Professional Program in Accounting (PPA)

The Professional Program in Accounting (PPA) is designed for motivated students that would like to pursue a career in professional accounting. The program is two and a half years, beginning in the spring semester of the junior year. Provided all degree requirements are met, students will earn a Bachelor of Science (BS-AIM) at the end of their senior year and a Master of Science (MS-AIM) at the end of their fifth year.

The PPA program provides the following advantages:

Smaller “honors” type classes taught by highly rated faculty
Better networking with students and faculty
Best gateway to accounting internships and full-time employment
Emphasis on CPA eligibility and passage
Available scholarships in students’ fifth year of the program

The program timeline is as follows:

Junior Year:

Fall semester:

Submit PPA application

Spring semester:

Take AIM 3351-Individual Taxation

Interview for internships

Senior Year

Fall semester:

Take AIM 3332-Intermediate Financial Accounting II

Take GMAT for graduate school admission

Spring semester:

Internship for selected students during first 8-weeks

Take AIM 6335-Ethics for Professional Accountants during second 8-weeks

Apply to MS-AIM Program

Graduate with BS-AIM

Graduate Year:

Summer/Fall semester:

Begin MS-AIM Program

Take AIM 6352-Corporate Taxation (fall)

Spring semester:

Take AIM 6370-Business Law

Take AIM 6390-CPA Review Course

Graduate with MS-AIM

The required PPA courses are summarized in the following table. Students must take all of these “PPA courses” with their PPA group in order to remain in the program:

Junior Year		Senior Year		Graduate
Fall	Spring	Fall	Spring	Fall	Spring
Apply to program- no class offered	AIM 3351-Individual Taxation	AIM 3332-Intermediate Financial Accounting II	AIM 6335-Ethics for Professional Accountants (2nd 8-week course)	AIM 6352- Corporate Taxation	AIM 6370- Business Law

Interested students should apply in the fall semester of their junior year for spring semester admittance. The application deadline is September 15th and the prospective applicant must:

Be junior-level (completed at least 60 credit hours),
Have a minimum GPA of 3.0,
Have completed (1) AIM 2301-Introduction to Financial Accounting, (2) AIM 2302-Introduction to Management Accounting, and (3) AIM 3320-Financial Information Management.

For application, please download and complete the application form (link to Application Form). Applicants will be notified of their acceptance into the PPA by email.

If you have any questions, please contact Amy Troutman at amybass@utdallas.edu

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the process for application evaluations?
Ans. A committee of selected AIM faculty members will review the applications. The faculty committee will interview all interested students in the fall semester of junior year prior to determining admission. Admission is not guaranteed based on meeting qualifications.

2. When can I know the application result?
Ans. Results of application will usually occur in the October of junior year.

3. What happens if I fail a course during the PPA program?
Ans. A 3.0 GPA must be maintained while in program. Academic probation will occur if a student drops below a 3.0 GPA.

4. What will the class size be?
Ans. Typical class size each year will be approximately 40 students.

5. Do you conduct interviews for admittance into the PPA program?
Ans. Yes, interviews will be conducted prior to admittance into the PPA program.

6. What is the cost for each semester if I join the PPA program?
Ans. There is no cost of being in the PPA program beyond traditional tuition and fees for courses.

7. What kind of scholarships is available and how to apply?
Ans. A limited number of scholarships will be available to 5th-year (graduate) students in the PPA program.