MAcc program gives student athlete opportunities for new experiences
Graduate student Caroline Bien uses last year of eligibility to build connections, study abroad
Many KU sports fans may know her as No. 14 on the women’s volleyball team, but at the KU School of Business, Caroline Bien is also known as a dedicated Master of Accounting (MAcc) student.
The Overland Park, Kansas, native graduated from the School of Business with an accounting degree in spring 2024 after three years. This fall, she jumped right into the MAcc program as she completes her last season as an outside hitter with KU Volleyball.
Since she was 14 years old, Bien knew she wanted to be a Jayhawk. When she committed to KU to play college volleyball, she knew that she wanted to explore business, a topic she’s been interested in from a young age.
Although she was interested in business, Bien says she didn’t know a lot about the accounting program until took her first accounting class, and it “just clicked” for her.
“I chose accounting because I loved the professors right off the bat,” Bien said. “You take ACCT 200 if you’re a business student. After taking it my second semester, I just fell in love with it and knew I was good at it.”
The close relationships she built with professors is another reason she was drawn to the program.
“You keep having the same professors over and over, which is what I liked about accounting because you get to know the professors so well, and they all get to know you on a personal level,” Bien said. “A lot of them email me all the time just to keep up with me.”
Bien says Josh Arpin, accounting lecturer, is one of those instructors who has made an impact on her throughout her time at KU. Arpin says he knew Bien was a dedicated accounting student ever since he taught her as a sophomore.
“It’s been amazing watching her balance doing a challenging major while also being able to balance her academics and commitments for volleyball and succeeding in both as well as she has,” Arpin said. “I think probably the thing that stands out the most for me when I interact with Caroline has just been her overall positivity around not only volleyball, but just everyday life, whether it’s a hard day of hard practice or games versus the day of a test.”
Being a college athlete is not an easy feat, but Bien says throughout the years, she has gotten used to it with the support of the School of Business and Accounting academic area faculty and staff.
“I’d say I’ve gotten more used to it, but it honestly never was that difficult,” Bien said. “All my teachers have been super accommodating, especially now that I’m in grad school or toward upper-level classes when I’m more focused on my major.”
By talking with her professors and attending career events specific to KU students, Bien secured an audit internship with KPMG in Kansas City in summer 2024.
“I had a bunch of professors that worked at KPMG before, so I would talk to them a lot,” Bien said. “They prepared me for that, especially my audit class.”
Bien finished her undergraduate degree in three years. So, after graduating in spring 2024 with one year left of eligibility for volleyball and a goal of completing her Certified Public Accountant certification (CPA), the most logical next step for her was to get her MAcc.
“It just made sense, but regardless if I graduated in three or four years, I probably would have still done the Master of Accounting program,” Bien said. “It was that logical next step, and everyone recommends getting your CPA before you start working. It was easier to get all of the schooling out of the way and just prepare.”
She recently began the program and found that it has helped prepare her for the CPA and her future in the industry. She says what has stood out to her so far with the program has been the students she’s connected with and the teaching style.
“I really like how the professors cater toward what you want to learn and need to learn, so a lot of what we’re learning is specific preparation for the CPA exam,” Bien said. “At my internship, a lot of the KPMG interns that I worked with are also in the Master of Accounting program, so I already knew some of them. But I’ve met a ton, and I love comparing experiences and how they interned and what they did. I’ve made a bunch of friends so far and everyone’s super friendly and wants to get to know each other.”
According to KU School of Business employment and salary statistics data for 2022–23, 98% of KU’s MAcc graduates secure a job by graduation. Bien is not an exception. She has a fall 2025 full-time position lined up with KPMG upon graduation.
To finish her master’s degree, Bien will also participate in the 2025 Business Practices in Latin America study abroad trip. She will complete her final three credit hours while being immersed in the business culture of Latin America. As an athlete, Bien didn’t have the time to study abroad. Now as she wraps up her final volleyball season with KU, she looks forward to this opportunity.
The trip, led by Alee Phillips, MAcc program director and Kelvie Crabb, of MAcc program associate director, is designed for MAcc students who are interested learning about business culture and dynamics in Costa Rica and Latin America. They will visit different small and large businesses and engage with their business strategies and practices while learning about local culture.
“I am thrilled about the opportunity to attend the Business Practices in Latin America study abroad trip to gain better insight into international business practices and how other countries’ businesses operate,” Bien said. “I have heard great things about the trip, and I am of course looking forward to developing connections and lifelong friendships with my MAcc class and faculty. I love the people I have met so far, but I am super excited to travel with them, get to know them better and learn with them.”
To learn more about KU’s Master of Accounting program and to find out how to apply, visit business.ku.edu/graduate-programs/master-of-accounting.
Both the KU School of Business and its accounting program hold AACSB accreditation, a distinction held by only 194 institutions.
By Lauryn Zebrowski
