For Jackson Tysinger (M.S. in Accounting ’26), choosing McIntire’s M.S. in Accounting Program was less about changing direction and more about continuing a path he already knew fit. A Richmond, VA, native and Wofford College graduate with majors in Finance and Accounting and a minor in Economics, Tysinger arrived at UVA with a strong technical foundation and a clear sense of the kind of learning environment where he thrives.
That environment, he says, felt familiar from day one.
A Small-School Mindset That Carries Forward
Tysinger’s decision to attend Wofford was something he landed on early. Coming from a small private high school and knowing classmates who were heading there, Tysinger says Wofford’s tight-knit culture stood out. “In that kind of small school, you really got to know everybody,” he says. “That was what I wanted in college.”
That preference carried straight into his graduate school search. “I knew that the M.S. in Accounting Program, was smaller,” Tysinger says of the nine-month program. “And I knew that we would be in the same kind of classroom where the teachers really cared about you and got to know you as a person.”
That continuity mattered. “It wasn’t just preparing you for the CPA exam,” he explains. “It was preparing you for the rest of your career.”
From Knowing the Material to Communicating It
At Wofford, Tysinger built a strong understanding of accounting and finance fundamentals. At McIntire, that knowledge is put into motion while stressing the importance on connecting with people.
“A lot of it is interpersonal skills,” he says, such as “being able to present well in front of others or do well in group projects.” The M.S. in Accounting’s emphasis on group work and applied learning builds on Wofford’s academic framework while pushing students into new territory when sharing their ideas.
The takeaway provides Accounting students with the ability to give their teammates the same deep understanding that they’ve conceptualized themselves; it’s a skill that’s a game-changer when working in a group. “It’s that big step of being able to not just understand what’s going on, but explain it to others,” Tysinger notes.
That focus on business-style writing and real-world application has been one of the most noticeable differences he’s found in his graduate studies at the Comm School. “Being able to write memos and understand how accounting applies to certain companies and frameworks has been huge,” he says.
A Clear Track and a Confident Career Launch
Tysinger chose the Financial Reporting & Assurance Track, aligning with his interest in audit work and his summer internship experience. “I really like the technical stuff,” he says. “From a career perspective, audit was where I wanted to go.”
That clarity paid off. After interning in Richmond at RSM, a mid-tier firm with a close-knit culture that reminded him of Wofford, Tysinger accepted a full-time offer and will return there in winter 2026.
“It felt a lot like Wofford,” he says of the internship. “I got to know everybody in the office. That sense of community is something I really value.”
Advice for Wofford Students Considering McIntire
For current Wofford students considering the M.S. in Accounting Program, Tysinger sees opportunity, especially for those ready to expand beyond the basics.
“You already have the framework,” he says. “You understand accounting and finance.” His advice? Start building comfort with data analytics tools and professional communication early. “Excel is great, but start learning things like Tableau, Alteryx, or Google BigQuery,” he suggests. “And really look at your business-style writing. That’s something we didn’t do a whole lot of at Wofford.”
Ultimately, he sees the transition as a natural progression. “You have all the tools coming from Wofford,” Tysinger says. “This program just helps you sharpen them and learn how to use them with other people.”
