GPA needed to work for Big-4 accounting firms?

Question

I'm currently a Senior at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and am majoring in accountancy. After finishing my undergrad I will get a Master's of Science in Accountancy from U of I as well. Currently, U of I's business school is ranked 11th in the country and the accountancy program is ranked #2 in the country. U of I is one of the few target schools for the Big-4 companies for auditing and tax around the Chicago area. My current overall GPA is a 3.40/4.00 and my Major GPA is 4.00/4.00. Is my GPA high enough to have a decent chance at getting an internship in auditing at one of the Big-4 companies and eventually a job?

Answer 1

Yes, your GPA is high enough. I was in a similar situation where my accounting GPA was higher than my overall. I only included my Accounting GPA on my resume as most firms don't really care about the impact of a freshman composition class.

There are two sides to the 5 year requirement for a CPA. More time in school vs. more time in school. I was grandfathered in just before the requirements changed so I didn't have the advantage of college life that extra year. Enjoy it so you can work hard and make a good impression your first year at the firm.

Answer 2

with a 4.0 in your major, I would say yes. why do you want a master's right away - anything above a BS isn't all that much more useful without real world job experience