Department of Accounting

Accounting students have a wide range of career choices. UHCL accounting students have successfully secured positions in many of the following areas:

• Public accounting (e.g., auditing, forensic accounting, appraising services, and tax)
• Private accounting (e.g. cost accounting, financial accounting, actuarial accounting, and auditing)
• Financial services (e.g., business valuation and financial analysis)
• Government and non-profit (e.g., local government, fund accounting, and IRS jobs)

The Accounting Advisory Board includes accounting professionals who have significant career accomplishments and high ethical standards. Its purpose is to provide guidance and assistance that aligns accounting courses and curricula with accounting practice and improves the functioning of the Accounting department. The following are the members of the Accounting Advisory Board:

• Ronny Bedford, CBIZ, Inc.
• Ashley Boyer, Fortis Bank
• Jennifer Canas, Astrotech Corporation
• Jaclyn Cheslock, Sulzer Pump Services
• Michael Dummer, Chapelwood United Methodist Church
• Rumy Jaleel-Khan, Deloitte Advisory
• Chris Japczynski, Weaver and Tidwell, LLP
• Larry Johnson, TF Companies
• Michael Landers, UHY, LLP
• Shannon McCain, Crowe, LLP
• Douglas Moore, Chevron Phillips Chemical
• Greg Owen, Hartford Steam Boiler (HSB)
• Carrie Owens, EMCOR Industrial Services
• Ruben Perez, LaPorte CPAs & Business Advisors
• Nikolas Reigleman, BDO USA, PC
• Heather Rodriguez, OxyVinyls, LP
• Stephen Sutton, Texas Crude Energy, LLC
• Laurian Tollett, DRDA, PLLC

The University of Houston-Clear Lake Accounting mentorship program provides students with opportunities to interact with accounting professionals. The mentoring relationship is normally for one regular school year (which ends in May). The program is open to Accounting majors at the junior, senior, and graduate levels.

Goal

To help prepare University of Houston-Clear Lake Accounting students for their careers by connecting them with a mentor for professional and personal guidance.

Objectives

• Learn about the profession of accounting and how it is changing.
• Improve soft skills, including verbal communication and how to act and dress professionally.
• Increase awareness of useful business resources, including books, websites, and seminar materials.
• Provide guidance on how to adapt to an office environment and work remotely.
• Give advice on methods to achieve work-life balance.
• Enhance awareness of the importance of professional certifications.
• Encourage membership in professional organizations.

Activities

Meetings between mentor and mentee over one regular academic year (ending in May), with frequency between once every week and once every four weeks. Meetings can take place in-person, virtually, or by telephone.  We recommend that at least one meeting take place in-person. All in-person meetings must be at a public location. In addition, all mentors and mentees are required to attend one 15 to 30 minute mentorship program kick-off (introductory) meeting before involvement in the mentorship program. The meeting will be held virtually.

Expected Outcomes

• Access a trusted professional for one-on-one advice and interaction.
• Improve verbal communication skills.
• Improve self-confidence in a business environment.
• Enhance career development.
• Establish competitive advantage in the business world.
• Increase preparation in the professional job market.
• Receive guidance on pursuing certifications (e.g., CPA, CFE, CIA, CISA, CMA). 

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Becoming a Mentor

1. Review the participant expectations and the FAQs below.
2. Fill out an application form.

Mentor Application Form

Becoming a Mentee

1. Review the participant expectations and the FAQs below.
2. Fill out an application form.

 Mentee Application Form

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Participant Expectations

Mentor

• I will follow through the mentoring process over the period of the mentoring relationship.
• I will encourage my mentee to communicate openly.
• I will respond to my mentee’s questions in a timely fashion as my schedule allows.

Mentee

• I will be proactive in requesting assistance from my mentor.
• I will make the best use of our meeting time by preparing thoughtful questions in advance.
• I will share with my mentor my goals and objectives for my career. I will be ready to ask for advice on my goals.
• I will respond promptly to my mentor’s communications.
• I will be a good listener.
• I will be on time with commitments or meetings. If I must cancel a meeting, I will inform the mentor when I know I will be unable to attend.
• I will be courteous to and respect my mentor.
• I will keep details of conversations with my mentor confidential and will not publicly evaluate my mentor. This includes social media.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

When is the mentorship program offered?

