what does a phd in accounting do

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Our doctoral program in the accounting field offers broadly based, interdisciplinary training that develops the student’s skills in conducting both analytical and empirical research.

Emphasis is placed on developing a conceptual framework and set of skills for addressing questions broadly related to accounting information. While issues of financial reporting, managerial accounting, corporate governance and taxation are the ultimate concern, special emphasis is given to applying basic knowledge of economics, decision theory, and statistical inference to accounting issues.

Spectrum of Interests and Research Methods

Faculty research represents a broad spectrum of interests and research methods:

• Empirical and analytical research on the relation between accounting information and capital market behavior examines the characteristics of accounting amounts, the effect of accounting disclosures on the capital market, the role of analysts as information intermediaries, and the effects of management discretion. Issues examined also include the impact of financial information on stock and option prices, earnings response coefficients, market microstructure, earnings management, voluntary disclosures, and the effect of changes in accounting standards and disclosure requirements.
• Problems of information asymmetries among management, investors, and others are currently under study. This research investigates, analytically and empirically, the structure of incentive systems and monitoring systems under conditions of information asymmetry. Research on moral hazard, adverse selection, risk sharing, and signaling is incorporated into this work.
• Other ongoing projects include research on the economic effects of auditing and regulation of accounting information, and analysis of tax-induced incentive problems in organizations.
• Additional topics of faculty interest include analytical and empirical research on productivity measurement, accounting for quality, activity-based costing for operations and marketing, and strategic costing and pricing.

Preparation and Qualifications

It is desirable for students to have a solid understanding of applied microeconomic theory, econometrics and mathematics (linear algebra, real analysis, optimization, probability theory) prior to the start of the program. Adequate computer programming skills (e.g. Matlab, SAS, STAT, Python) are necessary in coursework. A traditional accounting background such as CPA is not required.

Faculty in Accounting

Christopher s. armstrong, jung ho choi, george foster, brandon gipper, ron kasznik, john d. kepler, jinhwan kim, rebecca lester, iván marinovic, maureen mcnichols, joseph d. piotroski, kevin smith, emeriti faculty, mary e. barth, william h. beaver, david f. larcker, charles m. c. lee, stefan j. reichelstein, recent publications in accounting, diversity washing, buy now pay (pain) later, elpr: a new measure of capital adequacy for commercial banks, recent insights by stanford business, big investors say they use esg to reduce risk (but mostly focus on the e and g), more time to trade isn’t a good thing for many retail investors, nine stories to get you through tax season.

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• Dissertation Areas and Joint PhD Programs
• PhD Career Outcomes
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• 100 Years of Pioneering Research
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PhD in Accounting

• PhD in Behavioral Science
• PhD in Econometrics and Statistics
• PhD in Microeconomics
• PhD in Finance
• PhD in Management Science and Operations Management
• PhD in Marketing
• Joint Program in Financial Economics
• Joint Program in Psychology and Business
• Joint PhD/JD Program

Chicago Booth has one of the preeminent PhD accounting programs. Our faculty conduct groundbreaking scholarly work, and our graduates have played a central role in the evolution of modern accounting research.

As a PhD student in accounting at Booth, you’ll have the freedom to explore and cultivate your research interests from day one—wherever they lead.

You’ll join a collaborative research community and work with prominent scholars whose groundbreaking research is recognized for its impact on the academic literature, accounting practice and policymaking, securities regulation, and elsewhere. In addition to your stipend, you may apply for research and conference travel funding from our research centers and the Stevens Doctoral Program. In research workshops and conferences, you’ll present your work and hear about the work of fellow researchers. 

Our Distinguished Accounting Faculty

As measured by research productivity and impact, Chicago Booth has one of the best accounting faculty groups in the world. The group includes Philip G. Berger, Hans B. Christensen, Merle Erickson, Christian Leuz, Michael Minnis, Valeri Nikolaev, Haresh Sapra, Douglas J. Skinner, and Abbie J. Smith, as well as an outstanding group of research-active junior faculty. The school is committed to maintaining the quality of this group.

These distinguished scholars are also teachers and mentors who will advise you, coauthor papers with you, supervise your thesis, help you find an outstanding job, and serve as colleagues throughout your career.

Philip G. Berger

Wallman Family Professor of Accounting

Hans B. Christensen

Chookaszian Family Professor of Accounting and David G. Booth Faculty Fellow

Anna Costello

Professor of Accounting and David G. Booth Faculty Fellow

Merle Erickson

Professor of Accounting

Joao Granja

Associate Professor of Accounting and Jane and Basil Vasiliou Faculty Scholar

Christian Leuz

Charles F. Pohl Distinguished Service Professor of Accounting and Finance

Bradford Levy

Assistant Professor of Accounting

Charles McClure

Michael Minnis

Professor of Accounting and Charles E. Merrill Faculty Scholar

Maximilian Muhn

Valeri Nikolaev

James H. Lorie Professor of Accounting and FMC Faculty Scholar

Madhav Rajan

Dean and George Pratt Shultz Professor of Accounting

Thomas Rauter

Assistant Professor of Accounting and IBM Corporation Faculty Scholar

Amoray Riggs-Cragun

Assistant Professor of Accounting and Kathryn and Grant Swick Faculty Scholar

Delphine Samuels

Associate Professor of Accounting and James S. Kemper Foundation Faculty Scholar

Haresh Sapra

Charles T. Horngren Professor of Accounting

Douglas J. Skinner

Deputy Dean for Faculty and Sidney Davidson Distinguished Service Professor of Accounting

Abbie J. Smith

Boris and Irene Stern Distinguished Service Professor of Accounting

Christopher Stewart

Assistant Professor of Accounting and William S. Fishman Faculty Fellow

Associate Professor of Accounting and Kathryn and Grant Swick Faculty Scholar

Anthony Welsch

Anastasia A Zakolyukina

Associate Professor of Accounting

Alumni Success

The American Accounting Association periodically awards a prize for seminal contributions to the accounting literature. Graduates of the PhD Accounting Program are regular winners of this prestigious prize.

Our PhD graduates in accounting go on to faculty positions  at some of the world's most prestigious institutions.

Kalash Jain, MBA '23, PhD '23

Assistant Professor of Business, Accounting Division Columbia Business School, Columbia University His research examines the impact of information processing frictions and investor decision making on asset prices and firm investment. His dissertation area is in accounting.

Sinja Leonelli, MBA '23, PhD '23

Assistant Professor of Accounting Stern School of Business, New York University Sinja's research primarily examines misconduct reporting, regulation and enforcement, and the use of ESG information by stakeholders such as regulators, employees, and consumers. Her dissertation area is in accounting.

Shirley Lu, MBA ’21, PhD ’21 

Assistant Professor of Business Administration Harvard Business School, Harvard University Shirley Lu studies Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) disclosure, with a focus on climate change and gender diversity. Her dissertation area is in accounting.

Spotlight on Research

Chicago Booth Review frequently highlights the work of accounting PhD students, faculty, and alumni.

One Way Discrimination Creeps into the Supply Chain

A Q&A with Chicago Booth’s Anna Costello about how the pandemic affected which suppliers got paid on time.

AI Reads between the Lines to Discover Corporate Risk

“Corporate risk exposures are often subtly implied in conference call discussions rather than explicitly stated,” write Chicago Booth PhD student Alex G. Kim and Booth’s Maximilian Muhn and Valeri Nikolaev.

Civilization is Based on Accounting

A Q&A with Chicago Booth’s Ray Ball on accounting’s past and future.

Financial Data Privacy Could Help Fight Poverty

Historical data can shape future outcomes, helping to determine whether a prospective borrower has access to a home, car, or other opportunities, write University of Utah’s Mark Jansen, Chicago Booth PhD student Fabian Nagel, and Booth’s Constantine Yannelis and Anthony Lee Zhang.

A Network of Support

Doctoral students at Booth have access to the resources of several research centers  that offer funding for student work, host workshops and conferences, and foster a strong research community.

The Chookaszian Accounting Research Center The Chookaszian Accounting Research Center coordinates accounting research at Chicago Booth and hosts research brown bags and workshops. It also publishes the Journal of Accounting Research , one of the top accounting research journals in the world.

George J. Stigler Center for the Study of the Economy and the State Dedicated to examining issues at the intersection of politics and the economy, the Stigler Center supports research in the political, economic, and cultural obstacles to better working markets.

Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation Chicago Booth’s destination for people committed to tackling social and environmental problems, the Rustandy Center supports the work of PhD students and others who are focused on transforming the social sector.

Inside the Student Experience

For Andrew Sutherland, PhD ’13, coauthoring research with Booth faculty was a highlight of the Stevens Program.

Video Transcript

Andrew Sutherland, ’13: 00:09 In accounting, there's tons and tons of research on these big public firms that have an army of investor relations people and they constant disclosing things. That's where most of the research was happening, but there's this whole other half of the economy, these private firms, that we didn't really know a lot about. We didn't know a lot about how they got credit. What was interesting to me is that a lot of time, firms are able to get credit without even providing any financial statements or any information whatsoever to the bank. The reason they're able to get credit is that they have a credit score. So in other words, the information is coming, not from the form itself, but from another bank who had dealt with them in the past. What really struck me was there wasn't really a lot of research out there on this information channel. That's when I decided I wanted to learn a little bit more about what this reporting channel does to contract and help firms get credit and how it changes banks' incentives to lend.

Andrew Sutherland, ’13: 01:01 Basically, the firms that have a good credit record or a long track record of borrowing successfully were the ones that were able to shop around. We would think that's a good thing, that giving firms more choice about who to borrow from kind of increases social welfare, you get better matching between lenders and firms. Kind of the dark side is that the firms that have had payment trouble that have defaulted or missed some payments on loans sort of get shut out of the credit part. You have a harder time starting any new relationships with outside lenders. That's kind of a cost.

Andrew Sutherland, ’13: 01:34 The second cost is that information sharing changes the game for lenders. So, if participating in this credit bureau basically allows outside lenders to pick off the firms that are doing better, then that destroys the incentive for lenders to kind of invest in relationships to begin with. That's sort of the second dark side of information sharing, if you will.

Andrew Sutherland, ’13: 01:54 So, I coauthor on a number of projects with the junior faculty member here named Mike Minnis. I probably talked to Mike more than I talk to my wife. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. But, I mean, as a PhD student, there's only so much you can learn in class, and having a faculty member to work with that's kind of gone through the ropes and understands the review process, that's done something on their own, it gives you a really good opportunity to learn. That's something, I think that was absolutely instrumental in my success

Current Accounting Students

PhD students in accounting come to Chicago Booth with a wide range of interests and goals. Recent dissertations have focused on everything from machine learning to the impact of fiscal monitoring, and graduates have gone on to positions at some of the world’s preeminent institutions, including Columbia Business School, Stanford Graduate School of Business, and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Current Students

Samuel Chang Jonas Dalmazzo Jewel Evans Lingyu Gu Yanzi (Yvonne) Han Grant Hayes Roope Keloharju Maria Khrakovsky Alex Kim Ginha Kim Andrew McKinley Fabian Nagel Pietro Ramella Hristiana Vidinova Hanbyul Yoon Jingyu Zhang

Program Expectations and Requirements

The Stevens Doctoral Program at Chicago Booth is a full-time program. Students generally complete the majority of coursework and examination requirements within the first two years of studies and begin work on their dissertation during the third year. For details, see General Examination Requirements by Area in the Stevens Program Guidebook below.

Download the 2023-2024 Guidebook!

• Youth Program
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PhD Program

Wharton’s Ph.D. program in Accounting trains students to be successful academic researchers. To this end, the program is designed to provide students with opportunities to learn to develop their own research ideas and to learn to implement appropriate research methods. Students learn these skills through rigorous coursework, as well as mentoring relationships and often research projects with faculty members that provide “on-the-job” training. When a student completes the program, he or she will have a dissertation and other publishable research in progress that can credibly communicate to the academic community the student’s skills and potential for future success as a researcher.

For examples of joint work between students and faculty, Click here . For student placements since 1999, Click here .

About the Program Find out more about the Accounting admission requirements.

Course Information View the Accounting course requirements.

Course Schedule View the Accounting course schedules.

Current Students View a list of our current Accounting PhD students.

Sample Plan of Study

PhD Accounting Program Coordinator Luzi Hail Stephen J. Heyman Professor, Professor of Accounting 1319 Steinberg Hall-Dietrich Hall Philadelphia, PA 19104-6365 Phone: (215) 898-8205 E-mail: [email protected]

Additional PhD Information

• Apply to Wharton
• Doctoral Inside: Resources for Current PhD Students
• Welcome to Philadelphia Video
• Policies and Procedures

before you go

Help us keep in touch — it won’t take long.

The Accounting PhD program is designed to produce great scholars and educators by providing a solid foundation in both the theoretical and empirical tools of accounting research. Your program of study will be personalized to leverage your background and research interests.

