research topics in accounting for phd

Areas of Research

Students & Placements
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Faculty-student collaboration is a significant part of the Broad experience. One of our strengths is that our faculty actively conducts research in a wide range of areas, providing excellent opportunities to our students.

Accounting doctoral students have the opportunity to work with some of the top researchers in the following areas:

Financial accounting
Managerial accounting

Accounting Research Opportunities

Our research aims to address pressing industry issues from a variety of perspectives and methodologies — analytical, archival, experimental, surveys, case studies, field studies and simulations. We conduct research in a number of accounting areas:

Financial accounting, focusing on the link between accounting information and capital markets
Auditing, focusing on the audit function, which sits between the accounting information produced by the firm and capital markets
Managerial accounting, focusing on the link between accounting information and internal users
Tax, focusing on the link between accounting information and taxation authorities as well as the capital markets
Governance, focusing on corporate economic activities, which in turn drive accounting information
Information systems, focusing on systems that collect, store and generate accounting information

Publications

The following research publications have resulted from faculty and Ph.D. student collaborations in recent years.

Allee, K., D. Lynch , K. Petroni and J. Schroeder . 2015. Do Firms Use Inventory to Manage Personal Property Taxes? An Analysis of U.S. Petroleum Refineries. Contemporary Accounting Research 32:2 (2015) pp. 736-762. Boland, C.M ., S.N. Bronson and C.E. Hogan. 2015. Accelerated Filing Deadlines, Internal Controls and Financial Statement Quality: The Case of Originating Misstatements. Accounting Horizons 29 (September): 551-575. Demere, W. , Krishnan, R., K. L. Sedatole, and A. Woods . 2015. Do the Incentive Effects of Relative Performance Measurement Vary with the Ex Ante Probability of Promotion? Management Accounting Research 30: 18-31. Krishnan, R., F. Miller , and K. L. Sedatole. 2011. The Use of Collaborative Interfirm Contracts in the Presence of Task and Demand Uncertainty. Contemporary Accounting Research 28 (4): 1397–1422. Lee, Y., K. Petroni and M. Shen . 2006. Cherry Picking, Disclosure Quality, and Comprehensive Income Reporting Choices: The Case of Property-Liability Insurers by Y. Lee, K. Petroni, and M. Shen, Contemporary Accounting Research 23: 3 (2006). Schroeder, J.H. and C.E. Hogan. 2013. The Impact of PCAOB AS5 and the Economic Recession on Client Portfolio Characteristics of the Big 4 Audit Firms. Auditing: A Journal of Practice and Theory 32 (November): 95-127. Sedatole, K. L., A. Swaney, and A. Woods . 2016. The Implicit Incentive Effects of Horizontal Monitoring and Team Member Dependence on Individual Performance. Forthcoming in Contemporary Accounting Research . Sedatole, K. L., D. Vrettos , and S. K. Widener. 2012. The Use of Management Control Mechanisms to Mitigate Moral Hazard in the Decision to Outsource. Journal of Accounting Research 50 (2): 553-592.

Accounting @ Broad

From the conversation, featuring anjana susarla, from npr marketplace, get connected with broad:.

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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, firm boundaries and voluntary disclosure, financial information and diverging beliefs, using and interpreting fixed effects models, recent insights by stanford business, new data on the quality of esg audits catches regulators’ attention, when companies announce earnings surprises, locals reach for their pocketbooks, big investors say they use esg to reduce risk (but mostly focus on the e and g).

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PhD in Accounting

PhD in Behavioral Science
PhD in Econometrics and Statistics
PhD in Finance
PhD in Management Science and Operations Management
PhD in Marketing
PhD in Microeconomics
Joint Program in Financial Economics
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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

Jeffrey Breakenridge Keller Professor of Accounting

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

Associate Professor of Accounting

Michael Minnis

Deputy Dean for Faculty and Fuji Bank and Heller Professor of Accounting

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

Amoray Riggs-Cragun

Assistant Professor of Accounting and Kathryn and Grant Swick Faculty Scholar

Delphine Samuels

Associate Professor of Accounting and James S. Kemper Faculty Scholar

Haresh Sapra

Charles T. Horngren Professor of Accounting

Douglas J. Skinner

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 Fama Faculty Fellow

Associate Professor of Accounting and Kathryn and Grant Swick Faculty Scholar

Anthony Welsch

Anastasia A Zakolyukina

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 Maria Khrakovsky Alex Kim Ginha Kim Andrew McKinley Pietro Ramella Hanbyul Yoon

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!

Accounting and Finance Thesis Topics

This page provides a comprehensive list of accounting and finance thesis topics designed to assist students in selecting an impactful subject for their thesis. Whether you are pursuing undergraduate, graduate, or postgraduate studies, the diverse array of topics presented here covers a broad spectrum of specialties within the field of accounting and finance. From traditional areas like audit and taxation to emerging fields like fintech and behavioral finance, this collection aims to cater to a variety of research interests and academic requirements. Each category is meticulously curated to inspire innovative thinking and encourage a deeper exploration of both established and contemporary issues in the discipline.

600 Accounting and Finance Thesis Topics

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Accounting Thesis Topics
Audit Thesis Topics
Banking Thesis Topics
Behavioral Finance Thesis Topics
Capital Markets Thesis Topics
Corporate Finance Thesis Topics
Corporate Governance Thesis Topics
Finance Thesis Topics
Financial Economics Thesis Topics
Financial Management Thesis Topics
Fintech Thesis Topics
Insurance Thesis Topics
International Finance Thesis Topics
Investment Thesis Topics
Management Accounting Thesis Topics
Personal Finance Thesis Topics
Public Finance Thesis Topics
Quantitative Finance Thesis Topics
Risk Management Thesis Topics
Taxation Thesis Topics

1. Accounting Thesis Topics

The impact of artificial intelligence on financial reporting and compliance.
Blockchain technology in accounting: disrupting traditional processes.
The role of ethical leadership in promoting sustainable accounting practices.
Comparative analysis of global accounting standards post-IFRS adoption.
Cultural influences on multinational accounting practices.
The future of green accounting in corporate sustainability initiatives.
Digital currencies and their accounting implications within multinational corporations.
The efficacy of automated accounting systems in small to medium enterprises.
Forensic accounting as a tool against cyber financial fraud.
Tax strategy and accounting ethics in the digital age.
Non-profit accounting challenges in a post-pandemic world.
Gig economy impacts on financial reporting and tax obligations.
Continuous auditing in real-time financial data environments.
Ethical conflicts in accounting decisions: a case study analysis.
The integration of blockchain for transparency in financial auditing.
Strategic management accounting techniques in agile organizations.
Predictive analytics in accounting and its impact on business strategy.
Cost management innovations in healthcare accounting.
Regulatory impacts on financial disclosures and corporate accounting.
Innovative financial planning tools for startup sustainability.
The role of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria in financial decision-making.
Public sector accountability and accounting reforms.
Big data analytics in financial statement analysis.
Adapting accounting frameworks for emerging markets.
The dynamics of accounting professionalism and ethical standards.
Real-time financial reporting: challenges and advantages.
Mergers and acquisitions: accounting for corporate restructuring.
Artificial intelligence in audit operations: reshaping traditional frameworks.
Corporate sustainability reporting: critical analysis of current practices.
Tax evasion strategies and their impact on international accounting standards.

2. Audit Thesis Topics

The effectiveness of continuous auditing in detecting and preventing fraud.
Implementing a risk-based auditing framework in emerging markets.
Enhancing corporate governance with robust audit committee functions.
The comparative reliability of external audits versus internal controls.
The impact of the latest regulatory frameworks on auditing standards.
Ensuring auditor independence in a complex corporate milieu.
Blockchain applications in enhancing audit trail transparency.
Strategies for cybersecurity audits in financial institutions.
Cultural impacts on audit practices in global organizations.
The future of auditing: integrating real-time data analytics.
The relationship between audit quality and investment decisions.
Leveraging machine learning for enhanced audit precision.
Auditing ethics in the face of financial technology innovations.
The role of internal audits in reinforcing cybersecurity measures.
Auditing challenges in decentralized platforms using blockchain technology.
Comparative study of traditional and modern audit methodologies.
The impact of data privacy regulations on audit practices globally.
Developing effective audit strategies for cloud-based accounting systems.
The role of audits in enhancing business resilience during economic downturns.
Fraud detection techniques in an AI-driven audit environment.
The effectiveness of environmental auditing in promoting corporate sustainability.
Auditing for non-financial information: challenges and methodologies.
Enhancing the transparency of public sector audits to improve trust.
Implementing forensic auditing techniques in corporate fraud detection.
The evolution of auditing standards in response to global financial crises.
The role of technology in transforming audit documentation and reporting.
Impact of auditor-client relationships on audit quality.
Strategies for overcoming challenges in cross-border audit practices.
Auditing supply chain operations for financial integrity and sustainability.
The future of regulatory audits in a dynamically changing global market.

3. Banking Thesis Topics

The future of digital banking post-COVID-19.
Analyzing the impact of blockchain technology on international banking transactions.
The role of central banks in managing digital currency implementations.
Sustainable banking practices: integrating ESG factors into bank operations.
The evolution of consumer banking behavior influenced by mobile technologies.
Cybersecurity strategies in banking: preventing breaches in a digital age.
The effectiveness of monetary policy in digital banking ecosystems.
Banking regulations and their impact on global economic stability.
Fintech innovations and their integration into traditional banking systems.
The impact of banking deserts on rural economic development.
Artificial intelligence in banking: reshaping customer service and risk management.
The role of ethical banking in promoting financial inclusion.
Impact of Brexit on UK banking: challenges and opportunities.
Stress testing in banks: approaches and implications for financial stability.
Consumer data protection in online banking: challenges and solutions.
The influence of microfinancing on developing economies.
The impact of interest rate changes on banking profitability.
Role of banking in supporting sustainable energy financing.
Technological disruptions in banking: a threat or an opportunity?
The effect of global banking regulations on emerging market economies.
Strategies for managing credit risk in post-pandemic recovery phases.
The growing role of Islamic banking in the global finance sector.
The impact of non-traditional banking platforms on financial services.
Data analytics in banking: enhancing decision-making processes.
Cross-border banking challenges in a globalized economy.
The future of branchless banking: implications for customer engagement.
Banking transparency and its effects on consumer trust.
The role of banks in facilitating international trade.
Innovations in mortgage banking and their impact on housing markets.
The effects of banking consolidation on competition and service delivery.

4. Behavioral Finance Thesis Topics

The psychological effects of financial losses on investment behavior.
Behavioral biases in financial decision-making: a case study of stock market investors.
The impact of social media on investor behavior and market outcomes.
Cognitive dissonance and its effect on personal financial planning.
The role of emotional intelligence in financial trading success.
Exploring the herding behavior in cryptocurrency markets.
Behavioral finance strategies to mitigate impulse spending.
The influence of cultural factors on investment decisions.
Psychological factors driving risk tolerance among millennials.
The effect of behavioral finance education on individual investment choices.
Overconfidence and trading: an analysis of its impact on stock returns.
Decision-making processes under financial stress: a behavioral perspective.
The role of behavioral factors in the success of financial advisement.
The impact of behavioral insights on retirement savings plans.
Anchoring bias in financial forecasting and market predictions.
The role of optimism and pessimism in financial markets.
Behavioral finance and its role in shaping sustainable investing.
Understanding the gap between perceived and actual financial knowledge.
Behavioral interventions to improve financial literacy.
The influence of personality traits on financial decision-making.
Behavioral economics: redesigning financial products for better decision outcomes.
The effectiveness of nudge theory in personal finance management.
The impact of financial anxiety on decision-making efficiency.
The behavioral aspects of financial negotiation.
Market sentiment analysis: behavioral finance in algorithmic trading.
The psychological impact of financial news on market movements.
Behavioral finance insights into crowd-funding behaviors.
Ethical considerations in behavioral finance research.
The influence of age and life stage on financial risk-taking.
Behavioral finance in corporate decision-making: case studies of strategic financial planning.

5. Capital Markets Thesis Topics

The future trajectory of global capital markets in the post-pandemic era.
Impact of quantitative easing on emerging market economies.
The role of technology in enhancing liquidity in capital markets.
Analysis of market efficiency in different economic cycles.
The effects of political instability on capital market performance.
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria and their impact on capital market trends.
Cryptocurrency as an emerging asset class in capital markets.
The role of sovereign wealth funds in global capital markets.
Algorithmic trading and its influence on market dynamics.
The impact of international sanctions on capital markets.
High-frequency trading: market benefits and systemic risks.
The role of capital markets in financing green energy initiatives.
Impact of fintech on traditional capital market structures.
Corporate bond markets and their responsiveness to economic changes.
The influence of central bank policies on capital market stability.
Market anomalies and behavioral economics: exploring the deviations from market efficiency.
The role of investor sentiment in capital market fluctuations.
Crowdfunding as an alternative financing mechanism in capital markets.
Regulatory challenges facing capital markets in developing countries.
The future of securitization post-global financial crisis.
Derivatives markets and their role in risk management.
The impact of technology IPOs on market perceptions.
Venture capital and its influence on market innovation.
Corporate governance and its effect on equity prices.
The role of market makers in maintaining market stability.
Ethical investing and its traction in the capital market.
The impact of demographic shifts on investment trends.
The interplay between macroeconomic policies and capital market growth.
Leveraging machine learning for capital market predictions.
The role of media in shaping public perceptions of capital markets.

6. Corporate Finance Thesis Topics

The impact of global economic shifts on corporate financing strategies.
Analyzing the role of corporate finance in driving sustainable business practices.
The influence of digital transformation on corporate financial management.
Risk management in corporate finance during uncertain economic times.
The effects of corporate financial restructuring on shareholder value.
Financing innovation: How corporations fund new technology investments.
The role of private equity in corporate finance.
Strategies for managing corporate debt in a fluctuating interest rate environment.
Impact of mergers and acquisitions on corporate financial health.
ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) factors in corporate finance decisions.
The future of corporate finance in the era of blockchain and cryptocurrencies.
The role of financial analytics in optimizing corporate investment decisions.
Corporate finance challenges in emerging markets.
Venture capital and its impact on corporate growth.
Corporate financial transparency and its effect on investor relations.
The role of CFOs in navigating new global tax laws.
Financial technology innovations and their implications for corporate finance.
The impact of international trade agreements on corporate financing.
Corporate finance strategies in the healthcare sector.
The influence of shareholder activism on corporate financial policies.
The future of corporate banking relationships.
Capital allocation decisions in multinational corporations.
The role of artificial intelligence in financial forecasting and budgeting.
The impact of demographic changes on corporate finance strategies.
Managing financial risks associated with climate change.
The role of corporate finance in business model innovation.
Financing strategies for startups versus established firms.
The effect of corporate culture on financial decision-making.
Corporate governance and its influence on financial risk management.
The evolving landscape of securities regulations and its impact on corporate finance.

7. Corporate Governance Thesis Topics

The impact of governance structures on corporate sustainability and responsibility.
Board diversity and its effect on corporate decision-making processes.
Corporate governance mechanisms to combat corruption and enhance transparency.
The role of stakeholder engagement in shaping governance practices.
Analyzing the effectiveness of corporate governance codes across different jurisdictions.
The influence of technology on corporate governance practices.
Governance challenges in family-owned businesses.
The impact of corporate governance on firm performance during economic crises.
Shareholder rights and their enforcement in emerging market economies.
The future of corporate governance in the digital economy.
The role of ethics in corporate governance.
Corporate governance and risk management: interlinkages and impacts.
The effects of regulatory changes on corporate governance standards.
ESG integration in corporate governance.
The role of internal audits in strengthening corporate governance.
Corporate governance in non-profit organizations.
The influence of activist investors on corporate governance reforms.
The effectiveness of whistleblower policies in corporate governance.
Cybersecurity governance in large corporations.
Succession planning and governance in large enterprises.
The impact of international governance standards on local practices.
The role of governance in preventing financial fraud.
Corporate governance in the fintech industry.
The relationship between corporate governance and corporate social responsibility.
The impact of global economic policies on corporate governance.
Data privacy and security: Governance challenges in the information era.
The role of governance in managing corporate crises.
The impact of leadership styles on corporate governance effectiveness.
Corporate governance and its role in enhancing business competitiveness.
The evolving role of board committees in strategic decision-making.

8. Finance Thesis Topics

Financial implications of global climate change initiatives.
The future of financial markets in the face of geopolitical uncertainties.
The impact of microfinance on poverty alleviation in developing countries.
Cryptocurrency: emerging financial technology and its regulatory challenges.
The role of financial institutions in fostering economic resilience.
Innovations in financial products for an aging global population.
The impact of digital wallets on traditional banking systems.
Financial literacy and its role in promoting socio-economic equality.
The effect of fintech on the global remittance landscape.
Risk management strategies in finance post-global financial crisis.
The influence of behavioral finance on investment strategies.
The evolving role of central banks in digital currency markets.
Financing sustainable urban development.
The impact of artificial intelligence on personal finance management.
Peer-to-peer lending and its effect on traditional credit markets.
The role of finance in facilitating international trade and development.
The implications of Brexit on European financial markets.
Financial derivatives and their role in modern economies.
The effects of sanctions on financial transactions and economic stability.
The future of investment banking in a technology-driven world.
Financial models for predicting economic downturns.
The impact of financial education on consumer behavior.
Securitization of assets: benefits and risks.
The role of financial services in disaster recovery and resilience.
Emerging trends in global investment patterns.
Financial strategies for managing corporate mergers and acquisitions.
The influence of cultural factors on financial systems and practices.
The effectiveness of financial sanctions as a geopolitical tool.
The future of financial privacy in an interconnected world.
The role of finance in promoting renewable energy investments.

9. Financial Economics Thesis Topics

The economic impact of quantitative easing in developed versus emerging markets.
The implications of negative interest rates for global economies.
Economic predictors of financial market behavior in crisis periods.
The relationship between government debt and economic growth.
Economic consequences of income inequality on national financial stability.
The effects of consumer confidence on economic recovery.
The role of economic policy in shaping housing market dynamics.
The impact of global trade wars on financial economics.
The influence of demographic shifts on economic policy and financial markets.
Macroeconomic factors influencing cryptocurrency adoption.
The role of economic theory in developing financial regulation.
The impact of tourism economics on national financial health.
Economic strategies for combating hyperinflation.
The role of sovereign wealth funds in global economic stability.
Economic analyses of environmental and resource economics.
The implications of fintech on traditional economic models.
Economic impacts of global pandemic responses by governments.
The future of labor markets in a digitally transforming economy.
Economic considerations in renewable energy finance.
The economics of privacy and data security in financial transactions.
The role of international economic organizations in financial regulation.
Economic effects of technological innovation on traditional industries.
The impact of economic sanctions on international relations and finance.
The role of consumer spending in economic recovery phases.
Economic policies for addressing wealth gaps.
The economic impact of climate change on financial sectors.
The role of economic research in crafting sustainable development goals.
The economics of health and its impact on national economies.
Global economic trends and their implications for financial forecasting.
The relationship between educational economics and workforce development.

10. Financial Management Thesis Topics

The strategic role of financial management in corporate sustainability.
Impact of global financial regulations on corporate financial management.
Financial management techniques for optimizing supply chain operations.
The role of financial management in crisis recovery and resilience.
Emerging technologies in financial management systems.
The impact of corporate social responsibility on financial management strategies.
Financial planning for long-term business growth in volatile markets.
The influence of global economic conditions on financial management practices.
Financial management challenges in the nonprofit sector.
The role of financial management in mergers and acquisitions.
The impact of digital currencies on corporate financial management.
Financial risk management strategies in an era of global uncertainty.
The role of financial management in enhancing operational efficiency.
Financial management best practices in the tech industry.
The impact of consumer behavior trends on financial management.
Financial management in the healthcare sector: Challenges and strategies.
The influence of artificial intelligence on financial decision-making processes.
Financial management strategies for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The role of financial management in international expansion.
Ethical considerations in financial management practices.
Financial management in the energy sector: challenges and innovations.
Financial strategies for managing environmental risks.
The role of financial management in startup success and sustainability.
The impact of financial transparency on corporate governance.
Financial management and investor relations: integrating strategic communication.
The role of financial management in educational institutions.
Managing financial instability in emerging markets.
Financial management practices in the gig economy.
The role of financial managers in driving business model innovations.
Financial management tools for effective capital allocation.

11. Fintech Thesis Topics

The impact of blockchain on global payment systems.
Regulation challenges for fintech innovations: A cross-country analysis.
The role of fintech in democratizing access to financial services.
Machine learning and artificial intelligence in predictive financial modeling.
The evolution of peer-to-peer lending platforms and their impact on traditional banking.
Cryptocurrency adoption: consumer behavior and market dynamics.
The future of robo-advisors in personal finance management.
The impact of mobile banking on financial inclusion in developing countries.
Fintech solutions for microfinance: scalability and sustainability issues.
Data privacy and security challenges in fintech applications.
The role of fintech in enhancing cybersecurity in financial transactions.
The impact of fintech on traditional banking employment.
Regulatory technology (RegTech) for compliance management: trends and challenges.
Fintech and its role in combating financial crime and money laundering.
The influence of fintech on the insurance industry: insurtech innovations.
Fintech investments: market trends and future prospects.
The role of big data analytics in fintech.
Digital wallets and the future of consumer spending behavior.
Impact of fintech on wealth management and investment strategies.
Challenges and opportunities of implementing distributed ledger technology in financial services.
Consumer trust and fintech: building relationships in a digital age.
The evolution of payment gateways: fintech at the forefront.
Fintech’s impact on cross-border payments and remittances.
The role of fintech in the development of smart contracts.
The influence of fintech on financial market transparency.
Fintech as a driver for financial sector innovation in emerging markets.
The impact of artificial intelligence on risk assessment in fintech.
Fintech and financial stability: an analysis of systemic risks.
The role of fintech in streamlining government and public sector finance.
Ethical considerations in fintech: balancing innovation with consumer protection.

12. Insurance Thesis Topics

The future of insurance in the age of climate change.
The impact of artificial intelligence on underwriting and risk management.
Cyber risk insurance: emerging challenges and opportunities.
The role of insurance in managing public health crises.
Innovations in health insurance: technology-driven approaches to coverage.
The evolution of automotive insurance in the era of autonomous vehicles.
Insurance fraud detection using big data analytics.
Regulatory challenges in the global insurance market.
The influence of behavioral economics on insurance product design.
The role of reinsurance in stabilizing insurance markets.
Insurance and financial inclusion: strategies for reaching underserved communities.
The impact of technological advancements on insurance pricing models.
The role of insurance in disaster risk reduction and management.
Customer data management in the insurance industry: privacy versus personalization.
The future of life insurance: adapting to demographic shifts.
The integration of IoT devices in home insurance policies.
Blockchain applications in the insurance industry.
The impact of social media on insurance marketing and customer engagement.
Insurance as a tool for sustainable business practices.
The role of insurance companies in promoting corporate social responsibility.
The challenges of health insurance in a post-pandemic world.
Emerging risks and insurance: addressing the needs of the gig economy.
The role of insurance in mitigating financial risks associated with sports and entertainment.
Ethical challenges in insurance: discrimination in risk assessment.
The impact of global political instability on the insurance sector.
Insurance products tailored for the elderly: opportunities and challenges.
The role of insurance in fostering innovation in the construction industry.
Insurance and climate resilience: protecting vulnerable communities.
The evolving landscape of travel insurance amid global uncertainties.
The role of insurance in the transition to renewable energy sources.