During the regular academic year (which includes Fall and Spring semesters).

How long does the mentoring relationship last?

Normally, during the regular academic year, which ends in May.  If the mentee graduates or otherwise leaves UHCL before the end of the regular academic year, the mentoring relationship will end when the mentee leaves UHCL.

How frequently should the mentor and mentee meet?

The mentor and mentee should meet at least three times in a semester.  One of the characteristics in which a mentor and a mentee are matched is the frequency with which they would like to meet.

In which format (e.g., in-person, virtual, telephone) can the meetings take place?

The meetings can take place in-person, virtually (e.g., Teams meeting), or by telephone. We recommend that at least one meeting take place in-person.  Please note that all in-person meetings must take place in a public location.

What if the mentee and mentor do not 'click'?

A mentoring relationship is about listening, learning, communicating, and relationship building.  Sometimes it gets off to a ‘rocky’ start but improves over time.  However, in some cases, the match may not be ideal.  If you would like to discontinue the relationship before the end of the regular academic year, please contact the mentorship coordinator at Lacina@uhcl.edu. 

Can the mentor and mentee continue the mentoring relationship for more than the regular academic year?

The mentor and mentee may be able to continue their relationship for more than the regular academic year.  This depends on the availability of mentors and the number of students who apply to the mentoring program.  We want to give all students who apply to the mentoring program a chance for a mentoring relationship.

As a mentee, can I stay in the mentoring program beyond one regular academic year but with a different mentor the next school year?

Yes, if there are enough mentors available for the students who applied to the mentoring program.  We want to give all students who apply to the mentoring program a chance for a mentoring relationship.

How many mentees are assigned to a mentor?

Either one or two mentees is assigned to a mentor.  We will only assign two mentees to a mentor if the number of mentees is greater than the number of mentors and the mentor agrees to take on a second mentee.

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Participating Professionals

The following are the professionals participating as mentors along with their affiliations: 

• Ivette Armenta, CBIZ, Inc.
• Ronny Bedford, CBIZ, Inc.
• Ashley Boyer, Fortis Bank
• Kenneth Bratton, CBIZ, Inc.
• Jason Fuqua, CBIZ, Inc.
• Ashlee Higginbotham, BDO USA, PC
• Jaden Holbrook, BDO USA, PC
• Timothy Papa, BDO USA, PC
• Nikolas Reigleman, BDO USA, PC
• Heather Rodriguez, OxyVinyls, LP
• Laurian Tollett, DRDA, PLLC

In recent years, we have successfully placed students in various international, national, regional, and local public accounting firms such as Ernst and Young, KPMG, BDO, Harper Pearson, Whitley Penn, Ham Langston & Brezina, DRDA, Doeren Mayhew, etc. Our graduates have also secured positions at leading companies in the oil and gas industry, healthcare, and the financial services industry.

Number of graduates over the prior three academic years (2022-23 through 2024-25):

• Accounting B.S. - 249
• Accounting M.S. - 56

Andrhea Chu

Andrhea Chu is a Tax Associate at EY. She earned Bachelor of Science degrees in Accounting and Finance from UHCL in 2023. In addition to interning at EY, she was a Tax and Audit intern at Weaver and Crowe, respectively. She is in the process of obtaining her CPA license after passing the exam. Andrhea received her black belt in martial arts at the age of nine in the Philippines and won at the national level.

Nicole Gerry

Nicole Gerry is an Internal Auditor at Live Nation Entertainment. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from UHCL in 2023. She worked in public accounting for BDO in 2024 before earning her CPA license, transitioning to an industry role, and earning her CFE certifications in 2025. Nicole is an integral part of testing controls and investigating fraud in her workplace. She serves regularly at her church in Manvel, where she volunteers as a youth mentor and leader.

Molly Zhang

Molly Zhang is a Senior Accountant at U.S. Capital Wealth. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Healthcare Administration in 2014 and a Master of Science degree in Accounting in 2022, both from UHCL. Mrs. Zhang is a former auditor for PwC and holds a CPA license. She has volunteered at the Galveston County Food Bank and as a Sunday school teacher at her local church.

We actively engage our students with accounting professionals and provide them with networking opportunities through the annual Accounting Recruiters' Reception in fall and Meet the Firms in spring.

