Accounting PhD

Doctoral Program

The PhD in Accounting offers broad-based training that develops skills in conducting empirical research in accounting using archival data.

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Why Pursue a PhD in Accounting

Program emphasis is placed on developing a set of research skills for addressing research questions broadly related to financial reporting, managerial accounting, corporate governance and auditing. Students work closely with faculty in small classes, seminars, research projects and other assignments aimed at developing strong competencies for conducting state-of-the-art research in accounting. The Accounting PhD is full time, with completion averaging between four and five years.

Program faculty members serve PhD students as teachers, mentors, supervisors, advisors, co-authors, dissertation committee members and in several other ways that enhance the students’ research experience and productivity in the program. The faculty members also play a critical role in assisting the students to secure top positions in academia, industry or government.

Research Opportunities

The Accounting PhD program is currently ranked No. 9 nationally in archival auditing research. Program faculty are a critical resource for this program, staffing high-quality faculty members with broad-based knowledge in various areas of accounting. Faculty have published their research in top journals in accounting and business. These publications have appeared in The Accounting Review, Journal of Accounting Research, Journal of Accounting & Economics, Contemporary Accounting Research, Review of Accounting Studies, Journal of Financial Economics, Journal of Corporate Finance, Journal of Accounting Literature and Accounting Horizons among others.

Admission & Application Requirements

Applications are submitted through the UTSA Graduate Application. Please upload all required documents (listed below) on your UTSA Graduate Application. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure completion and submission of the application, a nonrefundable application fee, and all required supporting documents are on file with UTSA by the appropriate application deadline.

Accounting (PhD)
Admission is only available for the Fall semester
	Required Degree	Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university in the United States or have proof of equivalent training at a foreign institution.
	Minimum GPA	3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) Departments may consider GPA of last 60 semester credit hours
	Coursework	18 credit hours in an area related to this graduate degree and at least 12 hours must be at the upper-division level.
	Transcripts*	Required from all institutions attended; international transcripts must be recorded/translated to English
	Credential Evaluation	Required if you have earned university-level credit from foreign institutions. Submit an evaluation of your transcripts from Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) directly from the graduate admission application platform
	GRE/GMAT	Required scores not older than five years.
	English Language Proficiency	550 TOEFL Paper / 79 TOEFL Internet / 6.5 IELTS / Duolingo 100
	Purpose Statement	Required
	Resume	Required
	Letters of Recommendation	3 academic or professional reference(s) demonstrating your attributes for successful completion of this program (you will request these through the Graduate Admissions Application; let your recommenders know of your deadline to ensure submissions are on time)
*Unofficial transcripts will be taken into consideration for admissions; however, if admitted into the program, you must submit official transcripts to the University.

Apply 2024-25 Application

Admission Deadlines

Applicants are encouraged to have their admission file completed as early as possible. All applications, required documents and letters of recommendation, if applicable, must be submitted by 5:00 PM U.S. Central Time on the day of the deadline. Deadlines are subject to change.

Accounting (PhD)
Students can expect to hear back on an admission decision within 4 to 6 weeks after May 15.
Academic Year 2023-24	International	Domestic
Fall 2023	February 1	February 1
Spring 2024	Not Available	Not Available
Summer 2024	Not Available	Not Available
Academic Year 2024-25	International	Domestic
Fall 2024	February 1	February 1
Spring 2025	Not Available	Not Available
Summer 2025	Not Available	Not Available

Funding Opportunities

Early application is strongly recommended to be considered for scholarships, assistantships or other forms of financial support. Please note that admission into the program is not a guarantee of financial support. PhD students who are selected for funding typically receive a financial package for a period of up to four years. For more information about graduate funding, click below.

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Career Options

UTSA prepares you for future careers that are in demand. The possible careers below is data pulled by a third-party tool called Emsi, which pulls information from sources like the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau, online job postings, other government databases and more to give you regional and national career outlook related to this academic program.

While in a doctoral program, a student may earn a master’s degree provided the following conditions are satisfied:

A student must be admitted to candidacy.
A student is eligible to receive a master’s degree upon completion of University-wide requirements and any additional degree requirements specific to the program.
The Doctoral Studies Committee, Department Chair, and the Graduate Associate Dean of the College must recommend students for the degree.
The student must apply for graduation by the published deadline the semester prior to awarding the doctoral degree.
All required coursework in the doctoral program at the time of admission to candidacy must have been taken within the previous six years.
If the master’s degree requires a thesis, the degree cannot be awarded on the basis of the doctoral qualifying examination.
Students will not be approved for an additional master’s degree in the same field in which an individual has previously received a master’s degree.

This is a full-time program. Students will normally be expected to enroll for nine hours each semester. Most courses will be offered during the day. PhD students normally serve as either a teaching assistant or research assistant throughout the program. These experiences are an important part of the training and overall doctoral experience. It would be difficult for someone to manage both a full-time job and the doctoral program’s requirements.