Through coursework, research seminars, and individual original research, you’ll demonstrate your mastery of accounting through summer papers and your dissertation. The Accounting faculty will both supervise your individual research project and engage in collaborative co-authored research.

Our Accounting PhD program requires you to complete:

• Course requirements as outlined in the Accounting curriculum page
• A first-year summer research paper and a second-year research paper
• Qualifying exams in empirical and analytical accounting research
• Teaching and research assistantship
• Preliminary exam
• Dissertation thesis proposal
• Final dissertation defense exam

Check out the Curriculum

The same Team Fuqua culture that permeates all of Duke’s professional business programs is prominent in the Accounting PhD program.  Innovation through collaboration is our defining characteristic.  Our accounting faculty possesses unmatched topical and methodological span, which we leverage through co-authorships with one another and co-teaching of our PhD seminars.  In addition to involving PhD students in our collaborative research process, students also have access to cutting edge classes in Fuqua’s Finance area, Duke’s Economics department, and the course catalog of our neighboring university, UNC Chapel Hill. 

Our Accounting faculty are engaged with a wide array of accounting research topics.  Some of the more recent topics they are researching include:

• Properties of accounting numbers
• Role of accounting in asset pricing
• Accounting standards
• Compensation and managerial career concerns
• Debt contracting
• Financial analysts
• Real effects of information disclosure
• Accounting and the macro economy
• Firm communication
• Corporate governance
• Managerial traits
• Zeqiong Huang (2016) - Yale University
• Mani Sethuraman (2016) - Cornell University
• Thomas Steffen (2015) - Yale University
• Alex Young (2015) - North Dakota State University
• Dirk Black (2014) - Dartmouth College
• Ning Zhang (2013) - Queens University
• Amanda Gonzalez (2013) - University of Nebraska, Lincoln
• Gianfranco Siciliano (2013) - Bocconi University
• Zhenhua Chen (2012) - Tulane University
• Bin Li (2012) - University of Texas, Dallas

Additional Information about the Accounting Area

ACCOUNTING PhD

The nation’s top accounting program.

Texas McCombs boasts the most prestigious accounting doctoral program in the country and has graduated more than 300 PhD students since its inception in 1934. Are you ready for the best?

Your Future In Accounting

• PhD Program
• Why McCombs
• Department of Accounting

ACADEMIC LIFE AT McCOMBS

Mentorship and practice, application deadline.

The application deadline for the Accounting Doctoral Program is December 15.

AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION

If you are a practicing accountant, these topical areas will be familiar to you. However, we welcome students with backgrounds in Mathematics, Economics, Engineering, Finance, Psychology, or other disciplines to apply. We can remedy any lack of accounting knowledge through additional coursework. Most students enter our accounting doctoral program with some knowledge in these areas:

Financial Accounting

Financial accounting researchers are interested in the use of accounting information by investors, creditors, analysts, and other decision-makers. We are also interested in the preparation of accounting information by managers who may respond to economic incentives and use discretion to manage earnings. Finally, we are also interested in the regulation of accounting information by standard setters and other regulators who are evaluating the relevance and reliability of current and potential accounting information.

Auditing researchers are interested in questions of independence, governance, compliance, auditing processes, and biases. This research helps global standard-setters and regulators adopt standards and policies that protect the integrity of our accounting information. 

Managerial accounting research topics include optimal employee compensation and governance, using information for efficiency management, motivating creativity, etc.

Taxation research covers economic incentives, transfer pricing, compliance with tax enforcement, multistate taxation, and numerous topics about accounting for income taxation, where tax rules overlap with financial reporting standards.

RANKINGS & RESEARCH

Academic leadership, research methodologies.

When you earn a doctorate, most of your time is spent developing deep expertise in research methods. Accounting researchers use three main approaches. In all cases, your doctoral studies will involve a firm grounding in statistics and typically a choice of either economics or psychology as an additional foundation.

Archival research involves the statistical analysis of historical data to examine relevant research questions based on economic theory for its predictions. Thus, archival research requires a strong background in statistics and economics, which we provide through rigorous coursework in the business school and the economics department.

Experimental

Experimental or survey methods are commonly used to obtain data to conduct what is broadly known as behavioral research. Behavioral research relies on psychology for its theories. Because this research is interested in what people do and why they do it, it is often necessary to conduct controlled experiments or survey participants. Using experiment or survey methods, researchers in accounting and finance have provided compelling alternative explanations where economic theories fall short.

Analytical research uses quantitative mathematical models to explain and predict behavior. This research is grounded in game theory from economics. Students wanting to conduct analytical research should have even stronger mathematical backgrounds than other applicants. We will design a program of study that builds on those initial strengths with additional coursework in mathematics and economics.

GET READY TO APPLY

Preparation and qualifications, career placement, the world needs you, career destinations.

The primary goal of the Texas McCombs PhD program is to prepare students for exceptional academic careers. Over the last five years, McCombs Accounting PhD alumni have excelled at top institutions globally.

Recent Graduate Placements

Jesse Chan   |  2022  |  Boston University

Cassie Mongold   |  2022  |  University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Ryan Hess   |  2021  |  Stanford University (postdoc); Oklahoma State University

Ryan Ballestero   |  2021  |  Kent State University

Dan Rimkus   |  2021  |  University of Florida (October 2021 graduation)

Shannon Garavaglia  |  2020  |  University of Pittsburgh

Jakob Infuehr  |  2019  |  University of Southern Denmark

Antonis Kartapanis  |  2019  |  Texas A&M University

Kristen Valentine   |  2019  |  University of Georgia

Colin Koutney   |  2018  |  George Mason University

Zheng Leitter  |  2018  |  Nanyang Technological University

Brian Monsen   |  2018  |  The Ohio State University

Xinyu Zhang   |  2018  |  Cornell University

Jeanmarie Lord   |  2017  |  University of Montana

Ben Van Landuyt  |  2017  |  University of Arizona

Shannon Chen   |  2017  |  University of Arizona

Prasart Jongjaroenkamol   |  2017  |  Singapore Management University

Ying Huang  |  2017  |  University of Texas - Dallas

Current Students and *Job Market Candidates

Mary adenle, yiying chen, dorothy dickmann, mandy ellison*, kenzie feinberg, michael gonari, nathan herrmann, sean kemsley, minjae kim*, kaitlyn kroeger, jingpei shi, albert wang, are you ready to change the world.

The Texas McCombs Doctoral Program is seeking individuals who are interested in transforming the global marketplace. Are you one of these future thought leaders?

What to Expect

Learn what real University of Waterloo Accounting PhD students and alumni have to say about the program.

Meet Minna Hong, 2018 winner of Excellence in Teaching Award.

Delving into her PhD studies has meant learning how to both teach and conduct in-depth research, and these are areas where Minna has thrived. Read more

Thinking about a PhD in Accounting but not sure what it's all about or if it is the right choice for you?

• See the American Accounting Association (AAA) webpage " Thinking of a PhD? "
• See the article below by Waterloo PhD alumni Shane Dikolli.

By Shane Dikolli, PhD, School of Accounting and Finance, University of Waterloo.

I was once asked by an economist with a bachelor's degree, so, you are working on a PhD that specializes in management accounting - what does that mean? Are you able to add really big numbers together or something? In addition, many accounting PhDs and students I've met, including some highly respected accounting scholars, suggest they knew very little about what to expect when first entering a PhD program in accounting. The purpose of this article is twofold. First, it provides some insight into what one might expect as a student in the Waterloo PhD program in accounting. I don't necessarily think that these insights would be observable at all PhD programs in accounting, but from my experience in talking with people at dozens of programs across North America it wouldn't surprise me to find at least some of the insights being common to many different programs. Second, it provides a number of practical suggestions on how I went about eliminating obstacles I encountered during the dissertation phase of my program. These suggestions in particular potentially could apply to different PhD programs, different types of thesis-writing courses, and to PhDs in different disciplines.

Insights from inside the Accounting PhD program at Waterloo

I received plenty of warning before coming into the program that I should improve my math skills (specifically, calculus and linear algebra). Was that because as PhDs in accounting we really did have to add together very large numbers and needed extra math skill to be able to do it? No. Was that because Waterloo had such a strong Math faculty and every graduate had to have strong math skills? No. The answer is that a large component of accounting research relies on mathematical models that try to capture economic intuition and institutional knowledge about how accounting impacts the world.

This doesn't mean that all PhD theses must be based on mathematical modeling. The methodology chosen depends on the student's preferences and competencies. Instead of mathematical modeling, they can choose to develop predictions about what we might see in the real world, then either collect real world archival (or field) data, or, design and conduct a laboratory experiment, and finally test the validity of the predictions using (mostly) statistical techniques. Irrespective of the methodology chosen for the dissertation phase, the faculty emphasize that students should have some understanding all methodological types. Knowing math helps, especially in my case where I in fact completed a dissertation based on mathematical modeling.

The PhD in Accounting program at Waterloo and, from what I understand, accounting programs at many universities across North America, comprise two primary components: coursework and dissertation. At Waterloo, accounting PhD students typically study about 12 or 13 courses over two years. I was given suggestions for courses to do in the first and part of my second terms. As my interests unfolded, I chose the remaining courses that I thought would help me in the dissertation stage of the program. I completed four courses in the School of Accountancy, two in the Faculty of Mathematics, three in the Department of Management Sciences, and four in the Department of Economics. I think it would be ideal to try and develop a thesis dissertation topic during the completion of coursework. However, I found I was so busy keeping up with courses which were mostly outside my previous training (bachelors and postgraduate work in Accounting) that I barely spent the time thinking about a dissertation at this stage.

An important part of coursework over and above the requirements of each individual course are two components, assessable as pass or fail, and one non-assessable component. The first assessable component is that each student completes a Summer Research Project (SRP), conducted over the summer between the first and second year of his or her program. The results are presented to faculty usually in the fall following the summer the project is conducted. I could see that there could efficiencies, but more importantly a potentially stronger dissertation topic if the SRP overlapped the ultimate dissertation, however, this is not easy to do. My SRP overlapped my dissertation in the sense that they both used mathematical modelling, but the topics were vastly different. There is also the argument that having another working paper different to the thesis paper can help make a PhD graduate more marketable later on. However, my own sense is that given a choice between one paper that has extremely high credentials versus two papers that both have relatively lower credentials, the recruiters will be more interested in the one highly credentialed paper every time.

The second assessable component is comprehensive exams, held at the end of the summer between the second and third years. In total there's about 18 hours of exams held over four days and these can theoretically test anything that has been taught over the previous two years. The exams are usually open book, but who has time to look at notes when the examination hours seem to go so quickly? About six weeks into the first term of the program it is very easy to panic and wonder how it could be possible to ever sit comprehensive exams, but I know firsthand that the amount of knowledge that a student has just prior to writing comprehensive exams is awesome. It somehow comes together - a combination of hard work, commitment, experience, speaking the right lingo for two years, support from peers and faculty, and being curious about why things happen the way that they do.

The third non-assessable component is weekly research seminars. The School is fortunate in that it has a well-established reputation in the US, where many of the most highly published accounting researchers in the world are located. As a consequence, the School is able to attract a number of excellent speakers who always also spend time with the PhD students discussing all sorts of issues that may or may not be related to the paper that the speaker presents.

Once the comprehensive exams are done, the SRP is finalized, and all the courses have been completed, the coursework component is all over and there is a great sense of relief. Walking around campus knowing that there's no class to go to, no assignments to hand in, or no exams to study for, is all very liberating. But the relief is really only short-lived. A new set of stress-inducing choices needs to be made and different obstacles need to be overcome.

To get through the dissertation stage of the PhD program, the student must make three critical choices in addition to the choice of methodology (i.e. mathematical modeling, archival, field study or laboratory experiment). First, what theoretical discipline will drive the predictions that the thesis will make? Economics underpins much of accounting research. Research that focuses on the individual often use psychology or behavioural sciences as the underpinning theoretical discipline. Second, what functional area in the School of Accountancy is of interest? The school offers management accounting, financial accounting, tax and auditing (in no particular order) as functional areas of interest in which to base a topic. Third and most importantly, the topic itself must be pinned down. I think that topic selection is without question the most difficult and challenging part of a PhD dissertation. The topic must be interesting, original, rigorous, non-trivial, do-able and supervisable. It sounds daunting but the faculty are very skilled in knowing about topics that will fly. In addition, the training that a student receives during the first two years of coursework, I think, creates a different level of thinking that also helps formulate potentially viable research questions.

