Master of Professional Accountancy

Whether you are a recent graduate with a bachelor’s in accounting looking for the final step toward a CPA, or someone with no accounting background that wants to make a career change, the Merage School’s full-time 1-year or 2-year Master of Professional Accountancy program prepares all qualifying students for a successful career.

Our curriculum focuses on career and professional development alongside technical mastery to make sure you are connected to the Merage School network and ready for a position upon completion of the program. Our optional Summer Intensive program prepares you to begin the MPAc.

The MPAc program is STEM-designated and eligible students have the option to apply for up to 36 months of Optional Practical Training (OPT) upon graduation. This longer duration is especially attractive to companies interested in providing immigration sponsorship to international students. For more information about OPT and OPT STEM eligibility, please visit the International Center website.

To operate effectively and meet the challenges present in today’s increasingly international and dynamic business environment, you must possess both professional acumen and well-developed technical knowledge and critical thinking skills in a wide-range of functional areas.

Through our innovative curriculum designed to emphasize both career/professional development and technical mastery, you gain the essential skills and knowledge necessary to master these challenges and to succeed at major corporations and accounting firms across the globe.

• $10K scholarship for qualified CA Residents (U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents)
• 94% Full-Time Employment Rate Within 6-months of Graduation
• Summer Intensive Open to Non-Accounting Majors

The UCI Paul Merage School of Business prepares students for a successful accounting career by offering an intensive and comprehensive one- or two-year Master of Professional Accountancy (MPAc) program, focused on developing an advanced level of technical mastery and professionalism. Graduates meet the new State of California Board of Accountancy education standards required for the Uniform Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Examination.

Focus On Career Development

One of the benefits of attending the MPAc program is our individual focus on employment and career coaching.

Our Career Services team works individually with students to prepare for the recruitment and job interview process. They help students identify the best career opportunities to pursue.

Some students who enter our MPAc program have focused career objectives in a specific area of accounting; many others do not. Regardless of where you are in the process, we are ready to partner with you to help you achieve your personal career goals through our four key pillars of Career Advising:

• 91% Placement Rate After 6 Months of Graduating
• $58.5K Median Starting Salary
• Irvine: Home to One-Third of All Fortune 500 Companies