Guest Blogger: Melisa Galasso, CPA, CSP, CPTD
Galasso Learning Solutions
I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t teaching. Thinking way back to third grade, I remember playing school and always insisting on being the teacher (the benefit of being the oldest child). As an undergrad at Georgetown, I became a teaching assistant and loved helping freshmen learn the foreign language of accounting. After I graduated and passed the CPA exam, I started instructing CPA review courses part-time to help others pass the exam. Teaching has always been a passion of mine.
A few years out of undergrad, I felt the desire to teach at the college level and applied to several PhD programs. I was accepted by none. I later realized that research was the priority in a PhD program, and admission essays describing my passion for teaching were likely not a good application strategy. Despite this setback, I still loved teaching, so I taught as an adjunct professor instead.
When my husband transferred to Charlotte, I quit my job in Washington, DC and went to work for a CPA firm in their national office. What attracted me to the role was, again, my ability to train. I also applied to teach part-time in the evenings “for fun” at the local community in Charlotte, where I was surprised to learn that I was “unqualified” to teach with only a bachelor’s degree. A CPA and years of experience were apparently viewed as insufficient. I expanded my training role at the CPA firm until I decided in 2016 to start my own business teaching continuing professional education to CPAs, which I’ve done for the last eight years (my company’s anniversary is on the 23rd!). I love everything about what my company stands for and have made continuous learning one of its core values.
However, two years ago, I realized I wanted to do more with the profession, and teaching was not enough this time. I needed to get to the bottom of an issue that plagued the profession – why, despite many people teaching risk assessment, does risk assessment continue to be a top audit deficiency year after year? This newly found research idea led me to explore options for going back to school again. This time, however, for my DBA.
Living in Charlotte, North Carolina, I am fortunate to have the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in my backyard. UNCC has a great DBA program, so naturally, I applied. However, much to my chagrin, I again learned that I was “unqualified.” My lack of a master’s degree was again causing problems for me in academia. My application was denied despite having 20 years of experience as a CPA and teaching thousands of hours of advanced accounting and auditing classes to professionals. Going back for a MACC now was not a good option as I’m not the ideal master’s student because the courses I teach are more technical and up-to-date than any textbook in my field. Beyond UNCC, all of the DBA programs on the East Coast also required an advanced degree.
Undeterred, I got a little more creative and started researching programs overseas. I have a minor in French, and as an undergrad, I studied abroad in Paris. Travel is also one of my favorite pastimes, so I was intrigued when I came across a DBA program at the Paris School of Business. I inquired, and the admissions office confirmed that my lack of a master’s degree would not derail my application. A few months later, I was accepted into the program and even awarded a small scholarship.
Before paying my deposit, I did some further due diligence. I found program graduates on LinkedIn who were also from North America and reached out to ask about their experience. Everyone gave glowing reviews. The DBA program at PSB was a little different than the programs I read about in the US. In the US, it was common to have monthly meetings over long weekends. Obviously, flying back and forth to Europe for a long weekend wouldn’t work. Thankfully, the DBA program at PSB features one and two-week programs. I spent two weeks in Paris in December to complete my first “residence.” The program is taught entirely in English, but my cohort is diverse - consisting of about 35 people representing 30 countries. The courses are also hybrid, so students can attend in person or online. Given the time difference, being in person makes a lot more sense for me. Plus, who doesn’t want a good excuse to spend a few weeks in Paris every year?
The flexibility to complete the sessions in large chunks is appealing to me as it is easier to fit into my schedule. Plus, I enjoyed having Parisian lunches with people from Portugal, the Dominican Republic, Iran, Iraq, and South Africa. So, with my first residence completed and another week scheduled for the later this year at end of May, I’m already writing my research proposal, which is due in April before I head back to France.
While many people have a clear picture of how their doctorate will look, I have to say I’m happy that my story has more twists and turns. A straight line does not make for a great story!