Dissertation obstacles

So what are the major obstacles during the dissertation stage? Many of them related in my case to topic selection and maintaining momentum in writing. If I had to start the dissertation over again, knowing what I know now, here's what I would tell myself:

I really know what you're currently going through. Topic selection is, without question in my mind, the most difficult and challenging part of a thesis. Once you have a reasonable idea of what the topic is, I think things do get easier. However, there's plenty more frustration ahead, particularly if you plan to do modeling. From my experience, I found it more efficient to identify the problem and ingredients of what I want to look at, determine intuitively what I think the answer will be, and then build the model. Early on I had this delusional idea that I would program all the ingredients into MAPLE software and the answers to "all the world's problems" would fall out. Wrong. I think it is much more productive to have a strong idea of what you think the answer to your problem should be and make sure that the model achieves it. Mathematical models that produce the thrill of discovery are extremely difficult to come by, or else my thinking is just not sophisticated enough to be able to program such models.

Here's seven things that I have done to help me keep moving forward:

Keep a binder of everything that you work on.

Some suggested headings in the binder, which are borrowed from How to Complete and Survive a Doctoral Dissertation by David Sternberg (1981), New York, St Martin's Press:

• Topic selection (an ongoing journal of topic ideas)
• Devil's advocate (difficult questions and responses that someone might ask about your ideas)
• Troubleshooter (quick-fix solutions to problems found during, for example, model-building)
• How am I doing? (a weekly or daily journal of achievements)
• Timetable (lists key deadlines for getting things done)
• Serendipity/inspiration (a list of new ideas generated while writing the thesis - perhaps to follow-up post-thesis)
• Key literature (I don't keep these in the binder - I just keep a separate folder of the articles).

Keep a journal.

Just write it.

This is a variation of Nike's "Just Do It".

One of the turning points for me before my proposal was when my supervisor said to me that he couldn't properly assess my thinking/ideas unless I presented it to him in the form of a paper. I had been bouncing around out of control without a strong direction and finally his instruction got me focused. I didn't care that the wording might not have been exactly as I would have ideally wanted it, I just got it down on paper. It is then that you can exploit an outstanding supervisor's great strengths - he or she will usually provide quick, reliable, detailed feedback, which gets drafts of the chapter going. I was surprised how quickly things moved after I got that first draft of the proposal written.

Three-paragraph chapter ideas.

Bill Kinney, a highly respected scholar at the University of Texas at Austin, suggested at the 1996 American Accounting Association Doctoral Consortium that if you can't summarize your paper in three paragraphs then the paper likely doesn't communicate your work well. The three paragraphs are based on the following questions: what is the research problem?; why is the problem important?; and what will you do to address the problem?

This can form the basis of the introduction to a chapter. The second section in the chapter is the model description. The third section is the model analysis with extensions and you conclude in the fourth section. Works every time.

Get help on specific problems.

I've noticed that whenever I'm really stuck, articulating the problem in writing and/or discussing it with a thesis committee member or fellow PhD student has generally helped tremendously. Sometimes the committee member or peer might not even be able to offer direct help but just discussing the problem out loud or simply having to articulate the problem invariably leads much more quickly to possible alternatives than "spinning wheels". Emphasis also on specific - the more specific your identification of the problem, the quicker you will find generate alternative solutions to the problem.

Commit to no distractions.

I could quite happily surf the Internet all day, I reckon. But it does nothing for my thesis. I am very conscious of staying focused on what I'm doing and always asking myself (when I've allocated time to work on my thesis) that if what I'm doing will move my thesis forward.

"Class assignment context" work habits.

When writing up the model, I try to work "as if" I am writing up an assignment. I impose an assignment deadline and meet it, just as I would if I were doing coursework.

Many of the above suggestions (e.g. journal of ideas, how am I doing entries, troubleshooter entries, devil's advocate entries) are operationalized as individual entries in my thesis log, which I've created using the journal feature in Microsoft Outlook. I print a hardcopy of each entry for my thesis binder. I realize that many of the suggestions might be more appropriate for once you have a topic, but I still think you can use the 3-paragraph method to pitch initial ideas to your supervisor and start writing up a "How am I doing?" journal each day. I now do a weekly journal (in the early going it was a daily journal), an edited copy of which I send to a friend of mine each Monday. My friend doesn't know all that much about my research, but he still sends me a rude note asking for the weekly journal report if he hasn't received it by Tuesday. It gives me an incentive to write that report.

This article contains a very small selection of experiences and lessons learned I learned along the way. They in no way necessarily represent the experiences of all students in the program and I have no doubt omitted experiences that other students would find particularly noteworthy. However, if this article provides just one piece of new information to a prospective student about what they might expect to find in an accounting PhD program, then it has served its purpose. I would be pleased to discuss anything I've raised with anyone interested in the PhD in Accounting at Waterloo.

Note: Shane Dikolli is now at University of Virginia.

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PhD in Accounting

Accounting and UNC Kenan-Flagler’s international reputation makes us one of world’s top academic centers of innovative accounting thought and research. We are widely recognized as a leading center of research on financial reporting, tax, international accounting, accounting standard setting, managerial accounting, and the role of accounting information in decision making.

We pride ourselves on frequent and successful student-faculty collaboration and encourage our students to work with, and seek advice, from every one of our faculty. We believe this frequent interaction with our faculty, who themselves work in many diverse areas, creates well-rounded graduates who can think creatively and deeply about important problems.

Typical Course Schedule by Year

• Seminar in Empirical Accounting Research
• Seminar in Corporate Governance
• Students in Accounting are required to complete two semesters of Statistics/Econometrics and select the level at which they qualify.
• Many Accounting students select Corporate Finance Theory I & II taught by our Finance faculty.
• Microeconomics
• Capital Markets – your first and second year
• A research paper is required for presentation and critique during the fall semester of your second year.
• Seminar in Corporate Finance: Financial Economics and Asset Pricing
• Seminar in Managerial Accounting (may be completed your first or second year.)
• Investment Finance
• Game Theory
• Econometrics
• Professional Communication Skills
• Seminar in Executing Research
• Comprehensive written examination which covers all of the Accounting courses you take in your first two years of the PhD Program
• An oral presentation of your current research
• Secure an advisor prior to your third year.  Historically, students and advisors have gravitated towards one another naturally as we ensure students and faculty frequently interact. However, we will assign an advisor based on student and faculty preferences and interest, if necessary.
• Full-time research
• With consent of your advisor, you may attend/participate or present at external national or international conferences after your second year, which are frequently done by our PhD students.
• Your Dissertation and Oral Defense are expected prior to the end of your fifth year.
• Preparing for the job market
• You may take any elective course offered by UNC Kenan-Flagler or other UNC (or Duke) departments with guidance from your advisor.

View our current Accounting PhD students .

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Pursuing a Ph.D. in Accounting: Walking in With Your Eyes Open

Here's how the doctoral track looks through the eyes of one student..

• Professional Development

After teaching mathematics for a number of years, I was contemplating a change in careers. After researching possible career choices, I took an accounting night class at a local university. I enjoyed the logic and structure of the class and quickly decided this was my niche. Next, I set my sights on a master’s of accountancy degree (MAcc). The plan was simple: finish my MAcc in one year, take the CPA exam immediately and find an accounting position, which I knew would likely be readily available.

But something unexpected happened. Three of my professors, seemingly simultaneously and independently, suggested that I change course and pursue a Ph.D. in accounting. They explained the great need at the university level for accounting professors, and they believed my GMAT scores, classroom ability and other skills would be attractive. After talking to my professors privately and asking some initial questions, I researched universities and programs. I learned much about how accounting Ph.D. programs are alike and much more about their differences. I decided on the University of Kentucky.

UK was one of the few programs that was willing to entertain the possibility of a student earning a degree in four years. Many other program directors told me at least five years would be necessary, some more. My interview at UK also revealed a collegial atmosphere between students and professors. Students were treated as equals in many respects. I don’t believe this is common at many other universities, based upon my conversations with professors and Ph.D. students. UK faculty have a wide variety of research interests and are all tenured (save one). The resulting stability in staff and variety of research meant that I would not be pigeonholed into a specific research area, nor would it be likely that my dissertation chair would leave in the middle of my program (see “Faculty Stability” below).

WHY STUDENTS ENTER ACCOUNTING PH.D. PROGRAMS

Studies show that, like me, students choose a particular Ph.D. program for a variety of reasons, many of which are not directly tied to the prestige of the university. According to Supply and Demand for Accounting Ph.D.s (American Accounting Association, 2005) , the top six reasons students enter Ph.D. programs are, in order, personal growth and development, intellectual challenge, teaching, work/family balance, academic research and earnings potential. In my opinion, the first three reasons can be lumped together in the category of “I really like school.” Students who enjoyed their undergraduate and master’s-level courses want to learn (personal growth and development). They enjoy hard work (intellectual challenge—many accounting courses are notoriously difficult). These students like the idea of someday teaching at the college level. They like the environment and find the idea of working there attractive.

Potential earnings as a factor may seem confusing, since salaries in many segments of the accounting profession are higher than those in accounting education. However, salaries for accounting professors have grown rapidly over the past few years. In fact, the American Accounting Association’s 2008 report, Accounting Faculty in U.S. Colleges and Universities , indicates the average salary in 2004 (the most recent year included) for professors under the age of 45 ($101,000) was higher than the average salary of accounting professors over that age ($81,000), suggesting that salaries have been on the rise. In 1993, the average salary for professors under age 45 was just over $61,000 (all figures adjusted to current dollars).

The demand for accounting professors (and the expected increase in demand cited earlier) makes the market attractive, not only because of the increase in salaries but also because of the increase in job openings (see “A Profession’s Response to a Looming Shortage: Closing the Gap in the Supply of Accounting Faculty,” JofA , March 09) . The Accounting Faculty report cited above estimated 140 new Ph.D.s are being produced each year, while about 500 professors retire. More available jobs means candidates have more control over location factors (region of the country, size of the city, climate, etc.). Assuming the candidate can meet the research requirements and obtain tenure, the stability of employment can make for an attractive combination of a nice place to work and live. These factors, combined with time and autonomy factors, make the accounting Ph.D. an attractive option.

Of course, there is a cost to getting a Ph.D. Students entering a program are sacrificing their earnings potential for the next four or five years. The amount and complexity of the work can cause significant stress. Almost all Ph.D. students I have spoken to have mentioned at some point their stress in surviving the program, fear of failure or frustrations. On the bright side, most Ph.D. programs do not charge students tuition. In fact, most students received stipends or fellowships to give them a (very) modest income.

One key response students gave as to why they wanted to enter an accounting Ph.D. program was also my primary reason: work/life balance. Working as an accounting professor offers flexibility in hours and independence, both in the classroom and in research choices. Although new accounting professors will spend a great deal of time working on research projects, developing and teaching classes and learning the university system (committee work, politics, etc.), the flexibility in when those hours are spent allows an accounting professor a great deal of latitude in determining a schedule for a given day.

RESEARCH EMPHASIS A SUPRISE

I suspect, however, that the remaining survey response, academic research, may not in reality match survey respondents’ ideas. As I studied course catalogs and questioned professors, I quickly discovered a feature the programs shared that I hadn’t expected. A Ph.D. in accounting differs from a B.S. or MAcc degree in subject matter. The Ph.D. coursework does not address accounting fundamentals (financial statements, debits/credits, GAAP, etc.). Rather, the curriculum generally focuses on research about accounting, usually from either or both of two perspectives commonly known as archival and behavioral. The reason is that when research institutions (universities that have accounting Ph.D. programs) look to hire new faculty, they are overwhelmingly interested in candidates’ research—publications, working papers (papers that are in rough draft form and that the student is hoping to publish soon), or dissertation work, depending on the candidate’s experience level.

TYPICAL ACCOUNTING PH.D. PROGRAM

A typical accounting program consists of two years of coursework, qualifying or comprehensive exams (both written and oral) and a dissertation. however, some schools may want you to take three years of coursework. the dissertation phase can also take three to four years or more at some schools. the length of time depends on the faculty’s view of the dissertation phase, your individual dissertation committee, your ability to come up with a high-quality topic, and your persistence and dedication to finishing..

Your coursework will be determined by the type of accounting research you plan to do in your career (at least initially). Many entering Ph.D. students may be unsure of what accounting research is, much less of the type of research they eventually want to do.

Typically, students take three accounting research seminars, each focused on expanding the student’s understanding of accounting research and preparing the student to conduct independent research. Two independent projects (first- and second-year papers) precede the student’s dissertation work. Ideally, the student will research an area of accounting with a research question in mind, developing a review of the existing literature and a research hypothesis for the first-year paper. In the second-year paper, the student carries out the proposed study from the first-year paper and reports the results.

Outside the three required seminars, students’ coursework will be determined by their research interests. Here are a few typical courses that doctoral students may take:

• Introduction to econometrics . A comprehensive survey of the general linear regression, autocorrelation, errors in variables and distributed lag models.  
• Seminar in financial theory . Primary emphasis is on the theory of financial asset valuation. Topics include utility theory, investor reaction to uncertainty, and cost-of-capital theory.
• Cognitive psychology . An intensive examination of theoretical and empirical evidence concerning mental processes in the adult human, including memory, language and problem solving.
• Regression and correlation . Simple linear regression, elementary matrix algebra, multiple regression, analysis of variance, stepwise regression and partial/multiple correlation are among the topics covered.