13. International Finance Thesis Topics

The impact of currency fluctuations on international trade.
Strategies for managing foreign exchange risk in multinational corporations.
The effects of global economic sanctions on financial markets.
The role of international financial institutions in economic development.
Cross-border mergers and acquisitions: challenges and opportunities.
The influence of geopolitical tensions on global financial stability.
International tax planning and its implications for global investment.
The future of international financial regulation in a post-Brexit Europe.
The impact of emerging markets on global finance.
Foreign direct investment trends and their economic impacts.
The role of sovereign wealth funds in international finance.
The challenges of implementing international accounting standards.
The impact of international remittances on developing economies.
The role of digital currencies in reshaping international finance.
The effects of protectionist trade policies on global finance.
International financial market trends and their implications for investors.
The role of expatriate remittances in national economic stability.
The impact of international trade agreements on financial services.
Global risk management strategies in the finance sector.
The role of green finance in promoting sustainable development.
The impact of international environmental policies on financial strategies.
The future of global banking in the context of rising nationalism.
The role of international finance in disaster recovery and resilience.
The influence of international finance on poverty reduction strategies.
Strategies for financing international healthcare initiatives.
The evolving role of Islamic finance in the global market.
The impact of fintech on international banking and finance.
Challenges in financing international infrastructure projects.
The role of international finance in climate change mitigation.
Ethical considerations in international finance: fostering global financial integrity.

14. Investment Thesis Topics

The role of ESG criteria in investment decision-making.
The impact of technological innovation on investment strategies.
Market reaction to unexpected global events and its effect on investment portfolios.
Behavioral biases in investment: a study of market anomalies.
The future of real estate investment in a fluctuating economic landscape.
The role of quantitative analysis in portfolio management.
The impact of demographic changes on investment trends.
Strategies for sustainable and responsible investing.
The influence of regulatory changes on investment strategies.
The role of artificial intelligence in enhancing investment decisions.
Cryptocurrency investment: risks and opportunities.
The impact of global trade tensions on investment strategies.
Investment strategies for low interest rate environments.
The role of crowdfunding in the investment landscape.
The impact of social media on investor sentiment and stock prices.
The effectiveness of passive versus active investment strategies.
The role of venture capital in driving technological innovation.
The future of bond markets in a changing economic context.
The role of international investments in diversifying portfolios.
Impact of inflation expectations on investment decisions.
The evolving landscape of commodity investments.
Investment opportunities in emerging markets.
The impact of fiscal policy changes on investment strategies.
The role of hedge funds in the current financial market.
The influence of central bank policies on investment strategies.
The role of pension funds in the global investment market.
Ethical investing: balancing profit and principles.
The future of investments in renewable energy.
The impact of political stability on foreign investments.
The role of technology in asset management and valuation.

15. Management Accounting Thesis Topics

The role of management accounting in strategic decision-making.
Cost management strategies in the era of global supply chain disruptions.
The impact of digital transformation on management accounting practices.
The role of management accounting in environmental sustainability.
Performance measurement and management in diverse organizational settings.
Risk management strategies in management accounting.
The evolving role of management accountants in corporate governance.
The impact of regulatory changes on management accounting.
The role of management accounting in healthcare cost containment.
The influence of management accounting on operational efficiency.
Management accounting practices in nonprofit organizations.
The role of cost analysis in pricing strategies.
The impact of technological advancements on budgeting and forecasting.
The effectiveness of management accounting tools in project management.
The role of management accounting in mergers and acquisitions.
The impact of cultural differences on management accounting systems.
The role of management accounting in enhancing business resilience.
The influence of management accounting on business model innovation.
Management accounting in the digital economy: challenges and opportunities.
Strategic cost management for competitive advantage.
The role of management accounting in supply chain optimization.
The future of management accounting in the context of AI and automation.
The impact of financial technology on management accounting.
The role of management accounting in crisis management and recovery.
Performance metrics and their impact on organizational success.
The role of management accounting in supporting sustainable practices.
The impact of global economic conditions on management accounting.
The role of predictive analytics in management accounting.
The effectiveness of internal controls in management accounting.
The role of management accounting in international business expansion.

16. Personal Finance Thesis Topics

The impact of financial technology on personal savings strategies.
Behavioral insights into personal debt management.
The role of personal finance education in shaping financial literacy.
The influence of economic downturns on personal investment choices.
Retirement planning: trends and strategies in the current economic climate.
The effectiveness of digital tools in personal budgeting and financial planning.
Analyzing the gender gap in personal finance management.
The impact of cultural factors on personal saving and spending habits.
Personal finance challenges for the gig economy workers.
The role of personal finance in achieving long-term financial security.
Cryptocurrency as a personal investment: risks and rewards.
The impact of peer-to-peer lending platforms on personal finance.
The influence of social media on personal financial decisions.
Ethical considerations in personal financial advice.
The evolution of consumer credit markets and its impact on personal finance.
Strategies for managing personal financial risk.
The role of emergency funds in personal financial planning.
The impact of student loans on financial planning for millennials.
Personal finance strategies for different life stages.
The effect of inflation on personal savings and investment strategies.
The future of personal finance in the age of AI and automation.
The role of insurance in personal financial planning.
The impact of tax laws changes on personal finance strategies.
The psychology of spending: understanding consumer behavior.
Personal financial planning for expatriates: strategies and challenges.
The role of estate planning in personal finance.
Impact of healthcare costs on personal financial stability.
The role of financial advisors in the era of self-directed financial planning.
Financial planning for sustainable living: integrating environmental considerations.
The challenges and opportunities in personal wealth building.

17. Public Finance Thesis Topics

The role of public finance in addressing income inequality.
Fiscal policies for sustainable economic growth.
The impact of taxation on small businesses.
Public finance management in times of economic crisis.
The role of government spending in stimulating economic development.
Strategies for managing national debt.
The effectiveness of public welfare programs.
The challenges of healthcare financing in public sectors.
The impact of international aid on public finance.
Public finance strategies for environmental conservation.
The role of public finance in urban development.
Tax evasion and its implications for public finance.
The impact of public finance on education quality and access.
Financing public infrastructure: challenges and solutions.
The role of public finance in disaster management.
The effectiveness of fiscal decentralization.
Public finance reforms and their impact on service delivery.
The challenges of pension financing in the public sector.
The impact of political stability on public financial management.
Public-private partnerships: financial implications and models.
The role of transparency in public finance.
The impact of corruption on public financial management.
Financing renewable energy projects through public funds.
The role of public finance in health care reform.
The effectiveness of government subsidies in promoting economic sectors.
The challenges of financing sustainable transportation systems.
The impact of demographic changes on public finance.
The role of digital technologies in improving public finance management.
The global trends in public finance and their implications for domestic policy.
The impact of climate change on public financial strategies.

18. Quantitative Finance Thesis Topics

The application of machine learning algorithms in predicting stock market trends.
The role of quantitative methods in risk management.
Developing advanced models for credit risk assessment.
The impact of high-frequency trading on market stability.
The use of big data analytics in portfolio management.
Quantitative approaches to asset pricing in volatile markets.
The effectiveness of quantitative strategies in hedge funds.
The role of algorithmic trading in enhancing market efficiency.
Quantitative models for predicting bond market movements.
The impact of quantitative finance on regulatory compliance.
The application of blockchain technology in quantitative finance.
The challenges of quantitative finance in cryptocurrency markets.
The integration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors in quantitative analysis.
The role of quantitative finance in private equity valuations.
Developing quantitative approaches for derivatives pricing.
The impact of quantitative finance techniques on financial advising.
Quantitative methods for assessing market liquidity.
The role of sentiment analysis in quantitative finance.
Quantitative trading strategies for commodities markets.
The application of game theory in financial strategy.
Quantitative finance and its role in insurance underwriting.
The impact of geopolitical events on quantitative financial models.
The use of quantitative finance in forecasting economic downturns.
Machine learning models for real estate investment analysis.
Quantitative finance techniques in sports betting markets.
The impact of artificial intelligence on financial market predictions.
Quantitative methods for managing currency exchange risks.
The role of quantitative finance in managing pension fund assets.
The effectiveness of quantitative models in emerging financial markets.
The future of quantitative finance in a globally interconnected economy.

19. Risk Management Thesis Topics

The role of risk management in enhancing corporate resilience.
Cybersecurity risks in financial institutions: management strategies.
The impact of climate change on risk management in insurance.
Risk management techniques in the fintech sector.
The effectiveness of enterprise risk management (ERM) frameworks.
Risk management in global supply chains.
The role of risk management in sustainable business practices.
Financial risks associated with political instability.
The challenges of operational risk management in complex organizations.
Risk management strategies for digital transformation projects.
The impact of regulatory changes on risk management practices.
Risk assessment techniques for investment in volatile markets.
The role of data analytics in risk identification and mitigation.
Risk management considerations in mergers and acquisitions.
The impact of reputation risk on corporate strategy.
Risk management in the healthcare industry.
The challenges of risk management in the energy sector.
The role of risk management in nonprofit organizations.
Implementing risk management in public sector entities.
The future of risk management in the context of AI advancements.
Credit risk management in banking post-global financial crisis.
Risk management strategies for emerging technologies.
The role of psychological factors in risk management decision-making.
Legal risks in international business operations.
The impact of cultural differences on risk management strategies.
Environmental risk management and corporate responsibility.
Risk management techniques for protecting intellectual property.
The role of insurance in comprehensive risk management.
The challenges of liquidity risk management in financial markets.
The future of risk management education and training.

20. Taxation Thesis Topics

The impact of digital economy on global taxation frameworks.
Tax policy as a tool for economic recovery post-pandemic.
The effectiveness of tax incentives in promoting renewable energy investments.
The role of taxation in addressing wealth inequality.
International tax competition and its implications for global economic stability.
The challenges of implementing value-added tax (VAT) in developing countries.
Tax evasion and its impact on national economies.
The role of tax policy in encouraging corporate social responsibility.
The impact of tax reforms on small and medium-sized enterprises.
Comparative analysis of progressive versus flat tax systems.
The effectiveness of digital services taxes in the global economy.
The role of taxation in sustainable development goals.
Taxation strategies for digital currencies and blockchain transactions.
The impact of tax policies on consumer behavior.
The role of taxation in healthcare financing.
Tax compliance challenges in the gig economy.
The implications of tax havens on international relations.
The role of automated systems in improving tax collection efficiency.
Taxation and its impact on foreign direct investment flows.
The future of estate taxes and their role in wealth distribution.
Taxation of e-commerce transactions.
The impact of international tax treaties on cross-border investments.
The role of taxation in the informal economy.
The challenges of carbon taxes in combating climate change.
The role of tax audits in enhancing fiscal transparency.
The impact of tax policies on retirement planning.
Taxation challenges in the pharmaceutical industry.
The role of taxation in funding public education.
The impact of taxation on agricultural development.
The future of consumption taxes in an increasingly digital world.

This comprehensive list of accounting and finance thesis topics has been curated to reflect the latest challenges and emerging trends within the field. Whether you are exploring traditional areas like taxation and corporate finance or delving into the evolving realms of fintech and international finance, these topics are designed to provide a robust foundation for your thesis research. Each category is intended to spark innovative thinking and encourage a deep exploration of issues that are pivotal to the current and future landscape of accounting and finance. By selecting a topic from this extensive collection, students can ensure their research is relevant, timely, and contributes meaningfully to their academic and professional growth in the field of accounting and finance.

The Range of Accounting and Finance Thesis Topics

Accounting and finance stand as critical pillars in the modern economic and corporate world, guiding everything from daily business operations to global financial strategies. The study of these disciplines is not just about learning to balance books or manage corporate assets; it’s about understanding the forces that drive economic activities and shape financial landscapes. Research in accounting and finance is paramount as it provides the empirical evidence needed to develop robust financial models, innovative management practices, and effective regulatory policies. The relevance of accounting and finance thesis topics is thus foundational to nurturing informed, adept professionals capable of navigating the complexities of financial markets and addressing the challenges of economic flux.

Current Issues in Accounting and Finance

Globalization and Regulatory Complexity : As businesses operate across borders, the complexity of regulatory compliance increases. Researchers are tasked with exploring the implications of global regulatory frameworks and their synchronization, or lack thereof, which affects multinational corporations and global financial stability.
Technological Disruptions : The rapid integration of technologies such as blockchain, AI, and machine learning in financial operations presents both opportunities and challenges. Studies focus on their impacts on financial privacy, security, and new types of financial crime, as well as their potential to improve efficiency and transparency.
Ethical and Sustainability Challenges : With rising concerns over corporate responsibility and sustainable development, research is increasingly focusing on how financial practices can be aligned with ethical standards and sustainability goals. This includes studies on green financing, ethical investing, and the financial implications of corporate sustainability initiatives.

Recent Trends in Accounting and Finance

Automation and Data Analytics : The adoption of advanced data analytics and automation tools is transforming traditional accounting tasks. Research topics explore the impact of these technologies on workflow efficiencies, data accuracy, and strategic decision-making within financial departments.
Sustainable Finance : As the demand for environmentally and socially responsible investment options grows, there is an increasing focus on how financial markets can support ESG principles. Researchers examine the integration of sustainability into financial analysis and decision-making processes.
Fintech Innovations : The emergence of fintech and its components like mobile payments, peer-to-peer lending, and cryptocurrencies are reshaping the financial services industry. Theses may focus on the regulatory challenges, market dynamics, and consumer behavior influenced by these innovations.

Future Directions in Accounting and Finance

Digital Transformation : Future research will likely delve deeper into the consequences and potentials of continued digital transformation in finance, such as the widespread adoption of internet of things (IoT) technologies and further advancements in AI for automated trading and personal finance management.
Predictive Finance and AI : With AI’s increasing capability to predict financial outcomes, future topics could include the development of AI-driven models for credit scoring, risk management, and investment strategies, emphasizing their accuracy, ethical considerations, and regulatory needs.
Sustainability and Finance : An emerging research frontier is the intersection of finance with global sustainability challenges. Potential topics include the financing of climate change initiatives, the role of financial institutions in promoting sustainable practices, and the creation of innovative financial products that support sustainable economic growth.

The breadth of accounting and finance thesis topics is indicative of the field’s extensive scope and its significant impact on societal and economic frameworks. Continued research is essential for advancing theoretical foundations and developing practical applications that address both current challenges and future opportunities. This ongoing academic inquiry is crucial for fostering a financial landscape that is not only robust and dynamic but also ethical and sustainable, ensuring that the field of accounting and finance remains at the forefront of economic innovation and societal advancement.

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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?

Research Topics & Ideas: Finance

120+ Finance Research Topic Ideas To Fast-Track Your Project

If you’re just starting out exploring potential research topics for your finance-related dissertation, thesis or research project, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we’ll help kickstart your research topic ideation process by providing a hearty list of finance-centric research topics and ideas.

PS – This is just the start…

We know it’s exciting to run through a list of research topics, but please keep in mind that this list is just a starting point . To develop a suitable education-related research topic, you’ll need to identify a clear and convincing research gap , and a viable plan of action to fill that gap.

If this sounds foreign to you, check out our free research topic webinar that explores how to find and refine a high-quality research topic, from scratch. Alternatively, if you’d like hands-on help, consider our 1-on-1 coaching service .

Overview: Finance Research Topics

Corporate finance topics
Investment banking topics
Private equity & VC
Asset management
Hedge funds
Financial planning & advisory
Quantitative finance
Treasury management
Financial technology (FinTech)
Commercial banking
International finance

Corporate Finance

These research topic ideas explore a breadth of issues ranging from the examination of capital structure to the exploration of financial strategies in mergers and acquisitions.

Evaluating the impact of capital structure on firm performance across different industries
Assessing the effectiveness of financial management practices in emerging markets
A comparative analysis of the cost of capital and financial structure in multinational corporations across different regulatory environments
Examining how integrating sustainability and CSR initiatives affect a corporation’s financial performance and brand reputation
Analysing how rigorous financial analysis informs strategic decisions and contributes to corporate growth
Examining the relationship between corporate governance structures and financial performance
A comparative analysis of financing strategies among mergers and acquisitions
Evaluating the importance of financial transparency and its impact on investor relations and trust
Investigating the role of financial flexibility in strategic investment decisions during economic downturns
Investigating how different dividend policies affect shareholder value and the firm’s financial performance

Investment Banking

The list below presents a series of research topics exploring the multifaceted dimensions of investment banking, with a particular focus on its evolution following the 2008 financial crisis.

Analysing the evolution and impact of regulatory frameworks in investment banking post-2008 financial crisis
Investigating the challenges and opportunities associated with cross-border M&As facilitated by investment banks.
Evaluating the role of investment banks in facilitating mergers and acquisitions in emerging markets
Analysing the transformation brought about by digital technologies in the delivery of investment banking services and its effects on efficiency and client satisfaction.
Evaluating the role of investment banks in promoting sustainable finance and the integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria in investment decisions.
Assessing the impact of technology on the efficiency and effectiveness of investment banking services
Examining the effectiveness of investment banks in pricing and marketing IPOs, and the subsequent performance of these IPOs in the stock market.
A comparative analysis of different risk management strategies employed by investment banks
Examining the relationship between investment banking fees and corporate performance
A comparative analysis of competitive strategies employed by leading investment banks and their impact on market share and profitability

Private Equity & Venture Capital (VC)

These research topic ideas are centred on venture capital and private equity investments, with a focus on their impact on technological startups, emerging technologies, and broader economic ecosystems.

Investigating the determinants of successful venture capital investments in tech startups
Analysing the trends and outcomes of venture capital funding in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, or clean energy
Assessing the performance and return on investment of different exit strategies employed by venture capital firms
Assessing the impact of private equity investments on the financial performance of SMEs
Analysing the role of venture capital in fostering innovation and entrepreneurship
Evaluating the exit strategies of private equity firms: A comparative analysis
Exploring the ethical considerations in private equity and venture capital financing
Investigating how private equity ownership influences operational efficiency and overall business performance
Evaluating the effectiveness of corporate governance structures in companies backed by private equity investments
Examining how the regulatory environment in different regions affects the operations, investments and performance of private equity and venture capital firms

Research Topic Kickstarter - Need Help Finding A Research Topic?

Asset Management

This list includes a range of research topic ideas focused on asset management, probing into the effectiveness of various strategies, the integration of technology, and the alignment with ethical principles among other key dimensions.

Analysing the effectiveness of different asset allocation strategies in diverse economic environments
Analysing the methodologies and effectiveness of performance attribution in asset management firms
Assessing the impact of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria on fund performance
Examining the role of robo-advisors in modern asset management
Evaluating how advancements in technology are reshaping portfolio management strategies within asset management firms
Evaluating the performance persistence of mutual funds and hedge funds
Investigating the long-term performance of portfolios managed with ethical or socially responsible investing principles
Investigating the behavioural biases in individual and institutional investment decisions
Examining the asset allocation strategies employed by pension funds and their impact on long-term fund performance
Assessing the operational efficiency of asset management firms and its correlation with fund performance

Hedge Funds

Here we explore research topics related to hedge fund operations and strategies, including their implications on corporate governance, financial market stability, and regulatory compliance among other critical facets.

Assessing the impact of hedge fund activism on corporate governance and financial performance
Analysing the effectiveness and implications of market-neutral strategies employed by hedge funds
Investigating how different fee structures impact the performance and investor attraction to hedge funds
Evaluating the contribution of hedge funds to financial market liquidity and the implications for market stability
Analysing the risk-return profile of hedge fund strategies during financial crises
Evaluating the influence of regulatory changes on hedge fund operations and performance
Examining the level of transparency and disclosure practices in the hedge fund industry and its impact on investor trust and regulatory compliance
Assessing the contribution of hedge funds to systemic risk in financial markets, and the effectiveness of regulatory measures in mitigating such risks
Examining the role of hedge funds in financial market stability
Investigating the determinants of hedge fund success: A comparative analysis

Financial Planning and Advisory

This list explores various research topic ideas related to financial planning, focusing on the effects of financial literacy, the adoption of digital tools, taxation policies, and the role of financial advisors.

Evaluating the impact of financial literacy on individual financial planning effectiveness
Analysing how different taxation policies influence financial planning strategies among individuals and businesses
Evaluating the effectiveness and user adoption of digital tools in modern financial planning practices
Investigating the adequacy of long-term financial planning strategies in ensuring retirement security
Assessing the role of financial education in shaping financial planning behaviour among different demographic groups
Examining the impact of psychological biases on financial planning and decision-making, and strategies to mitigate these biases
Assessing the behavioural factors influencing financial planning decisions
Examining the role of financial advisors in managing retirement savings
A comparative analysis of traditional versus robo-advisory in financial planning
Investigating the ethics of financial advisory practices

Free Webinar: How To Find A Dissertation Research Topic

The following list delves into research topics within the insurance sector, touching on the technological transformations, regulatory shifts, and evolving consumer behaviours among other pivotal aspects.

Analysing the impact of technology adoption on insurance pricing and risk management
Analysing the influence of Insurtech innovations on the competitive dynamics and consumer choices in insurance markets
Investigating the factors affecting consumer behaviour in insurance product selection and the role of digital channels in influencing decisions
Assessing the effect of regulatory changes on insurance product offerings
Examining the determinants of insurance penetration in emerging markets
Evaluating the operational efficiency of claims management processes in insurance companies and its impact on customer satisfaction
Examining the evolution and effectiveness of risk assessment models used in insurance underwriting and their impact on pricing and coverage
Evaluating the role of insurance in financial stability and economic development
Investigating the impact of climate change on insurance models and products
Exploring the challenges and opportunities in underwriting cyber insurance in the face of evolving cyber threats and regulations

Quantitative Finance

These topic ideas span the development of asset pricing models, evaluation of machine learning algorithms, and the exploration of ethical implications among other pivotal areas.

Developing and testing new quantitative models for asset pricing
Analysing the effectiveness and limitations of machine learning algorithms in predicting financial market movements
Assessing the effectiveness of various risk management techniques in quantitative finance
Evaluating the advancements in portfolio optimisation techniques and their impact on risk-adjusted returns
Evaluating the impact of high-frequency trading on market efficiency and stability
Investigating the influence of algorithmic trading strategies on market efficiency and liquidity
Examining the risk parity approach in asset allocation and its effectiveness in different market conditions
Examining the application of machine learning and artificial intelligence in quantitative financial analysis
Investigating the ethical implications of quantitative financial innovations
Assessing the profitability and market impact of statistical arbitrage strategies considering different market microstructures

Treasury Management

The following topic ideas explore treasury management, focusing on modernisation through technological advancements, the impact on firm liquidity, and the intertwined relationship with corporate governance among other crucial areas.

Analysing the impact of treasury management practices on firm liquidity and profitability
Analysing the role of automation in enhancing operational efficiency and strategic decision-making in treasury management
Evaluating the effectiveness of various cash management strategies in multinational corporations
Investigating the potential of blockchain technology in streamlining treasury operations and enhancing transparency
Examining the role of treasury management in mitigating financial risks
Evaluating the accuracy and effectiveness of various cash flow forecasting techniques employed in treasury management
Assessing the impact of technological advancements on treasury management operations
Examining the effectiveness of different foreign exchange risk management strategies employed by treasury managers in multinational corporations
Assessing the impact of regulatory compliance requirements on the operational and strategic aspects of treasury management
Investigating the relationship between treasury management and corporate governance

Financial Technology (FinTech)

The following research topic ideas explore the transformative potential of blockchain, the rise of open banking, and the burgeoning landscape of peer-to-peer lending among other focal areas.

Evaluating the impact of blockchain technology on financial services
Investigating the implications of open banking on consumer data privacy and financial services competition
Assessing the role of FinTech in financial inclusion in emerging markets
Analysing the role of peer-to-peer lending platforms in promoting financial inclusion and their impact on traditional banking systems
Examining the cybersecurity challenges faced by FinTech firms and the regulatory measures to ensure data protection and financial stability
Examining the regulatory challenges and opportunities in the FinTech ecosystem
Assessing the impact of artificial intelligence on the delivery of financial services, customer experience, and operational efficiency within FinTech firms
Analysing the adoption and impact of cryptocurrencies on traditional financial systems
Investigating the determinants of success for FinTech startups

Commercial Banking

These topic ideas span commercial banking, encompassing digital transformation, support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and the evolving regulatory and competitive landscape among other key themes.

