Favorite Part of the Program: The flexibility! I love that I can watch the live sessions at a later date. It allows me to go to my son’s basketball games and take my daughter to ballet class without feeling like I’m missing out.
Most challenging part of your iMSA experience: The fast paced nature of the program. I sometimes take a little longer to process everything and sometimes need more practice to understand things. This program moves very quickly, so it’s important to stay on task and spread the work throughout the week. It can be overwhelming to balance work, my family, and the classes.
What advice do you have for someone looking to pursue the iMSA? Schedule your homework, readings, and quizzes throughout the week, so that you’re not overwhelmed on the weekends. It’s much easier to complete everything in small increments.
Fun Fact about Yourself: Here are a few! 1. I grew up on a farm so I love the outdoors. 2. I have three children ages 14, 12, and 5. 3. My dream is to own my own business and live on the beach someday.

Favorite Part of the Program: Being able to join a prestigious program from the other side of the world is a rare opportunity. The program content has proven to be a key component in my success, so far, toward obtaining my U.S. CPA designation. I like that I’m able to achieve two career objectives with the same set of efforts: one to obtain my CPA designation and the other, to receive a master’s degree. Knowing that the program has the best professors in the field gives me confidence that I am in good hands in this journey. Despite the distance, I like that there is still a sense of belonging when you interact with classmates and professors in live sessions, group projects and discussion forums. The biggest privilege that I enjoy is the freedom to plan around course deliverables, to study course content, and to go through the deadlines at my own pace and time.
Most challenging part of your iMSA experience: The most challenging part for me is juggling assignments and even final exams when they also fall within my CPA exam week! I have learned to really plan well in advance to accommodate these without overwhelming myself.
What advice do you have for someone looking to pursue the iMSA? Formal training, skills and experience are investments that are expected when we pursue a serious career in the accounting field. It comes in many forms and in my case, at this point, I chose academics. My advice for someone looking to pursue the program is that if you’ve been wanting to attend a Master of Science in Accountancy program, the University of Illinois’ iMSA program is one of the best options available. If you narrow it down further to universities offering reasonably-priced full distance learning, the iMSA is hands-down #1 on the list given the university’s outstanding track record in its accountancy program. The other criteria I was considering while choosing which university to attend was the culture shared within the campus. I like what I saw when I had a tiny glimpse of this while narrowing down my search for a university and even more so when I had the chance to visit the campus and personally meet classmates, faculty, and staff.
Fun Fact about Yourself: I love dogs, but it was never like this until I had to temporarily take care of an adorable and affectionate pug. That same charming creature now lives with me and my husband permanently. I think that we will always have a canine member in the family.

Favorite Part of the Program: The faculty members of the iMSA program bring world-class accounting experiences and knowledge to the programs. They make complicated accounting concepts digestible and fun to learn.
Most challenging part of your iMSA experience: The iMSA program provides plenty of opportunities to engage with the class through projects, live sessions, and online discussions. At the same time, I find that my acquired knowledge allows me to take on more responsibility at work. Being an accounting professional, the most challenging part is balancing the time between the iMSA program and my job.
What advice do you have for someone looking to pursue the iMSA? The iMSA is a rigorous program requiring both time commitment and determination but all the hard work will pay off in the end.
Fun Fact about Yourself: I was a semi-professional speed skating athlete for 10 years.