TWO PATHS TO A PH.D.

The archival path is the more popular, judging by the number of articles published in top accounting journals. Archival courses (so-called because the data for these studies have been archived, as in stock prices) are primarily based in economics and finance. A strong background in mathematics is necessary for this path. The behavioral path is based primarily in psychology. Students on this track study how and why people make decisions, as well as other psychology-based topics.

Before formally applying to a school, understand what type of program the school offers. Some schools are primarily archival-based, others are primarily behavioral, and some are a mix of both. Most incoming students base their choice on whether they believe they can succeed in the archival coursework, which is heavy on math theory, advanced calculus, finance and economics.

Many schools state that they offer both types of programs, when in reality they may have eight to 10 professors who do work in one style and only one or two professors who do work in the other. When you speak to people at individual schools, therefore, be sure to ask about specific numbers of professors in different areas, or look it up for yourself.

Another consideration is which academic area of accounting (audit, tax, financial accounting, etc.) interests you. Most of these areas can be studied from an archival or behavioral point of view, but not every school has professors who do research in each of these areas. You may be interested in tax, for instance, and the school to which you are applying may have high-quality tax professors. However, if you are interested in behavioral tax research and all of the tax professors at that school do archival-based tax research, the school may not be a good fit for you.

FACULTY STABILITY

Another variable is the stability of the faculty. If you are applying to a school with only one tax professor who is active in research and that professor were to leave (either through not getting tenure, taking a position at another university or retirement) before you graduate, it could throw a major wrench into your plans. Therefore, it is wise to consider not only the number of professors in your area, but also how long they have been there, whether they are tenured and, if ascertainable, the chance that they will remain for your entire time there. I originally applied to a different university, but after talking with a few people, I withdrew my application. There were only two active researchers at this school. The word was that one was looking to leave and that if he did, the other would probably leave, too. I did not want to contend with this uncertainty during the next four to five years.

THE JOURNEY THUS FAR

The decision to pursue a doctorate in accounting is a dramatic life change, especially if you have been working in a nonacademic career for a number of years. A return to school can be daunting, especially if you must recall information from your undergraduate and graduate coursework you have long forgotten. However, I am confident the benefits at the end of the journey will more than make up for any discomfort experienced along the way. As a veteran researcher advised me, doctoral school will definitely change you. Some of the changes you will like, and others you may not. As I close in on the midpoint of my program, I can say that so far I have been fortunate to experience the former without the latter. v

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Jason Bergner is a Ph.D. candidate in the Von Allmen School of Accountancy at the University of Kentucky. His e-mail address is [email protected] .

JofA articles

• “ A Profession’s Response to a Looming Shortage: Closing the Gap in the Supply of Accounting Faculty ,” March 09
• “ Teaching for the Love of It ,” June 06
• “ The Practitioner-Professor Link ,” June 05

Accounting Faculty

• Supply and Demand for Accounting Ph.D.s , http://aaahq.org/about/reports/FINAL_PhD_Report.pdf
• Accounting Faculty in U.S. Colleges and Universities: Status and Trends, 1993–2004 , http://aaahq.org/aplg/seminars/2008/DavidLeslie.ppt

Academic and Professional Accounting Associations

The American Accounting Association, http://aaahq.org

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Doctorate in Accounting

A doctorate in accounting is the highest degree available in the field, but it is typically pursued by those interested in conducting accounting research in academic institutions or research organizations or those interested in teaching at the postsecondary level. People who are interested in becoming Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) need to have 150 hours of college credit, which can usually be satisfied with a master’s degree in accounting or a bachelor’s degree in accounting along with a graduate certificate or additional graduate-level coursework. Students interested in specialized consulting or governmental work may benefit from an accounting PhD as well. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), nearly 550 not-for-profit schools in the US have advanced accounting programs, which include programs at the master’s, doctoral, and graduate certificate levels. 1

PhD in Accounting Learning Goals

1. understand research methods and quantitative tools..

Students should gain a strong foundation in the tools and knowledge necessary to conduct thorough research. A comprehensive understanding of research methods and processes will allow a student to complete careful, accurate work in the PhD program and beyond.

2. Contribute original research to the accounting field.

Doctoral students should pursue the subarea of accounting that interests them or explore areas of the field that still have unanswered questions. With the resources and support of the university, students can create new, original research that can add to the field of accounting.

3. Apply research to relevant issues in accounting.

The doctoral research done by students should be applicable to the accounting industry. By examining current, relevant issues, doctoral students can help move the academic accounting field forward and contribute to the industry at large.

PhD in Accounting Program Options

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Accounting programs culminate with students completing specialized, original research that contributes to the accounting industry. Prior to completing a dissertation project, students take courses in advanced accounting theory and applied research methods. This degree usually takes four to seven years to complete, depending on the student’s course load and chosen research project. Most programs comprise 70-120 credit hours.

In addition to the academically-focused PhD in Accounting, the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) is another degree choice for those interested in a doctoral degree in accounting. While there may be some overlap between the two degrees, the PhD tends to focus on research, academia, and accounting theory, while the DBA is considered a professional degree and tends to focus on making contributions to business management in practice.

Online Degree Formats

Most PhD programs are intensive, four- to seven-year-long degrees that take place on one campus. A number of universities across the country offer PhD programs where students can pursue original research in the accounting field. Due to the intensive, project-based nature of PhD research, however, most programs require students to study on campus and do not offer online PhD degrees.

Admission Requirements

Every university has different guidelines, but in general, admission to PhD programs is very competitive. Applicants must have at least a bachelor’s degree, and some schools also require a master’s degree or experience in the field. Applications usually require GMAT or GRE scores and proof of an academic background in subjects such as mathematics, statistics, and economics. Students that have taken a significant number of accounting courses or have earned bachelor’s or master’s degrees in accounting may have an advantage in the application process.

Core Concepts and Coursework

PhD program curriculum usually starts with advanced and specialized courses that students need to complete their dissertation research. These courses focus on the accounting, business, economic, statistical, and research skills needed to pursue research projects. Students may also complete teaching practicums or periodic oral or written examinations. PhD programs conclude with a student conducting original research and writing a dissertation. Though every university is different, below are some common foundational courses and seminar titles:

• Advanced Financial Reporting
• Behavioral Accounting Research
• Capital Markets Research
• Decision Models
• Doctoral Dissertation Seminars
• Econometrics
• Empirical Research
• Mathematical Modeling
• Research Methods
• Statistical Analysis

Select PhD in Accounting Programs

University of georgia.

At the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia, students can earn a PhD in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting. The faculty at UGA is focused on research in the field, and students can collaborate with professors doing active research. All PhD students take preparation classes such as Capital Markets Research and Math for Economists. Students then choose one of three concentrations within accounting: Financial Accounting, Taxation, or Auditing. Each concentration requires additional classes, such as specialized econometrics or statistics courses, to prepare students to do their research. During the last year of the program, students work on their doctoral dissertations. Many graduates from the PhD program go on to work at research-oriented universities or take research positions in private organizations or government.

Stanford University

The Graduate School of Business at Stanford University offers a PhD in Accounting. Students study a broad, interdisciplinary curriculum, learning skills for conducting analytical and empirical research. The program focuses on the application of economics, decision theory, and statistical analysis of accounting issues. Through a foundational series of economics, finance, and econometrics courses, students prepare to develop the framework and skills needed to conduct their original research. To be considered for admission, students need a thorough understanding of subjects such as microeconomic theory, econometrics, and mathematics, as well as some computer programming skills. This quantitative-focused PhD program does not require students to have a traditional accounting background or CPA designation.

Columbia University

Columbia University’s Business School offers a PhD in Accounting. Students gain familiarity with the research literature and conceptual foundations in the accounting field. In courses such as Accounting Theory, Economic Analysis, Mathematical Methods, and Empirical Research in Accounting, students learn concepts and research skills applicable to their own original research. The curriculum includes doctoral seminars, research projects, and peer and faculty reviews of current research. Students choose between financial accounting, managerial accounting, and auditing as the focus of their dissertation research. All doctoral students participate in the Burton Conference at Columbia, which is a series of peer-evaluated workshop sessions with accounting scholars from other institutions.

Jobs with a PhD in Accounting

Many graduates from PhD in Accounting programs go on to work in research-oriented positions in academia, research institutions, or government. Graduates may also find work in consulting or public policy. Some potential positions for those with PhD in Accounting degrees include:

• College or university professor
• Financial analyst
• Public policy researcher

Frequently Asked Questions

Do i need a phd to become a cpa.

In general, CPA requirements can be fulfilled by a master’s degree or with a bachelor’s degree in accounting along with additional accounting coursework or an accounting certificate. A PhD is not required to become a CPA in any state, though it may satisfy CPA state educational requirements. However, it should be noted that most PhD program curricula do not focus on preparing students for the CPA certification, but instead focus on a student’s research dissertation.

How much can I make with a PhD in Accounting?

Postsecondary teachers of business earn an average annual salary of $87,200, and this salary can vary depending on the academic institution as well as the specialization and experience level of the professor. 2 Postsecondary business teacher positions are projected to grow by 14.7% through 2028, much faster than the average profession. 3

What can I do with a PhD in Accounting?

A doctoral accounting degree is most commonly sought by those interested in doing research in the accounting field. Graduates may go on to work as professors, researchers, or consultants.

Can I get certified with a PhD in Accounting?

Some PhD students who have previously worked in the accounting field may already have professional designations such as Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). Professional certifications may be helpful for graduates who want to go into consulting work, and the PhD curriculum may prepare students without certifications to sit for these licensure examinations. However, many doctoral accounting programs do not require certification, as accounting research relies more on quantitative and modeling skills. In addition, a professional accounting designation may not be necessary to pursue academic or research positions. In summary, depending on a student’s career interests and work experience, accounting certification may or may not be necessary.

How long does it take to complete a PhD in Accounting?

The PhD program length depends on the university, but most universities range from four to seven years. Students’ progress depends on their course load, chosen research subject, and academic or professional obligations.

What is the difference between a PhD in Accounting and a DBA in Accounting?

Another option for students who are interested in a doctorate of accounting degree is the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA). Essentially, while a PhD is academically-focused, the DBA is practice-focused. DBA graduates are more interested in changing the industry of business than they are in theoretical business research and academia. Before making a decision on which type of doctoral degree in accounting you wish to pursue, you should carefully consider your career goals and look for programs that will support those goals.

Are PhD students required to teach classes?

Some universities require students to complete teaching practicums in the accounting field. These teaching commitments can range from one course during the program to multiple courses every semester. For students interested in academia, teaching undergraduate and graduate classes can provide work experience. Applicants should research programs and talk to faculty to find a program that best matches their interests and goals.

References: 1. National Center for Education Statistics College Navigator: https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/ 2. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, May 2019 Postsecondary Teachers: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/postsecondary-teachers.htm#tab-5 3. Projections Central, Long Term Occupational Projections: https://projectionscentral.org/Projections/LongTerm

Top Accounting Degrees

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5 Great Careers with a PhD in Accounting

Careers with a ph.d. in accounting.

• Financial Analyst
• Accounting Professor
• Accountant Manager

While accountants may find entry-level positions in the field of accounting, individuals typically find more lucrative careers with a Ph.D. in Accounting. Depending on if an individual has a degree or is starting from scratch, he or she can earn the doctorate degree in accounting in three to seven years. They can choose accountant or CPA careers or pursue scholarly research and leadership roles with the Ph.D. Here are five great careers with a Ph.D. in Accounting.

1. Financial Analyst

Financial analysts work for individuals and businesses help them make investment decisions. They spend a great deal of their day studying and analyzing investments such as bonds, stocks and money markets. They evaluate current and past financial data, prepare written reports, study business and economic trends, and analyze a company’s financial statement to determine its worth. After utilizing all the information they’ve obtained, they meet with the company’s officials and management and advise them on what they feel are good investments for the company. Also called investment analysts or securities analysts, these professionals work in mutual funds, banks, insurance companies and similar businesses.

2. Accounting Professor

Accounting professors teach students about the field of accounting. They also provide academic counseling and tutoring; design and develop curriculums; collaborate with colleagues on research activities, and mentor students. Accounting professors are in high demand because of the serious shortage of Ph.D. graduates in accounting. They’re qualified to teach at both the graduate and undergraduate level. This shortage also puts them in a position where they can expect high wages. Salary.com states that accounting professors earned a median annual wage of $119,880 as of April 2018.

