Accounting, PhD
Make a Transformational Contribution to Academia and Business
- AACSB-accredited
- On-campus format
- Follows Pathways Commission Guidelines
Our Doctor of Philosophy in accounting is a rigorous research degree designed to provide experienced professionals with the advanced skills and credentials required to secure and succeed in full-time, tenure-track faculty positions at accredited institutions. This program offers a concentration in accounting and is delivered through on-campus residency requirements you can fulfill while maintaining your current position. You will understand the global environment of academia and demonstrate advanced applied research, communication, and teaching skills. You will be poised to make a transformational contribution to both academia and business.
What Makes Our Program Unique?
Curriculum built on best practices. Our program curriculum was designed to incorporate the recommendations and guidelines for executive doctorate programs provided by the Pathways Commission (a joint initiative of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the American Accounting Association) and our accrediting body, the AACSB.
Faculty committed to your success. Our distinguished faculty provide extensive one-on-one mentoring and support. This mentoring is designed to enable each student to make a successful career transition from practice into academia. Our program offers small cohort sizes (10 students or less, compared to the typical 15 - 25). This small cohort size ensures that each student receives the attention necessary for achieving the program’s mission and student learning outcomes.
Learn More Today
- Duration 3 years
- Cost per Credit $2,075
- Credit Hours 53
Program Benefits
- On-campus residencies two to four weekends per semester allow students to maintain their current positions.
- Small cohort sizes ensure individual attention and mentoring for each student’s development and research.
- Students have the chance to present at conferences and submit manuscripts to academic journals as part of the curriculum.
- Curriculum is enhanced by faculty-supervised practicum and internship experiences.
Make the Jump from Practice to the Classroom
Accounting professors prepare the next generation of business professionals shortly before they enter the workforce. When you graduate with your doctorate in accounting from Scranton, you will have the knowledge and skills you need to become a tenure-track professor for a college or university.
Part of our award-winning accounting programs, our Ph.D program is nationally accredited by the AACSB and incorporates the recommendations and guidelines for executive doctoral programs provided by the Pathways Commission. Our award-winning staff foster a learning environment to transition practitioners into academic leaders, using their experience to guide students.
Career Outlook: Meet the Urgent Need for Accounting Faculty
A shortage of accounting faculty in the United States has been a serious concern for academicians, policymakers, and the accounting profession itself. The shortage has actually been intensifying over the years and is projected to reach crisis levels in the coming years.1
Our doctoral program instills a foundation on sound business research and accounting instruction to ensure success when graduates enter their career as a professor. This foundation, bolstered by Ignatian principles, forms a graduate ready for any accounting role in academia.
Curriculum: Coursework that Prepares You for Professional Practice
The program has a 53-credit curriculum divided into three phases: 21 credits of foundational principles, 20 credits of intermediate and advanced outcomes and 12 hours of dissertation research and defense. The program includes a comprehensive exam after the second year of the program to diagnose learning outcomes from the first four terms.
Coursework includes a required conference presentation and manuscript submission to a recognized and approved journal for publication consideration prior to completion of the program and required public defense of an original and practice-relevant research proposal and dissertation. Transitional courses in Teaching & Pedagogy and Academic Governance are also required.
Admissions Requirements
To apply for an Ph.D. in accounting, you’ll need:| Normally, 5-10 years of meaningful practice experience |
| A master’s degree in business with a minimum 3.5 grade-point average |
| Normally, a recognized professional accounting certification (i.e. Certified Public Accountant, Certified Management Accountant, Certified Internal Auditor, Certified Fraud Examiner) |
| Statement of intent |
| Two professional letters of recommendation |
| Research proposal (This proposal and instructions will be required after your initial application is reviewed.) |
Tuition Details
This program consists of 53 credit hours and costs $2,075 per credit hour.
We strive to provide you with an affordable, high-quality education. Scranton is ranked a Best Value School among Regional Universities in the North by U.S. News & World Report for 2024.
Financial Aid
Financial aid options are available to help you pay for your education. A personal financial aid counselor will assist you in identifying and taking full advantage of all opportunities.
FINANCIAL AID DETAILSProgram Outcomes:
Upon completing your doctorate, you will:Possess the advanced skills and credentials required to succeed in full-time, tenure-track faculty positions at accredited institutions. |
Be able to produce advanced-practice relevant research that is grounded in the ethical foundation of the University’s Ignatian identity and advances the accounting literature |
Understand the global environment of academia and demonstrate advanced research, communication and teaching skills. |
Demonstrate an understanding of relevant pedagogies including course objectives, student learning outcomes, assessment, course management and proficiency in teaching. |
Possess a high level of expertise within your area of specialization. |
Utilize appropriate research methods to create, investigate and test constructs, hypotheses and models. |
Faculty: Training the Next Generation of Tenured Professors
Program faculty will support student transition from members of the practice community into academia. Faculty members bring extensive senior role experience in auditing, accounting, finance, operations, and general management to the classroom, preparing students for success in their future endeavors.
Our faculty have received numerous distinguished Lybrand Research Medals and Certificates as well as PICPA Educator of the Year Awards, while others have been named to national task forces.
Sources:
- Plumlee, R. D., S. J. Kachelmeier, S. A. Madeo, J. H. Pratt, and G. Krull. 2006. Assessing the shortage of accounting faculty. Issues in Accounting Education 21 (2): 113–125; Advisory Committee on the Auditing Profession (ACAP). 2008. Final Report. Washington, DC: Department of Treasury. Pathways Commission Task Force. 2014. An Examination of Non-Traditional Doctoral Education. Sarasota, FL: American Accounting Association and AICPA.; Plumlee, R. D., and P. Reckers. 2014. Lessons not learned: Why is there still a crisis-level shortage of accounting Ph.D.s? Accounting Horizons, 28 (2): 313–330