Frequently Asked Questions

To apply to the Rice Business Master of Accounting (MAcc) program, applicants must complete an online application and submit supporting materials for review. Requirements include:

• academic transcripts
• a professional resume 
• two professional references
• Statement of Purpose essay 
• A GMAT or GRE score (optional)

Applicants must also complete three prerequisites, including an introductory financial accounting course, before applying. 

International applicants follow the same general process, with some additional requirements. Selected candidates may be invited to interview virtually.

Applications are reviewed holistically, meaning the admissions committee considers your academic background, professional experience, goals and overall fit with the program. The Rice MAcc is open to all undergraduate majors.

To apply to the Rice MAcc program, please complete our online application.

The MAcc application fee is $100. The fee is automatically waived if you are an undergraduate or alumni of Rice University, Austin College, or Southwestern University.

Yes, merit-based scholarships are available and are awarded on a competitive basis. To be considered for a scholarship, you will submit an additional essay in your application that describes your unique background, talents, experiences, or skills.

While the Rice MAcc application does not require a GMAT or GRE test score, submitting a strong test score may increase your chances for a merit-based scholarship.

A complete MAcc application will have the following:

1. Your statement of purpose
2. Your professional resume
3. Your unofficial academic transcripts
4. Two professional references
5. Optional: your GMAT or GRE test score

Learn more about our application requirements.

You will need to upload your unofficial transcripts for your Rice MAcc application. If you are admitted and enroll, you will then be required to send us official (physical or electronic) transcripts from each bachelor's or graduate degree earned. If you are a current or former Rice student, you do not need to submit your Rice transcripts; we will retrieve your Rice transcript ourselves.

It is not necessary to submit transcripts from summer or study abroad coursework if those classes were not required for your degree, they total fewer than nine credit hours, or completion of those courses is already reflected on your primary transcript.

Select two people who, based on their relationship with you, can vouch for your potential to succeed in an intensive graduate accounting program and a subsequent professional business career. We prefer that at least one of your references be a professor who taught you a quantitively-oriented class.

Use your best judgment in selecting references; if necessary, you may also include a note in your application explaining your choice. Personal friends, relatives, or family acquaintances are not appropriate people to serve as a reference.

After you have submitted your application, references will be contacted should the Rice MAcc Admissions Committee judge it helpful to evaluate your candidacy for the program.

The MAcc Admissions Committee will request an interview of some applicants after a prescreening of their admissions materials. If you are invited for an interview, it will be conducted via Zoom. The admissions interview is an opportunity for you to showcase your motivations for pursuing a MAcc degree at Rice Business. 

Due to the number of applications received every year, we are only able to extend an invitation to some applicants.

We review MAcc applications comprehensively, which means that not any piece of the application is viewed as more important than the others. Rather, we evaluate your application's quantitative and qualitative elements together to determine your overall fit with the program.

The Rice MAcc will admit highly qualified international students who demonstrate superior communication and writing skills. The strongest international applicants typically have an undergraduate degree from an English-speaking institution or have worked in an English-speaking country.

How is the Rice MAcc application process different for international students?
International students follow most of the same application procedures as domestic students, with some exceptions.

International applicants who did not earn a bachelor’s degree from an English-speaking institution must submit an English proficiency exam test score.

We require all non-U.S. transcripts to be evaluated (on a course-by-course basis) and submitted directly to us through one of the three following companies:

• Educational Credential Evaluators
• SpanTran: The Evaluation Company
• World Education Services

Transcript evaluations should be emailed directly from the transcript evaluation service to: RiceMAcc@rice.edu or mailed to:

MAcc Program Admissions
6100 Main St., MS-531
Houston, TX 77005

Note that we cannot assure that graduates who are non-U.S. citizens and F-1 or other temporary visa holders will be eligible to work in the U.S. after graduation.

Can I apply and submit an International Transcript Evaluation after being accepted?
No, an International Transcript Evaluation must be submitted in order for your Rice MAcc application to be considered for admission.

Do you require an English proficiency exam?
International applicants who did not earn a bachelor’s degree from an institution where the primary language of instruction was English must submit a valid score report from one of the following:

1. Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
   • Use Rice University Jones School of Business code #7320
   • iBT score of at least 90 is required
2. International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
   • IELTS score of at least 7 is required
3. Duolingo Test of English Proficiency 
   • Select "Rice Business - Jones Graduate School"
   • Duolingo score of at least 115 is required

All test scores are valid for two years. Please allow at least four weeks for your test results to reach us.

This program is a strong fit for recent graduates, early-career professionals and career changers who want to qualify to sit for the CPA exam and enter the field of accounting. Students from all undergraduate majors are welcome. We embrace students who come from varied academic backgrounds and who possess the ability to synthesize ideas across disparate disciplinary areas.

Note that the Rice MAcc has some accounting and business prerequisite course requirements.

Yes. We at Rice believe that your non-accounting undergraduate degree, combined with the Rice MAcc, will equip you with the cross-cutting, critical thinking skills needed to be a future leader in the business world.

Before applying to the MAcc program, you must have completed an acceptable introductory financial accounting undergraduate course.

For Rice undergraduates, that course is BUSI 305: Financial Accounting.

