Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration - Accounting

The goal of the Ph.D. concentration in Accounting is to develop the next generation of committed scholars and excellent teachers by providing an active and stimulating intellectual environment. The Accounting Ph.D. program prepares doctoral students for research-oriented academic positions at well-regarded universities and colleges that demand solid teaching skills. We train doctoral students in classroom management and the development of solid teaching skills. Research in the School of Accountancy focuses on economic based issues of importance to the accounting and business community such as the impact of accounting information on capital market participants as well as other firm stakeholders.

Reflecting the research orientation of the faculty, development of research and academic writing skills is continually emphasized throughout the Ph.D. program. The faculty goal for matriculation is four years. In seminars, doctoral students are encouraged to start working on the framework for the dissertation early in the first year aligned with research experts in the field. In the first two years, students focus on their coursework, are involved in a research workshop, and work closely with faculty on a research project. Students take their comprehensive examinations at the beginning of the third year. In their third and fourth years of study, students develop and present their thesis proposal, then complete and defend the dissertation.

Admission to the Graduate School is open to anyone holding a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree from an accredited college or university. In cases, where a program’s accrediting body allows alternate admissions standards, exceptions may be made. Applicants should have completed undergraduate or graduate work of sufficient quality and scope to enable them to successfully pursue graduate study. The University of Memphis offers equal educational opportunity to all persons without regard to race, religion, sex, creed, color, national origin or disability. Baccalaureate Degree: The applicant must provide an official transcript showing that a bachelor’s degree was awarded by an accredited college or university. If you are a UofM undergraduate student applying to Graduate School at UofM, you do not need to request that an official transcript be sent to Graduate Admissions. This office has access to your transcript. In addition, transcripts from any other college or university attended may be requested. Only transcripts received directly from an issuing institution are considered official. Personal copies are not acceptable as official documents. GPA: The applicant must have earned an acceptable grade point average, typically a minimum of 2.5 on a scale of 4.0, but departments may make exceptions for students whose overall GPA does not adequately reflect their ability to succeed in their chosen field. English proficiency test scores required by the University: Duolingo English Test- For students affected by test center closures due to COVID-19, the University is temporarily accepting Duolingo as an alternative. 100 or higher on the overall score, all sub scores must be at least 80. TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) Institution code 1459. TOEFL - 550 or higher on the paper version, 79 or higher on the internet-based test IELTS (International English Language Testing System- 6.0 or higher PTE (Pearson Test of English) - 53 or higher