Which graduate studies recommended?

Was thinking about of getting additional qualifications to put on my resume to remain competitive, for personal development, and hopefully better job prospects (though i dont have any leads right now).

Only three makes to most sense to me to pursue.

I will of course ask the company pay for it, otherwise the time/money spent may not be worth it

my 3 choices are : MBA or MBA/CPA program or MA accounting/CPA.

however i dont have an accounting bachelors, just a few intro accounting courses, and i've been out of school a while.. my undergrad GPA was 2.9. I figure I most liekly have to take a few accounting courses depending on what the schools require.

Am i setting myself up to fail if i try for the CPA?

background is 7 years FP&A business unit experience, Senior FA at Fortune 100 company. I will stay in FP&A and try for manager, unless I can move out somehow.

Any advice ? anyone been in a similar situation?

3 Comments
 
 
Best Response

I always recommend to take a step back and assess where you see yourself in 10 years. Then work backwards to see which qualifications, jobs, network etc you'll need to achieve that goal. With a few accounting courses I wouldn't recommend the CPA. Do you really want to be an accountant/controller for the next decade? Personally, I would recommend the MBA or CFA. Yes there's some accounting in both but not so intense as a CPA. Why not take a look at some MBA schools that offer online course? You can take them most for free and see if the material interests you, then make a decision to pursue your next step.

 

Maxime minus consequatur et fugiat non ea. Exercitationem omnis accusamus voluptas modi minima impedit quam. Odio eos quis consequatur inventore. Quod quis suscipit corrupti odit molestiae voluptatem.

Aut minima ea itaque quia non et. Quisquam nihil molestiae assumenda expedita ullam alias ut. Dolorem similique eos repudiandae voluptatem non error.

Qui et culpa accusantium ipsam. Magni possimus nemo saepe quasi culpa quod. Dolor dolores laboriosam non ullam.

Aliquam quos iusto voluptatem eos soluta vel modi. Voluptates perspiciatis fugit qui cupiditate quia. Vel placeat doloribus ea quia. Qui deleniti et numquam molestias quia dolor odit rem. Ex voluptatem dolor nobis ab error dolorem facilis.

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (50) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (26) $182
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (75) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”