one question at a time. The first question is of medium difficulty. Your performance on each question determines how the next question is selected,so you end up with questions are are guaged to be at your ability level.
You must answer each question that is displayed before moving o the next question. You cannot go back to a previously answered question to change an answer. Your essays will be entered from the keyboard.
You will be able to take a tutorial before the actual exam that will familiarize you with the computer mechanics of the exam.
For the most up-to-date information on the GMAT, visit their website here.
When should I take the GMAT? You need to take the GMAT as you are applying to graduate school.
5. Am I guaranteed admission to grad school if I am a Baylor accounting major?
No one is guaranteed admission to the MAcc or MTax programs. To be admitted, you must meet the admission requirements discussed above.
6. How am I going to pay for that fifth year?
Several sources of funding a fifth year are available. All applicants are considered for graduate assistantships which are awarded competitively based on GPA, GMAT, and work experience. Graduate students are eligible to apply for one of the many departmental scholarships awarded by The Department of Accounting and Business Law each semester. The TSCPA has compiled information about other finanical assistance on their website here. Finally, many graduate students rely on their earnings from their internship to provide financial support.
7. Do I have to finish all of my undergraduate courses before I begin grad school?
If you are enrolling in the BBA/MAcc or BBA/MTax combined program, you do not have to complete all your udnergraduate requirements before being admitted and enrolling in graduate school. If you have questions about completion of your undergraduate requirements and how those remaining classess might affect your status, please consult the Director of Graduate Accounting Programs.
Interviewing
1. Who interviews on Campus?Big 4, middle markets, regional and local public accounting firms, as well as industry, recruit Baylor students for internships and permanent positions. Among the firms regularly recruiting on campus are: Deloitte, Ernst & Young, ExxonMobil, Grant Thornton, Jaynes Reitmeier Boyd & Therrell, JPMorgan Chase, KPMG, Mann Frankfort Stein & Lipp, Patillo Brown & Hill, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Protiviti, RSM McGladrey, and Ryan & Company.
2. How do I register for interviews?
All interviews are conducted through the Baylor Career Services Center . Here is a recruiting handbook for accounting majors that give instructions on how to register with the Department of Accounting and Business Law and Career Services.
3. If I register in the Department of Accounting and Business Law, do I also have to register with the Career Services Center?
Yes, you must register with both the Department of Accounting and Business Law and the Career Services Center. The Department provides recruiters with early access to your resume while the Career Services Center provides the access to the actual interview scheduling.
4. Are there any rules that recruiters must follow?
Yes. All recruiters have agreed to abide by the Department's Recruiting Guidelines. These guidelines can be found in the recruiting handbook . If you encounter a perceived violation of these guidelines, please inform the Department Chair.
5. Where can I find out who is interviewing when?
Baylor Career Services Center handles all interviews. They use a web-based tool called MonsterTrax for interview announcements and scheduling. Check with them frequently for the latest interview schedules.