3. Consultant

Accounting consultants have a variety of duties depending on the company. Their main job is advising the company on the best financial portfolios and the most effective ways to be profitable. This may be investing in fraud protection, sending data away for analysis or decreasing things that are not using money wisely. Accounting consultants are much like financial analysts in that they also study the financial trends and advise the company on what are or are not good investments. They also advise the company on other matters, such as payroll, investments, stock portfolios and taxes.

4. Researcher

An accounting researcher is a scholar who analyzes and researches accounting-related issues and publishes studies and reports on his or her findings. The researcher also does a lot of public speaking or commentaries about accounting methods and trends. Accounting researchers usually work at colleges and universities teaching students about business and accounting. They also spend a lot of their time studying and publishing work in accounting research journals. Researchers may study accounting information systems, taxes, auditing ethics or financial reporting to name a few. They typically spend more time researching than actually teaching.

5. Accountant Manager

An accountant manager is an individual who’ in charge of an accounting firm or financial department in an organization. Large companies typically have many employees working in the accounting and financial departments. Each employee is doing his or her own job, whether it’s creating financial reports, monitoring profits or doing expense reports. The accountant manager ensures that employees are doing their jobs and that the company is making as much of a profit as possible. Accountant managers work in the private business sector as well as for nonprofit organizations.

Related Resource: Top 35 Most Affordable Online Bachelor’s in Finance 2018

According to a 2017 report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics , accountants and auditors should see a job growth of ten percent from2016-2016. Because of the knowledge and experience obtained through academic programs and work, great careers are possible for those with a Ph.D. in Accounting.

• Harvard Business School →
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• PhD Programs

Accounting & Management

• Business Economics
• Health Policy (Management)
• Organizational Behavior
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Program Requirements

• Program Requirements →

Accounting & Management

A minimum of 13 semester courses at doctoral level are required. Each semester students will consult with the Accounting & Management faculty coordinators to receive approval of their course selections.

Microeconomics Theory : A comprehensive two semester sequence on economic theory:

• Microeconomic Theory I (HBS 4010/Economics 2020a)
• Microeconomic Theory II (HBS 4011/Economics 2020b)

All Accounting and Management students are required to have completed one undergraduate or graduate course in introduction to Econometrics. If this requirement has not been fulfilled prior to matriculation, then an equivalent course will be required in the first term of the student's doctoral program.

Courses meeting this requirement include:

• Introduction to Econometrics (Econ 1123)

Students must take four research methods courses, including one course in research design.

Courses that fulfill this requirement include, but are not limited to:

• Introduction to Applied Econometrics (Econ 2120); (Econ 2110. Introductory Probability and Statistics for Economists may be a required prerequisite)
• Econometric Methods (Econ 2140)
• Topics in Applied Econometrics (MIT 14.387)
• Advanced Applied Econometrics (Econ 2144)
• Computational Economics (Econ 2149)
• Time Series Analysis (Econ 2142)
• Seminar in Applied Statistical Methods (HBS 4809)

Research methods courses that meet the research design course requirement include, but are not limited to:

• Advanced Quantitative Research Methodology (Gov 2001)
• Empirical Methods in Corporate Finance (HBS 4220)
• Matched Sampling and Study Design (Stat 240); (Stat 140 or Econ 1127 are strongly recommended as prerequisites)
• Design of Field Research Methods (HBS 4070)
• Experimental Methods (HBS 4435)

Accounting and Management students are required to take seven additional doctoral courses.

• Management Control and Performance Measures (HBS 4403)
• Empirical Research in Financial Reporting and Analysis (HBS 4250)
• Doctoral Seminar in Accounting (MIT 15.539)
• Two breadth courses
• Two elective doctoral courses

All students without an MBA degree are required to complete two case-based HBS MBA courses.

Students are strongly encouraged to attend and participate in seminars throughout their program. In the third year, students are required to attend Accounting & Management Unit Seminars .

Good Academic Standing

Teaching requirement.

Students must teach or assist with teaching in a formally offered course for one full academic term. This engagement should include, at least, 8 hours of front-of-class teaching and 16 hours of teaching preparation time. The requirement may be fulfilled by completing a teaching fellow or instructor assignment at a Harvard University

Special Field Exam

Students are required to pass the Special Field Exam at the end of the second year or beginning of the third year. This exam has two parts: a written exam and an oral exam based on the course syllabi from any relevant doctoral research seminars in financial or managerial accounting undertaken by students in the course of their studies.

Dissertation Proposal

By the end of their third year, all students are required to obtain approval of their dissertation proposal by their Dissertation Chair.

Dissertation

Students are required to write a dissertation, which typically takes the form of three publishable papers, to the satisfaction of their Dissertation Committee. The dissertation defense is oral and open to the public.

When accounting goes unaccounted for

What’s Getting a PhD in Accounting Really All About?

The PhD is based on research. Research is based on psychological or economic theory and statistics. Statistics are based on mathematics. You need to be comfortable taking two years of graduate level econometrics, statistics, and mathematics if you want to do a PhD in accounting. And by the way, I hope you have already taken Calculus I (and not the business school “calculus” that most undergrad degrees require. You need the calculus the engineering and physics undergrads take), Calculus II, Calculus III, and Linear Algebra because you will need to be good at all of those topics before you even step foot into a doctoral program. If you can learn to program and work with relational databases before you enroll in a PhD program, that will also help. Finally, research is more than just numbers and analysis. You need to be a good writer so that you can clearly communicate why the research you are doing is important, what you found, and why it matters.

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• Career Center

So You Want to Be a Forensic Accountant

• Caleb Newquist
• April 10, 2010

Forensic accounting is about as sexy as it gets these days for boutique accounting services. For starters, there’s no shortage of work . And even if you’re too inexperienced to start up your own firm, you might be able to cut your teeth at a Big 4 forensic practice or since the SEC seems to getting serious about doing its job , you could go that route.

Hell, even if you’re currently on the other side of this equation (i.e. the perp) it seems to have worked out for at least a couple people, namely Barry Minkow and Sam Ae–> The AICPA sees the potential and is on the offensive, offering a “Certified in Financial Forensics” credential starting in 2008 after demand for such a cred came from its members.

The Institute recently published Characteristics and Skills of the Forensic Accountant , a survey of attorneys, forensic CPAs and academics that presents their “views on the qualities they believed were essential in a forensic accountant.”

Surprisingly, the three groups managed to agree on the most important trait, “All three groups surveyed overwhelmingly cited analytical ability as the most essential characteristic of a forensic accountant: 78 percent of attorneys, 86 percent of CPAs and 90 percent of academics.”

And that’s where the agreement ends:

Attorneys believed oral communications to be the most important skill, reflecting the need to express an opinion effectively in a court of law. CPAs, on the other hand, identified critical and strategic thinking as most important, with written and oral communications as second and third, respectively. The academics agreed with the CPAs that critical and strategic thinking was the prime skill, but, interestingly, rated auditing skills and investigative ability as second and third.

Hard to believe this differing opinions here. Lawyers prefer blabbing? Accountants prefer keeping their heads down and academics take it to an even brainier level? Shock .

We shot a message over to Tracy Coenen , friend of GC, forensic accountant for her thoughts and she notes that all these people surveyed are missing something important – intuition:

I think what they’re missing is investigative intuition. It’s common for people to think that a good auditor makes a good forensic accountant, and that’s simply not the case. Some people have a gift for thinking outside the box and can get a gut feel for what’s wrong. Others only have a gift for reconciling numbers and using checklists. The survey addressed investigative intuition, but it didn’t even make it into the top five of core skills. I think that’s wrong on many levels.

We’d have to agree that there is something to be said for raw talent. You can try and teach someone the necessary skills but if they don’t have that sleuth mentality, forensics probably won’t be a natural fit. Sam Antar agrees, and he laid out his own crucial characteristics for us:

The AICPA likes to talk about the skills of an effective forensic accountant, but it ignores the important personality traits required for them to be successful: • An effective forensic accountant must have a pair of double iron clad balls and a triple thick skin. Prospective forensic accountants can count on making many enemies in the course of their work and must be unhinged by the retaliation that normally follows uncovering fraud and other misconduct. • The saying, “It takes one to know one” applies to being an effective forensic accountant. If a forensic accountant is not a convicted felon (like me), there must be at least some degree of larceny wired into their personalities. Effective forensic accountants must at least think like a scumbag to understand criminal behavior, techniques, and countermeasures. • “Critical and strategic thinking” are relatively ineffective unless the forensic accountant exercises “professional paranoia” in the conduct of their work. Effective forensic accountants must be born cynics and skeptics and never accept any information at face value. A healthy degree of paranoia helps. Without the personality traits enumerated above, no amount of education can help a person be an effective forensic accountant.

Regardless of the differing opinions, the AICPA wants more people getting into forensics and we think that’s a good thing. However, since the chances of a CSI: Bean Counter are nil, more traditional recruitment measures have to be employed.

AICPA Report Educates CPA Firms, Professors on Forensic Accounting [AICPA Press Release] AICPA Forensic and Valuation Services Center [Website]

Accountants Prefer Their Own Kind

• July 13, 2015

A Robert Half survey of U.S. CFOs found that the “greatest challenge” for finance personnel […]

Should Accounting Firms Offer Housing Stipends to Employees?

• February 24, 2016

Over the last several months, we've noted some surprising shifts within the accounting profession, specifically around workplace flexibility and employee perks. Recently, we've seen Crowe Horwath announce both a "work anywhere (as long as your manager approves it)" and a "wear anything (as long as it's still professional and appropriate)"  policy. Fellow Chicago resident Baker Tilly announced a similar policy related to a more casual dress code. 

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How to Earn a PHD in Accounting

Last Updated: February 6, 2023 References

This article was co-authored by Felipe Corredor . Felipe is a Senior College Admissions Consultant at American College Counselors with over seven years of experience. He specializes in helping clients from all around the world gain admission into America's top universities through private, one-on-one consulting. He helps guide clients through the entire college admissions process and perfect every aspect of their college applications. Felipe earned a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Chicago and recently received his MBA. There are 21 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 73,402 times.

A PhD in accounting is an ideal academic path if you intend to teach at a university or conduct serious research. Getting into a PhD program in this field requires a minimum of a bachelor's degree, although some programs prefer applicants with a graduate degree. Finishing a doctorate in accounting usually takes four to five years, and involves taking the required courses, writing a dissertation and, passing a comprehensive exam.

Completing Requirements for a PhD Program in Accounting

• Check the prerequisite list of the specific program you’re interested in applying to. If you are unsure, contact the university department directly with your questions. This can help you see if the classes you took at one school will transfer to another university.
• Common perquisites include linear algebra, multivariate calculus, and an understanding of integration and differentiation. An MBA-level statistics course is a good class to take as well.

• Earning a master’s will also make your university application much stronger.
• In addition to earning a master’s, some programs prefer applicants to have worked or conducted research in the accounting field prior to applying. For instance, a job as a CPA or independent auditor could strengthen your understanding of the field.

• The GRE is a general proficiency test covering verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing. [4] X Trustworthy Source Educational Testing Service Educational and testing assessment organization responsible for administering various standardized exams, such as the GRE and the TOEFL Go to source The test lasts about four hours, including short breaks allowed between the test sections. There are a variety of test prep materials available for free at https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare/ . You can take either a paper-based or computer-based test, and sign up for either online at https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/register/centers_dates/ .
• The GMAT is a general proficiency test covering analytical writing, integrated reasoning, quantitative problem solving, and verbal comprehension. The exam lasts 3.5 hours. [5] X Research source There are a variety of test prep materials available online at http://www.mba.com/us/the-gmat-exam/prepare-for-the-gmat-exam.aspx . You could also check out your local library or bookstore for GMAT handbooks and sample tests. To sign up to take the GMAT, visit https://accounts.gmac.com/Account/Register .

Applying to a PhD Program

• Decide what type of research you want to do -- archival, experimental or behavioral, or analytical -- and commit to it in your personal statement before applying to a school. [7] X Research source To get a better idea of what type of research is available, read some current academic literature and meet with the professors at the school(s) you’re thinking of applying to.
• Later, you can incorporate a modified version of your personal statement along with your university application. Add information about why or how the particular PhD program you’ve applied to will help you meet the goals you expressed in your personal statement. Follow the doctoral program's guidelines for word length and content.

• Whatever school you choose, ensure its program offers the necessary coursework and will provide you with the experience you want to help you meet your future goals.
• You should also look at requirements for obtaining a PhD at the various schools. Do they expect students to graduate in three years? Two years? What classes and skills does the program emphasize?

• Explain why you need the letter, and why you’re asking for the particular professor’s advice. For instance, you might explain to a favored professor that he or she inspired you to continue developing your understanding of accounting, and you’re now following up on their advice by pursuing a PhD.

