PhD in Accounting

Accounting serves a critical role in communicating information about individuals and organizations. Leeds’ PhD students strive to inform as well as influence this communication process through academic research, teaching and professional service. The Accounting PhD program provides students the opportunity to work in collaborative relationships with faculty and gain the skills necessary to conduct research that contributes to knowledge in corporate disclosure, information intermediaries (e.g., financial analysts, media, etc.), market microstructure, corporate governance, executive compensation, corporate social responsibility, and standard setting. The accounting group specializes in empirical financial research, which relies heavily on econometric methods.

Become a leading expert

Accounting PhD students are trained to be successful academic researchers and teachers. They develop their own research ideas and implement appropriate research methods. The accounting doctoral courses tap into faculty research and expertise on a wide range of topics that are of particular interest to accounting academics, practitioners and standard-setters.

Accounting students build their teaching portfolio by first acting as a teaching apprentice (TA) for three sections of a semester-long class and subsequently teaching their own two sections of a semester-long class.

Additional information about our Accounting faculty can be found here.

General details about the curriculum, requirements, and structure of the program can be found here. Please be aware this document is not an exhaustive list of the requirements for the Program.

How to Apply 

PhD in Accounting Program Flyer 

PhD Graduates' Publications

  • (2023)
    Review of Accounting Studies
    Jesse Glaze – University of Colorado Boulder (PhD 2022)
    Nikki Skinner – University of Georgia (PhD 2019)
    Andrew Stephan – University of Colorado Boulder

  • Journal of Accounting Research 
    Andrea Pawliczek – University of Colorado Boulder (PhD 2017)
    Nikki Skinner – University of Georgia (PhD 2019)
    Sarah L.C. Zechman – University of Colorado Boulder

  • The Accounting Review 
    Marc Cussatt – Clemson University (PhD 2014)
    Paul Demere – University of Georgia

  • The Accounting Review 
    Nathan Marshall – University of Colorado Boulder
    Nikki Skinner – University of Georgia (PhD 2019)

  • The Accounting Review 
    Bok Baik – Seoul National University
    Katherine Gunny – University of Colorado Denver
    Boochun Jung – University of Hawaii at Manoa (PhD 2007)
    Duri Park – Sogang University

  • The Accounting Review 
    Sophia Hamm – Tulane University
    Boochun Jung – University of Hawaii at Manoa (PhD 2007)
    Woo-Jong Lee – Seoul National University
    Daniel Yang – The Ohio State University

  • Review of Accounting Studies 
    Andrea Pawliczek – University of Colorado Boulder (PhD 2017)
    Nikki Skinner – University of Georgia (PhD 2019)
    Laura Wellman – Pennsylvania State University

  • The Accounting Review 
    Andrea Pawliczek – University of Missouri (PhD 2017)

  • The Accounting Review 
    Jonathan Black – Purdue University (PhD 2015)
    Chad Ham – Washington University in St. Louis
    Michael Kimbrough – University of Maryland

  • Review of Accounting Studies 
    Caleb Rawson – University of Arkansas (PhD 2018)

  • Journal of Accounting and Economics 
    Brian Bushee – University of Pennsylvania
    Matthew Cedergren – University of Pennsylvania
    Jeremy Michels – University of Pennsylvania (PhD 2014)

  • Review of Accounting Studies 
    Stephen Glaeser – University of North Carolina
    Jeremy Michels – University of Pennsylvania (PhD 2014)
    Robert Verrecchia – University of Pennsylvania

  • The Accounting Review 
    David P. Weber – University of Connecticut (PhD 2005)
    Yanhua Sunny Yang – University of Connecticut (PhD 2006)

  • The Accounting Review 
    Jonathan Black – Purdue University (PhD 2015)
    Jeff Zeyun Chen – Texas Christian University
    Marc Cussatt – Washington State University (PhD 2014)

  • Journal of Accounting Research
    Yonca Ertimur - University of Colorado at Boulder
    Caleb Rawson - University of Colorado at Boulder (PhD 2018)
    Jonathan L Rogers - University of Colorado at Boulder
    Sarah L.C. Zechman - University of Colorado at Boulder

  • Review of Accounting Studies
    Christopher Ittner – University of Pennsylvania 
    Jeremy Michels – University of Pennsylvania (PhD 2014)

  • Journal of Accounting Research    
    Jeremy Michels - University of Pennsylvania (PhD 2014)

  • The Accounting Review    
    Kevin K Li - University of Toronto
    Charles M.C. Lee - Stanford University
    Ran Zhang - Peking University, Guanghua (PhD 2006)

  • The Accounting Review    
    Sarah C. Rice - Texas A&M University at College Station
    David P. Weber - University of Connecticut (PhD 2005)
    Biyu Wu - University of Connecticut

  • Journal of Accounting Research    
    Michael Willenborg – University of Connecticut
    Biyu Wu - University of Nebraska at Lincoln
    Yanhua Sunny Yang - University of Connecticut (PhD 2006)

  • Journal of International Business Studies        
    Liang Shao - Hong Kong Baptist University
    Chuck C Kwok - University of South Carolina at Columbia
    Ran Zhang - Peking University, Guanghua (PhD 2006)

  • Contemporary Accounting Research
    Boochun Jung – University of Hawaii (PhD 2007)
    Woo‐Jong Lee – The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
    David P. Weber – University of Connecticut

  • The Accounting Review    
    Brian M Burnett - Indiana University at Bloomington (PhD 2011)
    Bradrick M. Cripe - Northern Illinois University 
    Gregory W. Martin - Indiana University at Bloomington (PhD 2009)
    Brian P. McAllister - University of Colorado at Colorado Springs

  • Contemporary Accounting Research
    Boochun Jung – University of Hawaii (PhD 2007)
    Naomi Soderstrom – University of Colorado Boulder
    Yanhua Sunny Yang – University of Connecticut (PhD 2006)

  • The Accounting Review
    Jeremy Michels – University of Colorado at Boulder (PhD 2014)

  • Journal of Accounting and Economics    
    Boochun Jung – University of Hawaii at Manoa (PhD 2007)
    Philip B. Shane – University of Virginia, McIntire
    Yanhua Sunny Yang - University of Texas at Austin (PhD 2006)

  • Journal of Accounting Research    
    Sarah C. Rice - University of Connecticut
    David P. Weber - University of Connecticut (PhD 2005)

  • The Accounting Review
    Leslie G. Eldenburg - The University of Arizona
    Katherine A. Gunny - University of Colorado at Boulder
    Kevin W. Hee - San Diego State University (PhD 2008)
    Naomi Soderstrom - University of Colorado at Boulder

Download our PhD brochures to learn more about our programs.

Accounting PhD brochure cover