Shape the Future of Accounting with Academic Research at UT Dallas
UT Dallas stands out for its exceptional research environment, consistently ranking among the world’s top business schools in research productivity. Our PhD program offers tailored research support, flexibility to pursue innovative topics, and generous financial support, including a tuition waiver and substantial stipend. Our program prepares graduates for academic roles at top universities as well as for careers in the private and public sectors with competitive salaries.
Located in the dynamic Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex—a major business hub with numerous Fortune 500 companies and a Federal Reserve Bank—UT Dallas provides exceptional networking and collaboration opportunities. The region also boasts a rich cultural scene, high quality of life, and excellent travel connectivity, making it an ideal location for both professional and personal growth.
We welcome applicants who are curious and critical thinkers, strong in quantitative skills, self-motivated, and effective communicators. While a background in accounting or economics is beneficial, it’s not a requirement for admission.
Degree Requirements
Students must complete at least 75 semester credit hours of approved graduate work before a degree may be conferred. Credit may be granted for courses taken elsewhere.
The Management Science PhD core curriculum consists of a minimum of 9 courses. Please visit the Management Science Degree Plan page for core and secondary core course requirements.
Students are required to take at least six doctoral-level seminars in accounting.
Doctoral students gain valuable insights by exploring various functional areas of management. To support this interdisciplinary approach, students are required to complete at least three courses (at the master’s or doctoral level) in disciplines outside of accounting.
Students are expected to write a research paper under the supervision of, or in collaboration with, Jindal School of Management faculty during each of their first two summers at UT Dallas. The first-year paper focuses on honing students’ technical research skills, while the second-year paper emphasizes developing original ideas and engaging more in the conceptual aspects of research. These papers must be the student’s own work and will be reviewed by the accounting area faculty.
At the end of the first year, all PhD students must take a preliminary exam covering the economics and statistics courses completed during their first year. Progress in the first year is evaluated based on the student’s GPA, performance in the preliminary exam, and satisfactory completion of the first-year summer paper.
At the end of the second year, students are required to take a qualifying exam that covers the topics from the doctoral seminars taken during the first two years. Progress in the second year is evaluated based on GPA, performance in the qualifying exam, and an assessment of the student’s research progress by a reading committee composed of area faculty.
PhD students must successfully pass the preliminary and qualifying examinations to advance to PhD candidacy. The area faculty will assess whether a student has met the exam requirements based on various criteria, including exam performance, quality of research papers, special course results (e.g., seminar courses), and maintaining a satisfactory GPA as determined by the area faculty. Unsatisfactory performance in any of these criteria may result in dismissal from the program.
The dissertation is written under the direction of the dissertation committee. 12 to 24 semester credit 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.
The Dissertation Proposal must be successfully defended at least one semester prior to the term of graduation. The requirements for the proposal defense should be discussed with the dissertation committee prior to scheduling the defense. Dissertation Proposal Defenses will be open to all faculty and PhD students of the Jindal School of Management.
The candidate must orally defend a dissertation proposal before starting the dissertation.
Ready to start your PhD application?
Before you apply, get familiar with the admission requirements and application process for Jindal School PhD programs at UT Dallas.
How to Apply