Doctoral

Frequently Asked Questions

Admissions

See also: Detailed admission information

What kind of accounting research do you do at Bauer?

Please browse our department's research page and pages of our faculty and Ph.D. students.

How many doctoral students are admitted each year?

We admit 2 students each year with an option to admit a third student.

How many applications are usually received each year?

We usually receive more than 50 applications.

Is an accounting degree required for the Ph.D. program?

No, we only require that an applicant has a bachelor’s degree. We receive applications from and admit students with different educational backgrounds.

We look for applicants who understand the critical role accounting plays for businesses, candidates who have the passion and ability to conduct high-quality accounting-related research within a short period of time, and candidates who can effectively communicate their research both in writing and orally.

Among the likely indicators of the above qualities are prior business experience, past education success especially in business, economics, and quantitative fields, high test scores, and high-quality application documents presented to us. Overall, we do prefer candidates who possess such indicators.

What is the average GPA range of the doctoral students?

The average GPA is above 3.5.

What is the average GMAT Score of the doctoral students?

The average GMAT score is 710.

What are the requirements for the Statement of Purpose?

Statement of Purpose of the candidates tell our faculty why the candidates would like to pursue a Ph.D. in accounting at Bauer. What characteristics make them an ideal candidate and enable their future success in academia?

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Joining the Program

See also: Detailed new student information

Is there an orientation for doctoral students?

Yes, there is a one-day Bauer college orientation for entering doctoral students, which provides useful information about registration and how to set up accounts, among various other topics.

What kinds of financial support do doctoral students receive?

All students receive tuition fellowship and instructional/research assistantship for five years, provided that they are in good standing with the program’s performance requirements.

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Academic Policies

See also: Detailed requirement information

Who advises students on course selection?

The Ph.D. Accounting Program Coordinator. Email: vmuslu@uh.edu

When are the comprehensive examinations taken and is a student given more than one opportunity to pass the comprehensive examinations?

Students take their comprehensive exam after they complete coursework at the end of their second year. Students have two opportunities to pass the comprehensive examinations. Failure to pass the examination on the second attempt results in dismissal from the program.

Are doctoral students required to submit research papers during the first two years?

Yes. Two summer research papers are required. A first-year summer paper is expected by the start of the second year. The first-year summer paper reviews a strand of literature and identifies an interesting and new research question. A complete ensuing empirical analysis is preferred, but not required. A second-year summer paper is expected by the start of the third year. The second-year paper is expected to be a full-fledged paper with research design and empirical or theoretical analysis. The second-year paper’s success is used to determine the student’s success in the Comprehensive Exam.

Ph.D. Student Directory page:

Here is a link to the web pages of Accounting doctoral students.