Assessing the impact of digital transformation on commercial banking services and competitiveness
Analysing the impact of digital transformation on customer experience and operational efficiency in commercial banking
Evaluating the role of commercial banks in supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
Investigating the effectiveness of credit risk management practices and their impact on bank profitability and financial stability
Examining the relationship between commercial banking practices and financial stability
Evaluating the implications of open banking frameworks on the competitive landscape and service innovation in commercial banking
Assessing how regulatory changes affect lending practices and risk appetite of commercial banks
Examining how commercial banks are adapting their strategies in response to competition from FinTech firms and changing consumer preferences
Analysing the impact of regulatory compliance on commercial banking operations
Investigating the determinants of customer satisfaction and loyalty in commercial banking

International Finance

The folowing research topic ideas are centred around international finance and global economic dynamics, delving into aspects like exchange rate fluctuations, international financial regulations, and the role of international financial institutions among other pivotal areas.

Analysing the determinants of exchange rate fluctuations and their impact on international trade
Analysing the influence of global trade agreements on international financial flows and foreign direct investments
Evaluating the effectiveness of international portfolio diversification strategies in mitigating risks and enhancing returns
Evaluating the role of international financial institutions in global financial stability
Investigating the role and implications of offshore financial centres on international financial stability and regulatory harmonisation
Examining the impact of global financial crises on emerging market economies
Examining the challenges and regulatory frameworks associated with cross-border banking operations
Assessing the effectiveness of international financial regulations
Investigating the challenges and opportunities of cross-border mergers and acquisitions

Choosing A Research Topic

These finance-related research topic ideas are starting points to guide your thinking. They are intentionally very broad and open-ended. By engaging with the currently literature in your field of interest, you’ll be able to narrow down your focus to a specific research gap .

When choosing a topic , you’ll need to take into account its originality, relevance, feasibility, and the resources you have at your disposal. Make sure to align your interest and expertise in the subject with your university program’s specific requirements. Always consult your academic advisor to ensure that your chosen topic not only meets the academic criteria but also provides a valuable contribution to the field.

If you need a helping hand, feel free to check out our private coaching service here.

thank you for suggest those topic, I want to ask you about the subjects related to the fintech, can i measure it and how?

Please guide me on selecting research titles

I am doing financial engineering. , can you please help me choose a dissertation topic?

I’m studying Banking and finance (MBA) please guide me on to choose a good research topic.

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PhD Coordinator: Todd Kravet [email protected]

The Ph.D. program in Accounting is designed to engage students in top quality scholarly research and to take faculty positions at leading universities upon graduation. The curriculum focuses on economics-based, empirical research in accounting, with particular emphasis on capital markets, audit, and tax. Students are prepared to conduct original research of accounting issues using economic theories and archival methods. The program sets students up for success by developing their research skills and foundation of knowledge, as well as fostering their creativity, initiative, and perseverance. There are many opportunities for improving written and oral communication and for engagement with faculty, including on joint research projects. Students also have access to a wide array of data and software and they regularly attend national academic conferences.

Learn more about the Accounting Department

Alina Lerman Associate Professor, Accounting Ph.D., New York University

Accounting PhD Faculty

Vishal Baloria Associate Professor of Accounting PhD, University of Waterloo Research interests: empirical/archival research on reporting, disclosure, operational and investment decisions, with a particular focus on political incentives.

Wei Chen Assistant Professor of Accounting PhD, University of Iowa Research interests: empirical financial accounting, with a focus on financial reporting, disclosure, and methodological issues

Will Docimo Assistant Professor of Accounting PhD, University of Pittsburgh Research interests: auditing, auditor competence, audit complexity, and financial reporting

John Elliott Dean, School of Business, and Auran J. Fox Chair in Business PhD, Cornell University Research interests: the role of accounting information in financial analysis and contracts

Guojin Gong Associate Professor of Accounting & Deloitte Foundation Faculty Fellow PhD, University of Iowa Research interests: executive compensation, voluntary disclosure, managerial incentives in financial reporting

Todd Kravet Associate Professor of Accounting & PhD Coordinator PhD, University of Washington Research Interests: audit fees, mergers and acquisitions, economic consequences of financial reporting, measuring accounting quality

Alina Lerman Associate Professor of Accounting PhD, New York University Research Interests: financial accounting and capital markets, investor sophistication, corporate mandatory and voluntary disclosure, and accounting regulation

Frank Murphy Assistant Professor of Accounting PhD, University of Arizona Research Interests: corporate tax policy and disclosure

George Plesko Professor of Accounting & Department Head PhD, University of Wisconsin Research Interests: business taxation, tax policy

Steven Utke Associate Professor of Accounting & Arthur Andersen, LLP Accounting Professorship PhD, University of Georgia Research Interests: taxation, disclosure, auditing, institutional owners, and private equity/hedge funds

Tara L. Vakil Assistant Professor of Accounting PhD, Texas A&M University Research Interests: financial reporting quality, voluntary disclosure policy, corporate governance, and the effects of changes in accounting regulation

David Weber Professor of Accounting & Deloitte Foundation Professor PhD, University of Colorado at Boulder Research Interests: empirical, economics-based research in financial reporting and taxation

Michael Willenborg Professor of Accounting & Richard F. Kochanek Professor PhD, Penn State University Research Interests: financial accounting, audit

Nina Xu Assistant Professor of Accounting PhD, Texas A&M University Research Interests: media, regulation, financial reporting, and audit

Yanhua Sunny Yang Associate Professor of Accounting PhD, University of Colorado at Boulder Research Interests: empirical research in financial accounting, impact of credit ratings on capital markets, information in equity financial analyst forecasts, influence of earnings quality on market participants

Ying Zhou Associate Professor of Accounting & Ackerman Scholar, Accounting Department PhD, University of Florida Research Interests: financial misreporting, insider trading, and the role of gatekeepers in capital markets

Youli Zou Assistant Professor of Accounting PhD, University of Toronto Research Interests: disclosure, hedge accounting, competition, and banking

Quick Facts Accounting

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Enrollment Profile Accounting (Fall 2023)

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Accounting applications review begins December 15th. Business PhD applications are accepted from September until the fall cohort is complete.

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Students in the Accounting research group are expected to push beyond the boundaries of traditional accounting and incorporate a thorough knowledge of economics and finance in their work on contemporary issues in financial reporting, disclosure, and contracts using financial information.

In addition to seminars in accounting and finance, students acquire the economics depth required of MIT Sloan's Finance PhD students. The accounting doctoral courses give students the opportunity to tap into recent faculty research and expertise on a wide range of topics that are of particular interest to accounting academics, practitioners, and standard-setters.

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Accounting & Management

Curriculum & coursework.

Our programs are full-time degree programs which officially begin in August. Students are expected to complete their program in five years. Typically, the first two years are spent on coursework, at the end of which students take a field exam, and then another three years on dissertation research and writing.

Students in the Accounting and Management program must complete a minimum of 13 semester-long doctoral courses in the areas of business management theory, economic theory, quantitative research methods, academic field seminars, and two MBA elective curriculum courses. In addition to HBS courses, students may take courses at other Harvard Schools and MIT.

Research & Dissertation

Students in accounting and management begin research in their first year typically by working with a faculty member. By their third and fourth years, most students are launched on a solid research and publication stream. In Accounting and Management, the dissertation may take the form of three publishable papers or one longer dissertation.

Recent questions students have explored include: the ways in which managers use retail-level marketing actions to influence the timing of consumer purchases in relation to their firms’ fiscal calendars and financial performance as well as those of their competitors; the role of accounting information in strategic human resource decisions; the evolution, consequences and institutional determinants of unregulated financial reporting practices; the effects of adopting rolling forecasts on forecast quality.

Elliot Tobin

“ I’m constantly inspired to look into new research angles by the brilliant people I run into on campus every day. ”

Current HBS Faculty

Brian K. Baik
Dennis Campbell
Wilbur X. Chen
Srikant M. Datar
Aiyesha Dey
Susanna Gallani
Brian J. Hall
Jonas Heese
Robert S. Kaplan
V.G. Narayanan
Joseph Pacelli
Lynn S. Paine
Krishna G. Palepu
Ananth Raman
Clayton S. Rose
Ethan C. Rouen
Tatiana Sandino
David S. Scharfstein
George Serafeim
Anywhere Sikochi
Robert Simons
Eugene F. Soltes
Suraj Srinivasan
Adi Sunderam
Charles C.Y. Wang
Emily Williams

Current Accounting & Management Students

Ji Ho Kim
Yiwei Li
Trang Nguyen
Konstantin Pavlenkov
Ria Sen
Terrence Shi
Albert Shin
Elliot Tobin
Wenxin Wang
Siyu Zhang

Current HBS Faculty & Students by Interest

Recent placement, yaxuan chen, 2024, hashim zaman, 2022, wei cai, 2020, matthew shaffer, 2019, botir kobilov, 2024, patrick ferguson, 2021, jihwon park, 2020, wilbur chen, 2022, alexandra scherf, 2021, jody grewal, 2019.

Accounting PhD Specialization

General information.

Accounting is an interdisciplinary area, combining study of financial information with areas such as economics, finance, decision theory, and cognitive psychology.

The Ph.D. curriculum in accounting encompasses two major streams of research. The first stream examines the role of accounting information in contracting and capital markets. This first stream is economics-and-finance based and relies heavily on empirical research methods using archival data. The second stream is judgment and decision making in accounting (also known as behavioral decision theory research). This second stream is primarily psychology-based and relies heavily on controlled experiments with human subjects. The accounting Ph.D. program is designed to prepare students to publish research in top-tier accounting journals including The Accounting Review, Journal of Accounting and Economics, and Journal of Accounting Research and to take positions at leading research-based universities.

The Department of Accounting offers both major and minor areas in accounting. The remainder of this page first describes the policies for a major in accounting. This is followed by a description of the policies for a minor in accounting.

Department web site Accounting Faculty

Admission Requirements

Applicants must have completed an undergraduate degree at an accredited university and should have reasonable training in mathematics and economics. An admission committee of faculty members reviews all completed applications. While the committee considers all relevant factors in its recommendations, important factors include past academic performance, GMAT scores (the GRE exam can be substituted for the GMAT but the GMAT is strongly preferred), personal statements, and letters of recommendation. Evidence of quantitative aptitude, creativity, commitment to completing a Ph.D., and collegiality are all important.

Recommended Preparation Prior to Entry

In the summer preceding arrival at UW, new doctoral students are strongly encouraged to review important concepts in basic tool areas (e.g., economics, statistics, calculus, and linear algebra). Knowledge of financial and managerial accounting is required. The Ph.D. curriculum is extremely rigorous, so students greatly benefit from getting a head start on key skills important to completing the initial coursework.

Accounting Area Faculty Coordinator

Assistant Prof. Darren Bernard, Accounting Area Faculty Coordinator, would be glad to answer your questions. You can contact him by email .

The Accounting Area Faculty Coordinator advises new students until they establish a supervisory committee by the end of the Spring quarter of their first year. The supervisory committee assists the student in choosing appropriate courses, approves the course of studies, and monitors the student’s progress.

Course Requirements for Accounting Major

All accounting majors must complete the following requirements. The number of credits for each course is indicated in parentheses after the course number.


ACCTG 582 (4)	PhD Research Seminar	Introduces faculty areas of research
ACCTG 580 (4)	Introduction to Accounting Research	Includes positive accounting theory
ACCTG 579 (4)	Special Topics in Accounting	Experimental seminar Analytical seminar Python coding Innovations in econometric methods
ACCTG 596 (4)	Seminar in Financial Accounting	Capital markets
ACCTG 599 (1)	Accounting Research Workshop	Weekly accounting workshop series

*Offered periodically. **Offered every second year.

Accounting majors are expected to register for ACCTG 599 each year in which they are enrolled in coursework (minimum two years). All Accounting majors are expected to attend ACCTG 599 each year they are in residence.

Occasionally, optional special topics classes will be offered reflecting instructor and student interest (for example, empirical research in taxation).

Research Methods Minor Area Requirements

In addition to the major area, students are required to choose three additional areas as minors. Doctoral students in accounting must select Research Methods as one minor area. Coursework in Research Methods should include ECON 580 (or equivalent courses in probability and/or statistical inference), ECON 581, and FIN 585. ECON 580 and 581 are within the econometrics series the UW Department of Economics offers, and FIN 585 is a research methods course the UW Department of Finance and Business Economics offers. These requirements are viewed as minimal background for conducting doctoral level research.

Students should also include at least 3 units (e.g., one course) of additional coursework in Research Methods tailored to their specific interests and selected in consultation with the area advisor. The UW Business School also offers behavioral research method courses BARM 590 and 591. Additional econometric and behavioral research method courses are available in the economics and psychology departments, respectively.

Other Minor Area Requirements

Although Economics is highly recommended as a second minor area, students may petition to substitute another minor area in special circumstances. The courses to be included in the Economics minor should include the three-course sequence ECON 500, 501, 508 and at least 3 additional units (e.g., one course) of coursework selected in consultation with the Economics area advisor. The three-course sequence is the microeconomics series economics doctoral students are expected to complete in the economics department.

The third minor area will depend on the student’s interest. For example, students might choose one of the following minor areas: Finance, Information Systems, International Business, Operations Management, Psychology, or Quantitative Methods. It is also possible to design a special minor area, which more directly addresses a student’s interests. Since many students choose Finance as the third minor area, it is also briefly discussed below.

The Finance minor area is recommended for students interested in financial accounting research. Students can either complete the 4 course doctoral seminar sequence FIN 580, 590, 591, 592 or they can take three courses from this sequence and at least 3 additional units (e.g., one course) of coursework selected in consultation with the Finance area advisor. The four-course sequence includes coursework in financial economics, capital market theory, corporate finance, and advanced finance research.

Typical Course Schedule

Accounting Doctoral Student Planned Courses (as of July 2022) The summer before you begin, you will be expected to do preparatory math and programming work. You will then arrive to campus in early September to begin on-campus math, economics, and programming camps. We will have a “welcome” barbeque sometime in September. This is a way to get to know everyone and have some fun before the semester gets underway, and families/significant others are welcome.

Classes typically begin the last week of September and in the first year all students will have the same course schedule:


Courses:	Courses:	Courses:	Courses:
ECON 500 Microeconomics I	ECON 501 Microeconomics II	ECON 508 Microeconomics III	BA 580 Business Econ
ECON 580 Econometrics I	ECON 581 Econometrics II	FIN 585 Empirical Methods in Finance
ACCTG 582 Intro to Acctg Research	ACCTG 580 Positive Acctg Theory	Alternating Accounting Phd Seminar (Analytical or Experimental)
		ACCTG 510 Financial Statement Analysis (MBA Class, case-by-case exemptions)
Other:	Other:	Other:	Other:
Workshop series	Workshop series	Workshop series	1st Year Summer Paper and Presentation

Second Year


Courses:	Courses:	Courses:	Courses:
Finance Doctoral Seminars (FIN 580, FIN 591, FIN 592 (optional)) and/or Behavioral Research Seminars (BARM 590, BARM 591)
ACCTG 582 (2nd time) Intro to Acctg Research	ACCTG 580 (2nd time) Positive Acctg Theory	Alternating Accounting Phd Seminar (Analytical or Experimental)
ACCTG 596 Capital Markets Seminar
ACCTG 579 (every other year) Empirical Research Designs and Methods
Other:	Other:	Other:	Other:
Workshop series	Workshop series	Workshop series	Comprehensive Exam 2nd year Summer Paper


Courses:	Courses:	Courses:	Courses:
ACCTG 579 if applicable
ACCTG 596 (2nd time) Capital Mkts Acctg Seminar
Register for BA 800 when you have passed your area exam and have satisfied all your course requirements.
Other:	Other:	Other:	Other:
RESEARCH (dissertation and co-authored projects)! Workshop series 2nd year Summer Paper Presentation	RESEARCH (dissertation and co-authored projects)! Workshop series	RESEARCH (dissertation and co-authored projects)! Spring Workshop Presentation (ideally your dissertation proposal)	RESEARCH (dissertation and co-authored projects)!

Fourth Year


Other:	Other:	Other:	Other:
RESEARCH (dissertation and co-authored projects)! Workshop series	RESEARCH (dissertation and co-authored projects)! Workshop series	RESEARCH (dissertation and co-authored projects)! Spring Workshop Presentation	RESEARCH (dissertation and co-authored projects)!


Other:	Other:	Other:	Other:
RESEARCH (dissertation and co-authored projects)!	JOB MARKET!	GRADUATE!	Move!
Miami Rookie Conference (Nov deadline)

Course Requirements for Accounting Minor

Doctoral students minoring in accounting must meet the following requirements:

ACCTG 510 and ACCTG 511 or equivalents ACCTG 580, Introduction to Accounting Research

In addition, students minoring in accounting are required to successfully complete one of the following:


ACCTG 579 (4)	Special Topics in Accounting	Analytical accounting research
ACCTG 579 (4)	Special Topics in Accounting	Behavioral accounting research
ACCTG 596 (4)	Seminar in Financial Accounting	Capital markets

*Offered every second year.

Other Requirements

Written Area Examination After completing all coursework required for a major area in accounting, the student takes a written area examination offered each year during late July or early August. The accounting area examination tests students on coursework as well as on topics of current research. The exam consists of a closed book eight-hour exam.

General Examination It is expected that students will complete all coursework and area exam and begin working on a dissertation proposal by the end of their second year. However, students are encouraged during their third and fourth years to attend the accounting doctoral research seminar in their area of interest (ACCTG 596 for financial accounting empiricists, ACCTG 597 for behavioral or experimental researchers). When the supervisory committee believes that the dissertation proposal is well defined, a general exam is scheduled. During the general exam, the student presents the dissertation proposal and answers questions related to the proposal and/or to courses taken. Members of the supervisory committee, a representative of the Graduate School, and any other interested faculty and students, attend the general exam. The chair of the supervisory committee determines the precise format of the general exam.

Students who have passed their area examination but not their general exam are required to present an accounting research workshop on their research in progress each Spring quarter until they have passed their general exam (and thus have an approved thesis topic). Students are required to present their research paper in the research workshop before sending it out to schools to interview. This presentation should be in early October to allow time for revision before sending the paper out in early November.

Dissertation After passing the general exam, students complete the proposed research and write the dissertation guided by a reading committee. The reading committee may consist entirely of members of the supervisory committee or may include one or more members not previously on the supervisory committee. When formation of the reading committee introduces new members, a new chair of the reading committee would ordinarily become chair of the supervisory committee and new members of the reading committee would ordinarily be placed on the supervisory committee.

Final Examination The supervisory committee administers the final defense of the dissertation.

MBA applications are open! First deadline: October 14.

Enter a Search Term

Accounting ph.d., earn a ph.d. in business and a major concentration in accounting and learn the essentials in theory, research methods and contemporary accounting issues.

Accounting Research involves the systematic and scientific study of accounting systems, institutions, standards and regulations for the purpose of understanding and characterizing their decision-facilitating and decision-influencing roles within organizations, in product and capital markets, and across economies. For instance, financial reporting systems play many roles in publicly held organizations characterized by separation of ownership from control. They help investors in valuing their claims to firms in financial markets (valuation role), are essential for corporate control and managerial performance evaluation (auditing, governance and stewardship roles), and impact how firms allocate their resources and make financial decisions (real effects). In a similar vein, management accounting systems facilitate planning and control within organizations. Often, these many roles of accounting information interact, posing challenges for system designers, policy makers, and standard setters.

The main goal of the accounting doctoral program is to train students to do high-quality research, and become influential scholars in top academic institutions. The accounting group has world-class senior faculty and young, talented scholars with considerable expertise in the above topics and a vibrant research environment. In addition, the program leverages the resources and excellence of Rice University in related fields such as finance, economics and statistics. Students will be required to take courses in economics, statistics, econometrics, finance, and a rigorous set of cutting-edge research seminars covering the essentials in theory, research methods, and contemporary accounting issues.

Program features:

World-class faculty
Engaging research environment
Highly competitive financial package
Resources of a premier research university
Personal attention and mentoring in the Rice tradition

Interested in Rice Business?

Program information.

Rice Business offers an outstanding program for doctoral students interested in accounting.

Overview of Accounting Ph.D. Seminar Series

Introduction to Accounting Research The course offers a thorough and broad-ranging introduction to accounting theory and research. It covers origins and evolution of key relevant accounting institutions, thought, paradigms and methods.

Analytical Research The course provides a thorough and comprehensive introduction into the key economic theories underlying a significant part of contemporary cutting edge accounting research. The course is designed to be sufficiently deep to support both students intent on pursuing analytical research and at the same time broad enough that students with an empirical orientation will gain a solid foundation.

Empirical Research in Accounting The course provides a thorough and comprehensive synthesis of empirical accounting research, covering the key “classic” papers in the major research areas, methodological issues and emerging areas within empirical accounting research.

Advanced Contemporary Accounting Research The course provides a more advanced treatment of cutting edge, predominantly empirical accounting research. Accordingly, the course content is expected to change frequently to reflect the current state of accounting research.

For doctoral students who have chosen accounting as their area, the Ph.D. degree requirements are as follows.

Students must complete a review course in Quantitative Methods in the summer before the beginning of the first semester.
During the first two years of the program, students must take a minimum of three doctoral-level courses per semester and preferably four courses in total per semester. The chosen courses must be approved by the area PhD advisor.
The student is expected to attend at least four doctoral seminars organized in the accounting area during the student’s first two years in the Ph.D. program and additional accounting doctoral seminars as required by the student’s advisor. The student may attend the same seminar more than once upon approval by the area PhD advisor or a faculty mentor/advisor.
The student is expected to attend all research workshops (presentations of faculty members from other business schools that visit JGSB to present their research or internal presentations by JGSB faculty or Ph.D. students) organized in the accounting area during the student’s tenure in the Ph.D. program. The student must lead a discussion preceding the workshop with the other Ph.D. students each semester. Ph.D. students will designate a senior Ph.D. student to keep track of this requirement and provide a report to the area faculty advisor at the end of the spring semester.
The firs-year summer research work should involve a replication of analysis of a published/working paper with an extension in the area of the student’s interest. The summer study/paper must be presented to accounting faculty at a research workshop no later than September 30th in the fall semester of the second academic year. The content and format of this presentation will be determined by the student’s faculty mentor/summer research advisor. A failure to meet this deadline may result in the student being put on probation.
The second-year summer research must result in a working paper (with at least preliminary results), which must be presented to accounting faculty at a research workshop no later than November 30th in the Fall semester of the third academic year. Although we encourage solo-authored study, this summer research could be joint work with the faculty mentor/faculty advisor, but the student is expected to take the lead. A failure to meet this deadline may result in the student being put on probation.
Students must pass a comprehensive exam administered by the accounting faculty at the end of the second year. Only students not on probation and with a satisfactory annual evaluation are eligible to take the comprehensive exam. The exam will be jointly administered and graded by accounting faculty, under the supervision of the accounting area advisor. The exam is focused on the coursework taken in accounting and topics covered in research workshops offered by the accounting area. A successful performance in the exam will demonstrate the student’s competency in accounting and provide the foundation from which he or she begins the research that will form the basis of the dissertation.
Students are expected to constitute their dissertation committee by the beginning of their fourth year in the program.
During the dissertation phase (post successfully completing the comprehensive exam), students are strongly encouraged to take one course every semester (from the first semester of the third year to the second semester of the fourth year) to advance their skills and knowledge in tools, techniques, and topics relevant to their area of interest/dissertation topic. Students are expected to select these courses in consultation with the area PhD advisor or faculty/dissertation advisor.
Students are expected to successfully defend a dissertation “pre-proposal” by the end of the Fall semester of their fourth year to their dissertation committees. The pre-proposal is expected to lay out the main thesis topic, methodology, discussion of the relevant literature, and preliminary analysis.
Students are expected to successfully defend their full dissertation proposal by the end of the fourth year.
Students are expected to complete and defend dissertation within a maximum of 7 years from time of matriculation.

