StudyQA — PhD: Accounting — Washington University in St. Louis

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Description Contents Requirements Funding

Washington University’s Olin Business School is one of the nation’s leading research institutions, with a faculty whose research productivity consistently ranks among the highest in the business school community. Olin faculty members are recognized the world over for their important contributions to the creation of new knowledge. We also take great pride in our commitment to excellence in teaching.
Our PhD students are guided by highly productive researchers who are among the nation’s top scholars. Faculty work closely with students to help them hone their research skills, often building one-on-one mentoring relationships that include co-authoring research papers.
Development of strong problem-solving skills equips our students to strategically address complex, unstructured business issues that result in innovative thinking and new ideas for research that have value to the academic community and application in the business world.

Olin’s PhD program in business provides:

Challenging core curriculum and a strong background in basic disciplines
Emphasis on collaborative relationships between faculty and students, which enhances the education process and the search for your first faculty appointment.
Personalized advising for successful completion of PhD program requirements and a customized course of study that fits your particular area of interest.
Collegial network built on mutual respect and a shared school of thought. Olin faculty members promote one-on-one mentoring relationships, often partnering with students for research that leads to co-authoring papers.
A competitive edge in the business education market.

First Year

First Semester

L11 503 Microeconomics I (3 credits)
L11 Quantitative Methods I (3 credits)
Econometrics Course*
Olin PhD Accounting Courses

Second Semester

L11 504 Microeconomics II (3 credits)
L11 Quantitative Methods II (3 credits)
Econometrics Course*
Olin PhD Accounting Courses

* Students may choose one Econometrics course from the following options. All courses are not offered every semester, and are subject to change.
L11 513 Intro to Econometrics, L11 5161 Applied Econometrics, B52 620 Empirical Methods in Finance, B53 620 Empirical Methods in Business

Research

Attend Accounting seminars
Begin research collaborations
First-year summer paper – papers are due in August after the first year and are presented at a faculty seminar

Milestones/Hurdles

First-year summer paper – papers are due in August after the first year and are presented at a faculty seminar.
In the summer after the first year, students must meet with the faculty coordinator to discuss progress and complete a progress report to be submitted to the PhD Office by August 1st after the first year.
Micro Prelim Exam (Offered in June, students must receive a “Distinction/Honors” or “PhD pass” to continue in the PhD program. One retake of the exam is permitted.)
In August after the first year, students must attend an RA/TA orientation offered by The Teaching Center. This is required before submitting any RA/TA hours.

Second Year

Courses

Accounting courses
Elective courses (Finance courses, independent study courses, directed readings)

Research

Milestones/Hurdles

Attend Accounting Seminars
Second-Year Paper – papers are due in August after the second year. Presentations are given during a faculty seminar and must be approved by the faculty to continue in the PhD program.
- Second-Year paper – students must have paper approved by faculty to continue in the PhD program.
- Field exam, given in January of the second year. Exam concentrates on Empirical and Theoretical Finance Accounting. Students must pass the field exam to continue in the PhD program.
- In the summer, students must meet with the faculty coordinator to discuss progress and complete a progress report to be submitted to the PhD Office by August 1st.

Third Year

Courses

Electives (directed readings, independent studies)
B53 660 Seminar in Presentation Skills (fall semester, required)

Research

Milestones/Hurdles

Attend Accounting Seminars
Paper Presentations (brown bag seminars and conferences)
Dissertation Research
- In the summer, students must meet with the faculty coordinator to discuss progress and complete a progress report to be submitted to the PhD Office by August 1st.

Fourth Year

Courses

Electives (directed readings, independent studies)

Research

Attend Accounting Seminars
Paper Presentations (brown bag seminars and conferences)
Dissertation Research

Milestones/Hurdles

Dissertation Proposal – students must be able to assemble a Research Advisory Committee for the proposal of their dissertation and must submit a Title, Scope and Procedure Form as the committee’s approval of the proposed dissertation by September 30th after the fourth year.
In the summer, students must meet with the faculty coordinator to discuss progress and complete a progress report to be submitted to the PhD Office by August 1st.

Fifth Year

Courses

Dissertation Course (12 credits – 6 each semester)

Research

Attend Accounting Seminars
Paper Presentations (job market paper presentations with faculty and at conferences)
Dissertation Research

Milestones/Hurdles

Intent to Graduate (complete form online)
Job Market and Placement
Oral Defense of Dissertation
Submission of Examination Approval Form which signifies committee’s approval
Upload of Final, Approved Dissertation to Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Submission of Documented Teaching Requirements to PhD Office

Requirements

Scanned copies of transcripts from all colleges and universities attended (uploaded in the application)
Olin requires a bachelor's degree from an accredited university or college. A master's degree is not necessary. Upload unofficial transcripts - one from each college-level institution attended. Scanned copies of transcripts may be too dark and difficult to read so please adjust scanner settings accordingly. Photographs of transcripts are not acceptable. If the transcript is in a language other than English, applicants must provide an official translation issued from the university or by certified members of the American Translators Association.
Scanned copies of GMAT or GRE test scores (uploaded in application). The average GMAT score of recent admits has been approximately 720.
Scanned copies of TOEFL score uploaded in application and official TOEFL scores sent to Washington University in St. Louis (for international students only). The average internet-based TOEFL score of admits is 105.
THREE (3) letters of recommendation
Applicants may include a research paper or abstract (30-page maximum) with their application. A paper is not required for admission to Olin’s PhD programs.
Statement of purpose
Resume/CV
Application fee paid online

**For application purposes, all transcripts, test scores, CV and essays should be uploaded during the application process. For admissions considerations Olin accepts the unofficial uploaded information to determine applicants' status. Official documents are required upon admission to the PhD Program.