Many students secured valuable internship opportunities through these events and most led to full-time employment. Check the UHCL News and Events and the UHCL Accounting Association webpage for the latest information.

• Beta Alpha Psi - Zeta Upsilon Chapter
• UHCL News and Events
• UHCL Accounting Association

The Accounting internship program prepares accounting students for careers in accounting by integrating academic study and work experience. The Accounting internship program will enhance student knowledge through experience gained from performance of work assignments and development of professional skills in a work setting. A significant number of UHCL accounting students obtain internships with accounting firms and companies of various sizes. Many of those internships lead to permanent positions. Students in an accounting internship who meet specific requirements have the option of  enrolling in a three-credit hour internship course.

Eligibility Requirements

Students are eligible to enter the UHCL Accounting internship program upon meeting the following requirements:

1. Acceptance into an Accounting degree program in the College of Business or have completed an undergraduate degree.
2. Completion of a signed and approved candidate plan of study.
3. Undergraduate and Post-Baccaluareate students are eligible to apply for the Accounting internship program after satisfying the following (in addition to requirements 1 and 2):
   1. completion of all lower level requirements;
   2. completion of 12 semester hours of upper-level accounting coursework;
   3. completion of 9 semester hours at UHCL; and
   4. cumulative GPA of 2.0 or above.
4. Graduate Accounting students are eligible to apply for the Accounting internship program after satisfying the following (in additional to requirements 1 and 2):
   1. completion of all foundation courses or equivalents;
   2. completion of 12 semester hours of upper-level undergraduate or graduate accounting coursework;
   3. completion of 9 semester hours at UHCL; and
   4. cumulative graduate GPA of 3.0 or above.
5. International students have additional eligibility requirements, including Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorization.
6. An undergraduate or post-baccalaureate student who meets the above requirements can enroll in the ACCT 4379 Internship in Accounting course one time. A graduate student who meets the above requirements can enroll in the ACCT 6739 Internship in Accounting course one time.

When to Start

Students who are interested in an internship should start looking as soon as they meet the eligibility requirements specified previously.

To Find an Internship Position

1. Enter your resume and data into the Center for Career Development Jobs4Hawks database.
2. (International Students Only) Provide a copy of your I-20 with CPT authorization to the Center for Career Development.
3. If you have not secured an internship position prior to the start of the semester, you may enroll in an alternate course under the assumption you will not do an internship. Once you have a position, you can enroll in the appropriate internship course. You can drop the alternate course without penalty. Please confirm the refund schedule with the Student Business Services office prior to dropping the alternate course.
4. Once the student has secured an internship, the student must provide a copy of the employer's offer letter to the Center for Career Development.

Once You Have Found an Internship Position

1. The employing firm provides a signed Affiliation Agreement - signed by:
   
   1. Company representative;
   2. Internship Coordinator/instructor (Michael Lacina – Bayou 3237, Rm 4);
   3. Faculty Chair (Michael Lacina – Bayou 3237, Rm 4); and
   4. Dean or Associate Dean (Bayou 2211).
2. The employing firm must provide a signed Description of Internship Objectives. (Copy to instructor/Internship Coordinator at the beginning of the internship). A job offer letter describing what you will doing as an intern will be sufficient.
3. The student must fill out and sign the Addendum to Affiliation Agreement.
4. The student must sign the Academic Credit Agreement, where the student states that to receive academic credit for the internship, he/she must provide the instructor/Internship Coordinator with the required documentation.
5. The student will be enrolled in an Accounting Internship course (ACCT 4379 for undergraduates / ACCT 6739 for graduates).
   
   1. E-services cannot be used to enroll in an internship course.
   2. A completed (Undergraduate or Graduate) Internship Enrollment form must be submitted to the Office of Academic Advising (Bayou 2111) for the enrollment in the Accounting Internship course to be processed. It must be signed by:
      
      1. Internship Coordinator/instructor (Michael Lacina – Bayou 3237, Rm 4)
      2. Dean or Associate Dean (Bayou 2211)
   3. Students must be hired and enrolled by the last day of late registration for the applicable semester or 8-week session (whichever is applicable); otherwise, they will not be able to enroll in the internship class that semester or session.
   4. Internship terms may occur in Fall, Spring, or Summer semesters, as well as 8 week sessions within semesters. For U.S. students, actual work terms may overlap the scheduled academic semesters/sessions. For international students, the start date and the end date must be within the official dates of the semester/session.
6. Note: Once you commit to an internship with an organization, you are expected to honor that commitment. In other words, you should not de-commit, which is unethical (unless, of course, an extreme event happens that prevents you from performing the internship).