Summer before the beginning of first semester

Quantitative Methods Review

Year 1 (Fall)

ECON 501Microeconomic Theory I ECON 510 Econometrics I BUSI 530Introduction to Accounting Research Workshop in Statistical Computing and Research Elective

Year 1 (Spring)

ECON 508 Microeconomics II BUSI 532Analytical Research in Accounting BUSI 533 Contemporary Accounting Research Topics Workshop in Statistical Computing and Research Elective

Year 2 (Fall)

BUSI 531 Empirical Methods in Accounting BUSI 523Empirical Methods in Finance Elective Elective

Year 2 (Spring)

BUSI 532 Analytical Research in Accounting (suggested retake) BUSI 533 Contemporary Accounting Research Topics (suggested retake) Elective Elective

Doctoral students may continue taking graduate-level accounting courses beyond their second year as well. Examples of elective courses are:

General: ECON 435: Industrial Organization ECON 511: Econometrics II ECON 514 Industrial Organization and Control ECON 517 Empirical Industrial Organization

Analytical Track: BUSI 510 Analytical Models in Marketing ECON 502 Macroeconomics ECON 505 Financial Economics ECON 509 Topics in Microeconomics ECON 575 Topics in Financial Economics MATH 321 Introduction to Analysis I MATH 515 Integration Theory STAT 581 Mathematical Probability STAT 552 Applied Stochastic Processes

Empirical Track: BUSI 522 Corporate Finance BUSI 511 Select Topics in Marketing BUSI 524 Finance Special Topics BUSI 527 Finance Special Topics ECON 309 Applied Econometrics ECON 578 Topics in Econometrics I ECON 579 Topics in Econometrics II: Time Series Analysis STAT 519 Statistical Inference STAT 541 Multivariate Analysis

Xiao Liu, Southern Methodist University
Daniela De la Parra Hurtado, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Seung Yeol Lee, Southern Denmark
Rustam Zufarov, University of Illinois at Chicago
Rafael Copat, University of Texas at Dallas
Amoray Cragun, University of Chicago
Gary Lind, University of Pittsburgh
Maclean Gaulin, University of Utah
Jonathan Bonham, University of Chicago

Accounting Area Advisor

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Melinda Peña

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Prepare to produce impactful research as an accounting scholar on your path to a tenure-track position at a leading university. Throughout the five-year program, you’ll explore emerging issues in accounting using insights from allied disciplines including, economics, statistics, finance, and political science. You’ll work closely with accounting faculty, globally recognized as some of the top minds in the field. They will serve as your mentors and colleagues while in the program and throughout your career.

The PhD program integrates emerging issues in accounting with insights from allied disciplines, such as economics, statistics, finance, organizational behavior, and political science. You will gain a comprehensive understanding of current accounting theory, practice, and research.

You are expected to have completed courses in introductory finance, advanced-level financial accounting, and intermediate managerial accounting in addition to the school’s required background and analytical tools courses. You are also required to complete the following minimum course requirements:

Econometrics/statistics (3 courses)

Economics (2 courses)

Finance (2 courses)

PhD seminars in accounting

Electives (normally fulfilled in economics, finance, statistics, or operations management)

The program requires two projects: a research proposal (at a minimum) completed in the first year, and a small-scale study completed in the second year.

After completing coursework and the first research project, you may take the preliminary written exam. Advance to candidacy after passing the exam and completing a second research project.

The remainder of the program is devoted to the dissertation.

Ross accounting faculty include some of the world's foremost business thinkers and innovative practitioners who focus on issues of importance to the accounting and business communities. Recent research topics include the impact of accounting information on capital markets, and the behavior of decision-makers within firms.

Learn more about the faculty and research contributions of the accounting area at Michigan Ross.

Wei Shao, 2023 China Europe International Business School

John Aland, 2021  Fairfield University

Jerry Mathis, 2021  Washington University

Madeline Thompson, 2021  University of Notre Dame

Andrea Down, 2020  University of Toronto

Ruby Lee, 2019  University of Florida

Reginald Edwards, 2018  Industry

Ryan McDonough, 2017  Rutgers University

Nayana Reiter, 2017 University of Toronto

Christina Synn, 2016   University of North Carolina

Jason Chen, 2015 University of Illinois, Chicago

Randy Hucks, 2015 Eastern Michigan University

Jed Neilson, 2015  Penn State

Jordan Schoenfeld, 2015  University of Utah

Current PhD students, the next generation of scholars preparing to solve the complex issues facing the accounting field.

Madeline Adler [email protected]

McKenna Bailey [email protected]

Heather Graham [email protected]

Vanessa Cardon [email protected]

Jonas Lee [email protected]

Kendall Lynch [email protected]

Angela Pae [email protected]

Sofia Martinez Dominguez [email protected]

Wren Redfield [email protected]

Douglas (DJ) Stockbridge [email protected]

Collin Whitmore [email protected]

Jon Woo [email protected]

Accounting PhD Research

Accounting research areas, disciplines and methods.

Accounting research may be classified on three dimensions: substantive area, source discipline and method. The key substantive areas are managerial accounting, financial accounting, auditing and tax. The common source disciplines are economics, finance, management and psychology. The typical research methods are analytical modeling, archival data analysis and experimental data analysis.

Our faculty and students have sustained a proven track record of publishing in the top accounting journals across all substantive areas utilizing archival and experiment data analysis.

Publication Rankings

Research by School of Accountancy faculty and doctoral students appears in a variety of top-ranked publications. Learn more:

Faculty Publication Rankings

For all research, the University of Arizona is ranked #37 in the world in terms of faculty publications in top-tier journals during the past 10 years.

For financial accounting research, the University of Arizona is ranked #42 in the world in terms of faculty publications in top-tier journals during the past 10 years.

For tax research, the University of Arizona is ranked #20 in the world in terms of faculty publications in top-tier journals during the past 10 years.

For audit research, the University of Arizona is ranked #21 in the world in terms of faculty publications in top-tier journals in the past 10 years.

For managerial research, the University of Arizona is ranked #28 in the world in terms of faculty publications in top-tier journals in the past 10 years.

All rankings are based on custom-generated reports from BYU's accounting research rankings website and consider only the following top-tier academic journals: The Accounting Review, Journal of Accounting Research, Journal of Accounting and Economics, Contemporary Accounting Research, Review of Accounting Studies and Accounting Organizations and Society

Faculty's primary research interests by research method include:

Topic / Method	Archival	Experimental

PhD Publication Rankings

Graduates of our doctoral program have placed at Tier-1 research universities and have maintained a strong record of publication success post-graduation.

For all research, the University of Arizona is ranked #5 in the world in terms of recent PhD publications in top-tier journals during their first six years post-graduation.

For financial accounting research, the University of Arizona is ranked #8 in the world in terms of recent PhD publications in top-tier journals during their first six years post-graduation.

For tax research, the University of Arizona is ranked #3 in the world in terms of recent PhD publications in top-tier journals during their first six years post-graduation.

For audit research, the University of Arizona is ranked #4 in the world in terms of recent PhD publications in top-tier journals during their first six years post-graduation.

For managerial research, the University of Arizona is ranked #2 in the world in terms of recent PhD publications in top-tier journals during their first six years post-graduation.

These rankings show the strong commitment our faculty has towards training our PhD students to be successful.

Faculty and Student Collaborative Research

Our program has a tradition of faculty-student research collaboration..

Listed below are some of our very recent successes. The coauthors of each publication or working paper contain at least one current faculty member and/or at least one current PhD student or PhD graduates (names of the students are highlighted in bold).

Publications

, , and "Audit Committee Oversight and Financial Reporting Reliability: Are Audit Committees Overloaded?" , forthcoming.

, , , and . "Auditor-related Provisions in Private Loan Agreements, Audit Fees, and Audit Quality" under review at

. 2022. . .

, and Francis Murphy. 2022. . .

, and 2021. “ ”.

Hribar, P., , and C. X. Zhao. 2021. .

, , and . 2020. “ ”

. 2020. .

, , and . 2020 " ” .

, D. Johnston, L. Kutcher, . 2019. . .

, D. M. Johnston, and . 2018. T . .

, H. S. G. Lee, M. Pincus, and . 2017. .

Bae, G. S., S. U. Choi, . 2017. .

. 2017. . .

., K. J. Olsen, and . 2017. How Do Auditors Respond to CEO Narcissism? Evidence from External Audit Fees. .

, and James Stekelberg. 2017. Does Tax Risk Affect Investor Valuation of Tax Avoidance?

, , and . 2016. “ ”

, and James Stekelberg. 2016. .

. 2016. .

, and Wendy Schultz. 2015. “ .

, Matthew Serffling, and . 2015. .

and , L. Litov, and J. Neyland. 2015. Forthcoming at .

, and Kirsten Cook. 2015. .

, C. S. Lennox, and . 2014. " ."

2013. " ."

Ongoing Projects

Yuan Zhang and , and . “The Role of Equity Underwriters in Shaping Corporate Disclosure”. Conditional accept,

, , and . “ ”. Revise and resubmit,

Neil Bhattacharya, and . Are Accounting Reserves Biased? Evidence from the Deferred Tax Valuation Allowance.”

, , and . “Perceptions of ESG Goal Commitment and Investors’ Reactions to the Reasons for Firms’ Pivots in their ESG Initiatives”

, , and . "Does Verification of Internal Control over Financial Reporting Affect Voluntary Disclosure?"

, , , and Wenzi Zhuang. “United States Air Pollution, Auditors, and Misstatements in Financial Reporting.” Under review at .

and . “The Impact of National Office Involvement on Audit Quality,” presented at the 2021 Hawaii Accounting Research Conference, the 2021 Financial Accounting and Reporting Section Conference, and the 2021 Auditing Midyear 2021 Conference of the AAA.

, Michael Majerczyk, and . “Updated Theory and New Evidence on the Effect of Information System Precision on Managerial Reporting.”

, Michael S. Drake, Rick Mergenthaler, and Jacob Thornock. "Does Monitoring by Retail Investors Improve Financial Reporting Quality?”

Rick Mergenthaler, Paul Hribar, and Chris X. Zhao. "Within-GAAP Discretion and Voluntary Disclosure"

, , and . "Multi-level Relative Performance Evaluations in Teams", presented at the 2018 Global Management Accounting Research Symposium.

t and . "Budget Difficulty and Performance in Unstable Production Environments", presented at the 2017 Management Accounting Midyear Meeting of the AAA.

, , and "The Opportunity for Partner Industry Knowledge Sharing within Audit Offices and Audit Quality." Presented at the 2022 Auditing Section Midyear Meeting and the 2021 Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) Conference. Under review at

, , and Partick Martin. "Tend to One’s Own House: The Effect of Firm CSR on Employee Effort." Paper under review. The paper has been presented at the 2021 Global Management Accounting Research Symposium, Deakin University Workshop, Emory University Workshop, Tilburg University Workshop, University of Pittsburgh Workshop, University of Arizona Internal Workshop, 2021 Western Regional Meeting, 2021 AAA Annual Meeting, and 2021 ABO Midyear Meeting, 2022 MAS Midyear Meeting.

Margaret Christ, , and . “The Interactive Effect of Management Controls and Production Type on Trust.”

, , and . “Disclosing Earnings Forecast Accuracy: Differential Consequences of Intentional and Unintentional Management Bias.”

, and . "Auditor Office Reputation Damage and their Audit Clients' Voluntary Disclosures. Under review at the

, Jake Sigler and Vik Ramadas. "The Implications of IT Environment on the Audit and Financial Reporting Quality". Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, 2021.

Jade Chen, , , and . "Does Verification of Internal Control over Financial Reporting Affect Voluntary Disclosure?". University of Arizona, 2022.

Remington Curtis, Matthew Erickson, and , “Intertemporal Tax Discontinuity and Investor Risk-Taking”

Mark Yuzhi Yan, , and Chris Zhao, “The Effect of Customer Horizontal Merger on Supplier Voluntary Disclosure”

Youth Program
Wharton Online

PhD Course Descriptions

Acct9300 - empirical design in accounting research (course syllabus).

This is an empirical research design course covering topics related to empirical methodology, causal inference, econometric analysis, and panel data approaches. At least one graduate level course in econometrics is recommended.

ACCT9400 - Research in Accounting I (Course Syllabus)

This is Part I of a theoretical and empirical literature survey course covering topics that include corporate disclosure, cost of capital, incentives, compensation, governance, financial intermediation, financial reporting, tax, agency theory, cost accounting, capital structure, international financial reporting, analysts, and market efficiency.

ACCT9410 - Research in Accounting II (Course Syllabus)

This is Part II of a theoretical and empirical literature survey sequence covering topics that include corporate disclosure, cost of capital, incentives, compensation, governance, financial intermediation, financial reporting, tax, agency theory, cost accounting, capital structure, international financial reporting, analysts, and market efficiency. Please contact the accounting doctoral coordinator for information on the specific upcoming modules/topics that will be taught.

ACCT9420 - Research in Accounting III (Course Syllabus)

This is Part III of a theoretical and empirical literature survey sequence covering topics that include corporate disclosure, cost of capital, incentives, compensation, governance, financial intermediation, financial reporting, tax, agency theory, cost accounting, capital structure, international financial reporting, analysts, and market efficiency. Please contact the accounting doctoral coordinator for information on the specific upcoming modules/topics that will be taught.

ACCT9430 - Research in Accounting IV (Course Syllabus)

This is Part IV of a theoretical and empirical literature survey sequence covering topics that include corporate disclosure, cost of capital, incentives, compensation, governance, financial intermediation, financial reporting, tax, agency theory, cost accounting, capital structure, international financial reporting, analysts, and market efficiency. Please contact the accounting doctoral coordinator for information on the specific upcoming modules/topics that will be taught.

ACCT9810 - Workshop Colloquium I (Course Syllabus)

Students attend workshops in departments outside of accounting to provide student exposure to theory, research designs and methods that are being explored outside of accounting to provide breadth of exposure to foster innovative research ideas. Students are required to attend 15 non-accounting workshops over one academic year and write up a referee report for 8 of those workshop papers. They are also required to write up at least one research proposal that stems from theories or research methods gleaned from one or more of the workshops attended.

ACCT9820 - Workshop Colloquium II (Course Syllabus)

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PhD/ MPhil/ MSc Accounting (Research)

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Entry Requirements
Teaching and assessment
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The PhD Accounting comprises a short taught component followed by a longer research phase. Taught modules allow you to broaden, as well as deepen, your knowledge of research methods as well as conducting your own research and developing transferable professional skills.

The PhD programme in Accounting will facilitate the creation and interpretation of new knowledge by the research student, demonstrated through the thesis. The programme comprises a short taught component followed by a longer research phase. Taught modules allow the students to broaden, as well as deepen, their knowledge of research methods at the same time as undertaking their own research and developing a set of transferable professional skills. The taught component is designed to ensure that doctoral researchers understand the breath of techniques used in modern social science research.

Doctoral researchers will be capable of analysing a range of data using a range of qualitative and quantitative techniques. They will be able to explain theories underlying different approaches to social science research. Doctoral researchers are expected to participate to the fullest possible extent in the life of the Department of Accounting and the Business School. This means attending seminars organised by the Department of Accounting and more widely in the Business School thereby helping expose doctoral researchers to new ideas emanating from outside their own area of specialisation. It also requires actively participating in PhD workshops and conferences organised by the Department of Accounting, the Business School and Graduate School as well as institutions outside the University of Birmingham.

Ultimately all doctoral researchers will have the ability to characterise and solve business and accounting problems using advanced research tools. They should be able to derive policy implications from their research and communicate these to policy makers, practitioners and other academics in a manner which is comprehensible. They will also be able to peer review others’ research and offer constructive criticism and to extend the frontiers of the discipline through their own innovative research.

Doctoral researchers may choose to become academics, work in Government, businesses, supranational organisations or in the research arms of major financial institutions. They are expected to achieve a substantial understanding of contemporaneous accounting and business issues enabling them to take a lead in ongoing debates within society. They will be aware of and understand the function of related institutions at both a national and international level.

Fees 2024 - 2025

Code 015B - £4,778 (UK) Full Time
Code 017B - £2,389 (UK) PartTime
Code 015B - £23,520 (International) Full Time
Code 018B - £4,778 (UK) Full Time
Code 018B - £23,520 (International) Full Time

MSc (Research):

Code 043B - £4,778 (UK) Full Time
Code 043B - £23,520 (International) Full Time

Learn more about fees and funding

Scholarships and Studentships for International students

International students can often gain funding through overseas research scholarships, Commonwealth scholarships or their home Government.

For further information contact the School directly or visit our helpdesk .

How To Apply

How to apply

To apply for a postgraduate research programme, you will need to submit your application and supporting documents online. We have put together some helpful information on the research programme application process and supporting documents on our how to apply page . Please read this information carefully before completing your application.

Our Standard Requirements

The Business School's entry requirement is a good honours degree (first or upper second class honours) awarded by a recognised University in an appropriate subject, and a merit in a relevant Master’s degree. We usually ask students for an average of 65 in the taught component of their Masters. All international students also need to show that they have adequate knowledge of written and spoken English.

Learn more about our entry requirements.

Writing your research proposal

Along with your academic record, your references and your curriculum vitae your research proposal plays a critical role in the evaluation of your application.

Your research proposal should illustrate your ability to plan an independent research study and the relevance of your topic to the research interests and expertise of Birmingham Business School.You need to demonstrate that you understand the field that you plan to research, identify an interesting and original research question, and develop a tentative plan of study. It is highly desirable that your research proposal is written to the guidelines specified below.

Guidelines for the Research Proposal

	Title of your proposed research.
	Identify the Department you want to join. You may also identify potential supervisors at this stage if you wish.
	Provide an overview of your research question, explaining why it is of academic and/or practical importance.
	Describe the main objectives of your research, providing details of two or three key aspects.
	Discuss the importance of previous related research and how your own research question might make a useful contribution to the area.
	State the main research techniques (interviews, case studies, modeling etc.) and data collection procedures you might use.
	Outline your proposed timetable of activities.
	List the works you have cited in your proposal.
	Your proposal should be no more than 5,000 words, excluding references.

When clicking on the Apply Now button you will be directed to an application specifically designed for the programme you wish to apply for where you will create an account with the University application system and submit your application and supporting documents online. Further information regarding how to apply online can be found on the how to apply pages.

International Requirements

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a GPA of 14/20 from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of the Licenciado or an equivalent professional title from a recognised Argentinian university, with a promedio of at least 7.5, may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. Applicants for PhD degrees will normally have a Maestria or equivalent

Applicants who hold a Masters degree will be considered for admission to PhD study.

Holders of a good four-year Diplomstudium/Magister or a Masters degree from a recognised university with a minimum overall grade of 2.5 will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students with a good 5-year Specialist Diploma or 4-year Bachelor degree from a recognised higher education institution in Azerbaijan, with a minimum GPA of 4/5 or 80% will be considered for entry to postgraduate taught programmes at the University of Birmingham.

For postgraduate research programmes applicants should have a good 5-year Specialist Diploma (completed after 1991), with a minimum grade point average of 4/5 or 80%, from a recognised higher education institution or a Masters or “Magistr Diplomu” or “Kandidat Nauk” from a recognised higher education institution in Azerbaijan.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a GPA of 3.0/4.0 or 75% from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree, with a CGPA of 3.0-3.3/4.0 or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Students who hold a Masters degree from the University of Botswana with a minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/5.0 (70%/B/'very good') will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.

Please note 4-year bachelor degrees from the University of Botswana are considered equivalent to a Diploma of Higher Education. 5-year bachelor degrees from the University of Botswana are considered equivalent to a British Bachelor (Ordinary) degree.

Students who have completed a Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.

A Licenciatura or Bacharelado degree from a recognised Brazilian university:

A grade of 7.5/10 for entry to programmes with a 2:1 requirement
A grade of 6.5/10for entry to programmes with a 2:2 requirement

Holders of a good Bachelors degree with honours (4 to 6 years) from a recognised university with a upper second class grade or higher will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes. Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised university will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a good post-2001 Masters degree from a recognised university will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students with a minimum average of 14 out of 20 (or 70%) on a 4-year Licence, Bachelor degree or Diplôme d'Etudes Superieures de Commerce (DESC) or Diplôme d'Ingénieur or a Maîtrise will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.

Holders of a bachelor degree with honours from a recognised Canadian university may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. A GPA of 3.0/4, 7.0/9 or 75% is usually equivalent to a UK 2.1.

Holders of the Licenciado or equivalent Professional Title from a recognised Chilean university will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Applicants for PhD study will preferably hold a Magister degree or equivalent.

Students with a bachelor’s degree (4 years minimum) may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. However please note that we will only consider students who meet the entry guidance below. Please note: for the subject areas below we use the Shanghai Ranking 2022 (full table) , Shanghai Ranking 2023 (full table) , and Shanghai Ranking of Chinese Art Universities 2023 .

需要具备学士学位（4年制）的申请人可申请研究生课程。请根据所申请的课程查看相应的入学要求。请注意，中国院校名单参考软科中国大学排名2022（总榜），软科中国大学排名2023（总榜），以及软科中国艺术类高校名单2023 。

Business School - MSc programmes (excluding MBA)

商学院硕士课程（MBA除外）入学要求

Group 1 一类大学

Grade requirement
均分要求75%

院校

Group 2 二类大学

grade requirement
均分要求80%

软科中国大学排名2022（总榜）或软科中国大学排名2023（总榜）排名前100的大学

非‘985工程’的其他院校

以及以下两所大学：

University of Chinese Academy of Sciences 中国科学院大学
University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences 中国社会科学院大学

Group 3 三类大学

grade requirement
均分要求85%

软科中国大学排名2022（总榜）或软科中国大学排名2023（总榜）101-200位的大学

School of Computer Science – all MSc programmes 计算机学院硕士课程入学要求

Group 1 一类大学

Grade requirement
均分要求75%

院校

Group 2 二类大学

grade requirement
均分要求80%

院校

Group 3 三类大学

grade requirement
均分要求85%

College of Social Sciences – courses listed below 社会科学学院部分硕士课程入学要求 MA Education (including all pathways) MSc TESOL Education MSc Public Management MA Global Public Policy MA Social Policy MA Sociology Department of Political Science and International Studies 全部硕士课程 International Development Department 全部硕士课程

Group 1 一类大学

Grade requirement
均分要求75%

院校

Group 2 二类大学

grade requirement
均分要求80%

院校

Group 3 三类大学

grade requirement
均分要求85%

All other programmes (including MBA) 所有其他硕士课程（包括 MBA）入学要求

Group 1 一类大学 Grade requirement 均分要求75%	院校
Group 2 二类大学 grade requirement 均分要求80%	院校
Group 3 三类大学 grade requirement 均分要求85%
Group 4 四类大学 We will consider students from these institutions ONLY on a case-by-case basis with minimum 85% if you have a relevant degree and very excellent grades in relevant subjects and/or relevant work experience. 来自四类大学的申请人均分要求最低85%，并同时具有出色学术背景，优异的专业成绩，以及（或）相关的工作经验，将酌情考虑。

Please note:

Borderline cases: We may consider students with lower average score (within 5%) on a case-by-case basis if you have a relevant degree and very excellent grades in relevant subjects and/or relevant work experience. 如申请人均分低于相应录取要求（5%以内），但具有出色学术背景，优异的专业成绩，以及（或）相关的工作经验，部分课程将有可能单独酌情考虑。
Please contact the China Recruitment Team for any questions on the above entry requirements. 如果您对录取要求有疑问，请联系伯明翰大学中国办公室 [email protected]

Holders of the Licenciado/Professional Title from a recognised Colombian university will be considered for our Postgraduate Diploma and Masters degrees. Applicants for PhD degrees will normally have a Maestria or equivalent.

