Olin aims at young professionals with two-semester accounting master’s

Enrollment is open for an exciting new program at WashU Olin: Students can fast-track their careers in just two semesters if they join the accelerated master’s degree in accounting.

The program, which starts in the fall, is designed to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and real-world application. Beyond technical skills, this STEM-designated degree emphasizes hands-on learning and offers a flexible curriculum that features more than 50% of elective credits.

Jeff Plunkett, professor of practice in accounting, is the academic director of the program, along with the traditional three-semester degree option. Before joining Olin, he was most recently an international tax partner at PwC (one of the Big Four accounting firms) with 25 years of experience in structuring multinational companies’ international investments and operations.

Here, he answers some questions about the new and the traditional master’s programs.

What is the MACC program?

Our master’s in accounting program offers students the opportunity to further study the complex, ever-changing, fundamental foundation of the business and capital marketplace that is accounting. We offer students the opportunity to delve into the detailed study of financial accounting, auditing, and taxation specialties within accounting. 

The relatively small size of our MACC student cohorts allows us to get to know each student, their career aspirations and tailor how we can help them achieve their goals. Our support network, from curriculum advising to career planning and the accessibility of faculty, sets our program apart.

How many semesters does it take?

We offer two ways to pursue your MACC at WashU: a two-semester and a three-semester alternative.

Compare the pathways of the accelerated two-semester and traditional three-semester MACC alternatives.

Our traditional three-semester alternative has been popular with international students because it allows more time to become acclimated to and settled in the U.S. while providing the opportunity to pursue an internship in the accounting field during the summer before their final semester. This can be helpful in providing more practical experience in the profession, giving the student more background as to what specialty area of accounting (e.g., audit or tax) appeals to them and bolstering their resume for full-time positions.

Our recently announced accelerated two-semester alternative focuses on those students who do not wish to take the extra time to pursue an internship during their graduate studies.

What’s the demand for accountants?

The marketplace for accounting talent remains strong, but there is a shortage of young businesspeople entering the profession. Given the complexity of the business landscape from an accounting and tax perspective, this means that those who choose to pursue accounting have tailwinds. The next generation of accounting leaders stands to be rewarded well from an intellectual and financial standpoint.

What are some advantages to working as an accountant?

Accounting represents a well-worn path to begin one’s career in business. Accounting firms have decades of experience with taking recent graduates and getting them started in business along with continuing their education.

Once in an accounting firm, a young professional is provided the opportunity to see many different specializations and sub-specializations within the profession. This allows a professional to find their true calling and where they want to spend their efforts in building a career. Oftentimes, accountants move on to other areas of business, e.g., treasury, finance, operations, all made possible by beginning their careers learning the language of business.

How does the MACC program play into the value Olin places on individualized education?

Our MACC program is highly customizable, with half of the necessary credits being electives. We have a list of approved electives where students can choose to take any of those courses without approval. Being the academic director for the program, I can also approve courses outside the list of approved courses and have done so quite often upon discussing a particular area of interest for a student.