Landon Hudson faced a conundrum as he pondered his future. When he began taking accounting classes as an undergraduate, he enjoyed them so much that he began seeing a career somewhere in that field. But at the small liberal arts college he attended, there were only a limited number of accounting courses available. And because he took only a limited number of courses, he lacked the extensive accounting background that many schools required for him to gain admission to a masters program.

That all changed when a representative from Vanderbilt visited one of Landon’s accounting classes and offered information about the MAcc program. When he learned about “the mix of educational opportunities in one program that is completed in one year,” he says, “I knew that Vanderbilt was exactly what I was looking for. The unbelievably high internship and full-time placement rate along with the high pass rate on the CFA and CPA exams were also large factor.”

In addition, Landon says, “The Valuation program really interested me because I am interested in the finance side as well (as accounting).”

One year later, Landon had landed in New York with a full-time position after graduation. “The program has been a great start for the rest of my career,” he says. “It has taught me the technical skills I need for the beginning of my career as well as the soft skills that enable one to be a successful leader. It has given me the opportunity to grow my network with a diverse group of people from MBAs, MSFs and fellow MAcc students.”

Along with the skills and credential he needed, Landon also takes from Vanderbilt fond memories of weekly pickup basketball games, football tailgates on Saturdays, enjoying live music in Nashville — and the people with whom he experienced them. “Being such a small program led to an extremely tight-knit group,” he says. “I have made great friends through the program and know that I will keep in close contact with them far into the future.”

Fun Fact: Before enrolling at Vanderbilt, Landon spent the summer in Montana working at a ski and golf resort (and learning how to fly fish).

“[The program] has given me the opportunity to grow my network with a diverse group of people from MBAs, MSFs and fellow MAcc students.”