Holders of a good bachelor degree with honours (4 to 6 years) from a recognised university with a upper second class grade or higher will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes. Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised university will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a good Bacclaureus (Bachelors) from a recognised Croatian Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 4.0 out of 5.0, vrlo dobar ‘very good’, or a Masters degree, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a Bachelors degree(from the University of the West Indies or the University of Technology) may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. A Class II Upper Division degree is usually equivalent to a UK 2.1. For further details on particular institutions please refer to the list below. Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Masters degree or Mphil from the University of the West Indies.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a good Bachelors degree from a recognised institution with a minimum overall grade of 6.5 out of 10, or a GPA of 3 out of 4, and will usually be required to have completed a good Masters degree to be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a good Bakalár from a recognised Czech Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 1.5, B, velmi dobre ‘very good’ (post-2004) or 2, velmi dobre ‘good’ (pre-2004), or a good post-2002 Magistr (Masters), will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a good Bachelors degree from a recognised institution with a minimum overall grade of 7-10 out of 12 (or 8 out of 13) or higher for 2:1 equivalence and will usually be required to have completed a good Masters/ Magisterkonfereus/Magister Artium degree to be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of the Licenciado or an equivalent professional title from a recognised Ecuadorian university may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. Grades of 70% or higher can be considered as UK 2.1 equivalent. Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Magister/Masterado or equivalent qualification, but holders of the Licenciado with excellent grades can be considered.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a GPA of 3.0/4.0 or 75% from a recognised institution. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a good Bakalaurusekraad from a recognised university with a minimum overall grade of 4/5 or B, or a good one- or two-year Magistrikraad from a recognised university, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students who hold a Masters degree with very good grades (grade B, 3.5/4 GPA or 85%) will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.

Holders of a good Kandidaatti / Kandidat (old system), a professional title such as Ekonomi, Diplomi-insinööri, Arkkitehti, Lisensiaatti (in Medicine, Dentistry and Vetinary Medicine), or a Maisteri / Magister (new system), Lisensiaatti / Licenciat, Oikeustieteen Kandidaatti / Juris Kandidat (new system) or Proviisori / Provisor from a recognised Finnish Higher Education institution, with a minimum overall grade of 2/3 or 4/5, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters/Maîtrise with a minimum overall grade of 13 out of 20, or a Magistère / Diplôme d'Etudes Approfondies / Diplôme d'Etudes Supérieures Specialisées / Mastère Specialis, from a recognised French university or Grande École to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a Magister Artium, a Diplom or an Erstes Staatsexamen from a recognised university with a minimum overall grade of 2.5, or a good two-year Lizentiat / Aufbaustudium / Zweites Staatsexamen or a Masters degree from a recognised university, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students who hold a Bachelor degree from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2.1) with a minimum GPA of at least 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/5.0 Students who have completed a Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a good four-year Ptychio (Bachelor degree) with a minimum overall grade of 6.5 out of 10, from a recognised Greek university (AEI), and will usually be required to have completed a good Metaptychiako Diploma Eidikefsis (Masters degree) from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

4-year Licenciado is deemed equivalent to a UK bachelors degree. A score of 75 or higher from Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala (USAC) can be considered comparable to a UK 2.1, 60 is comparable to a UK 2.2. Private universities have a higher pass mark, so 80 or higher should be considered comparable to a UK 2.1, 70 is comparable to a UK 2.2

The Hong Kong Bachelor degree is considered comparable to British Bachelor degree standard. Students with bachelor degrees awarded by universities in Hong Kong may be considered for entry to one of our postgraduate degree programmes.

Students with Masters degrees may be considered for PhD study.

Holders of a good Alapfokozat / Alapképzés or Egyetemi Oklevel from a recognised university with a minimum overall grade of 3.5, or a good Mesterfokozat (Masters degree) or Egyetemi Doktor (university doctorate), will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree, with a 60% or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of the 4 year Sarjana (S1) from a recognised Indonesian institution will be considered for postgraduate study. Entry requirements vary with a minimum requirement of a GPA of 2.8.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a score of 14/20 or 70% from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree from a recognised institution, with 100 out of 110 or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Students who hold the Maitrise, Diplome d'Etude Approfondies, Diplome d'Etude Superieures or Diplome d'Etude Superieures Specialisees will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees (14-15/20 or Bien from a well ranked institution is considered comparable to a UK 2.1, while a score of 12-13/20 or Assez Bien is considered comparable to a UK 2.2).

Students with a Bachelor degree from a recognised university in Japan will be considered for entry to a postgraduate Masters degree provided they achieve a sufficiently high overall score in their first (Bachelor) degree. A GPA of 3.0/4.0 or a B average from a good Japanese university is usually considered equivalent to a UK 2:1.

Students with a Masters degree from a recognised university in Japan will be considered for PhD study. A high overall grade will be necessary to be considered.

Students who have completed their Specialist Diploma Мамаң дипломы/Диплом специалиста) or "Magistr" (Магистр дипломы/Диплом магистра) degree (completed after 1991) from a recognised higher education institution, with a minimum GPA of 2.67/4.00 for courses requiring a UK lower second and 3.00/4.00 for courses requiring a UK upper second class degree, will be considered for entry to postgraduate Masters degrees and, occasionally, directly for PhD degrees. Holders of a Bachelor "Bakalavr" degree (Бакалавр дипломы/Диплом бакалавра) from a recognised higher education institution, with a minimum GPA of 2.67/4.00 for courses requiring a UK lower second and 3.00/4.00 for courses requiring a UK upper second class degree, may also be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.

Holders of a good Postgraduate Diploma (professional programme) from a recognised university or institution of Higher Education, with a minimum overall grade of 7.5 out of 10, or a post-2000 Magistrs, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a score of 16/20 or 80% from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised university in Libya will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of a Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved score of 70% for 2:1 equivalency or 65% for 2:2 equivalency. Alternatively students will require a minimum of 3.0/4.0 or BB to be considered.

Holders of a good pre-2001 Magistras from a recognised university with a minimum overall grade of 8 out of 10, or a good post-2001 Magistras, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes

Holders of a good Bachelors degree from a recognised Luxembourgish Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 16 out of 20, or a Diplôme d'Études Supérieures Spécialisées (comparable to a UK PGDip) or Masters degree from a recognised Luxembourgish Higher Education institution will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students who hold a Masters degree will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees (70-74% or A or Marginal Distinction from a well ranked institution is considered comparable to a UK 2.1, while a score of 60-69% or B or Bare Distinction/Credit is considered comparable to a UK 2.2).

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised Malaysian institution (usually achieved with the equivalent of a second class upper or a grade point average minimum of 3.0) will be considered for postgraduate study at Diploma or Masters level.

Holders of a good Bachelors degree from the University of Malta with a minimum grade of 2:1 (Hons), and/or a Masters degree, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students who hold a Bachelor degree (Honours) from a recognised institution (including the University of Mauritius) will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2:1).

Students who hold the Licenciado/Professional Titulo from a recognised Mexican university with a promedio of at least 8 will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.

Students who have completed a Maestria from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree, licence or Maîtrise and a Masters degree, with a score of 14/20 or 70% from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Students with a good four year honours degree from a recognised university will be considered for postgraduate study at the University of Birmingham. PhD applications will be considered on an individual basis.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree, with 60-74% or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a good Doctoraal from a recognised Dutch university with a minimum overall grade of 7 out of 10, and/or a good Masters degree, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students who hold a Bachelor degree (minimum 4 years and/or level 400) from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2.1) with a minimum GPA of at least 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/5.0

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a good Bachelors degree from a recognised institution with a minimum GPA of B/Very Good or 1.6-2.5 for a 2.1 equivalency, and will usually be required to have completed a good Masters, Mastergrad, Magister. Artium, Sivilingeniør, Candidatus realium or Candidatus philologiae degree to be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree, with a CGPA of 3.0/4 or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised university in the Palestinian Territories will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved a GPA of 3/4 or 80% for 2:1 equivalency or a GPA of 2.5/4 or 70% for 2:2 equivalency.

Holders of the Título de Licenciado /Título de (4-6 years) or an equivalent professional title from a recognised Paraguayan university may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. Grades of 4/5 or higher can be considered as UK 2.1 equivalent. The Título Intermedio is a 2-3 year degree and is equivalent to a HNC, it is not suitable for postgraduate entry but holders of this award could be considered for second year undergraduate entry or pre-Masters. Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Título de Maestría / Magister or equivalent qualification, but holders of the Título/Grado de Licenciado/a with excellent grades can be considered.

Holders of the Bachiller, Licenciado, or Título Profesional with at least 13/20 may be considered as UK 2.1 equivalent. Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Título de Maestría or equivalent qualification.

Holders of a good pre-2001 Magister from a recognised Polish university with a minimum overall grade of 4 out of 5, dobry ‘good’, and/or a good Swiadectwo Ukonczenia Studiów Podyplomowych (Certificate of Postgraduate Study) or post-2001 Magister from a recognised Polish university with a minimum overall grade of 4.5/4+ out of 5, dobry plus 'better than good', will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a good Licenciado from a recognised university, or a Diploma de Estudos Superiores Especializados (DESE) from a recognised Polytechnic Institution, with a minimum overall grade of 16 out of 20, and/or a good Mestrado / Mestre (Masters) from a recognised university, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a good Bachelors degree from a recognised Romanian Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 8 out of 10, and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree/Diploma de Master/Diploma de Studii Academice Postuniversitare (Postgraduate Diploma - Academic Studies) or Diploma de Studii Postuniversitare de Specializare (Postgraduate Diploma - Specialised Studies) to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a good Диплом Специалиста (Specialist Diploma) or Диплом Магистра (Magistr) degree from recognised universities in Russia (minimum GPA of 4.0) will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes/PhD study.

Students who hold a 4-year Bachelor degree with at least 16/20 or 70% will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.

Students who hold a Maitrise, Diplome d'Etude Approfondies,Diplome d'Etude Superieures or Diplome d'Etude Superieures Specialisees will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. A score of 14-15/20 or Bien from a well ranked institution is considered comparable to a UK 2.1, while a score of 12-13/20 or Assez Bien is considered comparable to a UK 2.2

Students who hold a Bachelor (Honours) degree from a recognised institution with a minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/5.0 (or a score of 60-69% or B+) from a well ranked institution will be considered for most our Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees with a 2:1 requirement.

Students holding a good Bachelors Honours degree will be considered for postgraduate study at Diploma or Masters level.

Holders of a good three-year Bakalár or pre-2002 Magister from a recognised Slovakian Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 1.5, B, Vel’mi dobrý ‘very good’, and/or a good Inžinier or a post-2002 Magister from a recognised Slovakian Higher Education institution will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a good Diploma o pridobljeni univerzitetni izobrazbi (Bachelors degree), Diplomant (Professionally oriented first degree), Univerzitetni diplomant (Academically oriented first degree) or Visoko Obrazovanja (until 1999) from a recognised Slovenian Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 8.0 out of 10, and/or a good Diploma specializacija (Postgraduate Diploma) or Magister (Masters) will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students who hold a Bachelor Honours degree (also known as Baccalaureus Honores / Baccalaureus Cum Honoribus) from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Most Masters programmes will require a second class upper (70%) or a distinction (75%).

Holders of a Masters degree will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a Bachelor degree from a recognised South Korean institution (usually with the equivalent of a second class upper or a grade point average 3.0/4.0 or 3.2/4.5) will be considered for Masters programmes.

Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study on an individual basis.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree, with 7 out of 10 or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree, with 60-74% or a CGPA 3.30/4.0 or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a good Kandidatexamen (Bachelors degree) or Yrkesexamen (Professional Bachelors degree) from a recognised Swedish Higher Education institution with the majority of subjects with a grade of VG (Val godkänd), and/or a good Magisterexamen (Masters degree), International Masters degree or Licentiatexamen (comparable to a UK Mphil), will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a good "PostGraduate Certificate" or "PostGraduate Diploma" or a Masters degree from a recognised Swiss higher education institution (with a minimum GPA of 5/6 or 8/10 or 2/5 (gut-bien-bene/good) for a 2.1 equivalence) may be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a GPA of 3.0/4.0, 3.5/5 or 75% from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a good Bachelor degree (from 75% to 85% depending upon the university in Taiwan) from a recognised institution will be considered for postgraduate Masters study. Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.

Students who hold a Bachelor degree from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2.1) Students who have completed a Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.

Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for entry to our postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a good Masters degree or Mphil from a recognised university will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students with a Bachelors degree from the following universities may be considered for entry to postgraduate programmes:

Ateneo de Manila University - Quezon City
De La Salle University - Manila
University of Santo Tomas
University of the Philippines - Diliman

Students from all other institutions with a Bachelors and a Masters degree or relevant work experience may be considered for postgraduate programmes.

Grading Schemes

1-5 where 1 is the highest 2.1 = 1.75 2.2 = 2.25

Out of 4.0 where 4 is the highest 2.1 = 3.0 2.2 = 2.5

Letter grades and percentages 2.1 = B / 3.00 / 83% 2.2 = C+ / 2.5 / 77%

Holders of a postdoctoral qualification from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study. Students may be considered for PhD study if they have a Masters from one of the above listed universities.

Holders of a Lisans Diplomasi with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0/4.0 from a recognised university will be considered for postgraduate study at Diploma or Masters level.

Holders of a Yuksek Diplomasi from a recognised university will be considered for PhD study.

Students who hold a Bachelor degree from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Most Masters programmes will require a second class upper (2.1) or GPA of 3.5/5.0

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a good Bachelors degree / Диплом бакалавра (Dyplom Bakalavra), Диплом спеціаліста (Specialist Diploma) or a Dyplom Magistra from a recognised Ukrainian higher education institution with a minimum GPA of 4.0/5.0, 3.5/4, 8/12 or 80% or higher for 2:1 equivalence and will usually be required to have completed a good Masters degree to be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

The University will consider students who hold an Honours degree from a recognised institution in the USA with a GPA of:

2.8 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) for entry to programmes with a 2:2 requirement
3.2 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) for entry to programmes with a 2:1 requirement

Please note that some subjects which are studied at postgraduate level in the USA, eg. Medicine and Law, are traditionally studied at undergraduate level in the UK.

Holders of the Magistr Diplomi (Master's degree) or Diplomi (Specialist Diploma), awarded by prestigious universities, who have attained high grades in their studies will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of the Fanlari Nomzodi (Candidate of Science), where appropriate, will be considered for PhD study.

Holders of the Licenciatura/Título or an equivalent professional title from a recognised Venezuelan university may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. Scales of 1-5, 1-10 and 1-20 are used, an overall score of 70% or equivalent can be considered equivalent to a UK 2.1. Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Maestria or equivalent qualification

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised Vietnamese institution (usually achieved with the equivalent of a second class upper or a grade point average minimum GPA of 7.0 and above) will be considered for postgraduate study at Diploma or Masters level. Holders of a Masters degree (thac si) will be considered for entry to PhD programmes.

Students who hold a Masters degree with a minimum GPA of 3.5/5.0 or a mark of 2.0/2.5 (A) will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.

Students who hold a good Bachelor Honours degree will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.

International Students

English requirements are IELTS 7.0 with no less than 6.5 in any band or equivalent.

Social and Environmental Accounting

Accountability & sustainability, social accounting, carbon accounting, biodiversity accounting, ecological accounting (internal & external) for corporations, public sector, 3rd sector and activist/community groups Contact: Professor Ataur Belal, Professor Elena Giovannoni, Professor Tom Cuckston, Dr Melina Manochin

Sustainability Reporting and Sustainability-related Financial Disclosure Contact: Professor Nick Rowbottom

Financial Accounting and Reporting

The role, work undertaken and information used by investment analysts and fund managers Contact: Professor Shahed Imam, Dr Melina Manochin

Narrative reporting, digital reporting/XBRL, standardisation, Management Commentary Contact: Professor Nick Rowbottom

Corporate communication (in relation to corporate crises, climate change and carbon emissions). Textual analysis of reporting disclosures (analysts’ reports, credit rating agency reports, annual reports, including CEO tone and climate risk disclosure) Contact: Professor Shahed Imam, Dr Annika Beelitz

Management Accounting & Management Control

Design/implementation of management accounting / performance management and measurement systems in different contexts Contact: Professor Elena Giovannoni

Public sector, Not for Profit, NGO Accounting & Accountability

Accounting, accountability and control in the public and not for profit sectors Contact: Professor Ataur Belal, Dr Florian Gebreiter, Dr Ann-Christine Frandsen, Dr Melina Manochin

Accounting Education & Professionalisation

Recruitment, professional socialisation and social mobility at accountancy firms. Employability, social mobility and the effects of marketisation on higher education. Contact: Dr Florian Gebreiter, Dr Melina Manochin

Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Accounting

Accounting and calculative practices, Accounting as a valuing practice in contemporary/historical settings. Accounting and strategy. Accounting embodiments. Accounting in relation to time and space. Contact: Professor Tom Cuckston, Professor Elena Giovannoni, Dr Ann-Christine Frandsen

Information Systems, Analytics & Knowledge Management

Digital innovation and the adoption of emerging technologies (with an emphasis on how IT shapes user behaviour and organisational practice). Contact: Dr Shuyang Li

Doctoral researchers in Accounting are registered for a full time 3-year PhD or a part-time 6-year PhD. In the first year of the programme (first two years for those registered part-time) students are required to take and successfully complete 60 credits of core Research Methods modules.

Those researchers using more qualitative methodologies will take modules from the MA Social Research programme. They are also recommended to take Advanced Training Modules from the MA Social Research Programme as appropriate to their research and training needs. Depending on their needs and accredited prior learning and subject to supervisory approval doctoral researchers can substitute 20 credits of the introductory MA Social research modules for Advanced Training Modules.

Those researchers employing quantitative methodologies are required to take Econometrics with Financial Applications module from the Department of Economics (30 credit module). They also need to take at least one of the existing MSc Investments and MSc International Accounting and Finance courses and one other module to successfully complete 60 credits of study. The MSc module and one other appropriate M or D level module should be chosen in agreement with the doctorial researcher’s supervisor, as appropriate for the their research topic. Modules available include: Financial Modelling and Forecasting Techniques (20 credits), Empirical Topics in Accounting and Finance (20 credits) and Quantitative Methods in Finance (10 credits). Doctoral researchers are also recommended to take Advanced Training Modules from the MA Social Research Programme or other modules (e.g. Qualitative Methods) as appropriate to their research and training needs.

By the end of their first year all doctoral students in Accounting will have completed an 8,000 word research proposal that they will present and be evaluated on at the first annual review. This forms the basis for supervised research over the remaining two years of the programme and the production of an 80,000 word thesis.

Career prospects

Recent PhD graduates from Birmingham Business School are working in central banks, Government departments, a variety of financial institutions, accountancy firms, supranational organisations and multinational corporations. Many of our PhD graduates also go on to forge successful academic careers in other top Universities.

Doctoral Research career assistance

The University of Birmingham has invested heavily in careers and employability support. The Careers Team have been praised for enhanced developments within their team and for adopting a model of integrated employability and internship support; something that has been rolled out and implemented across all Schools and Colleges at the University.

Doctoral researchers at Birmingham Business School benefit from its own well qualified dedicated Careers Team to support students with employment opportunities, work placements, internships and how to succeed at interview. In addition, a range of career management, personal development and employer events are run each year by the Careers in Business Team to help you make the most of the opportunities available.

The University also has dedicated careers advisors for international students who run workshops and networking opportunities with potential employers. These are especially popular with international postgraduate researchers.

Online chat events

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150 Original Accounting Research Paper Topics

Our academic experts understand how hard it can be to come up with original accounting research paper topics for assignments. Students are often dealing with multiple responsibilities and trying to balance numerous deadlines. Searching the web or class notes takes up a lot of time. Therefore, we have put together our list of 150 accounting research topics that students can choose from or gather inspiration from.

Managerial Accounting Topics for College Students

This area of study has tremendous upside as more businesses rely on managerial accountants to bring innovative changes to their organizations. Here is a list of topics for research paper in this area:

Differences between financial accounting and managerial accounting.
Managerial accounting in the 21 st century.
The impact of managerial accounting in big businesses.
The major components of activity-based costing.
How managerial accounting affects international finance.
The impact managerial accounting has on human resources.
The major components of capital budgeting.
How managerial accounting affects internal business decisions.
Effective ways of adopting managerial accounting into small businesses.
Differences between variable costing and absorption costing.

Accounting Blog Topics for Today’s Generation

The following collection can be considered accounting hot topics because they deal with the issues that are most important to today’s generation of accountants that utilize advanced software to keep businesses successful:

Cost of manufacturing goods overseas.
The cost of instituting anti-harassment programs.
Inventory and cost of products sold in the U.S.
Reinventing accounts payable processes.
Using best practices to boost the bottom line.
The cost of keeping human resources on staff.
Simplifying procedures in accounts payable.
The cost of updating internal systems with technology.
The cost-effectiveness of employee training.
Working capital increasing in large companies.

Advanced Accounting Topics

As students advance academically, they may want to consider these topics for research paper to earn higher scores in their classes. Here are some suggestions:

How to run an efficient large accounting department.
Red flags in outdated accounting processes.
Identifying unconventional processes in payment processes.
Utilizing paperless processes in small businesses.
Applying EDP to accounts payable processes.
The benefits of automating payables and receivables.
Outsourcing procurement processes to save money.
Automation to handle repetitive processes.
The need for diversifying skills in accounting.
The ways time affects seasonal cash flow.

Controversial Accounting Topics

Many accounting topics for research papers need to draw a reader’s attention right from the start. This list of topics is controversial and should accomplish just that:

The impact the Jobs Act will have on large businesses.
The positive effects tax cuts will have on small business.
The risks of offshore accounting on U.S. businesses.
The need to update software each year to avoid accounting problems.
How small businesses are falling behind in accounting practices.
The impact bonus depreciation allows businesses.
Applying to government relief programs.
Describe the role the internet has on accounting.
The trustworthiness of online accounting programs.
The negatives of auditing collusion.

Intermediate Accounting Topics

These accounting paper topics are meant for students that have acquired skills in writing but may not have developed the skills needed to write a top-notch paper quite yet. They should be easy to research given a proper planning period:

Discuss why companies need to incorporate automated processes.
The problems with ethics in accounting practices.
Technology advancements that improve accounting accuracy.
The problem with accuracy in decade-old software.
Explain the best way to help accountants work manually.
Describe the historical prospect of best accounting practices.
The most effective way to become a certified accountant.
Compare accounting systems that improve processes.
The quick flow of data and the value on today’s accountants.
The negatives that come from relying on accounting software.

Interesting Accounting Topics

Sometimes you need to consider accounting project topics that would be great for numerous situations. You may need to present before a class or write a paper for a discussion panel. These ideas may suit your needs:

Explain the concept of accounting theory to practice.
The theories behind normative accounting practices.
The effect theories in accounting have on businesses.
Challenges of taking theory to practice.
The major changes in accounting practices over the last 25 years.
The impact the internet has had on accounting ethics.
Accounting practices in the 21 st century.
The challenges of accounting technologies on fast-growing companies.
The dangers the internet poses toward ethical accounting.
Describe the difficulties that come from putting theories into practice.

Accounting Projects Topics for a Short Project

Some cost accounting topics are worthy of an audience but need to be completed within a tight deadline. These project ideas are easy to research and can be completed within one week:

Use of efficient accounting software in tax season.
Applicable Professional and Legal Standards.
The difficulties in using offshore accounting.
The most effective way of managing earnings.
The development of cash flow in the United Kingdom.
The development of cash flow in the United States.
The best way to manage personal finances.
The effect financial markets have on personal spending.
Debt management in large corporations.
Accounting challenges during the pandemic.

Forensic Accounting Research Topics

This is another area of accounting that has a promising future for small to large businesses. Here are forensic accounting research paper topics you can use if you are interested in this booming segment:

Methods for identifying instances of money laundering.
The government’s right to search private accounts.
The use of tax records to report possible crimes.
Class action litigation cases in the United States.
Court use of forensic accounting in criminal cases.
Forensic accounting to develop better anti-fraud programs.
A company’s reliance on forensic accounting to prevent theft.
Establishing controls in emerging international markets.
Forensic accountants and their role in court proceedings.
Natural disaster and loss quantification practices.

Accounting Theory Topics for College

Good accounting thesis topics should mirror personally important issues. Essay ideas should reflect the things you want to learn more about and explore in-depth. Here is a list that may pique your interest:

Impact of accounting research on financial practices.
Scientific research studies in modern economies.
Modern accounting concepts and applications.
The change in accounting practices over the last two decades.
Describe the components of Positive Theory.
Marketplace discipline across major industries.
Major accounting theories and techniques in big businesses.
The use of technology to reduce accounting costs.
Technology theory in the use of modern accounting.
Risk management and the most effective theories.

