PhD Management Science With Accounting Concentration

This program is designed for students seeking training in the most advanced issues, both theoretical and applied, in the field of accounting. It is intended to prepare them primarily for teaching positions in research-oriented universities. The program requires hands-on training in accounting research, supported by work in the disciplines of economics, mathematics, psychology and statistics, culminating in a doctoral dissertation.

Admission Procedures

Applicants should have at least a bachelor’s degree. Admission is based on grade-point average, GMAT score, letters of reference (at least three, with at least two from academic references), business and professional experience (if applicable), a written statement of personal objectives and compatibility with faculty research activities. Because the Jindal School of Management starts making first-round admission decisions on January 16th, it is best to complete the entire application process no later than January 15th. While applications will be accepted after that date, applying after January 15th may significantly lower your chance of acceptance. Applications for admission can be made using the UT Dallas Graduate Application Web site.

Degree Requirements

Students must complete at least 75 semester hours of approved graduate work before a degree may be conferred. Credit may be granted for courses taken elsewhere.

Prerequisites

Prerequisites include: calculus, matrix algebra, computer programming and statistics. Deficiencies may be remedied by taking appropriate courses.

Master’s-Level Courses (12 hours)

Students entering the program without an MBA or equivalent must complete a minimum of four courses typically required of MBA students to provide them with background knowledge required of professional managers. In certain instances, a higher level course approved by the adviser may be substituted for an MBA-level course.

Advanced Master’s-Level Course (6 hours)

Advanced coursework in accounting approved by the student’s adviser.

Research Methods Core (24 hours)

  • OPRE 7310 Probability and Stochastic Processes
  • MECO 6315 Approaches to Statistical Inference
  • MECO 6320 Introduction to Econometrics or ECON 6309 Econometrics I
  • MECO 6345 Advanced Managerial Economics
  • OPRE 7320 Optimal Control Theory
  • MAS 6v05 Data analysis with SAS and Gauss
  • MAS 6v00 Doctoral Writing Seminar
  • MAS 8v00 Teaching Practicum
  • Secondary Core: Any two of the following:
    1. OPRE 6311 Game Theory
    2. OPRE 7311 Stochastic Models in Operations Research
    3. MECO 7320 Advanced Econometrics or ECON 7309 Econometrics II
    4. Any mathematics, statistics or econometrics course approved by the PhD adviser

Doctoral Seminars (4 hours)

Students are required to take at least six doctoral level seminars in accounting.

Other Courses

Students will be asked to take other advanced graduate-level courses in related fields such as economics, econometrics and finance at the discretion of the PhD adviser.

Research Papers

Students are expected to write a research paper under the supervision of or in collaboration with Jindal School of Management faculty in each of the first two summers of their work at UT Dallas. At least one of these two papers is expected to be of sufficient quality to merit publication in academic journals. Papers may be co-authored, and both papers are presented before the accounting area faculty.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

After completion of the program’s requirements, students sit for the written qualifying examination, which must be passed before admission for candidacy for the doctorate degree. The candidate must also orally defend a dissertation proposal before starting the dissertation.

Dissertation

The dissertation is written under the direction of the dissertation committee. Twelve to 24 semester hours may be granted for the dissertation toward the minimum 75-hour requirement for the degree. At a time mutually agreeable to the candidate and the dissertation committee, the candidate must orally defend the dissertation to the committee.