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Study Abroad at the MAC Program

Author: Ashleigh

Study Abroad at the MAC Program

Every summer the Jenkins Master of Accounting Program offers a graduate course in the beautiful city of Prague, Czech Republic that spans three weeks in the first half of the summer. This allows students to return home and take another summer class, work at an internship or job, or just relax for the rest of the summer, while still getting to enjoy the history and culture of Prague while learning. The class meets Monday through Friday for approximately four hours a day. This schedule allows the professor to go over about three sessions’ worth of material in one day. Although that may sound intimidating, if you think about it, that is no different than the normal day of school that you are used to!

When I was an undergraduate student, I always thought the idea of studying abroad sounded amazing because I love to travel, but it was hard to see myself in a different country for an entire semester. After I was accepted into the MAC Program, the idea of a three-week study abroad experience immediately grabbed my attention. I began doing research about the class, Prague, and other cities I could visit while I was there. I decided to study abroad the summer before I began the MAC Program, knocking out three credit hours, and ultimately decreasing my workload during the school year. The class offered during this time was Sustainability and Business. This is an important topic as businesses have realized that they need to integrate sustainability into their strategy and business practices to remain competitive in today’s market. Topics we focused on included the impact of sustainability on merger and acquisition activity and IPOs, life cycle analysis, renewable energy, greenhouse gases, sustainability consulting opportunities, and employee engagement.

Another unique experience I got while studying abroad was the opportunity to travel to Berlin where we met with KPMG employees and learned how some companies they are working with are trying to integrate their sustainability efforts into their financial reporting. Meeting with these professionals, whose job it is to help companies format their reports and verify that the information in these reports is correct, was very beneficial to the class as it allowed us a first-hand look at a real life example.

So, if you are thinking about studying abroad here is my advice … do it! You will learn so much in such a short period of time, as well as gain a greater perspective on the world and have a new appreciation for other cultures. Prague is centrally located in Europe, allowing travel lovers the opportunity to visit different cities or even countries on the weekends. During my visit I spent weekends in London, Rome, Paris, and Valencia. It was a once in a lifetime experience that I would do over and over again if given the opportunity.

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