Accounting Dissertation Topics for Grad Students

The following topic ideas delve into some serious issues in accounting and are much more difficult to handle. These should be approached with the utmost academic determination to earn a master’s or a Ph.D.:

Compare accounting software versus manual accounting.
Tax management procedures in the 21 st century.
The risks of updated technology in small companies.
The costs associated with broader health care in the workplace.
The history of accounting in the 20 th century.
The best method of managing debts without difficulties.
Accounting problems caused by online transactions.
Cryptocurrency and its impact on modern accounting practices.
Forecasting jobs in the field of accounting.
The danger technology poses to the accounting industry.

Current Accounting Topics for College

If you don’t have enough time to research current topics in accounting, these ideas will help you save time. There are plenty of online resources discussing current issues and you can also find information in the library:

Compare and contrast different cryptocurrencies.
The definition of a successful and modern business account.
Non-profit organizations and tax reductions.
Sports accounting in today’s world of social media.
The financial benefits of having a second stream of revenue.
Financial stock management of overall earnings.
The relationship between corporate donations and accounting.
Minimizing risks in big and small-sized businesses.
The impact that tax deductions have on big businesses.
Financial strategies to ensure employee retention.

Hot Topics in Accounting for a Graduate Level Course

These are the topics you should be considered for a graduate-level course if you want to make a great impression on the professor. Just be sure to do your due diligence and research your selected topic thoroughly:

The instances of “cooking books” in the 21 st century.
The best approach to update accounting systems.
Fraud cases currently in the United States.
The importance of forensic accountants in fraud cases.
The reasons account reports have government regulations.
The benefits of incorporating computerized accounting.
The need for companies to make changes to accounting departments.
Evolving accounting practices that reduce the risk of theft.
The effects offshore gambling has had on accounting.
Privacy protocols to keep accounting practices secret.

Financial Accounting Topics Being Discussed Today

Topics in accounting are rooted in financial processes that date back centuries. Yet, there are still many innovative ideas that drive business success. Consider these topics for an essay on issues that are current for today’s world:

The evolution of accounting practices over the last century.
The biggest ethical concerns about accounting.
Minimizing taxes when you are a small company.
Accounting software that will cut company costs.
The best way to lower taxes through accounting practices.
Describe the way managerial accounting is affected by international markets.
Explain the major factors of management earnings.
The most accurate way to figure out the estimated tax on a company’s earnings.
The quickest way to become a certified accountant.
Describe how culture influences accounting practices.

Accounting Information Systems Research

The next set of topics are great for anyone wanting to combine accounting with technology. We put together this set to generate interest in this area:

The ways small businesses can benefit from advanced technologies.
Describe how IT affects financial analysis for reporting.
Explain how companies use AIS to collect and store data.
Explain the 10 elements used to understand AIS.
Rank the best accounting information systems.
The future of AIS in small business financial practices.
Explain how AIS eliminates the use of balance sheets.
AIS technologies save money in large businesses.
The future of AIS in small to mid-size businesses.
Describe the role of AIS in modern business.

Accounting Presentation Topics for College

These presentation topics cover a wide range of areas that are perfect for diverse interests. At the college level, students must conduct a lot of academic research to guarantee they have all the most relevant information needed to present on a great topic:

Describe how forensic accounting can reduce risk to small businesses.
Describe the challenges value and cost that managers deal with.
The biggest changes to accounting practices in the 21 st century.
The benefits of having separate controlling accounts.
The rapid flow of data and the importance of modern accountants.
Describe how forensic accountants conduct their investigations.
The most likely causes of financial instability in small businesses.
Explain the factors one must consider before investing.
Describe the differences between financial and management accounting.
Describe the impact of new taxation policies on managerial accounting.

What do you think of our accounting research topics? These are available for free and can be shared with other students. If you need a custom list of accounting topics, our academic experts can take your assignment details and provide you with original and simple accounting research topics to facilitate your project and help you earn a top grade. We can also provide you with writing, editing, and proofreading services to ensure your assignment is error-free and gets you the highest score possible.

PhD in Accounting

Developing highly productive scholars and outstanding classroom teachers., audit research for last 6 years.

WORLDWIDE PHD PROGRAM RANKING (2022)

AIS Research For Last 6 Years

Accounting education research for last 6 years.

During the first two years of our program, you will explore both quantitative and qualitative methodology courses and take a series of core seminars in Financial Accounting, Auditing and Assurance, Managerial Control Systems, Judgment and Decision-Making. Students also take an Accounting Workshop which considers special topics in accounting research, and a specialized Independent Research Project course under the guidance of your faculty advisor. Upon completion of the coursework phase of the program and related comprehensive exams, students advance to the dissertation stage. Dissertation students enroll in a 9 credit Dissertation Course each semester until graduation. The PhD in Accounting can be completed in 4 or 5 years.

PhD in Accounting Curriculum - 42 Credits

PhD Courses:

PhD 1640 -- Intro to Quant & Stats Workshop - 0 credits
PACC 1604 -- Accounting Workshop Parts I-IV - 3 credits
PhD 1750 -- Independent Summer Research Project - 3 credits
PhD 1650 -- Teaching Workshop - 0 credits

PhD Methods Courses:

PhD 1502 -- Quantitative Analysis I - 3 credits
PhD 1504 -- Quantitative Analysis II - 3 credits
PhD 1506 -- Quantitative Research Methods I - 3 credits
PhD 1503 -- Qualitative Research Methods I - 3 credits

Accounting PhD Courses:

PACC 1607 -- Intro to Accounting Research - 3 credits
PACC 1602 -- Auditing and Assurance - 3 credits
PACC 1605 -- Judgement and Decision-Making - 3 credits
PACC 1603 -- Managerial Control Systems - 3 credits
PACC 1601 -- Financial Accounting - 3 credits

Elective Courses:

Two Methods Electives - 6 credits
Open Elective - 3 credits

Research topics for the PhD in Accounting include, but are not limited to, audit quality, management control, investor decision-making, accounting information systems, information technology controls, tax, and corporate governance.

Scholarship in the Department of Accounting has several areas of focus. Archival and database research, for example, uses existing corporate accounting information and/or stock market information to analyze corporate governance behavior or firm reaction to changes in the accounting environment or accounting rules. Behavioral research employs experiments and surveys to gather behavior data. A strong relationship between the department and the accounting profession has facilitated access to accounting professional research subjects not available to other institutions. Finally, faculty undertake Accounting pedagogical research that produces widely uses accounting cases and textbooks as well as articles reporting on curricular innovations at Bentley.

The Department of Accounting is nationally ranked in audit research and accounting education research as measured by the most recent Brigham Young University Accounting Research Ranking study. Department members publish in a variety of journals, including Accounting Review, Contemporary Accounting Research , Review of Financial Studies , Auditing : A Journal of Practice and Theory, Accounting Horizons , Advances in Accounting Behavioral Research , Issues in Accounting Education , Current Issues in Auditing , Journal of Investigative and Forensic Accounting , and the Managerial Auditing Journal .

Collaborative Research Publications

A selection of published collaborative research between Bentley Accounting Faculty and PhD Students and Alumni:

Alberti, C.T., Bedard, J.C., Bik, O. and Vanstraelen, A. (2020). Audit Firm Culture: Recent Developments and Trends in the Literature. European Accounting Review, 1-51.

Andiola, L.M., Bedard, J.C. and Westermann, K.D. (2019). It’s not my fault! Insights into subordinate auditors’ attributions and emotions following audit review. Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory, 38(1): 1-27.

Burke, J., Hoitash, R., Hoitash, U. and Xiao, S. (2021). The costs and benefits of retirement policies at U.S. audit firms, Journal of Accounting and Public Policy. 40 (4):1-21.

Burke, J.J., Hoitash, R. Hoitash, U. and Xiao, S. (2023). The disclosure and consequences of US critical audit matters. The Accounting Review, 98(2), 59-95.

Cannon, N.H ., Bedard, J.C. and Schnader, A. (2019). Auditor Reporting and Regulatory Sanctions in the Broker-Dealer Industry: From Self-Regulation to PCAOB Oversight. Contemporary Accounting Research, 36(4), 2554–2587.

Downey, D.H. and Bedard, J.C. (2019). Coordination and communication challenges in global group audits. Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory 38(1): 123-147.

Durkin, M., Rose, J. and Thibodeau, J. (2020). Can Simple Metaphors Be Used as Decision Aids to Promote Professional Skepticism?, Journal of Information Systems, 34(1), 47-60.

Garrett, J.B., Hoitash, R. and Prawitt, D.F. (2022). Perceptions of Tone at the Top from the Inside: Insights into Audit Pricing. Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory, 41(1): 115-141.

Garrett, J.B., Livingston, J.A., Tayler, W.B., Cade, N.L. and McVay, S.E. (2019). Controls and cooperation in interactive and non‐interactive settings. Contemporary Accounting Research, 36(4), 2494-2520.

Hunter, K.E., Alberti, C.T., Boss, S.R. and Thibodeau, J.C. (2020). Intelliclean: A Teaching Case Designed to Integrate Data Cleaning and Spreadsheet Skills into the Audit Curriculum. Journal of Emerging Technologies in Accounting, 17 (2), 1-7.

Hunter, K.E ., Rose, J.M., Tariquzzaman, A. and Thibodeau, J.C. (2023). Standard precision and aggressive financial reporting: the influence of incentive horizon. Accounting and Business Research, 53(1), 108-126.

Potsaid, T. and Venkataraman, S. (2022). Trading restrictions and investor reaction to non-gains, non-losses, and the fear of missing out: Experimental evidence. Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, 33: 100597: 1-9.

Potsaid, T. , Venkataraman, S. and Zhou, H.F. (2022). Payments in lieu of taxes (PILOTs): How characteristics of requests for PILOTs impact nonprofits’ fairness perceptions and likelihood of compliance. Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, 106978.

Thibodeau, J.C., Williams, T. and Witte, A.L. (2019). Point and Click Data: An Assessment of Editorial Perceptions and Recommendations for the Peer-Review Process in the New Data Frontier. Journal of Information Systems, 33(1): 129-144.

Witte, A.L ., Earley, C.E. and Thibodeau, J.C. (2022). Big Fish, Small Pond: How In-Charge Auditors Engage with Technology-Based Audit Tools to Influence the Audit in Non-Global Network Firms. Journal of Information Systems, 36(2), 141-16

Hoitash, R., Hoitash, U. and Morris, L. (2021). eXtensible Business Reporting Language: A review and directions for future research. Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory. 40 (2): 107–132.

Babson College Bentley University Boise State University Bryant University California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo California State University, Bakersfield Clark University Clemson University College of the Holy Cross Fairfield University Florida International University Northeastern University Northern Arizona University Northern Illinois University Soochow University Suffolk University Texas State University University of Colorado, Denver University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth University of New Hampshire University of San Diego Villanova University Virginia Commonwealth University West Virginia University

Cristina Alberti, Assistant Professor, Accounting, Babson College “Audit Firm Culture: An Evolution of the Audit Profession in Response to External Forces”

Lindsay Andiola, Associate Professor, Accounting, Virginia Commonwealth University "Performance Feedback in the Audit Environment"

Kwadwo Asare, Professor, Accounting, Bryant University "Essays on the Influence of Corporate Governance on Financial Analysts' Forecast-related Judgments"

Jenna Burke, Assistant Professor, Accounting, University of Colorado, Denver "Environmental, Social, and Governance Risk and Performance: Implications for Audit and Corporate Governance Research"

Nate Cannon, Associate Professor, Accounting, Texas State University "Fair Value Measurements"

Jooanne Choi, Assistant Professor, Accounting, California State University, Bakersfield “Usefulness of Audit-firm Transparency Disclosures”

Steven DeSimone, Associate Professor, Economics and Accounting, Holy Cross “Three Empirical Studies of Internal Audit Quality”.

Denise Hanes Downey, KPMG Endowed Professor in Accounting, Associate Professor, Accounting & Information Systems, Villanova University "Changes in Auditing: A Three Part Investigation" Mary Durkin, Assistant Professor, Accountancy, University of San Diego “Promoting Professional Skepticism in the Audit Environment”

Sonia Gantman, Senior Lecturer, Accounting, Bentley University “Three interdisciplinary studies on IT Outsourcing”

Jace Garrett, Associate Professor, Accounting, Clemson University “The Relationship between Accounting Processes and Interpersonal Trust within Organizations”

Joy Gray, Senior Lecturer, Accounting, Bentley University “Information Technology Audits by Internal Auditors: Exploring the Evolution of Integrated IT Audits”

Allen Hartt, Assistant Professor, Accounting, Boise State University “The Impact of Collective Intelligence and Honest Signaling on Fraud Brainstorming Effectiveness: A Sociometric Investigation Using Wearable Sensor Technology”

Kip Holderness, Associate Professor, Accounting, West Virginia University “Detecting Deception in Client Inquiries”

Tien-Shih Hsieh, Associate Professor, Accounting and Finance, University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth “The Impact of Extensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) on Corporate Accounting Practice”

Kara Hunter, Assistant Professor, Accounting, Fairfield University “The Influence of Cognitive Factors on the Relationship between Accounting Standard Precision and Aggressive Financial Reporting”

Candice Hux, Assistant Professor, Accounting, Northern Illinois University “Auditors’ Use of Specialists in Audit Engagements: Implications for Audit Quality”

Zeng Liu, Lecturer, Accounting, Dongwu Business School, Soochow University “Three papers on sell-side financial analysts”

Landi Morris, Assistant Professor, Accounting, Northern Arizona University "Health and Healthcare in the Financial Reporting and Audit Environments"

Christine Nolder, Associate Professor, Accounting, Suffolk University “The Role of Professional Skepticism, Attitudes, and Emotions on Auditors’ Judgments and Decisions”

Melissa Renschler, Assistant Professor, Accounting, Suffolk University "The Influence of Internal Audit Competency on Financial Reporting Quality and Enterprise Risk Management"

Mike Ruff, Associate Teaching Professor, Accounting, Northeastern University "Correlates of Ethical Sensitivity and Reasoning and their Potential Influence on Accounting Education”

Andrew Stuart, Assistant Professor, Accounting, Suffolk University "The Influence of Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure on Stakeholder Decision-Making"

Zhihong (Rita) Wang, Associate Professor, Accounting, Clark University “The Impact of Cultural Time Orientation on Managerial and Financial Accounting Practices”

Kim Westermann, Professor, Accounting, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo "Learning the 'Craft of Auditing': Applications of the Cognitive Apprenticeship Framework"

Annie Witte, Assistant Teaching Professor, Accounting, Northeastern University "Technology Based Audit Tools: Implications for Audit Quality"

PhD in Accounting Faculty

As a Bentley PhD, your research will probe some of the most compelling issues in business today, all under the umbrella theme of business, technology and society. You’ll work with Bentley faculty members committed to rigor in a trans-disciplinary environment that’s focused on the individual student.

Your faculty advisor supervisory team might include representatives from various academic departments, but all are true partners. Visit our faculty database to view full-time faculty in the department of accounting and learn more about their research interests.

View accounting faculty

Interested in learning more about our PhD Programs? Schedule a one-on-one phone meeting with Patricia Caffrey , Administrative Director, at +1 781-891-2541.

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PhD in Management

Accounting - PhD in Management

Areas of specialisation, accounting and control.

Decision Sciences
Entrepreneurship
Organisational Behaviour
Technology and Operations Management

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View PhD Student Profiles

2025 Intake

September 2024

Accounting and Control - PhD Specialisation

Accounting and Control research seeks to identify and understand the market and institutional forces that affect the production and use of information by organisations broadly defined to include people, firms, not-for-profit entities, government agencies, etc. Research topics typically fall into two categories: (1) financial accounting and (2) managerial accounting .

Financial Accounting

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING research primarily focuses on information that facilitates transactions between organisations. For example, how does information released by a firm's managers affect economic decisions made by shareholders, creditors, information intermediaries such as analysts and auditors, competing firms, regulators, etc.? Conversely, how do the anticipated responses of the users mentioned above affect the amount and type of information ultimately released by the firm's managers? Moreover, how do all these decisions interact with the manager- and firm-level characteristics and institutional phenomena such as the degree of capital market development, the legal regime and its enforcement, the political and regulatory environment, etc.?

Managerial Accounting

MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING research primarily focuses on the production and use of information within an organisation. Topics include accounting system design, the planning and budgeting process, performance measurement and evaluation, incentives and compensation, and the role of internal control and risk management. In addition, considerable attention is given to how these phenomena interact with the manager- and firm-level attributes such as individual's behavioural biases, conflicting objectives, the organisation's hierarchical structure and corporate governance structure, etc.

Emerging research streams in Financial and Managerial Accounting involve analyses of a broad group of stakeholders with an emphasis on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) topics.

PhD Programme participants will receive comprehensive training in accounting, finance, economics, and data analysis to have the fundamental tools to conduct rigorous research. In addition to receiving classroom training, participants will work with faculty members to conduct cutting-edge research projects. Consequently, participants will develop strong analytical skills and a creative perspective to help them identify and answer important research questions. PhD students will leverage the expertise of faculty members with considerable experience teaching, supervising and mentoring PhD students at INSEAD and their prior institutions. These institutions include Harvard Business School, Columbia Business School, Stanford, MIT, The Wharton School, the University of Chicago, and the University of California at Berkeley. The Accounting and Control area at INSEAD is renowned for its excellence in research. This Accounting group is one of the few groups outside North America that has consistently produced articles in the top accounting, finance, and management journals. These journals include The Accounting Review, the Journal of Accounting and Economics, the Journal of Accounting Research, the Journal of Finance, and the Journal of Financial Economics and Management Science. In addition, the Accounting and Control faculty members have strong connections with the academic accounting community. They serve as associate editors and editorial board members of influential journals and routinely present their research in workshops and conferences held by leading educational institutions and premier academic journals. The ACC area also has regular research seminars and an annual research symposium, attracting world-renowned scholars to present and discuss a small set of high-quality papers on campus. The expertise and research interests of the Accounting faculty include the following:

consequences of disclosure regulation and firms' accounting and disclosure choices for investors and stakeholders
the role of auditors and financial analysts in capital markets
the consequences of shareholder activism and private equity ownership for corporate governance and companies' financial and nonfinancial performance
the determinants of debt contract design; the causes and detection of corporate fraud
the design of internal performance management and risk management systems
corporate social responsibility and ESG

The PhD specialisation in Accounting and Control aims to produce highly trained individuals who will conduct first-class accounting research at top-tier business schools and universities.

Visit the Accounting and Control Academic Area page

What are we looking for in a PhD Candidate?

Ideal candidates for this position should have strong analytical skills and solid backgrounds in accounting, finance, economics, mathematics, statistics, or related subjects. Although prior work experience in these fields or related areas is valuable, it is non-mandatory. Research experience is also not a requirement, but it could be advantageous. Additionally, we do not require previous knowledge of accounting rules for a successful application but expect students to gain a deeper understanding of this during the programme.

Download the Call for applications for the 2025

STUDENTS' (CURRENT AND PREVIOUSLY ADMITTED) BACKGROUNDS:

BA in International Business and MBA in General Management
Bachelor of Accounting and Finance; ACA, Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ICAEW)
BE Computer Science and Engineering, MS Management Information Systems and Masters in Accounting
Honours Business Administration (HBA)
BBA and MSc Business Administration (Accounting)
BA and Masters in Accounting
BA in Business Administration (Human Resource Management) and MSc in Mathematics
BBA Business Administration and BA Economics (Double Major), and MS Accounting
BTech Mechanical and MBA Finance
BA in Management and MSc in Financial Economics
BS in Finance and MSc in Financial Management

Full list of Accounting PhD students and their backgrounds

Where are our Accounting PhD graduates now?

Graduates of the PhD in Management Programme, specialising in Accounting and Control, have successfully secured top academic placements globally, with CUHK, Grenoble School of Management, HEC Paris, Norwegian School of Economics and Singapore Management University, to name a few.

Learn more about the Global PhD Alumni Community here .

What are the next steps?

We encourage prospects to plan for their application for the PhD in Management. Application for the following year's intake starts in the early Fall of the current year, with a preferred deadline of mid-December.

Go to the Admissions and Financing page

Moreover, we encourage prospects to attend our upcoming recruitment events or register below to receive the URLs of the Special Area Webinars we conducted over the years.

Registration Link

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Top 15+ Accounting Research Topics For Students In 2023

Accounting is a highly versatile field with numerous applications in the business world. It is also a constantly evolving field, making it a great area for research.

Accounting research helps us better understand how financial systems work and how we can improve them.

It also enables us to make informed decisions in business and our personal lives.

Accounting is a broad subject with numerous research topics and ideas. Selecting the right one can be a difficult task.

This blog will discuss some of the top-rated accounting research topics. To save you from the struggle, we’ve compiled a list of the top accounting research paper topics. These topics are sure to impress your professor.

Table of Contents

Here are the top 15+ accounting research topics for students in 2023:

1. Financial Reporting

Financial reporting is an essential aspect of accounting.

It involves preparing and presenting financial statements that provide useful information to investors, creditors, and other stakeholders.

Financial reporting research focuses on improving the accuracy and reliability of financial statements.

It also examines the impact of financial reporting on the decision-making process of stakeholders.

2. Accounting Ethics

Accounting ethics is an important topic in accounting research.

It examines the ethical issues that arise in accounting practices, such as conflicts of interest, fraud, and ethical decision-making.

Accounting ethics research aims to guide ethical behavior and improve the ethical standards of the accounting profession.

3. Corporate Governance

Corporate governance refers to the processes and structures that govern the behavior of corporations.

Corporate governance research examines the effectiveness of corporate governance mechanisms in promoting transparency, accountability, and ethical behavior.

It also explores ways to improve corporate governance to prevent fraud and other unethical practices.

4. Financial Analysis

Financial analysis is a crucial aspect of accounting research.

It involves analyzing financial data to assess the financial health of companies.

Financial analysis research explores how to improve financial analysis methods, including data analytics and artificial intelligence.

It also examines the impact of financial analysis on decision-making processes.

5. Sustainability Accounting

Sustainability accounting is a relatively new area of accounting research.

It involves accounting for business operations’ social, environmental, and economic impacts.

Sustainability accounting research explores ways to integrate sustainability into accounting practices to improve decision-making and promote sustainable business practices.

6. Cost Accounting

Cost accounting is an essential accounting aspect involving analyzing and managing costs in business operations.

Cost accounting research explores ways to improve cost accounting techniques to enhance decision-making. It also examines the impact of cost accounting on business performance.

7. International Accounting

International accounting involves the application of accounting principles in a global context.

International accounting research explores ways to improve accounting practices to meet the needs of global stakeholders.

It also examines the impact of globalization on accounting practices and the global economy.

8. Financial Statement Analysis

Financial statement analysis is a process that helps a company understand its finances. It involves reviewing a company’s financial statements, including the balance sheet, income statement, cash flow, and notes to accounts.

Creditors, investors, regulatory authorities, and executive management rely on financial statements to make intelligent business decisions. They need to know whether a company is financially sound and can pay back debts when they are due.

Financial statement analysis uses several techniques to help stakeholders make informed decisions about the future of a business. It also considers risks and uncertainties that can affect the information in a company’s financial statements.

9. Financial Planning

Financial Planning is the process of assessing your current financial situation and taking that information to manage your money in a way that allows you to achieve your goals. This can include everything from retirement to estate planning and tax planning.

The key to a successful financial plan is to monitor your progress, compare forecasts with actual results, and make necessary adjustments. This helps you to spot any issues before they become a problem and find smarter growth opportunities.

The traditional approach to business planning has evolved from a largely manual, periodic activity to a more data-driven and connected, increasingly predictive process. It incorporates advanced technologies like machine learning to predict outcomes based on multiple data points, scenarios, and trends.

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Do Not Miss To Check Top 15 Best Accounting Books For Beginners

10. Auditing

Auditing is examining financial statements to ensure that they are accurate and reliable.

Auditing research explores how to improve the audit process, including technology and data analytics. It also examines the impact of auditing on financial reporting and the decision-making process of stakeholders.

It ensures that they comply with the appropriate accounting standards. It also helps identify areas that may have been mishandled or fraudulent.