During the Internship

1. The student must keep a daily Diary comprising a chronological list of all work experience gained in the internship. Writing or tying a few sentences of what you did each day is sufficient.
2. You are required to work at least 144 hours as an intern. This is a minimum requirement.
3. For U.S. students, actual internship work periods may overlap academic semesters/sessions. For international students, the start date and the end date must fall within the official dates of the semester/session.

Completion of the Internship

1. The employing firm must:
   
   1. Complete an Employer's Evaluation of Accounting Intern Student (copies to student and to instructor/Internship Coordinator) AND
   2. provide a letter describing the duties performed and the nature of the supervision to the student. (copies to student and instructor/Internship Coordinator).
      
      1. The employer's letter seems to be the most difficult of the requirements.
      2. The letter does not have to be detailed or long - one or two paragraphs will suffice.
      3. The employer generally speaks of the work done by the intern (e.g., tax return preparation) and the training and supervision received by the intern.
2. The student must complete a Student Evaluation of Accounting Intern Experience (copy to instructor/Internship Coordinator). Note: Some firms have their own employer and/or student evaluation forms. If not, use the following forms: employer evaluation of the student or student evaluation of the intern experience. These evaluation forms are labelled as co-op forms even though they also apply to internships.
3. The student must submit the daily Diary discussed previously (copy to instructor/Internship Coordinator).
4. The student must submit a Term Paper to the instructor/Internship Coordinator demonstrating the knowledge gained in the internship. The term paper should focus on the tasks performed during the internship, the relationship of the tasks learned to the student’s academic coursework, and the knowledge (accounting and business-related) gained during the internship. The report should be 8 to 12 pages in length, double-spaced, and with reasonable margins (such as one inch). Given that the internship term paper is based on the student's individual experiences, it is not compatible with the use of AI.
5. For acceptance as partial fulfillment of the educational requirements by the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy (TSBPA), the student and Internship Coordinator must provide copies of all documentation if requested by the board. (Texas State Board of Public Accountancy, Rules for the Accounting Profession).

Other Important Information

1. The Texas State Board of Public Accountancy (TSBPA) will accept up to 6 credit hours of accounting/business internship for the CPA examination. These credit hours count toward the total hours for the CPA exam as well as the business hours, but not the accounting hours.
2. A student's current job cannot be used for the internship.
3. The accounting knowledge gained in the internship is expected to be equal to or greater than the knowledge gained in a traditional accounting classroom setting.
4. The employing firm must provide sufficient training, sufficient supervision, challenging work assignments in line with the student’s coursework, and performance feedback throughout the internship.
5. For additional information from the TSBPA on internships, see TSBPA - Examination - Education - Academic Internships (texas.gov).

Required Documentation

To summarize previously discussed requirements, the student must provide the instructor/Internship Coordinator with the following documentation to be eligible to receive credit for the course (for more detail, see the previous instructions):

1. Description of internship objectives.
2. Diary comprising a chronological list of all work experience gained in the internship.
3. Employer's evaluation of accounting intern.
4. Employer's letter describing the duties performed by the intern and the nature of the supervision received by the student.
5. Student's evaluation of the internship
6. Term-Paper demonstrating the knowledge gained from the internship

Copies of the above 6 documents are required to be eligible for academic credit for the course and for the credit hours to count toward fulfillment of the educational requirements for the Texas CPA exam. The above items may be submitted in-person or by email to the instructor/Internship coordinator.

Due Dates

U.S. Students

For U.S. students, there are no specific due dates as internship periods can overlap academic semesters/sessions. If the above items are not received by the instructor/Internship Coordinator by the official closing of the semester or two business days before the day grades are due for the 8-week session (whichever is applicable), the student will receive a grade of "I" (Incomplete). The student will have until the end of the next long semester to complete the internship.

International Students

For international students, the start date and the end date must fall within the official dates of the semester/session. Therefore, the due date for international students is the official closing of the semester or two business days before the day grades are due for the 8-week session, whichever is applicable.