Non-Rice undergraduates should email the syllabus of their introductory financial accounting course to RiceMAcc@rice.edu for evaluation of the course before submitting their application.

Note: There are additional accounting and non-accounting courses an admitted student must complete before beginning the MAcc program. Please read below for details.

No, the Rice MAcc program does not require applicants to provide a GMAT or GRE standardized test score as part of their application. However, you are welcome to provide a GMAT or GRE test score if you believe it will help demonstrate your aptitude to the Rice MAcc Admissions Committee. A strong test score may also increase your chances for a merit-based scholarship award.

While some of our incoming students will have interned at a public accounting firm before starting the program, many have not. You are not required to complete an internship to apply to the Rice MAcc program.

Current undergraduates are eligible to apply as early as the summer after their junior year. If you have already completed your bachelor's degree, you can apply by your preferred round deadline.

Yes, in addition to an acceptable introductory financial accounting course, there are two other accounting course prerequisites:

• Intermediate Financial Accounting I
• Auditing

For Rice undergraduates, those courses are BUSI 405: Issues in Financial Reporting I and BUSI 440: Auditing, respectively. 

You have two options if you haven't completed one or both courses before finishing your bachelor's degree. Rice offers an intensive 3-week online version of both courses during Rice's Summer Session I, which runs from mid-May to early June. Note that additional tuition will be charged for the pre-term courses. Alternatively, you may take the direct equivalent of these courses through another institution, subject to the MAcc Admission Committee's approval. Email the syllabi of your prospective direct equivalents of BUSI 405 and BUSI 440 to RiceMAcc@rice.edu for an evaluation of direct equivalency.

Learn more about the program prerequisites.

Yes. If you are planning to seek CPA licensure through the state of Texas, the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy (TSBPA) requires CPA candidates to have completed 21 credits of related business subjects. Six of these 21 credits will be taught through the MAcc program, leaving 15 credits you must complete before beginning the MAcc.

Please refer to the TSBPA’s website to determine whether you have fulfilled the “related business” coursework requirement. You may contact Professor Ben Lansford, MAcc Program Director, with questions regarding your progress toward meeting the “related business” requirement.

Rice undergraduates: both Rice’s business major and minor curriculum satisfy the needed 15 credits of “related business.”

If you would like to sit for the CPA Exam through another jurisdiction (another state), contact Professor Ben Lansford for guidance on needed prerequisite coursework.

Full-time work experience is welcomed but not required. Most students enter the MAcc program directly after completing their bachelor’s degree.

A Master of Accounting (MAcc) is a specialized graduate degree designed to build advanced accounting knowledge, strengthen analytical and leadership skills, and prepare students for careers in accounting, finance and related fields. At Rice Business, the MAcc can be completed in just 10 months and helps students meet requirements to sit for the CPA exam.

The Rice MAcc is a 10-month program. Coursework begins in August, and students graduate in May of the following year.

No, the Rice MAcc program is only offered in a full-time, in-person, traditional classroom format. Classes meet daily, start in the morning, and conclude in the afternoon. 

All students begin the MAcc program in the fall semester. It is not possible to start the program in the spring semester.

No. MAcc classes are held during the day, and the rigorous nature of the program does not make it feasible to work simultaneously.

Coursework from other programs is not transferable to the Rice MAcc program.

Yes. Rice Business has obtained STEM designation for all of our master degrees. The STEM designation is a direct response to the data-driven business environment, employer needs, and student interest.

Our MAcc does not have concentrations or electives. Each academic year, the cohort of MAcc students takes the same classes, which fosters camaraderie among the students. The Rice MAcc coursework positions students to pass the CPA Exam and enables graduates to pursue audit, tax, advisory, consulting, and finance careers.

The MAcc program consists of 33 credit hours. There are four half-semester academic terms (Fall I, Fall II, Spring I and Spring II). Students also take two week-long "Intensive Learning Unit" (ILU) courses, which are held between terms and are designed for content that is better delivered in a concentrated seminar format.

Public accounting firms are eager to recruit from the MAcc program, and we consistently place students at each of the Big Four firms. Some students choose to go to nonpublic accounting firms or take jobs in accounting-related fields (investment banking, corporate accounting, etc). 98% of our students secure employment before graduation. Our MAcc alums have become managing directors, heads of strategy and planning, executive vice presidents, CFOs, and CEOs. 

You can review the placement outcomes of our most recent class on the MAcc class profile page.

MAcc admissions decisions are performed in three rounds. View our application deadlines.

Once you submit your MAcc application, the online application system will be updated automatically to show which materials we have received. Please check the application website periodically to see if your application is complete.

Yes, an automated email will be sent to you upon submission of your MAcc application.

While we have decision rounds, you can typically expect to have received an admissions decision after submitting all application materials in 4-5 weeks. It’s possible, however, that your application will be processed sooner than that.

The Admissions Committee will review your application after it is complete. Once a decision has been made, the online application will be updated with your admission status. Please log in to your application periodically to check your status.

If you requested scholarship consideration and are offered admission to the program, you will be notified whether you were awarded a scholarship.

Due to the volume of MAcc applications we receive each year, the Admissions Committee does not offer feedback on individual applications.