Accounting PhD Program
Preparing You to Excel
The University of Arizona is a premier research institution. Our goal is to prepare you to excel as an accounting researcher/educator at a top-50 accounting research institution. Our PhD graduates have placed at University of Chicago, University of Washington, Penn State University, University of Rochester, University of Texas at Austin, University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Ohio State University, Texas A&M University, University of Georgia, University of Notre Dame, University of Illinois, University of Southern California, Rice University and Washington University at St. Louis, among other institutions. Our expectation is that, as you near completion of the program, you will earn tenure-track research offers from comparable institutions. View recent placements.
Rigorous Coursework, Research and Resources
To meet this expectation, we provide you with a unique opportunity to acquire intellectual skills through rigorous coursework and augment your learning with specialized workshops (e.g., SAS® and Perl training) and research assistantships. The objective is to prepare you to succeed in conducting cutting-edge research on substantive accounting issues.
As a doctoral student, you will have access and exposure to the best in class resources available to academic accounting researchers.
Doctoral students focusing on archival research have access to the University of Arizona’s data subscriptions with the Wharton Research Data Services (WRDS®). WRDS provides its users with one location to access data across multiple disciplines. This significant data investment allows our doctoral students the opportunity to empirically examine accounting questions that include, but are not limited to, the following topics: Auditing, Corporate Governance, Executive Compensation, Financial Accounting, Tax and Managerial Accounting. Doctoral students seeking rigorous training in experimental data analysis team with our accounting faculty and doctoral students in the Economic Science Laboratory (ESL). The ESL is the home for cutting-edge experimental business research at the Eller College of Management. Much of the research that earned Vernon Smith the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences was conducted at the University of Arizona between 1976 and 2002.
Plan of Study
Spend your first two years learning as much as possible about research areas, disciplines and methods. Years three and four are spent producing a quality dissertation and research pipeline. Your fifth year is dedicated to progressing your dissertation and research.
Teaching Expectations
To better prepare for future faculty positions, you’ll have the opportunity to serve as a teaching assistant for multiple semesters and teach one class as a primary instructor. This often takes place during the summer between your first and second year.
Student Experience
Our doctoral students enjoy a sunny and moderate climate in Tucson with a low cost of living and plenty of outdoor recreation and in-town nightlife. Clear your mind hiking the hills of the Sonoran Desert, hitting up a concert or diving in to the best taco platter you’ve ever had.
Highly Competitive Admissions
It is difficult to characterize the applicants admitted into the Doctoral Program in Accounting with a “cookie cutter” statement since every circumstance and qualification set is unique to each applicant. However, recently admitted classes averaged a 708 GMAT, 3.8 GPA and three-to-four years of work experience. Admission is highly competitive where no more than four students are admitted from many applications. We accept and review applications on a rolling basis. Applications received by the early deadline date of January 15 will receive full consideration for the upcoming academic year. There is a final application deadline of May 1. The final deadline may expire sooner conditional upon the number of offers already extended. Overall, it's in an applicant's best interest to apply on or before January 15 whenever possible. Applicants are well served by taking a GMAT review course and allowing for time in the application process to educate themselves on requirements and deadlines. View admission requirements and materials.
Many students underestimate the quantitative rigor of research methods courses. Prior to starting a doctoral program, we strongly encourage you to take ECON 520 or an equivalent course that covers the basic mathematical statistics topics necessary for a deep understanding of applied econometrics. From a programming standpoint, SAS and STATA® are common software packages that support statistical data analysis. A SAS Boot Camp is offered to doctoral candidates; however, accepted candidates are also encouraged to take a SAS programming course or programming courses that provide exposure to SQL (Structured Query Language).
Areas of Accounting Research
Accounting research may be classified on three dimensions:
- Substantive area
- Source discipline
- Method
The key substantive areas are managerial accounting, financial accounting, auditing and tax. The common source disciplines are economics, finance, management and psychology. The typical research methods are analytical modeling, archival data analysis and experimental data analysis.
Our faculty and students have sustained a proven track record of publishing in the top accounting journals across all substantive areas utilizing archival and experiment data analysis.
Faculty
Our esteemed faculty work closely with doctoral students throughout their coursework and research, mentoring them and guiding them to become successful researchers and teachers.
Current Students
While our students’ interests and backgrounds vary greatly, our recently admitted classes average a 708 GMAT score, 3.8 GPA and three-to-four years of professional experience. They form a tight-knit community spanning many areas of accounting research.
PhD Job Market Candidates
Check out our impressive Accounting PhD job market candidates.