Being a Good Student

• Additionally, stay late once in a while. Stick around to talk to students you’re teaching, or put in some extra time on your dissertation.
• Show up on at least one day during the weekends, too. Vary the time you go to campus on weekends so that you see many different professors (and many different professors see you).

• Presentation experience looks great on a resume.
• Even if you can’t present at a conference, you should attend as many as you can to keep up with current research and meet your fellow accounting colleagues.

Completing the PhD Program in Accounting

• Most PhD programs require two years of coursework, though some require three years. [18] X Research source

• To prepare for the comps, write a brief (one page) summary of each academic article you read during your seminars and classes. Summarize the main argument or question the author is tackling, as well as his or her findings and conclusion.

• You may have suggested the topic you want to work on in your initial application to the university. Don’t feel obligated to stick to that exact topic, since other issues or problems in accounting might spark your interest as you progress in your program. However, ensure that whatever topic you select is one that you’ll be able to receive guidance on from your academic advisor.
• Current trends in accounting encourage PhD students to pursue positivist (non-theoretical) research on subjects relating to the influence of accounting practices on global markets. [19] X Research source

• You might begin by drafting an outline of your dissertation on the topic of tax evasion. Perhaps you’ll break the dissertation down into various subtopics or chapters, each focused on a particular issue or question related to tax evasion such as the ethics of tax evasion, the law regarding tax evasion, and the future directions accountants that investigate tax evasion could pursue.
• Decide when you want each chapter completed and give yourself a certain number of hours each week to work on the dissertation.
• If you're conducting research at a far-away archive, ask the archive or its parent institution if they offer funding for visiting scholars. Alternately, contact the head of your own school's accounting department about getting travel funds.

• Use academic literature databases like Corporate Information ( http://www.corporateinformation.com/ ), EconLit ( https://www.aeaweb.org/econlit/ ), and Research Papers in Economics ( http://repec.org/ ) to look for useful academic resources.
• Examine raw data relevant to your topic. There are man sources of raw data that you can use to develop your dissertation, including stock prices, financial statements, and mathematical proofs. [22] X Research source
• Think about the sources that would be most useful to you and ask your academic advisor for advice as to where you might look for more information.
• If you’re interested in experimental research, you will need to arrange controlled experiments with people to probe questions related to accounting. For instance, perhaps you want to find out how much people know about different types of investments. You could conduct oral interviews or administer surveys asking specific questions about the differences between IRAs, Roth IRAs, stocks, and mutual funds.

• Ensure you obtain permission before recording potential interview subjects.

• The front portion of the dissertation should be used to ground your research process by demonstrating how your research relates to the other academic publications in the field. For instance, if you write about managerial accounting, you should read as much as possible in the academic literature about managerial accounting, including past PhD theses. Use prior studies to give meaning to your own work by demonstrating that your dissertation is exploring new territory. [26] X Research source
• You should end the introduction with a specific statement outlining your argument, and a summary of each chapter or section of your dissertation.
• The body of the dissertation lays out your main findings. Each chapter should look at a specific topic relating to the larger issue you're examining. For instance, if you write about managerial accounting, you might use each chapter to examine accounting practices in several different large firms within a single industry. The chapters would offer in-depth information comparing and contrasting the different accounting practices with each other.
• Conclude your dissertation with a final section summarizing your findings overall and suggesting new directions or solutions to the topic you've examined. Include raw data -- stock prices, interview transcripts or surveys, and other documents -- in an appendix.
• During your writing process, submit chapters or portions of the dissertation to your academic advisor for review. Use his or her feedback to shape your dissertation.
• After completing the dissertation, you must present your dissertation before a departmental committee. The committee will ask you probing questions about your research process and findings. Talk to your academic advisor about how you can best prepare for the questions you might be confronted with.

Expert Q&A

• Make regular appointments with your academic advisor to form a relationship with them, as this can be of extreme importance. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

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Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you'd like to learn more about earning a PhD, check out our in-depth interview with Felipe Corredor .

• ↑ http://goingconcern.com/post/what-you-need-know-about-getting-accounting-phd-program
• ↑ http://goingconcern.com/post/whats-getting-phd-accounting-really-all-about
• ↑ http://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/departments/accounting/programs/phd_program/apply.aspx
• ↑ https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/about/content/
• ↑ http://www.mba.com/us/the-gmat-exam/gmat-exam-format-timing.aspx
• ↑ http://www.journalofaccountancy.com/news/2009/mar/pursuingaphdinaccounting.html
• ↑ http://www.haas.berkeley.edu/Phd/academics/index.html
• ↑ http://goingconcern.com/post/five-tips-first-year-accounting-phd-candidates
• ↑ http://goingconcern.com/post/five-tips-first-year-accounting-phd-candidates/
• ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=0NZLQlBEpnAC&lpg=PA14&pg=PA13#v=onepage&q&f=false
• ↑ http://www.terry.uga.edu/phd/concentrations/accounting
• ↑ https://gpae.wcu.edu/Vol6/Reading_and_Understanding_Academic_Research.pdf
• ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=0NZLQlBEpnAC&lpg=PA14&pg=PA14#v=onepage&q&f=false
• ↑ http://www.chappellseminars.com/basic-rules-of-composing-an-accounting-dissertation-topic.htm

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Accounting Ph.D.

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Why Earn an Accounting Ph.D.?

Students are trained to conduct independent research in a wide range of areas, including tax, financial, managerial, systems and audit. Our faculty and doctoral students use both archival and behavioral approaches.

Our program is demanding, broad in scope and provides opportunities for close interaction between students and faculty. Students are required to demonstrate a high level of proficiency in quantitative areas (such as mathematics and statistics) and scholarly writing. Our program has been changing rapidly, reflecting the growing emphasis on rigorous research at the University of North Texas.

• Application of standard research methods
• Conduct and report business research
• Knowledge of core business disciplines
• Pedagogical practices
• Business research communication

Accounting Ph.D. Highlights

Career outlook.

Recent Ph.D. graduates have accepted employment at Clemson University, San Francisco State University, University of Nevada-Reno, TCU, Babson College, Monmouth University and University of South Dakota.

Accounting Ph.D. Courses You Could Take

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It’s easy to apply online. Join us and discover why we’re the choice of nearly 47,000 students.

What Can You Do With an Accounting Degree?

Author: University of North Dakota May 28, 2024

In the complex machinery of modern business, accountants are essential gears that keep operations running smoothly.

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Without their expertise, businesses can quickly find themselves amid financial chaos, from inaccurate profit margins to unmanaged cash flows, leading to disastrous decision-making and compliance issues. To imagine a world without accountants, you need to think about a company unwittingly overspending due to poor financial tracking or facing legal penalties for incorrect tax filings. No business wants that, right? 

Accounting, however, is not just a singular path but a broad field encompassing various specialties and roles. This diversity allows professionals to tailor their careers to specific interests and skills, from forensic accounting to financial analysis. So, what can you do with an accounting degree? Discover the opportunities that such a degree offers and see if any spark your interest.

10 Jobs You Can Do With an Accounting Degree

An accounting degree equips students with a deep understanding of financial reporting, taxation, auditing, and budget management, alongside critical thinking and analytical skills—essential skills for various roles. Today, we will explore some of the most common jobs you can do with an accounting degree.

1. Finance Manager

Finance managers oversee an organization's financial health. They produce financial reports, direct investment activities, and develop strategies and plans for the organization's long-term financial goals. Their work spans across industries, however, you find most of them working in banks, investment firms, and large multinational corporations.

Average Salary: $124,326 per year

Main responsibilities of a finance manager are:

• Preparing financial statements and business activity reports
• Reviewing company financial reports and seeking ways to reduce costs
• Ensuring compliance with legal requirements
• Helping management make financial decisions
• Managing investment strategies by considering cash and liquidity risks

2. Management Accountant

Managerial accountants, also known as corporate or private accountants, handle a company's internal financial processes. The knowledge they accumulate from their work is essential for managers and executives as it helps them make informed decisions. They work in diverse sectors, including manufacturing, services, and not-for-profits.

Average Salary: $115,738 per year

Main responsibilities of a management accountant are:

• Preparing financial statements and other reports
• Advising management on financial decisions and the financial implications of business activities
• Managing budgeting processes, including preparing detailed annual financial reports and forecasts
• Monitoring and evaluating financial information systems
• Performing cost analysis and assisting in price-setting

3. Financial Advisor

Financial advisors provide personalized advice to help clients manage their finances. They work in finance and insurance firms, self-employment, or private wealth management, assisting clients with investment decisions, estate planning, and retirement strategies.

Average Salary: $102,134 per year

Main responsibilities of a financial advisor are:

• Assessing clients' financial needs and helping them with investments, tax laws, and insurance decisions
• Developing financial plans to help with financial goals
• Advising on investments, estate planning, risk management, and other financial matters
• Educating clients on investment options and potential risks
• Helping clients plan for specific circumstances, such as education expenses or retirement

4. Financial Analyst

These analysts use their financial expertise to guide businesses and individuals in making investment decisions. They work primarily in banks, insurance companies, pension funds, mutual funds, securities firms, and other financial enterprises.

Average Salary: $88,111 per year

Main responsibilities of a financial analyst are:

• Analyzing financial data and trends
• Evaluating investment opportunities and recommending individual or portfolios of investments
• Developing financial models to simulate financial scenarios
• Preparing written reports and presenting findings to clients or internal management
• Assessing the economic performance of companies to determine their stability

5. Forensic Accounting

Forensic accountants combine their accounting knowledge with investigative skills in litigation support and investigative accounting settings. They often work for public accounting firms, law offices, law enforcement agencies, and insurance companies.

Average Salary: $85,177 per year

Main responsibilities for a forensic accountant are:

• Investigating financial evidence
• Assisting in legal proceedings as an expert witness
• Examining financial documents and transactions to detect instances of fraud, embezzlement, or other financial crimes
• Advising lawyers and law enforcement agencies on the financial details of cases
• Performing due diligence on financial statements in corporate transactions

6. Management Analyst

Management analysts use their extended financial knowledge to advise managers on how to enhance an organization’s efficiency. They do so mainly by providing calculated information on ways to improve profits through reduced costs and increased revenues. 

Average Salary: $84,961 per year

Main responsibilities of a management analyst are:

• Gathering and organizing information about the problem to be solved or the procedure to be improved
• Interviewing personnel and conducting onsite observations
• Analyzing financial data and employment reports to develop solutions or alternative practices
• Recommending new systems, procedures, or organizational changes
• Helping to implement changes and providing training and coaching

Auditors are at the top of the accounting profession as they help ensure the accuracy and legality of financial records and statements. They work in various settings, including public accounting firms, government agencies, corporations, and nonprofits. 

Average Salary: $82,682 per year

Main responsibilities of an auditor are:

• Examining financial statements for accuracy and compliance with laws and regulations
• Assessing financial operations and making best-practices recommendations to management
• Performing audits of internal controls, operations, and financial systems
• Preparing audit reports and presenting findings
• Ensuring that taxes are calculated, filed, and paid correctly

8. Tax Accountant

Tax accountants, as the name implies, specialize in preparing and submitting tax documents for businesses. Their clients range from private individuals to corporations. Their work is to ensure compliance with taxing authority regulations. Typically, you find them working in accounting firms, large corporations, or as independent consultants.

Average Salary: $82,406 per year

Main responsibilities of a tax accountant are:

• Preparing federal, state, and local tax returns for businesses, organizations, and individuals
• Advising clients on tax strategies and planning to minimize tax liabilities
• Staying updated on changes in tax legislation
• Representing clients in tax audits and negotiations with tax authorities
• Ensuring compliance with taxation regulations

9. Budget Analyst

These professionals help organizations organize their finances by preparing budget reports and monitoring institutional spending. Their primary goal is to ensure financial efficiency and informed budgeting decisions. They work in various sectors, including government agencies, universities, and private companies.

Average Salary: $81,698 per year

Main responsibilities of a budget analyst are:

• Reviewing budget proposals and funding requests
• Conducting cost-benefit analysis to determine value
• Collaborating with project managers to develop a consolidated budget
• Ensuring compliance with laws and regulations in budget practices
• Explaining and defending recommendations to stakeholders and budget committees

10. Financial Examiner 

Financial examiners are responsible for ensuring compliance with laws governing financial institutions and transactions. Their work is essential for maintaining the stability of financial systems. You can usually find financial examiners working for government agencies, banks and financial institutions, consulting firms, or corporate auditing departments.

Average Salary: $70,035 per year

Main responsibilities of a financial examiner are:

• Assessing the financial health of banks and other financial institutions
• Evaluating loan risks and assessing the financial health of borrowers
• Reviewing balance sheets, expense accounts, and loan documentation
• Ensuring that banks and financial institutions are adhering to laws and regulations concerning financial solvency, consumer protection, and risk management
• Preparing reports for regulatory bodies highlighting audit findings and recommending actions

Which Accounting Job Should I Choose?

