Grad School / Program:
- Contact:
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1 University Station B6400
Ph.D. in Accounting
The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX 78712
United States
Phone: (512) 471-5508
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- Degrees Granted:
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Doctorate
- Programs offered:
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On-campus
- Description:
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The most common aspiration of a Ph.D. graduate in accounting is to pursue a career as a university educator and researcher in the field. Accounting educators teach and conduct research across a wide variety of specializations, including financial reporting, management accounting, auditing and assurance services, taxation and accounting information systems.
Academic life involves research and writing as means of maintaining fresh insights, contributing to accounting knowledge, assembling an evidential basis for policies and practices of the accounting profession and opening major new sources of curriculum content. Teaching and publishing make this content available to those planning accounting and business careers. The demand for skilled accounting educators is strong and Ph.D. graduates in accounting of University of Texas at Austin have enjoyed considerable placement success over the years.
The University of Texas at Austin offers one of the most well-known accounting Ph.D. programs in the United States, with over 250 Ph.D. graduates since its inception in 1934. In a 2004 survey of U.S. accounting faculty, the University's Ph.D. Program in Accounting was ranked first in the nation, followed by the University of Chicago, Stanford University, the University of Michigan and the University of Illinois (Public Accounting Report, November 30, 2004). We believe this ranking reflects the program's diversity and excellence across all areas of accounting education and scholarship.
- Admission Information:
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EVALUATION CRITERIA
A typical profile of a successful Ph.D. applicant would include the following:
Well-motivated statement of purpose, explaining why the applicant wants to pursue Ph.D. study and how the applicant's background relates to particular interests in facets of accounting (e.g., financial accounting, management accounting, audit / assurance, or taxation) and research methods (e.g., empirical / archival research, experimentation, or analytic modeling).
Solid academic background and grades, evidencing a meaningful exposure to accounting as well as training in communication skills and mathematics.
Solid performance on the GMAT, with reasonable balance between the quantitative and verbal dimensions. Successful applicants generally score above 650 on the GMAT, and often score 700 or higher. However, the Admissions Committee does not impose any GMAT cutoff score, and considers the GMAT as only one of many credentials evaluated in the context of the applicant's academic, career, and socio-economic background.
Letters of recommendation that provide credible evidence of the applicant's potential as an effective teacher and researcher.
Some meaningful work experience in accounting, while not a requirement, is a plus at the margin when comparing applicants of similar credentials in other dimensions. Successful applicants generally have at least one and often two or more years of full-time work experience in some facet of external or internal financial reporting, auditing / assurance services, or taxation.
- Grad Program Website:
- http://www.mccombs.utexas.edu/dept/accounting/phd/