During an audit, auditors examine a company’s records, including financial reports and other documents, for accuracy, efficiency, and compliance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). They also look for potential fraud risks or other issues that could affect the organization.

The evidence that auditors use during an audit can come from a number of sources, such as legal documents, presentations, or oral interviews with employees. The nature and relevance of this evidence are important factors in determining the effectiveness of an audit.

11. Accounting Theory

Accounting theory is a set of principles that guides accountants in generating, recording, and classifying information. They are also responsible for interpreting and communicating the financial data to readers appropriately.

Sociological and economic environments influence accounting theories. Moreover, they are also influenced by social and political views.

The research explores accounting theory’s origin, growth, and development and its fundamental theoretical concepts. It also discusses theories of Income Determination and diversities in using Accounting Information.

12. Management Accounting

Management accounting is a type of accounting that uses data to help managers make decisions. Unlike financial accounting, management accountants rely on historical trends and future forecasting to determine a business’s best course of action.

Management accounting involves using accounting information to make informed decisions in business operations. Management accounting research explores ways to improve management accounting techniques to enhance decision-making. It also examines the impact of management accounting on business performance.

Management accountants gather and analyze information to help internal managers formulate policies, budgets, and other financial and non-financial information needed to make informed decisions. They also help plan operations, prepare financial forecasts, and analyze business risks and opportunities.

The key difference between managerial and financial accounting is that management accountants provide information based on the needs of the company’s management rather than merely representing it according to GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles). Management accounting produces data intended for internal stakeholders within a company, including shareholders, owners, employees, lenders, and government agencies.

13. Taxation

Taxation is a critical aspect of accounting that affects individuals and businesses alike. Taxation research examines how tax policies impact economic growth and development. It also explores ways to improve tax systems to make them more efficient and effective.

Also, Taxation has been an essential part of human civilization since ancient times. A government taxes its citizens and corporations to raise funds for the services they provide or for the public good.

There are different types of taxes, including corporate and personal income taxes, sales and property taxes, and tariffs. There are also different regulations for each type of tax.

Accountants use tax data to calculate taxable income and determine company tax liabilities. They then convey this information to managers, shareholders, creditors, and regulators.

14. Accounting Information Systems

Accounting information systems are software tools that allow businesses to record, classify, interpret, and present accounting data. They can also be used to monitor a business’s operations and make recommendations for improvement.

An AIS can be as simple as paper and pen, or it can be highly sophisticated with advanced technology. The system’s main goal is to meet the organization’s and its people’s needs.

A major concern with accounting systems is security. They need to be built to protect customer, vendor, and other company information. This can be done through policies and procedures that limit access to specific information by users and through physical access approvals, login requirements, and authorizations.

Another important component of an AIS is storage. This is where the ledgers and reports are stored after the system has processed them. This is usually done through hard disks, flash drives, memory cards, or cloud infrastructure.

15. Inventory Management

Inventory management is a critical aspect of any business that deals with physical goods.

It involves monitoring, controlling, and optimizing inventory levels to ensure that products are available when customers need them while minimizing the costs associated with carrying inventory.

Effective inventory management can help businesses improve their cash flow, reduce waste, and increase customer satisfaction.

There are several key components of inventory management, including forecasting, ordering, receiving, storing, tracking, and analyzing inventory levels.

16. Quality Control

Quality control in accounting refers to the measures taken by accounting firms and professionals to ensure that their work meets the required quality standards.

It is a systematic approach to maintaining high standards of accounting and auditing practices, and it helps to ensure that the financial information reported by an organization is complete and free from material misstatements.

Quality control is essential for maintaining the integrity and credibility of accounting information used by businesses, investors, and other stakeholders to make important decisions.

In conclusion, accounting research is an essential aspect of the accounting profession.

It helps us better understand financial systems and improve decision-making processes.

The topics discussed above are just a few of the many areas of accounting research.

As students, you can contribute to the field by researching and advancing our understanding of accounting.

There are many accounting research topics for students to consider. The most important factor when choosing a topic is the interest and skills of the student.

Online gambling is becoming popular with college students.

Best Ever Topic for Accounting Research Paper

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Digital Commons @ USF > Muma College of Business > School of Accountancy > Theses and Dissertations

Accounting Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2024 2024.

Through the Looking Glass: Overcoming Algorithm Aversion in Accounting , David E. Watson

Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023

The Rise of Text Analysis: Using Machine Learning to Explain the Variation in Going Concern Accuracy , Yimei Zhang

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

Applying the Theory of Planned Behavior to Influence Auditors' Knowledge-Sharing Behavior , Xu Cheng

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

Retail Investors' Perceptions of Financial Disclosures on Social Media: An Experimental Investigation Using Twitter , Neal Michael Snow

Does the Format of Internal Control Disclosures Matter? An Experimental Investigation of Nonprofessional Investor Behavior , Amanuel Fekade Tadesse

Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013

Do Changing Reference Levels affect the Long-Term Effectiveness of Incentive Contracts? , Lee Michael Kersting

Theses/Dissertations from 2010 2010

The Effects of Directional Audit Guidance and Estimation Uncertainty on Auditor Confirmation Bias and Professional Skepticism When Evaluating Fair Value Estimates , Norma R. Montague

Theses/Dissertations from 2009 2009

Mitigating Escalation of Commitment: An Investigation of the Effects of Priming and Decision-Making Setting in Capital Project Continuation Decisions , Ann C. Dzuranin

Understanding and Improving Use-Tax Compliance: A Theory of Planned Behavior Approach , Christopher Robert Jones

Theses/Dissertations from 2008 2008

Detecting Financial Statement Fraud: Three Essays on Fraud Predictors, Multi-Classifier Combination and Fraud Detection Using Data Mining , Johan L. Perols

Performance and Perception: An Experimental Investigation of the Impact of Continuous Reporting and Continuous Assurance on Individual Investors , Anita Reed

The Effect of Multidimensional Information Presentation on the Effectiveness and Efficiency of a Spatial Accounting Judgment , John K. Tan

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Accounting theses and dissertations.

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Human-Interaction-based Information and Managerial Learning from Stock Prices: Evidence from the COVID-19 Pandemic Park, Seyoung ( University of Oregon , 2024-01-10 ) Despite growing evidence managers learn information from stock prices that guide their investment decisions, the forms of information that underlie this learning mechanism are not well understood. This paper explores whether ...
The Effect of SEC Staff Diversity on Investigation Decisions Gabrielsen, Lance ( University of Oregon , 2024-01-09 ) I explore how ethnic and gender diversity at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) affects its investigation decisions. Employing a novel dataset of SEC employees, I find a positive association between SEC office-level ...
Ultimate Beneficial Ownership Disclosure Regulation and the Real effects of Investment: A Cross-Country Analysis Berry, Erica ( University of Oregon , 2023-03-24 ) In this study, I examine whether laws mandating disclosure of ultimate beneficial ownership of entities influence outbound foreign direct investment activities. The secrecy provided by anonymous companies allows the ...
Do Private Tax Disclosures Affect the Quality of Public Financial Reporting? Wu, Juan ( University of Oregon , 2022-10-04 ) This study investigates whether increased private tax disclosures have implications for the quality of public financial reporting in the context of Schedule UTP. In terms of the predictive value of tax reserves, I find ...
Do Financial Analysts Influence Employee Treatment? Evidence from a Natural Experiment Abdulsalam, Khaled ( University of Oregon , 2022-02-18 ) I examine the influence of financial analysts on firms’ treatment of employees. I apply a unique setting by implementing a difference-in-differences design around brokerage mergers as an exogenous shock to analyst coverage. ...
Taxes and the Use of Subjectivity in Executive Bonus Plans Fox, Zackery ( University of Oregon , 2021-09-13 ) In this study, I examine whether taxes influence the design of executive compensation incentives. Recently, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) removed the requirement that bonus plans be tied to objective and verifiable ...
Do Managers Respond to Tax Avoidance Incentives by Investing in the Tax Function? Evidence from Tax Departments Li, Zhongyang (John) ( University of Oregon , 2021-04-27 ) While prior literature examines the role of incentives in motivating top managers to engage in corporate tax avoidance, there is little evidence on the specific actions that managers take in response to these incentives. ...
Are Critics Right About Quarterly Earnings Guidance? An Examination of Quarterly Earnings Guidance and Managerial Myopia Quinto, Claire ( University of Oregon , 2020-09-24 ) I examine the claim that managers who issue quarterly earnings guidance sacrifice long-term value to enhance short-term performance, i.e., that quarterly earnings guidance encourages myopic behavior. I find that quarterly ...
Does the Diversification of Tax Strategies affect Tax Risk? Krieg, Kimberly ( University of Oregon , 2019-09-18 ) I investigate the effect that the number of different tax strategies employed by a public company has on the relation between measures of corporate tax avoidance and measures of risk. Prior studies have generally failed ...
The Interaction of Incentive and Opportunity in Corporate Tax Avoidance: Evidence from Financially Constrained Firms Wu, Kaishu ( University of Oregon , 2018-09-06 ) I hypothesize and find that the variation in corporate tax avoidance is jointly determined by firms’ incentive and opportunities to avoid taxes. Specifically, the positive relation between financial constraints (my proxy ...
Individual Executive Characteristics and Firm Performance: Evidence from CEO Narcissism Perez, Rebeca ( University of Oregon , 2017-09-06 ) Narcissism refers to persistent feelings of grandiosity, a need for admiration, and a lack of empathy (American Psychiatric Association 2013). The literature has found narcissism to be associated with individuals making ...
How does the stock market respond to R&D cuts used to manage earnings? Li, Zhaochu ( University of Oregon , 2016-10-27 ) Prior research shows returns are positive when firms meet or beat analysts’ consensus forecasts but negative when firms miss. Past studies also show managers frequently cut R&D expenses in order to meet the ...
Financial Accounting Standards, Audit Profession Development, and Firm-Level Tax Evasion Williams, Brian ( University of Oregon , 2016-02-23 ) In this study I investigate the relation between (1) country-level financial accounting standards and audit profession development and (2) firm-level tax evasion. I investigate this relation using a confidential dataset ...
Top Management Team Functional Diversity and Management Forecast Accuracy Wang, Shan ( University of Oregon , 2015-08-18 ) Prior literature documents that the diversity of top management team (TMT) functional experiences enhances firm performance through its effect on information processing and sharing between team members. In this study, I ...
Private Litigation as a Regulator of Accounting Standards Cutler, Joshua ( University of Oregon , 2015-08-18 ) I examine the impact of the trend of private class actions targeting alleged violations of generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). I document the specific allegations in GAAP lawsuits and find that allegations ...
Equity Valuation of Modern Master Limited Partnerships Mandell, Aaron ( University of Oregon , 2015-08-18 ) Using a sample of 57 master limited partnerships (MLPs) formed from corporate assets between 1982 and 2011, I examine the share price effects on parent corporations from forming MLPs. Specifically, I compare announcement ...
The Role of Taxes in Foreign Earnings Management: Implications for Pricing of Foreign Earnings Huang, Jingjing ( University of Oregon , 2014-09-29 ) U.S. multinational corporations are well known for shifting income to low tax foreign subsidiaries to avoid U.S. income tax. Yet little is known about how multinational corporations opportunistically use low tax foreign ...
Do Financial Expert Directors Affect the Incidence of Accruals Management to Meet or Beat Analyst Forecasts? Hsu, Pei Hui ( University of Oregon , 2013-10-03 ) Evidence that firms adjust accruals to just meet or beat analyst forecasts is pervasive. However, the implications for earnings quality are not clear. Managers can use this practice either to mislead investors, resulting ...
The Effect of Managerial Reputation on Corporate Tax Avoidance Kim, Jin Wook ( University of Oregon , 2012 ) Prior literature suggests that tax avoidance is an effective way to enhance firm value. However, there appears to be considerable cross-sectional variation in tax avoidance, and it is not clear why some firms do not take ...
Why Do Acquirers Manage Earnings Before Stock-for-Stock Acquisitions? Tran, Nam D. ( University of Oregon , 2011-06 ) In this dissertation, I examine whether high disclosure costs explain why acquirers manage earnings before stock-for-stock acquisitions. Because stock-for-stock acquirers use their own shares to pay for targets' shares, ...

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Finance & Accounting Dissertation Topics

Published by Jamie Walker at January 10th, 2023 , Revised On May 17, 2024

When choosing a topic for your finance and accounting dissertation, you might not be confident of which area to explore. You might be caught up in various topics, such as investment finance, MNCs’ financial practices, ethics in finance, and more.

Your finance dissertation topic should enable you to learn a new subject and intrigue your academic supervisor. Our list of finance and accounting dissertation topics is a perfect combination of both. They provide you with an opportunity to learn and secure good grades.

Our team of PhD qualified writers have spent hours to come up with these topics, so you can trust to use these topics for drafting your dissertation.

Review the step-by-step guide on how to write your own dissertation here.

You may also want to start your dissertation by requesting a brief research proposal from our writers on any of these topics, which includes an introduction to the topic, research question , aim and objectives , literature review along with a proposed methodology of research to be conducted. Let us know if you need any help in getting started.

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Finance and Accounting Research Topics For Research

Topic 1: an investigation of the reasons for the merger's failure outcomes and acquisition of islamic banks in gulf countries..

Research Aim: It is also evident from various studies that most Islamic banks in the Gulf countries, which put their efforts into Mergers and acquisitions with other known and well-established banking sectors, encountered some severe failures. Therefore, this study aims to develop an understanding of failure outcomes for Islamic banks while going towards Merger decisions and acquisitions with other well-known banks in the Gulf countries.

Topic 2: How does the Assets Management Fee Affect the Growth of Finance?

Research Aim: The proposed study aims to scrutinise the impact of asset management fees on the growth of finance. It will study different asset management companies and the role of the assets management fee in their financial expansion or contraction over time. The proposed study will not analyse the impact of assets management fees on the growth of finance, but the model used by the study will try to predict the optimal fee that can help finance to grow. The model will test it for different industries to generalise an optimal fee level.

Topic 3: What is the Impact of Assets Management on the Financial Performance of a Firm? A Panel Data Investigation

Research Aim: The proposed study aims to investigate the impact of asset management on a firm’s financial performance. This study will use a holistic analysis and the panel data model to find the influence of different aspects (variables) of asset management on a firm’s financial performance. After analyzing the impact of these aspects on financial performance, it will recommend ways to maximize financial performance.

Topic 4: Assessing the relationship between Stock Performance and CEO Qualities.

Research Aim: This study examines the relationship between CEO qualities and stock performance. We will analyse this study differently using different approaches and models for CEO qualities. This study will focus on traits related to CEOs. This study will provide useful information to assess the performance of stocks considering CEO succession.

Topic 5: Investigating the impact of 'Green Drive' or Sustainability on Taxation policies- A case study of UK.

Research Aim: The current study will investigate the role of green drive and sustainability on taxation policies in the UK. Furthermore, it will also focus on how the governments have employed green budgeting and tax policies to build massive tax cuts that will assist a green recovery, as well as the interrelated role of taxation policies in decarbonising the environment. This study will examine the relationship between environmental taxes, sustainability, technologies and policies.

COVID-19 Finance and Accounting Research Topics

Topic 1: health finance during covid-19.

Research Aim: The World Health Organisation has provided guidelines to countries on taking necessary actions and adjustments during COVID-19. This study will address the financial decisions and expenditures made during COVID-19 to combat the health crisis.

Topic 2: The IFC (International Finance Corporation) and COVID-19

Research Aim: This study will review the role of the International Finance Corporation during the COVID-19

Topic 3: World Bank and Coronavirus

Research Aim: This study will address the response and role of the World Bank during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Topic 4: Global Accounting considerations related to Coronavirus pandemic

Research Aim: This study will address the global Accounting considerations made during the Coronavirus pandemic

Topic 5: International Accounting Standard Board and COVID-19

Research Aim: This study will address the response and role of the International Accounting Standard Board during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Topic 2: Relationship between the Earning Management and Discretionary Accruals

Research Aim: This research aims to identify a relationship between Earning Management and Discretionary Accruals

Topic 3: Interaction of Corporate Disclosure and Governance

Research Aim: This research aims to focus on the interaction of Corporate Disclosure and Governance

Topic 4: Expected Returns in Finance and Accounting

Research Aim: This research aims to measure the interest rates expected returns in Finance and Accounting

Topic 5: Impacts of Digital Currency on Finance and Accounting

Research Aim: This research aims to evaluate the impacts of digital currency on Finance and Accounting

Topic 6: The intensity of interest rates in Finance and Accounting

Research Aim: This research aims to measure the in Finance and Accounting

Topic 7: How public and market information impacts the fluctuation of share price index: Case study FTSE 250

Research Aim: Public market information is of great significance as it tends to impact prices and shape market trends. This research will be carried out for the purpose of specifically undertaking the role of public and market information on the fluctuation of the share price of companies in FTSE 250 which consists of 101 to 350 top market capitalisation companies.

Topic 8: Analysing the impact of corporate credit rating on banks and financial institution’s lending capacity

Research Aim: Credit ratings impact the reputation of financial institutions. They help in evaluating the credit risk of the prospective debtor. This research will be conducted for the purpose of significantly analysing the impact of a credit rating on the lending capacities of banks and financial institutions.

Topic 9: A critical analysis of the emergence and development of cryptocurrencies and how they impact the current economic activities

Research Aim: Cryptocurrencies have been in the market for quite some time. This research will shed some light on its emergence and evolution to understand the changes and functionality over the years. This research will also analyse the impact of cryptocurrency on current economic activities in the West.

Topic 10: Analysing the factors affecting FDI in China and how it impacts the economic development of the country

Research Aim: China’s large population size, fast-growing economy, membership of the World Trade Organization, government incentives, low labour cost, and attractive return are some of the major determinants of FDI in China. This research will study these factors in the context of the country’s economic development.

Topic 11: How IAS has helped organisations in presenting quality reports.

Research Aim: In the present times, financial reports are of great significance to the stakeholders. Hence, it is important for organisations formulating and publishing reports to follow a standard approach in order to ensure quality and efficiency. IAS has set out accounting guidelines since 2001. This research will analyse the role of IAS in ensuring the quality of reports.

Topic 12: The role of modern accounting in the economic development of emerging countries.

Research Aim: This research will study modern accounting methods and how they impact the economies of developing countries. Modern-day accounting methods are different as compared to traditional methods. Thus, this research will talk about the techniques utilised today and how they help uplift economies.

Topic 13: Evaluating the use of accounting software and how they have impacted businesses.

Research Aim: Accounting software is in use in almost all companies. Even large multinational firms now use accounting software. This research will focus on evaluating modern-day accounting software and its performance. Furthermore, the research will discuss their role in the success of companies and whether or not businesses have benefitted from them.

Topic 14: Assessing the impact of international risk exposure on UK banks’ financial performance.

Research Aim: This research will understand the various international risk exposures to the financial performance of UK banks. The study will be based on a mixed research method, thus presenting statistics and figures and discussing the UK banks’ financial performance.

Topic 15: Studying the impact of Brexit on the UK financial industry.

Research Aim: Brexit is the talk of the hour. A lot of businesses and companies and the UK economy are said to be impacted. This research will assess the impact of Brexit on the UK Financial industry and will conclude with its effects and suggest how the UK government can work to overcome these.

Topic 16: Cryptocurrencies: market analysis and perspectives

Research Aim: The rise of cryptocurrencies’ value on the market and their growing popularity around the world open a number of challenges and concerns for business and industrial economics. Using the lenses of both neoclassical and behavioural theories, this research discusses the main trends in academic research related to cryptocurrencies and highlights the contributions of the selected works to the literature.

Microfinance Dissertation Topics

Microfinance is gaining popularity in today’s world. Microfinance looks after the interest of low-income individuals and provides support to their small businesses by providing financial assistance or services. These individuals are allowed to lift themselves out of poverty and move towards a better future.

In recent years, a considerable number of efforts have been made worldwide to gain acknowledgement for microfinance in the eyes of the corporate and banking sector. Studying microfinance provides us with an opportunity to understand the issues and problems related to low-income individuals.

Choosing this sub-area for your final project will help you learn in detail about microfinance. Here are some interesting microfinance dissertation topics:

Topic 1: Discussing the rapid pacing and fast-growing popularity of microfinance on an international platform

Research Aim: This research will first talk about the basics of microfinance, i.e. what it is, to whom it relates and how it helps people and businesses worldwide. Then, it will move forward and discuss its emergence in today’s modern world.

Topic 2: An analysis of the role and trend of microfinance in the UK banking sector

Research Aim: This research will analyse in-depth the role and trend of microfinance in the UK banking sector.

Topic 3: Exploring the constraints faced by the UK in establishing the Microfinance market and how it Impacts businesses

Research Aim: This research will understand the United Kingdom’s issues in setting up microfinance markets and how it affects businesses.

Topic 4: A UK-based discussion and critique on demand for collective investment schemes

Research Aim: This research will talk about the UK’s collective investment schemes and their needs.

Topic 5: Assessing the trend of Microfinance in the developing world and its impacts

Research Aim: This research will assess the Microfinance trend in the developing world and how it affects the general public.

Topic 6: Linking credit accessibility and financial amenities to development and growth: A debate

Research Aim: This research will debate the credit accessibility and financial amenities to growth and development. The study will conclude as to how far it has helped economies.

Topic 7: Analysis of the need for public and private sector partnerships for promoting Microfinance

Research Aim: This research will explore how private and public sector partnerships can help promote Microfinance and why countries should focus on this partnership.

Topic 8: A eurozone-based study on the accessibility of financial services like Microfinance to low-income individuals.

Research Aim: This research will explore the accessibility of financial services like Microfinance to low-income individuals and what measures have been taken to ensure small businesses and deserving individuals can take advantage of microfinance schemes.

Topic 9: This research will study the accessibility of financial services like Microfinance to low-income individuals in the EU.A comparison between Asia and Europe based on financial innovation ideas and capacity

Research Aim: This research will compare and contrast Asia and Europe based on the ideas of financial innovation and capacity.

Topic 10: A financial feasibility study of certain products available in the native market

Research Aim: This research will understand a few products’ financial feasibilities in the native markets.

How Can ResearchProspect Help?

ResearchProspect writers can send several custom topic ideas to your email address. Once you have chosen a topic that suits your needs and interests, you can order for our dissertation outline service which will include a brief introduction to the topic, research questions , literature review , methodology , expected results , and conclusion . The dissertation outline will enable you to review the quality of our work before placing the order for our full dissertation writing service!

Retail and Commercial Banking Dissertation Topics

Retail banking offers financial services to individuals instead of companies or organisations. At the same time, commercial banking focuses on providing services to corporations and large businesses. In today’s world, the popularity and significance of retail and commercial banking are declining.

However, it still holds importance for the banking sector as these two types of banking are popular worldwide. Thus, exploring this sub-area of banking will help us understand how retail and commercial banking work, their issues, and how they benefit people. Some dissertation topics in this area are given below:

Topic 1: Assessing the role of Commercial Banking in the European banking system and its impact on Retail Banking.

Research Aim: This research will discuss Commercial Banking’s role in the European banking system and study how Commercial Banking impacts Retail Banking.

Topic 2: Exploring the present trends in the management of assets and liabilities. A Case Study of the UK banking sector.

Research Aim: This research will assess asset-liability management trends in the UK banking sector.

Topic 3: A discussion on the approaches for managing assets and liabilities in the world of Commercial Banking.

Research Aim: This research will understand the various approaches that are undertaken for managing asset liability in Commercial Banking.

Topic 4: A critical analysis of the role of Retail Banking in providing financial assistance to rural development in the UK.

Research Aim: This research will discuss the role of retail banking in offering financial assistance to develop rural areas in the UK.

Topic 5: Assessing the growth and progress of Commercial Banking over time and how it has impacted the economies

Research Aim: This research will discuss Commercial Banking’s growth and progress in the past few years and how this growth has impacted economies.

Topic 6: Commercial Banking: Studying how efficient and successful it has been for the economies

Research Aim: This research will study Commercial Banking’s efficacy and success and how it has helped economies grow and emerge.