Choosing a career in accounting is fundamentally a personal decision deeply rooted in your own values, lifestyle choices, and professional goals. The first step in this process is to evaluate which aspects of accounting truly capture your interest. For instance, if you thrive on analyzing data and predicting market trends, a career as a financial analyst could be immensely satisfying. On the other hand, if you possess a sharp eye for detail and a passion for investigative work, forensic accounting might be the ideal role for you, offering the opportunity to explore financial discrepancies and expose fraudulent activities.

As you go through your career options, it's important to keep in mind factors such as personal interests, inherent skills, potential earnings, job market trends, work-life balance, and opportunities for professional growth. Each accounting role highlighted in this article comes with its own set of challenges and rewards, and understanding these can help you make a well-informed decision about your future. 

Keep in mind that while your journey begins with obtaining your degree, it ultimately unfolds through how effectively you utilize and enhance your skills and interests over time. By aligning your career choice with your personal aspirations and the practical realities of the job market, you can find your path to success and fulfillment in accounting.

All in all, deciding on a career path in accounting, thanks to the versatility it offers, is a significant step that merits thoughtful consideration and exploration of all available options. Take your time to understand each role, its demands, and its benefits.

The University of North Dakota is equipped to support your educational journey, regardless of the path you choose. With programs including a Bachelor of Accountancy , Bachelor of Finance , and Managerial Finance & Accounting degree , UND has you covered across all areas.

Whether you're certain of your path now or prefer to explore your options as you advance in your studies, UND will be with you every step of the way, ensuring you're well-prepared to account for your future success. At UND, the best accountants are never at a loss when it comes to finding value—both in their careers and for the businesses they serve.

What are the benefits of pursuing a career in accounting? ( Open this section)

A career in accounting offers high earning potential, diverse career opportunities across various industries, and a stable job market. It also provides the intellectual satisfaction of helping businesses grow.

How long does it take to earn an accounting degree? ( Open this section)

Typically, earning an undergraduate degree in accounting takes about four years of full-time study. However, accelerated programs and part-time study options can vary in duration.

Are there opportunities for advancement in the field of accounting? ( Open this section)

Yes, the field of accounting offers substantial opportunities for advancement. Professionals can ascend from entry-level positions to roles such as senior accountant, controller, or chief financial officer, often enhanced by obtaining certifications like CPA or CMA.

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• Accounting, Economics & Finance

What Can You Do with a Master’s in Accounting?

A master’s in accounting unlocks a myriad of opportunities. Graduates can excel as financial analysts, auditors, tax specialists, controllers, or management accountants across diverse sectors like banking, healthcare, and government. Some pursue academia, shaping future accountants or researching accounting practices. Whether you want to deepen your knowledge in accounting and finance or you’re looking for a career change, a master’s in accounting may be right for you.

Equipped with advanced financial knowledge, graduates from the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management navigate complex landscapes with ease. Proficiency in data analytics empowers them to interpret financial data, drive decisions, and mitigate risks. With doors open to a dynamic and rewarding career, a master’s in accounting promises growth, specialization, and meaningful contribution to today’s economy.

Top Accounting Careers: How to Determine the Right One for You

Choosing the right accounting career requires you to evaluate your strengths, interests, and goals. Candidates should assess their skills, such as analytical skills for roles like financial analysis or interpersonal skills for management accounting. Long-term aspirations, whether in climbing the corporate ladder or in specializing, also matter. Considering work environments—from demanding public firms to stable corporate roles—is crucial. By understanding what’s best for you, you can pursue a fulfilling and successful career in accounting.

Find Career Satisfaction in Accounting

Achieving career satisfaction in accounting involves pursuing a role aligned with your interests, skills, and values. According to a survey by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) , job satisfaction is influenced by factors like work-life balance, growth opportunities, and meaningful impact. Research shows engaged accountants experience higher satisfaction levels. Additionally, the Journal of Accountancy highlights job autonomy, recognition, and advancement as crucial for career contentment. Prioritizing personal and professional growth in roles can enhance enjoyment and success.

Navigating Accounting Career Paths

Accounting careers offer diverse paths for undergraduates and graduate students.

• Public accounting provides exposure to audit, tax, and advisory services with specialties like forensic accounting.
• Corporate roles focus on financial management, including reporting and budgeting.
• Government and nonprofit sectors emphasize financial compliance and accountability.
• Specialized industries like healthcare and technology offer unique billing, revenue recognition, and financial analysis opportunities.

Exploring these paths aligns career choices with personal interests for a more fulfilling journey.

What’s Right for You: A Common or Nontraditional Accounting Career Path?

Types of careers in accounting involve traditional roles like staff accountants or financial analysts, leading to senior positions like financial manager or controller. Specializing in industries like healthcare offers unique opportunities, while nontraditional paths like forensic accounting or sustainability accounting provide innovative ways to make an impact. Assessing your interests and goals can lead to an even more fulfilling career in accounting.

Discover Additional Career Possibilities by Continuing Your Accounting Education

A bachelor’s degree in accounting can open many attainable roles, including staff accountant or financial analyst. Pursuing an MPS in Management – Accounting Specialization can lead to positions like financial manager or controller, offering increased responsibility and leadership opportunities. The program also provides additional credit hours required to sit for the certified public accountant (CPA) exam; 150 college credits are required to sit for the exam.

Achieving further educational milestones, like acquiring a CPA credential, opens doors to becoming an auditor, tax consultant, or partner in an accounting firm. Each level of education enhances your skill set and qualifies you for more advanced and specialized positions in the accounting field.

Top Accounting Jobs by Salary

Accounting offers many different types of lucrative career opportunities.

Top-paying accounting jobs often require specialized skills, advanced degrees, and professional certifications. Below are 10 top accounting jobs along with their national average salaries, degree requirements, and high-level job descriptions.

Accounting degrees are a path to this type of salary; these are not entry-level or to be expected immediately after getting a Cornell degree.

https://www.johnson.cornell.edu/programs/specialized-masters/mps-in-management-accounting-specialization/careers/

https://www.bls.gov/OOH/business-and-financial/accountants-and-auditors.htm?utm_source=fit/programs/8421/ms-info-techutm_medium

https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/index.htm

These roles offer competitive salaries and opportunities for career advancement, making them attractive options for accounting professionals seeking prosperous career paths.

Within six months of attaining their degree, Johnson School graduates specializing in accounting have achieved impressive outcomes, as indicated by the MPS in Management – Accounting Specialization 2023 salary data . Of course, salaries vary, and international pay rates and cost of living differences in the international job market impact the overall salary average of Johnson School graduates. Overall, this data showcases the success and marketability of Cornell graduates in the accounting field, highlighting the value of their education and the opportunities it provides for professional growth and advancement.

START YOUR CAREER TODAY

Job Outlook: What Does the Accounting Career Landscape Look Like?

In 2024, the accounting career landscape in the United States continues to show promising growth and stability, driven by various factors shaping the job market. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) , the demand for accountants and auditors is projected to grow by 7 percent from 2020 to 2030, faster than the average for other occupations.

Overall, the accounting career landscape in 2024 presents promising opportunities for professionals with the necessary skills and qualifications, which they can achieve through the MPS in Management – Accounting Specialization curriculum . With continued demand for accounting services across various industries and the evolution of technological and specialized roles, individuals entering or advancing in the accounting field can expect a dynamic and rewarding career path ahead.

The Top 10 Essential Skills for a Thriving Accounting Career

• Analytical prowess : Ability to dissect complex financial data, identify patterns, and draw meaningful insights for informed decision-making
• Attention to detail : Meticulousness in maintaining accuracy in financial records and reports, ensuring precision in every calculation
• Technical proficiency : Mastery of accounting software such as QuickBooks and Excel and understanding of generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and international financial reporting standards (IFRS)
• Clear communication : Ability to clearly articulate financial concepts to diverse stakeholders, ensuring comprehension and effective collaboration
• Ethical integrity : Unwavering adherence to professional codes of conduct, maintaining confidentiality, and upholding ethical standards
• Time management : Effective prioritization of tasks, meeting deadlines, and efficiently managing multiple responsibilities
• Continuous learning : Commitment to staying updated with industry trends and regulations and pursuing professional development opportunities
• Problem-solving : Aptitude for resolving financial discrepancies and navigating complex financial scenarios
• Adaptability : Flexibility to embrace changes in regulations, technology, and business practices and adjust strategies accordingly
• Teamwork : Collaboration with colleagues, clients, and stakeholders to achieve shared financial goals and foster a harmonious work environment

Start your Career with Ivy League Support

Beginning your career with Ivy League support provides invaluable benefits. The Cornell SC Johnson College of Business offers a suite of career resources tailored to students’ needs. From mock interviews to resume reviews and strategic career consulting, students receive comprehensive support to excel in the accounting industry. Explore Cornell University’s career resources to access these valuable tools and unlock your potential for a successful accounting career.

MEET THE JOHNSON SCHOOL’S CAREER ADVISORS

Where They’ve Gone: Explore the Impressive Careers of Johnson School Alumni

Johnson School master’s in accounting graduates have learned the skills required for today’s competitive job market. Many have landed roles at top firms, showcasing the program’s effectiveness in preparing students for success in the corporate world.

“Until you experience Cornell, it is hard to understand the opportunities that come from it. The Cornell network is so vast and international, you always have Cornellians who have your back.” — Maria A. Lopez ’18, MPS ’19

“I was able to expand my horizons not only in accounting, but also in finance and management, and really build my network.” — Charles Mauser MPS ’19

Find Your Place in Accounting

Graduating from the Johnson School’s MPS in Management – Accounting Specialization master’s program, you’re poised for success. You’ll set out on one of many promising paths in the accounting field, primed for growth, fulfillment, and financial success.

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PhD position Accounting for the Uncountable (1,0 fte)

Introduction:.

Nyenrode Business University is seeking a full-time PhD student with a research interest in organizational control and performance management in the public sector. The position is for four years and is fully funded. The PhD-student will join the Center for Accounting, Auditing and Control. Under the supervision of Professors Ivo De Loo and Roland Speklé, the PhD student will perform theoretical and empirical research on the relative effectiveness of internal governance arrangements in public sector organizations.

We are looking for candidates with a Master of Science in economics, public sector administration, business administration, or a related field. Candidates must have strong analytical and research skills and a genuine interest in the topic. In addition, they should possess solid academic writing and communication skills and a profound command of English.

Accounting for the Uncountable

The function of government is to promote the common good and overall well-being of society. This involves a concern for safety, civil rights, equity, justice, welfare, health, environmental protection, and other similarly evasive societal objectives. Measuring performance on these objectives is very difficult. But, if performance cannot be measured, does that mean it cannot be managed? Is it possible to devise performance management systems that account for the uncountable? This research project first explores the foundational question as to what accountability means when outcomes defy measurement. It then moves on to examine (both theoretically and empirically) the potential contribution to public sector effectiveness of control practices such as performance measurement, action controls, and socio-cultural controls, with a specific emphasis on how these practices combine in larger systems to affect public sector performance.

Research We are interested in candidates with clear academic research ambitions and a background in both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Candidates must have the ambition to publish in highly ranked international peer reviewed academic journals, and to develop a high-quality and original research portfolio that is relevant to academia and the world of organizations. The objective is that the research project results in a number of high-quality, original academic research papers, suitable for publication in peer-reviewed academic journals.

Teaching This fulltime PhD position involves a limited teaching load (with a maximum of 25% of the appointment).

Who are we?

Nyenrode Business Universiteit offers a combination of sound theoretical knowledge, practical experience, and personal development. Nyenrode aims to achieve a diverse mix of researchers and teaching staff with international experience, to optimize research and the education that is offered and to reflect the university’s distinguished status. Nyenrode is a small-scale private university, founded in 1946 for and by business, with an international orientation. Nyenrode offers degree and executive education programs in business, management, accountancy and controlling, and conducts research in these disciplines. The mission of Nyenrode is: ‘Serving society by shaping responsible leaders.’ Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Stewardship are the core values, embedded in all the education programs offered at Nyenrode Business Universiteit. The Nyenrode PhD School As a PhD candidate you will be part of the Nyenrode PhD School that offers courses, guidance on article writing and opportunities for participation in scientific conferences and seminars. The candidate will work to produce a doctoral dissertation, which is to be written in English.

Who are you? 

You hold an MSc, MA, or MPhil degree in a relevant discipline from an accredited research university, preferably in economics, public sector administration, business administration, or a related field. You have excellent results in your graduate study. You have a genuine interest in and a strong motivation for academic research. 

What do we have to offer?

Nyenrode is a knowledge institute that is characterized by a personal, informal atmosphere and a professional approach. Result-oriented work methods and attention to personal development go hand in hand; for instance, you can participate in exclusive seminars and lunch classes. Nyenrode has a dynamic work environment in which you are given a lot of responsibility and the opportunity to contribute to objectives in your own way.

