Internships allow you to gain experience while completing your studies in the M.S. PA program. They can be rewarding and can lead to exciting careers. Real world, practical experience can enrich an already top-notch curriculum. You may receive three or six hours of internship credit toward a degree.
Process for Internship Approval
- Meet with the M.S. PA director for advising to determine your eligibility for an internship and the number of course credits for the internship.
- Meet with the faculty internship coordinator the semester prior to the internship for instructions regarding specific internship course requirements.
- Complete a pre-screening form to obtain approval of internship from the faculty internship coordinator.
- Complete a learning contract which details documentation requirements for the internship learning experience. The learning contract must be signed by you, the faculty internship coordinator and the employer supervising the internship.
- Submit completed pre-screening form and learning contract to the faculty internship coordinator at least one week prior to the commencement of the semester credit is to be received.
- MSA office notifies you of approval and registers you in internship course(s).
Guidelines for Approval
- Accounting knowledge gained is equal to or greater than the knowledge gained in a traditional accounting classroom setting.
- Employing firm provides the faculty coordinator and the student with the objectives to be met during the internship.
- The internship plan is approved in advance by the faculty internship coordinator.
- Employing firm provides significant accounting work experience with adequate training and supervision of the work performed by the student.
- Employing firm provides an evaluation of the student at the conclusion of the internship, provides a letter describing the duties to be performed during the internship and the supervision to be given to the student, and provides a copy of the documentation to the faculty coordinator and the student.
- Student keeps a diary comprising a chronological list of all work experience gained in the internship
- Student writes a paper demonstrating the knowledge gained in the internship;
- Student and/or faculty coordinator provide evidence of all items upon request by the Texas State Board of Public Accounting (TSBPA).
- The internship course(s) shall not be taken until a minimum of 12 semester credit hours of upper-division accounting course work has been completed.
- Internship course(s) shall be the equivalent of a traditional course.
ACCT 5380/5381
To receive course credit for an internship, you must be enrolled in ACCT 5380 and/or ACCT 5381, which are three credit hour courses. Only three hours of internship course credit can apply to the 30 hours of upper-level accounting course hours required by the TSBPA to sit for the CPA exam. The remaining three internship hours can apply to the 150 total credit hours required by the TSBPA to sit for the CPA exam.
You submit the diary, paper, and evaluation forms to the faculty internship coordinator during the final exam period at the end of the semester, at which time the faculty internship coordinator will assign you a grade.