MPAc to CPA Excellence at a Big 4

After moving to the U.S. for his economics degree and working as a financial associate, Bruce Ye MPAc 23 pursued a CPA license to join a Big Four accounting firm.

Turning to the UC Davis Master of Professional Accountancy (MPAc) program, Bruce leveraged his time in the program to secure a desirable position as an audit and assurance assistant at Deloitte, later being promoted to senior assistant the next year. Alongside his MPAc studies, he served as a teaching assistant and student ambassador, embracing mentorship and leadership roles.

Graduating in 2023, Bruce has not let up on his motivations and within the year has passed all four CPA examinations!

Recently, I caught up with him to learn about his remarkable journey over the past year. 

How did you prepare for the CPA exams while juggling work at Deloitte?

It was after graduation that my CPA exam journey really started, as that was when I fully invested my time to prepare for the exam. When Deloitte hired me, they gave me a later start date so I could focus on completing two of the exams beforehand.

The hardest step was taking my first exam as I was not used to how it would all work, and I was so nervous! I took time to prepare for the first exam, and then I was ready to take the second exam shortly after.

My MPAc education was an important foundation, the homework and course content aligned with the CPA exam and made it easier to study as there was so much crossover.

Once I started at Deloitte, it became tricky to juggle work and study. I was fortunate to be placed on a team at Deloitte that was extremely supportive and understanding of my aspirations. My supervisor collaborated with me to help me manage my time efficiently.

After working a full day, it was difficult to know you had another four hours of studying waiting for you, but this is when it became super important to stay disciplined and motivated.

I had long wanted to obtain my CPA license and knew its value; this internal drive kept me motivated. To juggle all of my responsibilities, I used an app to log my study time, mark off that I completed my daily goal of four hours of studying, and see an overview of what I had studied thus far. Meeting that daily study goal was non-negotiable for me.

For anyone considering CPA licensure, my advice would be to do it immediately after completing the MPAc program, as the courses provide excellent preparation.

Having a CPA license sets you apart and furthers your career by indicating you are highly motivated and ready for new opportunities and increasing responsibilities at your firm.

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Can you describe your day-to-day life working at a Big 4?

I was drawn to Deloitte after researching various accounting firms. I felt that the experience gained from working there would be extremely valuable to my professional growth.

Working at Deloitte has been a fantastic career foundation, providing role models who hold the jobs I aspire to achieve. I am so thankful for my experiences at Deloitte; building a strong rapport with your team is important to building collaboration and cohesion.

I feel that combining work with studying for the CPA exam has also helped me be a better auditor as studying has helped refresh my learnings which were used directly towards my work.

My day-to-day life varies between busy and off-season. Right now, we are not in the busy season, and I have been able to enjoy remote working more. My team starts each day with a morning virtual huddle to connect with colleagues and receive assignments from senior management. 

Each day I work on different urgent tasks or priorities, and then shift to my ongoing workflow. You are doing independent work as an auditor, but I still collaborate a lot with my team. We constantly bounce ideas off each other, discussing problems, asking questions, and working together on large projects.

This past busy season, my supervisor arranged for me to spend a week in Texas to gain fieldwork experience—a privilege that is normally assigned to more senior roles. That trip was extremely memorable as it allowed me to engage with our clients and be exposed to a more detailed level of audit and testing.

Ultimately, the trip was not only a huge learning opportunity, but I felt such fulfillment from the sense of increased ownership and collaboration.

What do you miss most about the MPAc program?

Reflecting on my time at the Graduate School of Management, I would say what I miss the most are the people. The professors, the staff, the cohort—it was just such an easy way to build relationships and connect.

While being a graduate student does require you to study, compared to working, I would trade to be a student again! Once you enter the workforce after graduation, there are still people who will have expectations for you. These deliverables are just no longer met in the form of exams and homework.

For anyone considering the MPAc program I have just one thing to say—just do it!

If pursuing a career in accounting, the UC Davis program is the one to choose for anyone pursuing a career in accounting.