The traditional areas of accounting research are financial accounting (how investors react to firms’ reported financial numbers and accounting choices); managerial accounting (how firms create and use financial and non-financial information for internal decision making); auditing (how external auditors oversee the financial reporting process) and taxation (how firms’ accounting choices impact their tax situation).
However, accounting research is multi-disciplinary and often examines issues that go beyond the numbers. For example, researchers at Tech have experimentally examined how the use of vivid language by firms influences investor judgments drawing on research from psychology. Researchers have also examined how social media posts by employees can help predict future firm performance.
Georgia Tech Scheller's Ph.D. program in accounting is strongly research-oriented and emphasizes the early involvement of our students in research projects with our faculty. Given the small size of the program, doctoral students receive significant attention and support from the faculty members, several of whom hold editorial positions in the top journals in accounting.
The Ph.D. program will prepare you to be a world-class research scholar ready to contribute to accounting research at a top-tier business school. Atlanta is home to a strong research community in accounting thanks to several schools located in the area. Ph.D. students at Tech will have both formal and informal opportunities to draw on the strength of this research community.
If admitted to the program, your tuition will be waived and you will receive a monthly stipend.