The Student Perspective, Jenkins Online MAC

(Written by Sarah Peterson)

Happy New Year!

A new year brings new resolutions, and for many individuals that includes furthering their education. I wanted to share the experience of two of my peers who joined the online MAC program while continuing work full time. I had the pleasure of working with them the past semester, and believe prospective online students would benefit from learning more about their experience.

Joe Jarman, CPA  Jenkins Online MAC

After undergrad I had enough credits to sit for the CPA exam so I went straight for it and began working in public accounting in 2007 with the intention of going back one day to get a graduate degree in accounting. There seemed to be a lot of programs out there but none with a solid reputation particularly in a distance learning format. I started to see Professor Showalter’s name in articles and observed his presence in the North Carolina Association of CPA (NCACPA) organization so I began looking into the program and found its reputation in the accounting community to be unmatched. After an inquiry, I found out the program could be taken online. This format has worked great for me as I work full-time and have three small children. I am able to go part-time and spread the classes out over 2 years.

My experience in the program has been great thus far. I do not feel I am at a disadvantage by being online versus on campus. The faculty has put a lot of thought into making each class an interactive experience. Dr. Pagach taught my Advanced Financial Accounting class and his use of the digital white board was paramount to my understanding of the content. He was able to write the problems out on the board and the online students did not miss a beat in viewing the lectures. There is a strong sense of community and each teacher I have had truly wants success out of each student. The use of technology the college uses and the effort they take to record live classes so I can watch on my time has been a great element of the program. The highlight for me was that I was in the first class that did a zoom presentation to a live class for accounting research.

When people ask why I am doing the MAC program after already being a CPA, my response is to learn and be the best I can be in my current role. I often add, if I had gone 15 years ago into a MAC program I probably would not have learned anything about data analytics. The program’s emphasis on data analytics has been a huge help for me to take out of the class room and utilize concepts in practice. With the profession changing so quickly I have soaked in this information and feel I am much more prepared for the digital environment and the changes facing the profession at a rapid speed. Although I have not focused in a particular area some of my electives have been centered around data analytics, using excel and access in accounting, and data security and privacy. These classes have been well worth my time, effort, and money!

Rebecca Crumpler, Jenkins Online MAC

When I was looking to apply for my master’s in accounting, I looked primarily at two schools, NC State and another highly regarded school. I ultimately chose NC State because they offered the curriculum fully online, which allowed me to attend school while also working my full-time job.

Since the accounting field, especially auditing, is often a group/project oriented career, the Jenkins MAC program has done well to mold their assignments to mimic the expected work environment after graduation. Also, the convenience of having the MAC program online cannot be overlooked, especially for employed and nontraditional students.  My experience with the MAC program is as expected: a good level of difficulty to the coursework, demanding schedules, and some great professors.

I intend to change my career to accounting, particularly in the tax field, after graduation.

To learn more about Rebecca’s story watch our Day in the Life of an online MAC student video.

For further information regarding the MAC online program, Contact Jay Arrington, 919-515-0223 and check out our admissions page.