By Jia LI from 2007 International Business (1)

After one year study at UIUC, I want to say that UIUC is a great school.

To briefly introduce it, UIUC is a brilliant academic institution, especially in the areas of engineering and accounting. Its ranking of accounting at the US news is No. 2, just below University of Texas-Austin. There are two kinds of master programs in accounting. One is Master of Science in Accountancy (MSA), while the other is Master of Accounting Science (MAS). The former one is designed for those whose undergraduate major is not accounting, or whose undergraduate study is not finished in the USA, and the latter one is a one-year program for students with an undergraduate background in accounting. 

(the Quad.)

UIUC is located in the twin cities of Urbana and Champaign. It’s a pity that there are not many kinds of sceneries around, because the most common scenery is endless corn fields. Some might complain about that, but that might help you focus on studying, right? There is one exception though, UIUC in the season of autumn. The color of trees will slowly turn from green to yellow and then red. You can see squirrels eating filbert everything. Some students might organize a car pool and drive to the park and have a BBQ. Besides, the weather is most comfortable in autumn. It’s cool and not too dry. The weather at UIUC in general is very much similar to that at JUFE, so JUFE students do not have to worry whether you can adjust to the weather there. The only difference is that winter is colder at UIUC. But there is central heating or air conditioning in almost every building, so that won’t be a big problem either.

(the union clock.)

There is one unique feature about the master programs at UIUC. The master programs of accounting and finance all start at the beginning of June. This means that you would have to finish your work about graduation from your undergraduate school well ahead of time. For the year 2011, there were three girls, including me, from JUFE, went to UIUC, and none of us made it to attend the graduation ceremony.

After getting enrolled by the MSA program, all students will be divided into two tracks. One is regular track, and the other is advanced track. Regular track is for those whose undergraduate major is not accounting, and the advanced track is for those whose undergraduate major is accounting. Students in the regular track will have more basic accounting classes, such as Accounting Principles, Managerial Accounting, and Auditing. Students in the advanced track will have more sophisticated courses and may have classes with PHD students. Some people might think that the advanced track is better, but I would vote for the regular one. Some teachers who taught the regular track is so inspiring that I would remember things he or she taught for life. Also, courses you learn in the regular track will help you prepare for the AICPA exam.

(Business Instructional Faculty building)

Some might ask how many American students there are in the MSA or the MAS program. I would say that during the year 2011 to 2012, there are only two American students in the MSA program, and I believe the MAS program might have some more American students. But you may still find many opportunities to practice and improve your English. One efficient way is to work part time. I worked part time at one of the dining rooms at UIUC. And most employees working there are Americans and they all speak English. There are many benefits if you work at the dining room. The first one is that you can earn some money. If you work the maximum number of hours permitted, say 20 hours, you can earn almost $600 a month. This can almost cover all your rent and food expenditures. The second one is that you can have free food at the dining room, but only at the time when you have working shifts.

At the end of the last and third semester, most students will start preparing for the AICPA exam. There are four sections, including Financial Accounting and Reporting, Regulation, Auditing, and Business Environments and Concepts. Each calendar year has four “testing windows” in which a person can sit for their CPA Exam. For the first two months of each quarter, you can sit for any or all sections of the examination in any order. The third month in each quarter is a “blackout” month in which no exams may be scheduled. You can not apply to take the CPA exam in the second semester, because to get approved to take the exam, you have to earn enough academic credits. And to earn enough academic credits, you have to show the Board of Examiners your transcripts of your second semester. Some of my classmates passed all four parts in July, while those who are not lucky enough did not pass all four parts by the end of August. For those in the latter situation, they would have to wait for the next test window, which starts in October.

The next thing I like to talk about the job market at UIUC. I have to admit that the MSA program has a low employment rate. The career fair in autumn starts at the beginning of the second semester, and many Chinese students are still trying to figure out how to adjust to life in America. However, in the meanwhile, they have to equip themselves to compete with the American students. Because the MSA program lasts for only one year, intern job is not an option. Companies hire mostly sophomores and juniors for intern positions. And then there are many companies who do hire accountants, or auditors, but they do not support visas for foreign students. If they can find American students who can do the same good job, why would they bother to hire a foreigner, comply with the overwhelming governmental regulations and spend a lot of extra money to support foreign workers’ visa? Therefore, choices are limited to the Big Four companies, and some other few conglomerates. Nonetheless to say, a few of my classmates did find a job at the Big Fours in American.

If you plan to go back to China, things will be quite easy. The Big Four will send HR to the campus, and you do not even have to travel to Chicago for the interview. The first round will be a computer testing which you can take anywhere as long as you have a computer and Internet access. The second round will be a group interview which will be held in the teaching building. And the last round will be conducted individually with partners via Skype videos, or international phone calls. As far as I know, at least one third of the MSA students are employed by the Big Four in China.

Some people might ask, if you can get admitted by the Big Four in China without going abroad, why bother to spend one year’s time studying abroad? I did regret at some point in time, but after going through all of that, I think it worth for all that I have learnt during this process.

UIUC is a very large university and has a diverse background. I hope that more JUFE students can go to UIUC to study there, and I believe you can learn much more besides knowledge from the textbooks and professors.

(UIUC in the season of autumn)