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Courses required for an Accounting PhD
You will develop a strong foundation in accounting and related disciplines through our Accounting curriculum, and complement that knowledge with elective courses designed to meet your individual needs and interests. Our program includes opportunities to take some courses at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to maximize your course options.
Courses required for an Accounting PhD
The Accounting curriculum requires the following courses as part of your degree requirements:
Each student is required to write a summer paper following both the first year and second year of coursework.
Students must exhibit satisfactory performance on a written comprehensive examination that tests the student’s understanding of the research discussed in the doctoral seminars and workshops (part 1) and the student’s ability to read and evaluate accounting research (part 2). The comprehensive examination is written by a committee of the accounting faculty, appointed by the accounting area coordinator. The examination committee will grade the exam and determine what actions, if any, are required. Depending on performance on the examination, students may be dismissed from the program or asked to retake the examination. Students are not permitted to take the comprehensive exam more than twice. The examination committee will determine any additional qualifications for a student to retake the exam and when the timing of that exam will occur. Components of part 1 of the comprehensive exam may be taken at different times depending on the timing and sequencing of courses offered. For example, the empirical component of part 1 of the comprehensive exam can take place at a different time than the analytic component of part 1 of the comprehensive exam, with timing varying based upon course offerings. Typically course schedules dictate students will take a portion of part 1 following the second year of coursework and an additional portion of part 1 following the first semester of the third year.
A critical part of the accounting doctoral program is forming professional relationships with faculty members and learning about the research and teaching processes. All students are expected to help faculty with research and teaching as needed, with the general expectations of 10 hours per week for students in years two through five, and 4 hours per week during year one. Hours worked above these amounts generally qualify for hourly compensation at pre-specified rates established by Fuqua, with the specifics of the work arrangement determined with consultation of the faculty member needing assistance. Work on co-authored projects does not qualify as research assistance.
This requirement is satisfied through the second-year summer requirements outlined above.
We suggest students form a dissertation committee in the Fall of their fourth year, with the proposal occurring in the Spring of the fourth year. Students have until the end of the summer of the fourth year to complete this requirement.
We expect students to defend their dissertation by the end of their fifth year in the program.
Course selection will be determined based on your prior experience with mathematics and economics or with accounting.
Fall | Spring | Summer |
Coursework:
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Fall | Spring | Summer |
Coursework:
Research and Teaching Assistantship |
Coursework:
Research and Teaching Assistantship |
Coursework (Optional) |
Fall | Spring | Summer |
Coursework:
First-year summer paper presentation |
Coursework:
Research Exploration |
Coursework (Optional)
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Fall | Spring | Summer |
Coursework:
Research and Teaching Assistantship |
Coursework:
Research and Teaching Assistantship |
Research
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Fall | Spring | Summer |
Research |
Research |
Research |
Fall | Spring | Summer |
Research |
Research |
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* Ungraded boot camp course – not part of degree requirement
** Partial PhD course equivalent
*** Course taken at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
# MBA course as part of three course requirement
## Satisfies graduate school preliminary examination requirement