Topic 7: Analysing the factors impacting the profitability of commercial banks.

Research Aim: This research will discuss in-depth the factors that impact commercial banks’ revenue generation process.

Topic 8: Studying the role of commercial banks in the growth of economies

Research Aim: This research will investigate how commercial banks have helped economies grow.

Topic 9: Comparative analysis of the top five commercial banks in the UK.

Research Aim: This research will compare five commercial banks operating in the UK. This research topic can be customised to a choice of your five commercial banks.

Topic 10: Commercial or retail banking? An in-depth analysis of the European banking system.

Research Aim: This research will compare and analyse two popular types of banking – retail and commercial. The study will discuss how they have grown and emerged successful in the European system.

Financing in Emerging Market Dissertation Topics

The term ‘emerging market’ is used for countries that have the potential to emerge as developed markets in the future. These countries have certain features and qualities of a developed market and, therefore, have a full chance of becoming one.

For example, countries like India, Russia, and China are examples of how quickly countries can grow and become developed nations. Considering the growth and market of these emerging markets, different organisations worldwide are trying to establish or expand their business.

Thus, exploring these countries’ financial sectors will help us understand how the markets evolve and what emerging nations hold for the financial industry. Here are some interesting dissertation topics in this area:

Topic 1: Do the organisations find emerging markets cheap to establish their business?

Research Aim: This research will discuss whether all the factors make emerging nations a cheap and desirable choice for businesses.

Topic 2: An analysis of the outlook and expectations of UK investors from emerging markets

Research Aim: This research will discuss UK investors’ expectations from the emerging markets.

Topic 3: Analysing how Investment Banking has evolved and can be applied in emerging markets

Research Aim: This research will analyse how Investment Banking has grown over time and its role in emerging markets.

Topic 4: Critical analysis of banking system in emerging markets: Financial consultancy

Research Aim: This research will present a critical analysis of the emerging markets’ banking sector.

Topic 5: Analysing the trend of Direct Foreign Investment in Asian countries and its effect on their economy

Research Aim: This research will explore FDI trends in the Asian region and study their impact on the economy.

Topic 6: Analysing the factors that Impact FDI in China and how it impacts the economic development of the country

Research Aim: This research will study the factors impacting FDI in China and how it affects the country’s economic development.

Topic 7: Issues in the Banking Sector – A Case Study of India

Research Aim: This research will assess the Indian banking sector’s issues and how they can be resolved.

Topic 8: The role played by Microfinance in the growth of emerging economies

Research Aim: This research will analyse how microfinance has helped developing nations become developed nations.

Topic 9: Studying the challenges faced by financial institutions in emerging markets

Research Aim: This research will study and analyse the challenges and issues faced by financial institutions operating in emerging markets.

Topic 10: Factors contributing to financial stability in the banking system: A case study of Russia

Research Aim: This research will study the factors that contribute to the Russian banking system’s success and stability.

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Alternative Investment Dissertation Topics

The financial instability of the markets has forced investors to move towards alternative investments. They now prefer offshore investment funds or mutual funds. These investment methods help investors earn more than traditional investment instruments.

Thus, exploring these instruments and tools will help us understand these tools’ various benefits and how they work. Here are some interesting topics to understand alternative investment:

Topic 1: Studying the evolution and growth of hedge funds and their impact on the investment market of the United Kingdom.

Research Aim: This research will aim to explore the growth of hedge funds and how they affect the UK’s investment market.

Topic 2: A Study of the popular trends in mutual and index funds.

Research Aim: This research will explore the popularity and trends of mutual and index funds.

Topic 3: Can regulatory involvement and implementation control alternative investments: An Analysis?

Research Aim: This research will discuss the regulatory involvement and explore the various alternative investments to discuss if they impact the investment instruments.

Topic 4: An analysis of mutual funds benefits: comparison between its investment and returns.

Research Aim: This research will compare and analyse mutual funds based on their benefits, investment requirements and returns.

Important Notes

As a finance and accounting student looking to get good grades, it is essential to develop new ideas and experiment with existing finance and accounting theories – i.e., to add value and interest to your research topic.

The finance and accounting field is vast and interrelated to many other academic disciplines like civil engineering , construction , law , engineering management , healthcare , mental health , artificial intelligence , tourism , physiotherapy , sociology , management , project management , and nursing . That is why it is imperative to create a project management dissertation topic that is particular and sound and actually solves a practical problem that may be rampant in the field.

We can’t stress how important it is to develop a logical research topic based on your entire research. There are several significant downfalls to getting your topic wrong: your supervisor may not be interested in working on it, the topic has no academic creditability, the research may not make logical sense, and there is a possibility that the study is not viable.

This impacts your time and efforts in writing your dissertation as you may end up in a cycle of rejection at the initial stage of the dissertation. That is why we recommend reviewing existing research to develop a topic, taking advice from your supervisor, and even asking for help in this particular stage of your dissertation.

Keeping our advice in mind while developing a research topic will allow you to pick one of the best finance and accounting dissertation topics that fulfil your requirement of writing a research paper and add to the body of knowledge.

Therefore, it is recommended that when finalising your dissertation topic, you read recently published literature to identify gaps in the research that you may help fill.

Remember- dissertation topics need to be unique, solve an identified problem, be logical, and be practically implemented. Please look at some of our sample finance and accounting dissertation topics to get an idea for your own dissertation.

How to Structure your Finance and Accounting Dissertation

A well-structured dissertation can help students to achieve a high overall academic grade.

A Title Page
Acknowledgements
Declaration
Abstract: A summary of the research completed
Table of Contents
Introduction : This chapter includes the project rationale, research background, key research aims and objectives, and the research problems. An outline of the structure of a dissertation can also be added to this chapter.
Literature Review : This chapter presents relevant theories and frameworks by analysing published and unpublished literature on the chosen research topic to address research questions . The purpose is to highlight and discuss the selected research area’s relative weaknesses and strengths while identifying any research gaps. Break down the topic and key terms that can positively impact your dissertation and your tutor.
Methodology: The data collection and analysis methods and techniques employed by the researcher are presented in the Methodology chapter, which usually includes research design, research philosophy, research limitations, code of conduct, ethical consideration, data collection methods and data analysis strategy .
Findings and Analysis: The research findings are analyzed in detail in the Findings and Analysis chapter. This chapter outlines all key findings/results without interpreting the data or drawing any conclusions. It can be useful to include graphs, charts, and tables in this chapter to identify meaningful trends and relationships.
Discussion and Conclusion: The researcher presents his interpretation of the results in this chapter and states whether the research hypothesis has been verified or not. An essential aspect of this section is establishing the link between the results and evidence from the literature. Recommendations with regard to the implications of the findings and directions for the future may also be provided. Finally, a summary of the overall research, along with final judgments, opinions, and comments, must be included in the form of suggestions for improvement.
References: Make sure to complete this following your University’s requirements
Bibliography
Appendices: Any additional information, diagrams, and graphs used to complete the dissertation but not part of the dissertation should be included in the Appendices chapter. Essentially, the purpose is to expand the information/data.

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What the History of Boston’s Harbor Can Teach Us about Its Uncertain Future

Rising tides threaten boston’s waterfront, but bu phd candidate genna kane says the city has a history of adaptation and resilience.

Photo: A picture of a woman with curly brown hair wearing a blue sweater and floral shirt smiling and posing in front of the Boston harbor.

Andrew Thurston

Cydney scott.

The Great Molasses Flood is one of history’s unlikeliest disasters. On Wednesday, January 15, 1919, a giant wave of sticky, sweet syrup ripped through the streets of Boston at 35 mph, destroying buildings, throwing vehicles, drowning animals, and killing 21 people and injuring 150.

The wave started on the edge of Boston Harbor, when a massive molasses storage tank—58 feet tall and 98 feet in diameter—burst.

“It’s sometimes regarded like a joke or punchline, or a one-off tragedy,” says Boston University historian Genna Kane.

But she views the flood as more than a gooey quirk in the history books. A PhD candidate in BU’s American & New England Studies Program, Kane (GRS’27) is researching the history of the waterfront for her dissertation and has come to see the tragedy as an important moment in Boston Harbor’s past, emblematic of its shift from a shipping hub to a base for industry. And, she says, its aftermath symbolizes the waterfront’s resiliency and ability to rebuild and adapt—traits the city may need to draw on again to take on future climate change–fueled disasters, like the rising tides that threaten to inundate coastal neighborhoods.

Photo: A black and white archive picture of the damage caused by the Great Molasses Flood in 1919.

“Even though the explosion was not a ‘natural’ disaster in the way we would think of hurricanes, tornadoes, etc., it caused horrific and unexpected damage to the North End’s infrastructure and built environment,” says Kane. “And the immediate recovery involved reconstruction in ways similar to other environmental disasters.”

In spring 2025, she’ll teach a course on the environmental history of Boston from the 19th century to the present day—and she will lead with the story of the Great Molasses Flood. “I’m using it in the course as an entry point to illustrate the environmental changes—in terms of the waterfront’s landscape, buildings, and overall use—that caused this disaster to happen, but also how the city recovered from that,” she says.

Kane’s research traces the journey of Boston’s waterfront from its early days as a busy mercantile harbor, through its decades as an industrial center, to its present as a magnet for tourists, high-end housing, and biotech firms. She’s also surveying how the city made itself so vulnerable to sea level changes. Kane’s work was given a boost this spring when she won an Alice Ross Carey Fellowship , which comes with funding and access to the University of California, Berkeley’s Environmental Design Archives .

“I love Boston and, like many residents, I’m very worried about what’s going to happen as climate change continues to impact us—I want to know the roots of this,” says Kane. “I like to think of history as looking to the past for explanation for why we are the way we are. And that can help us better understand what we’re dealing with.”

How Paul Revere Sparked a Revolution—and a Dissertation

Kane grew up deep in rural New Hampshire, but she became fascinated by Boston Harbor’s starring role in the city’s history thanks to one man: Paul Revere.

In 1770, Revere moved his growing family into a two-story wooden house at the heart of Boston’s North End neighborhood. In just five years, the silversmith (and sometime dentist) would gallop from the home and into the history books: his midnight ride to warn his fellow patriots that the British were coming made him an icon of the American Revolution.

Photo: An archive picture of the Paul Revere House in Boston

Today, Revere’s former home is a National Historic Landmark, with lively museum interpreters spinning historical tales to tourists eager to touch the past. Before starting graduate school, Kane was one of those guides, and she would often find herself answering the same questions: Why did Revere choose to live in the North End? Why was he picked to make that famous ride?

“I found that pretty much every question I was answering led back to the waterfront,” says Kane, who recently won a BU Center for the Humanities internship award that she’ll use to advise a Concord Museum exhibition on the revolution. “Paul Revere had a lot of different businesses and his silversmithing shop was located on Clark’s Wharf [at the tip of the North End]. That’s because the engine of Boston’s growth was the waterfront—anytime someone wanted to sell something, transport it, import any good, the waterfront is the way they would do it.” Even Revere’s dash to Concord relied on access to the water: the former artillery lieutenant rushed from his home “to the North part of the Town, Where I had kept a Boat,” so he could cross the Charles River.

The waterfront is a very clear way to see what drove Boston’s economic and political growth, but also what Boston has struggled with. The harbor is what defines Boston in a lot of ways. Genna Kane

Kane’s time as a museum guide—she also had stints at the Old North Church and John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site—inspired her to learn even more about Boston’s past. “Those jobs were really why I wanted to pursue graduate education and history,” she says. And all those questions that led back to the waterfront—plus her own interest in environmental issues—helped inspire her dissertation’s focus. “The waterfront is a very clear way to see what drove Boston’s economic and political growth, but also what Boston has struggled with. The harbor is what defines Boston in a lot of ways.”

From Industry to Tourism to Biotech

Kane’s doctoral research starts with a period about 80 years after Revere moved—and when Boston’s position as a maritime power was foundering and its city leaders were scrambling for new ways to spark growth.

“They were worried the infrastructure in Boston would not provide economic opportunities,” says Kane. “So, they built Atlantic Avenue to facilitate railroad access. All of a sudden, there was this massive road that segmented the waterfront from the rest of the city.” It still does: anyone wanting to make it from downtown to the water today needs to cross four lanes of Atlantic Avenue traffic.

Over the late 19th and early 20th centuries, rail links attracted disparate industries—cold storage facilities, power plants, a molasses distiller—to the newly dislocated waterfront. But almost all of them had one thing in common: they required coal. And that became a lynchpin in Boston’s economy, says Kane.

“When Boston was struggling to find a productive export and bring in a lot of maritime traffic, one thing that was very prolific and profitable was coal,” she says. “I’m arguing that the waterfront is a major part of our current dependence on fossil fuels. If we look at the spaces that are now most threatened by climate change, they were once the major infrastructure for facilitating fossil economies, which ultimately results in the current situation we have with global warming and climate change.”

I’m arguing that the waterfront is a major part of our current dependence on fossil fuels. If we look at the spaces that are now most threatened by climate change, they were once the major infrastructure for facilitating fossil economies. Genna Kane

As those industries faded after World War II, Boston’s waterfront became a mixture of crumbling warehouses and sprawling parking lots. In the 1960s and ’70s, Boston’s leaders made another play at reinvention, turning their focus to the tourist industry—revamping Quincy Market, building the New England Aquarium. Today, hospitality is a major part of the city’s economy, but the waterfront is also going through another renewal, too, with neglected buildings and railroad lots being transformed into sleek offices for tech and biotech companies.

It’s a history Kane is compiling through archives and architectural plans, as well as by talking to city planners and other experts about how Boston and its people have shaped their waterfront—and how it has shaped them.

Photo: A black and white aerial view of Boston's Long Wharf from the 1940s.

“Other folks have either looked at different parts of the harbor or certain areas—the made land or certain architectural projects—but very few have tried to look at the entire waterfront as a whole,” says Kane, who will spend part of the summer as a Charles River Watershed Association development intern, where she’ll help with climate resiliency education and outreach. “The waterfront answers many questions about what makes Boston tick.” She hopes her research shines a particular light on the Bostonians impacted by generations of changes to the waterfront—the laborers toiling in industry, the working-class residents affected by pollution.

Rising Tides

The water lapping serenely at Boston’s harbor walls shaped the city’s past—but could swamp its future.

According to figures shared by the state , by 2030 Massachusetts could face a sea level rise of up to 1.1 feet over 2000 levels; by 2070, the rise could be as high as 4.2 feet. At that point, a kayak rather than a car will be needed to negotiate Boston’s waterfront neighborhoods, particularly the burgeoning Seaport District , built on former industrial land.

Photo: A picture of Boston's Seaport district. There are modern, glass skyscrapers in front of the Boston harbor

“In the early 2000s, the Seaport District was mostly parking lots, and Boston was looking for a new industry, a new driving source of economic growth—and that was the tech industry, especially biotech by the 2010s,” says Kane. “If you needed to build in downtown Boston, wouldn’t you want to build in an area with relatively little development? It made sense at the time.”

It may make less sense in 2070, but if the future looks uncertain for Boston’s waterfront, perhaps the past can bring some hope. After all, says Kane, the infamous dirty water of the industrial-era harbor is mostly swimmable today. “The cleanup of the harbor in the 1980s and ’90s is a massive environmental success story,” she says.

Reinvention after reinvention, Boston’s waterfront persists. And though she’s in the early stages of her dissertation, Kane says her findings already highlight the tenacious spirit of Boston and its residents.

“The past doesn’t necessarily dictate the future,” she says, “but it’s a way to say, ‘We’ve done this before, we can do it again.’”

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Photo of Andrew Thurston, a white man with black glasses. He smiles and wears a maroon polo shirt.

Andrew Thurston is originally from England, but has grown to appreciate the serial comma and the Red Sox, while keeping his accent (mostly) and love of West Ham United. He joined BU in 2007, and is the editor of the University’s research news site, The Brink ; he was formerly director of alumni publications. Before joining BU, he edited consumer and business magazines, including for corporations, nonprofits, and the UK government. His work has won awards from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, the In-House Agency Forum, Folio: , and the British Association of Communicators in Business. Andrew has a bachelor’s degree in English and related literature from the University of York. Profile

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The Graduation Part II: Graduate School Graduation Rates

This paper documents several facts about graduate program graduation rates using administrative data covering public and nonprofit graduate students in Texas. Despite conventional wisdom that most graduate students complete their programs, only 58 percent of who started their program in 2004 graduated within 6 years. Between the 2004 and 2013 entering cohorts, graduate student completion rates grew by 10 percentage points. Graduation rates vary widely by field of study--ranging from an average of 81 percent for law programs to 53 percent for education programs. We also find large differences in graduation rates across institutions. On average, 72 percent of students who entered programs in flagship public universities graduated in 6 years compared to only 57 percent of those who entered programs in non-research intensive (non-R1) institutions. Graduate students who do not complete may face negative consequences due to lower average earnings and substantial levels of student debt.

The conclusions of this research do not necessarily reflect the opinion or official position of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the Texas Workforce Commission, the State of Texas, or the National Bureau of Economic Research. This work was generously funded by Arnold Ventures.

MARC RIS BibTeΧ

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Ph.D. Accounting Research Topics
We conduct research in a number of accounting areas: Financial accounting, focusing on the link between accounting information and capital markets. Auditing, focusing on the audit function, which sits between the accounting information produced by the firm and capital markets. Managerial accounting, focusing on the link between accounting ...
Accounting
Accounting. 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.
PhD in Accounting
Accounting. 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 ...
600 Accounting and Finance Thesis Topics
Taxation Thesis Topics. 1. Accounting Thesis Topics. The impact of artificial intelligence on financial reporting and compliance. Blockchain technology in accounting: disrupting traditional processes. The role of ethical leadership in promoting sustainable accounting practices.
Accounting PhD
Managerial accounting research topics include optimal employee compensation and governance, using information for efficiency management, motivating creativity, etc. ... Both U.S. News & World Report and Public Accounting Report rank the Texas McCombs Accounting PhD program number one in the nation, reflecting the program's diversity and ...
120+ Research Topics In Finance (+ Free Webinar)
This list explores various research topic ideas related to financial planning, focusing on the effects of financial literacy, the adoption of digital tools, taxation policies, and the role of financial advisors. Evaluating the impact of financial literacy on individual financial planning effectiveness.
Accounting
Accounting. PhD Coordinator: Todd Kravet [email protected]. The Ph.D. program in Accounting is designed to engage students in top quality scholarly research and to take faculty positions at leading universities upon graduation. The curriculum focuses on economics-based, empirical research in accounting, with particular emphasis on capital ...
Accounting
The accounting doctoral courses give students the opportunity to tap into recent faculty research and expertise on a wide range of topics that are of particular interest to accounting academics, practitioners, and standard-setters. Accounting Faculty. Accounting Overview. Accounting Graduates. Example Thesis Topics. Additional Information about ...
Accounting & Management
The doctoral program in Accounting and Management, which falls under the PhD in Business Administration, focuses on understanding the role of information and measurement systems for: allocating resources among firms in the economy and between departments or divisions of individual firms; rewarding and monitoring the performance of managers; formulating, executing and evaluating strategy by ...
Accounting PhD Specialization
Accounting is an interdisciplinary area, combining study of financial information with areas such as economics, finance, decision theory, and cognitive psychology. The Ph.D. curriculum in accounting encompasses two major streams of research. The first stream examines the role of accounting information in contracting and capital markets.
Accounting Ph.D. Program
The main goal of the accounting doctoral program is to train students to do high-quality research, and become influential scholars in top academic institutions. The accounting group has world-class senior faculty and young, talented scholars with considerable expertise in the above topics and a vibrant research environment.
Research areas/Topics for PhD candidate in Accounting and Finance
Topics in accounting and finance for PhD research can be challenging, if not crafted carefully. It is better to be abreast of new trends in accounting and finance as a means of proffering solution ...
Accounting
Accounting PhD Faculty. Ross accounting faculty include some of the world's foremost business thinkers and innovative practitioners who focus on issues of importance to the accounting and business communities. Recent research topics include the impact of accounting information on capital markets, and the behavior of decision-makers within firms.
Accounting PhD Research
The key substantive areas are managerial accounting, financial accounting, auditing and tax. The common source disciplines are economics, finance, management and psychology. The typical research methods are analytical modeling, archival data analysis and experimental data analysis. Our faculty and students have sustained a proven track record ...
PhD Course Descriptions
ACCT9300 - Empirical Design in Accounting Research (Course Syllabus) This is an empirical research design course covering topics related to empirical methodology, causal inference, econometric analysis, and panel data approaches. At least one graduate level course in econometrics is recommended.
PhD/MPhil/MSc Accounting (Research)
The PhD programme in Accounting will facilitate the creation and interpretation of new knowledge by the research student, demonstrated through the thesis. The programme comprises a short taught component followed by a longer research phase. Taught modules allow the students to broaden, as well as deepen, their knowledge of research methods at ...
150 Accounting Research Topics for College In 2023
Here are forensic accounting research paper topics you can use if you are interested in this booming segment: Methods for identifying instances of money laundering. The government's right to search private accounts. The use of tax records to report possible crimes. Class action litigation cases in the United States.
PhD in Accounting
Research topics for the PhD in Accounting include, but are not limited to, audit quality, management control, investor decision-making, accounting information systems, information technology controls, tax, and corporate governance. Scholarship in the Department of Accounting has several areas of focus. Archival and database research, for ...
PhD in Accounting and Control
Accounting and Control - PhD Specialisation. Accounting and Control research seeks to identify and understand the market and institutional forces that affect the production and use of information by organisations broadly defined to include people, firms, not-for-profit entities, government agencies, etc. Research topics typically fall into two ...
Top 15+ Accounting Research Topics For Students In 2023
Table of Contents. Here are the top 15+ accounting research topics for students in 2023: 1. Financial Reporting. Financial reporting is an essential aspect of accounting. It involves preparing and presenting financial statements that provide useful information to investors, creditors, and other stakeholders.
Accounting Theses and Dissertations
Theses/Dissertations from 2009. PDF. Mitigating Escalation of Commitment: An Investigation of the Effects of Priming and Decision-Making Setting in Capital Project Continuation Decisions, Ann C. Dzuranin. PDF. Understanding and Improving Use-Tax Compliance: A Theory of Planned Behavior Approach, Christopher Robert Jones.
Accounting Theses and Dissertations
Financial Accounting Standards, Audit Profession Development, and Firm-Level Tax Evasion. Williams, Brian (University of Oregon, 2016-02-23) In this study I investigate the relation between (1) country-level financial accounting standards and audit profession development and (2) firm-level tax evasion.
Finance & Accounting Dissertation Topics
More Finance and Accounting Dissertation Topics. Topic 1: AUDITOR'S job with the clients and third-party. Topic 2: Relationship between the Earning Management and Discretionary Accruals. Topic 3: Interaction of Corporate Disclosure and Governance.
An overview of thesis studies in accounting ethics
This research describes the status of accounting ethics course in accounting undergraduate program curriculum in Indonesia, which is based on the data available from the National Accreditation ...
What the History of Boston's Harbor Can Teach Us about Its Uncertain
A PhD candidate in BU's American & New England Studies Program, Kane (GRS'27) is researching the history of the waterfront for her dissertation and has come to see the tragedy as an important moment in Boston Harbor's past, emblematic of its shift from a shipping hub to a base for industry.
The Graduation Part II: Graduate School Graduation Rates
This paper documents several facts about graduate program graduation rates using administrative data covering public and nonprofit graduate students in Texas. Despite conventional wisdom that most graduate students complete their programs, only 58 percent of who started their program in 2004 graduated within 6 years.
Shannon Rose, PhD
Established in 1911, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center aims to improve human health through education, research, clinical care and public service. The UT Health Science Center campuses include colleges of Dentistry, Graduate Health Sciences, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy. Patient care, professional education and research are carried out at hospitals and ...
ED ED-GRANTS-042424-003: 2024 Graduate ...
The GAANN Program provides grants to academic departments and programs of institutions of higher education (IHEs) to support graduate fellowships for students with excellent academic records in their previous programs of study who demonstrate financial need and plan to pursue the highest degree available in their course of study at the institution.