Audit or Tax: Where Will the Rice MAcc Take You?

Choosing a path in public accounting is an exciting decision for future professionals entering the field. For many students in the Rice Master of Accounting program, that decision often centers on one key question: audit or tax?

Both offer strong demand, meaningful client impact and long-term growth. At Rice Business, students receive the guidance and preparation to discover where their strengths align — and where they want their MAcc to take them.

Common Roles in Public Accounting

Incoming public accounting professionals commonly choose between careers in audit and tax. 

Tax vs. Audit: What’s the Difference?

Auditing focuses on verifying financial information, assessing controls and ensuring compliance with accounting standards — helping organizations operate transparently and ethically. As an auditor, you may collaborate closely with clients across industries and around the country. 

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“My audit internship at PwC gave me the opportunity to explore accounting for various industries and work closely with diverse clients and teams,” says Hannah Zhang, MAcc Class of 2026. “I enjoyed helping with the early stages of the audits, from fraud inquiries and risk assessments to testing internal controls and acquisition valuations.”

Audit can be a strong fit for MAcc students who like structured problem-solving and seeing how businesses operate from the inside.

Tax work centers on compliance, planning and advising clients as regulations evolve, and students drawn to tax often enjoy technical, analytical work. The field has seasonal peaks but offers consistent variety through diverse projects and advisory opportunities.

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“My experience as a tax intern at Deloitte offered hands-on experience with tax compliance for multinational corporations, record keeping for complex partnerships, and small projects in individual and international taxation,” says Max Melton, MAcc Class of 2026. “I also assisted with client outreach and improved my Excel skills.”

Both audit and tax require analytical thinking and sound judgment, but each offers a different pace, environment and type of client work.

Career Growth in Tax and Audit

Both fields offer clear promotion cycles — typically every two to three years — and strong career mobility, or “exit strategies.” Many audit professionals transition into careers in finance, consulting or corporate accounting, while tax professionals often move into corporate tax leadership, advisory roles or specialized technical areas.

In both areas, the combination of foundational training, professional discipline and client exposure sets Rice MAcc graduates up for long-term success in public accounting and beyond.

How the Rice MAcc Prepares Students

The Rice MAcc is built to help students thrive in both audit and tax. Our curriculum builds strong foundations in accounting, analytics, communication and professional judgment — skills essential across both fields.

Rice Business MAcc students also benefit from integrated CPA exam preparation, personalized career guidance and strong mentorship from our world-class faculty and alumni professionals, helping students enter the field prepared from day one.

Deciding Your Best Path 

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Choosing between audit and tax is ultimately about understanding yourself — and recognizing the environment you’ll thrive in. MAcc students should ask themselves questions such as:

• Do you prefer team-based client interaction or independent analytical work?
• Are you more energized by fast-paced problem-solving or deep technical research?
• What type of work environment motivates you long-term?

The Rice MAcc program gives students space, support and exposure to explore these questions through coursework, workshops, networking events and hands-on guidance from faculty and career development staff.

Where Will Your MAcc Take You?

With factors like tech, generative AI and expanding regulations continually affecting both fields, today’s accountants need digital fluency, technical expertise and strong analytical skills — qualities strengthened by the forward-looking coursework of the Rice MAcc.

Whether our students intend on pursuing audit or tax, they step into their post-MAcc profession ready to make a meaningful impact and thrive wherever they go.
 

Explore the Rice MAcc