When I was in my undergraduate university in China, my major was accounting. At first, I thought about other majors for my undergraduate degree, but I decided that Accounting is very practical and is a good field for my strengths in analyzing and figuring out problems. I studied hard and tried my best to get a good score in order to graduate successfully. During the undergraduate period, I found a valuable internship opportunity in PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) for obtaining work experience about auditing and how to audit companies. Although I was not familiar with auditing, I still completed the work mission on time due to precious helps from predecessors. I really appreciated that PwC provided me this opportunity and predecessors supported my work. After the internship, I decided that if I had a chance to study abroad in the future, I would still choose accounting as my master major, and I was ambitious to become a professional accountant or auditor like those predecessors. Now I am in accounting graduate pathway, I believe the MS in accounting will allow me achieve my goal of being a professional accountant or auditor.
Five years ago, I went to China University of Petroleum (Beijing) to study accounting, and I got my undergraduate degree in 2015. Studying accounting needs students with strong analytical skill and interest in numbers, and I think I have competence in analyzing. My undergraduate core courses contain principles of accounting, business law, intermediate accounting, corporate financial reporting, financial statement auditing, and corporate taxation. I am quite interested in financial accounting and financial auditing that I learned. Financial accounting is the field of accounting regarding recording issues, analyzing issues, reporting issues, and predicting issues pertaining to a business. Accountants of a company need to prepare financial statement at the end of fiscal year depending on balance sheet, income statement, cash flow statement, and shareholders equity statement in order to provide effective information to stockholders, suppliers, banks, employees, business owners and other potential users.
Despite no employment history, as I mentioned in the first paragraph, I had a 3-months internship in PwC. There is no denying that internship is totally different with work, but I still can gain knowledge that other places cannot provide me. Through the internship experience, I realized the importance of professional knowledge and teamwork. In a sense, the practice promoted me to better study accounting in the future study.
The pathway curriculum design is so effective that can advance my ability of graduate academic study and help men adjust. For instance, EAP 506 and 507 instruct us how to read academic articles and how to summarize the academic articles in accordance with “coming to terms”. With this reading skill, reading articles related to accounting discipline will be much easier than without studying EAP courses. Additionally, PROV trained us doing everything with critical thinking. It is a significant attitude for graduate study. What’s more, the importance of professional courses is self-evidence, which helps us better and quickly accommodate in major study before completing INTO program.
There are several reasons that I chose Mason’s MS in accounting. Firstly, I learned from the department websites the accounting program in George Mason University is designed to provide graduates with the skills to function effectively as professionals and with a solid background for continuing professional growth in accounting field. Secondly, I have a firm belief that studying in George Mason University would help fill the gaps in my experience and training. And the two years education will help me take a leap toward my career goal and thus make a great impact on my future life. Last but not least, I am confident that my education background in China University of Petroleum (Beijing), my project experience, my eagerness to pursue further education, as well as my career plan in accounting have built a vitally important platform for me to proceed onto an advanced academic program of this field in George Mason University. Moreover, my genuine interest and motivation in accounting will guarantee my continued commitment and success in my chosen field.
My long term career is to be an accountant in leading Chinese company with global perspectives and my short term goal is to be a professional in accounting field and take CPA exams. With the rapid development of China economy, a group of leading Chinese companies are embracing globalization and deem the importance of accounting to sustain their growth. To realize my career goal, it is a prerequisite for me to receive advanced education on accounting in the United States, an education that will further broaden my knowledge, develop international perspectives, improve my English language competence, and evolve American way of thinking.
In summary, I am interested in accounting study. Accounting is a widely used subject in various aspects, and it can help me to find a job correlated to my future plan.