PhD programmes in Accounting and Finance
PLEASE NOTE THAT WE ARE NOW CLOSED TO APPLICATIONS FOR OUR PHD IN ACCOUNTING & FINANCE. OUR NEXT INTAKE IS FOR OCTOBER 2014 ENTRY.
Welcome to our departmental research students web pages, where you'll find a wealth of information on our postgraduate research programmes.
The Department of Accounting and Finance at Lancaster is committed to recruiting the finest calibre students of all backgrounds from all over the world. We strive to attain the highest level of academic excellence in teaching and research in pursuit of our goal of producing graduates and researchers who reflect the institution's high-quality standards with distinction and honour. As an international research and academic training institute, we are proud to host excellent research students from a wide range of nationalities.
Our department offers intensive PhD programmes in Accounting and Finance. These are full-time doctoral programmes of three years in total, with a fourth year reserved for final writing up of the doctoral thesis. We also offer an 'Integrated PhD' programme, which commences with study towards the Master of Research (MRes) award. Please note that we do not currently offer part-time PhD study.
During the first year, PhD students are required to complete a portfolio of postgraduate taught courses and seminars covering accounting and finance theory, statistical methods and research methodology. This requirement often includes a selection from the courses offered for MSc students in accounting and finance, along with specific PhD and visitors' seminars within the department.
Research students with excellent results then continue with the doctoral thesis for two years, leading up to the final defence of the thesis in the ‘viva’ examination. The viva is the final point at which the student meets with internal and external examiners to formally evaluate their work.
Our department typically admits up to 10 new PhD candidates each year. The students interact with students from other schools through the international networks in which our department participates.
Our admissions criteria for the Department are as follows:
- Applicants are normally expected to hold a relevant Masters degree in finance, accounting or a cognate subject area. We will usually require a performance at distinction level at Masters degree, typically averaging 70% overall, which may also be required in a suitable dissertation element.
- In some cases, students possessing a 'research-relevant' first class or upper-second class Bachelors degree may be registered directly for the PhD degree, but this is rare.
- Alternatively, for students not already holding/studying towards a suitable Masters degree, the ESRC-recognised MRes programme provides a foundation for PhD study. The Department requires distinction-level performance, both overall and for the dissertation element.
- Applicants are advised that a GMAT score may be required.
- Our English language requirements (where required) are for IELTS at 7.0 or 600 TOEFL (250 on the computer-based test).
- We are looking for evidence of creativity and potential to develop a succesful career as an academic researcher. Therefore, we will usually aim to conduct an interview (which may be conducted via telephone or video-link) with suitable applicants.
Our research students are encouraged and supported to gain classroom experience, in preparation for possible academic careers. Opportunities also arise regularly to work as part-time research assistants on faculty members' research projects.
All students who receive funding from the Management School or the Department will be required to undertake such work, according to the amount of funding they receive. However, we also encourage all other students to take on occasional teaching and/or research assistantship duties on a paid basis, to expand their own experiences in readiness for graduation.
After graduation, most of our students go on to assume faculty positions at universities all over the world. A smaller number find employment in the public or private sector. All in all, our PhD programme is perfectly tailored for aspiring academics. View additional information on our graduates' destinations.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section covers most topics of interest to prospective students, including…
- Applications and admission
- Fees, funding and scholarship opportunities
- Registration Arrangements
- Living in Lancaster
While we attempt to offer comprehensive, up-to-date information, you may have additional questions or concerns. If so, please contact us directly for further advice. This also helps us to keep our FAQ section updated and as relevant to applicants as possible.
Ready to Apply?
Applications should be made online via the University's online applications service.
