PhD in Accounting Information & Management
Students receive rigorous training in economics and econometrics, in addition to the more specialized areas of accounting and finance. The program is distinguished by its strong emphasis on both empirical and analytical research methods. A defining feature of the program is the close collaboration between faculty and PhD students on research projects, often beginning in the first year.
As the language of business, accounting plays a key role in communicating financial information to all parties engaged in any type of commerce. Accounting research focuses on the decisions of what, how, and to whom to communicate information and the consequences of those communications.
Active research areas
The role of information intermediaries in capital markets; the nature of and changes in the firm’s information environment; the changing role of the audit function; voluntary and mandatory disclosures; accounting based valuation; and accounting regulation.
Please note: Applicants to economics-based Ph.D. programs, such as Accounting, may opt-in to have their application considered by Weinberg's Economics Ph.D. program. More information about this option is available on The Graduate School website.
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Our faculty include well-known and widely-recognized scholars who have trained and placed doctoral students at leading research universities around the world. In addition to publishing in these top journals, our faculty also serve on the editorial boards of the Journal of Accounting and Economics; the Accounting Review; the Journal of Accounting Research; Contemporary Accounting Research; Review of Financial Studies; Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Finance; Journal of Accounting and Public Policy; and the Journal of Management Accounting. All of our tenure track faculty work with Ph.D. students, both teaching Ph.D. courses and conducting joint research. These research collaborations result in both joint working papers and publications prior to the student’s graduation.
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We seek students with an interest in becoming active scholars at research institutions. Many of our students have backgrounds in accounting, finance, or economics at either the undergraduate or graduate level and some have research experience. A master’s degree is not required, but about half of our matriculating students have a graduate degree. Because accounting research requires strong quantitative skills, we look for students with solid training in mathematics, statistics, or a related quantitative field. Recommended prior coursework includes calculus, real analysis, linear algebra, optimization, probability, and statistics. We do not require prior academic work in accounting or prior research experience.
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Coursework
In years one and two, you enroll in three or four courses each quarter (fall, winter, spring). During the first year, you build a solid foundation in basic disciplines and research methods within empirical accounting and accounting theory, and microeconomics and econometrics. The second-year curriculum continues with analytical and empirical research in accounting and on expanding your research breadth with courses in related fields such as finance and managerial economics. You must maintain a minimum 3.0 (B) grade point average for the first two years of coursework.
Preliminary and qualifying exams
During the first two years of the program, you must demonstrate competency in empirical accounting, accounting theory, econometrics, microeconomics, asset pricing, and corporate finance. In the summer of your first year, you also complete an empirical research reapplication project under the supervision of a faculty member. Following the second year, students must either achieve a 3.6 GPA in their analytical and empirical coursework or pass a comprehensive qualifying exam that assesses proficiency in both analytical and empirical approaches to accounting research.
Candidacy
During the summer of your second year, you will complete a research paper under the direction of a faculty advisor. Many of these papers develop into publishable research papers and potential dissertation topics. The paper is presented to the Accounting faculty by the end of fall quarter of their third year, at which time your performance is reviewed. Upon successfully completing qualifying requirements and second-year paper, you are admitted to candidacy.
Research, proposal and dissertation
Research is the primary focus beginning in the third year. Most students graduate with a publishable dissertation as well as additional working papers and publications, often co-authored with faculty and fellow PhD students. By the end of winter quarter of your fourth year, you must present a dissertation proposal to the Accounting faculty. In your final year, you must complete a dissertation demonstrating original and significant research and successfully defend it in an oral (“final”) examination.
Teaching requirement
To promote engagement with faculty and integration with the intellectual community, students serve as research assistants and teaching assistants during their second, third, and fourth years. Research assistantships (RA) provide valuable preparation for research careers, while teaching assistantships (TA) help students develop the skills needed for academic teaching after earning their PhD.