• A gross salary between € 2.766, - and € 3.708, - depending on your seniority and experience (Scale 8)
• 30 days off (with the possibility of an additional five) 
• Fixed 5,1 % end of year bonus
• Flexible end of year bonus, up to 4,5%
• Allowance of € 850 to be spent with Coolblue to facilitate a home office
• Reimbursements for internet and working from home costs, travel allowance
• Pension scheme
• Bike scheme

Interested? 

We would like to receive your application package, consisting of:

• A university degree of minimum four years within the field of business (Master of Science) or equivalent education, that includes a master thesis as the final academic accomplishment.
• Curriculum Vitae + Motivation letter + two academic reference letters. 
• A copy of your master thesis.
• Proof of excellent grades from the Master of Science degree or equivalent education
• Proof of excellent English written and oral language skills. Applicants from non-European countries where English is not the official language must present an official language test report.
• Good analytical skills and knowledge about research methods relevant for the proposed project.

Qualified applicants will be ranked according to the following criteria:

• Quality of the master's thesis.
• Applicant's description of motivation for the doctoral dissertation.
• Relevant experience from research work.
• Teaching potential.

The application package should be sent to  [email protected] . In addition to the formal requirements, the selection will be based on interview(s) with the supervisors, Prof. Dr. Ivo De Loo and Prof. Dr. Roland Speklé. Screening of applications begins immediately and will continue until the position is filled.

Nyenrode Business Universiteit ambition is to create an inclusive working environment where everybody feels involved, valued, and recognized. In addition to your talent, experience and motivation, the specific aspects of your identity enrich our organization in various ways. Talent as basis, diversity as power.

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• Agronomy, PhD

The mission of the Agronomy program is to generate, integrate, and apply knowledge about crop plants that are grown for food, feed, and the general benefit of humankind. We find and disseminate answers to problems and discover opportunities concerning efficiency and sustainability of production, improvements in quality, and methods for safe and environmentally-sound practices.

An education in agronomy prepares graduates for professional careers in research, teaching, and extension at academic and government institutions, and for research and technical careers in industry in areas such as biotechnology, agroecology, cropping systems ecology and ecosystem modeling, crop management and protection, plant breeding, biochemistry, genetics, and genomics.

The UW–Madison Agronomy program is one of the most highly ranked and regarded programs in the nation. We are committed to integrated research, development, teaching, and outreach to address issues of food scarcity, food quality and nutrition, environmental impact, and sustainability.

The program maintains or has access to excellent facilities for research, including fully equipped laboratories, growth chambers and greenhouses, and complete field facilities at nearby agricultural research stations and throughout the state. Students have access to highly controlled plant growth facilities at the university's Biotron and to special analytical services provided by the campus Biotechnology Center. The Wisconsin Crop Innovation Center opened in 2017 and houses a cutting edge transgenic plant laboratory and 26,000 square feet of highly controlled greenhouse space and other lab facilities. 

Please consult the table below for key information about this degree program’s admissions requirements. The program may have more detailed admissions requirements, which can be found below the table or on the program’s website.

Graduate admissions is a two-step process between academic programs and the Graduate School. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate School as well as the program(s). Once you have researched the graduate program(s) you are interested in, apply online .

Candidates for graduate study should have a bachelor's degree in agriculture or in the biological, chemical, or physical sciences. Students considering graduate study in Agronomy should make inquiries to the graduate program several months before the desired enrollment date. In addition to the online application, the graduate program requires a statement of purpose, transcripts, and three letters of recommendation with two from academic sources.

Candidates for research and teaching assistantships can be accepted twice a year, at summer/fall and spring admissions.

Applicants are required to have taken the following coursework to pursue a PhD in Agronomy.  At the graduate program’s discretion, students may be admitted with deficiencies. These deficiencies are expected to be completed within the first semester of study.

Preparatory Coursework

• 1 year general chemistry with labs
• 1 semester organic chemistry with labs
• 1 semester physics
• 1 semester calculus
• 1 semester statistics
• 4 semesters of biology distributed among three of the following four areas: biochemistry; genetics; plant morphology, anatomy or physiology; and taxonomy, evolution, or ecology.

Graduate School Resources

Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid.  Further funding information is available from the Graduate School. Be sure to check with your program for individual policies and restrictions related to funding.

Program Resources

The vast majority of our graduate students are awarded research assistantships to fund their education. These RA appointments come with tuition remission and a monthly stipend for living expenses. These assistantships come directly from the mentoring faculty; as a result, space in our graduate program is extremely limited. We do not support lab rotations. More details can be found  here . 

Minimum Graduate School Requirements

Major requirements.

Review the Graduate School minimum academic progress and degree requirements , in addition to the program requirements listed below.

Mode of Instruction

Mode of instruction definitions.

Accelerated: Accelerated programs are offered at a fast pace that condenses the time to completion. Students typically take enough credits aimed at completing the program in a year or two.

Evening/Weekend: ​Courses meet on the UW–Madison campus only in evenings and/or on weekends to accommodate typical business schedules.  Students have the advantages of face-to-face courses with the flexibility to keep work and other life commitments.

Face-to-Face: Courses typically meet during weekdays on the UW-Madison Campus.

Hybrid: These programs combine face-to-face and online learning formats.  Contact the program for more specific information.

Online: These programs are offered 100% online.  Some programs may require an on-campus orientation or residency experience, but the courses will be facilitated in an online format.

Curricular Requirements

Required courses.

The Agronomy graduate program requires two full-time semesters in residence for a PhD. Your certification committee can petition the graduate studies committee for a deviation from the residence requirement under unique circumstances.

Graduate School Policies

The  Graduate School’s Academic Policies and Procedures  provide essential information regarding general university policies. Program authority to set degree policies beyond the minimum required by the Graduate School lies with the degree program faculty. Policies set by the academic degree program can be found below.

Major-Specific Policies

Prior coursework, graduate credits earned at other institutions.

Refer to the Graduate School: Transfer Credits for Prior Coursework policy.

Undergraduate Credits Earned at Other Institutions or UW-Madison

Credits earned as a professional student at uw-madison (law, medicine, pharmacy, and veterinary careers), credits earned as a university special student at uw–madison.

If students were admitted on probation and they satisfy the conditions outlined at the time of admission, probationary status will be removed automatically. Once their studies have begun, students are expected to make satisfactory progress toward their degree.

Refer to the Graduate School: Probation policy.

Advisor / Committee

Credits per term allowed.

The Graduate School considers full-time enrollment to be 8–15 credits taken numbered 300 or above, excluding pass/fail and audit, during the fall and spring semesters, and 4–12 credits during the summer term. If students elect not to enroll as full-time students as defined by the Graduate School, they are responsible for knowing about possible obligations that may require full-time status. Such obligations may include visa eligibility, fellowships, assistantships, financial aid, external funding agencies, and program satisfactory progress requirements.

Dissertators take exactly 3 credits per semester. 

Time Limits

Refer to the Graduate School: Time Limits policy.

Grievances and Appeals

These resources may be helpful in addressing your concerns:

• Bias or Hate Reporting  
• Graduate Assistantship Policies and Procedures
• Office of the Provost for Faculty and Staff Affairs
• Employee Assistance (for personal counseling and workplace consultation around communication and conflict involving graduate assistants and other employees, post-doctoral students, faculty and staff)
• Employee Disability Resource Office (for qualified employees or applicants with disabilities to have equal employment opportunities)
• Graduate School (for informal advice at any level of review and for official appeals of program/departmental or school/college grievance decisions)
• Office of Compliance (for class harassment and discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual violence)
• Office Student Assistance and Support (OSAS)  (for all students to seek grievance assistance and support)
• Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards (for conflicts involving students)
• Ombuds Office for Faculty and Staff (for employed graduate students and post-docs, as well as faculty and staff)
• Title IX (for concerns about discrimination)

College of Agricultural and Life Sciences: Grievance Policy  

In the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS), any student who feels unfairly treated by a member of the CALS faculty or staff has the right to complain about the treatment and to receive a prompt hearing. Some complaints may arise from misunderstandings or communication breakdowns and be easily resolved; others may require formal action. Complaints may concern any matter of perceived unfairness.

To ensure a prompt and fair hearing of any complaint, and to protect the rights of both the person complaining and the person at whom the complaint is directed, the following procedures are used in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. Any student, undergraduate or graduate, may use these procedures, except employees whose complaints are covered under other campus policies.

• The student should first talk with the person at whom the complaint is directed. Most issues can be settled at this level. Others may be resolved by established departmental procedures.
• If the complaint involves an academic department in CALS the student should proceed in accordance with item 3 below.
• If the grievance involves a unit in CALS that is not an academic department, the student should proceed in accordance with item 4 below.
• If informal mediation fails, the student can submit the grievance in writing to the grievance advisor within 10 working days of the date the student is informed of the failure of the mediation attempt by the grievance advisor. The grievance advisor will provide a copy to the person at whom the grievance is directed.
• The grievance advisor will refer the complaint to a department committee that will obtain a written response from the person at whom the complaint is directed, providing a copy to the student. Either party may request a hearing before the committee. The grievance advisor will provide both parties a written decision within 20 working days from the date of receipt of the written complaint.
• If the grievance involves the department chairperson, the grievance advisor or a member of the grievance committee, these persons may not participate in the review.
• If not satisfied with departmental action, either party has 10 working days from the date of notification of the departmental committee action to file a written appeal to the CALS Equity and Diversity Committee. A subcommittee of this committee will make a preliminary judgement as to whether the case merits further investigation and review. If the subcommittee unanimously determines that the case does not merit further investigation and review, its decision is final. If one or more members of the subcommittee determine that the case does merit further investigation and review, the subcommittee will investigate and seek to resolve the dispute through mediation. If this mediation attempt fails, the subcommittee will bring the case to the full committee. The committee may seek additional information from the parties or hold a hearing. The committee will present a written recommendation to the dean who will provide a final decision within 20 working days of receipt of the committee recommendation.
• If the alleged unfair treatment occurs in a CALS unit that is not an academic department, the student should, within 120 calendar days of the alleged incident, take his/her grievance directly to the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. The dean will attempt to resolve the problem informally within 10 working days of receiving the complaint. If this mediation attempt does not succeed the student may file a written complaint with the dean who will refer it to the CALS Equity and Diversity Committee. The committee will seek a written response from the person at whom the complaint is directed, subsequently following other steps delineated in item 3d above.
• Professional Development

Take advantage of the Graduate School's  professional development resources to build skills, thrive academically, and launch your career. 

The agronomy program does not require but encourages all students to complete an Individual Development Plan (IDP). As you begin your Graduate School career, an Individual Development Plan (IDP) is an essential tool to help you:

(1) Assess your current skills and strengths

(2) Make a plan for developing skills that will help you meet your academic and professional goals

(3) Communicate with your advisors and mentors about your evolving goals and related skills.

For graduate students in the natural sciences and engineering, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) online tool provides a comprehensive set of materials and exercises that will guide you through the process of self-assessment, career exploration, goal-setting, and implementation of your plan. Set up a free account to create and monitor your IDP at myidp.sciencecareers.org .

The UW–Madison IDP template , which includes instructions and examples, is flexible and appropriate for all disciplines.

• Learning Outcomes
• Articulates challenges and limits with respect to knowledge within the field of agronomy.
• Independently formulates ideas and/or research methods to advance knowledge within the field of agronomy.
• Independently conducts research that makes a substantial contribution to the field of agronomy.
• Demonstrates understanding of the primary field of agronomy in a historical, social, or global context.
• Communicates complex ideas in a clear and understandable manner. 

• Fosters ethical conduct and professional guidelines.
• Fosters best practices with respect to diversity, equity, and inclusion in scientific endeavors

Administration

Ané, Bamberg, Colquhoun, Conley, de Leon, Goldman, Jackson, Jahn, Kaeppler, S., Krysan (chair), Kucharik, Lauer, Renz, Simon, Stoltenberg, Tracy, Weng, Zalapa

Associate Professors

Atucha, Bethke, Dawson, Endelman, Gutierrez, Jull, Kaeppler, H., Picasso, Wang, Werle

Assistant Professors

Ellison, Hall, Kohmann, Kovaleski

USDA Scientist

Instructional staff.

Calderon, Luiken, Oosterwyk, Anibas, Sanford

• Requirements

Contact Information

Department of Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences College of Agricultural & Life Sciences Agronomy, PhD http://www.pasdept.wisc.edu

Caitlin Collies, Graduate Coordinator [email protected] 369 Moore Hall 1575 Linden Dr., Madison, WI 53706

Bill Tracy, Director of Graduate Studies [email protected] 608-354-4524 365 Moore Hall 1575 Linden Dr., Madison, WI 53706

Graduate Program Handbook View Here

Graduate School grad.wisc.edu

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