Accounting and Financial Management PhD Opportunities

This postgraduate research programme offers PhD or MPhil supervision in the area of accounting.

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Current PhD students

At a glance

Choose from a range of research domains available in accounting
3 PhD entry points each year
Participate in regular research seminars
Work with faculty from Henley Centre for Accounting Research and Practice
Programme features personal development modules and workshops

Subject area(s): Accounting

Duration: Three - four years (FT), four - six years (PT)

Attendance: Full-time , Part-time

Programme Director: Dr Ronita Ram

Overview

We offer PhD opportunities in a range of themes surrounding the subject of accounting. This includes theoretical and applied research in domains such as financial decision making; international regulation & policy analysis; accounting for sustainability; accounting education; governance & accountability.

The University has a formal code of practice for research students. This ensures that adequate supervision and appropriate research skills training are provided.

You may pursue this PhD programme full-time or part-time at Henley Business School. Part-time study may be carried out away from campus. This usually applies if you are working in an institution where research facilities are available, such as universities abroad. You will need to have supervision from both Henley Business School and the local institution.

The module descriptions set out on this page are correct for modules being taught in the current academic year. Optional module listings are indicative and may be subject to change.

A PhD is usually taken on a full-time basis over three to four years. A part-time option, taking four-six years is also available in some research areas. On a full-time basis, the PhD Programme starts in September at the beginning of the academic year (in some departments January and May entries are also possible). However, if necessary for your training, you may be required to come to the University earlier to attend some preparatory courses.

Year One: You will have to attend courses examined according to university rules. These courses include Research Methods and other courses required for your area of concentration
Confirmation of Registration: In the middle of your second year, you will present and defend your fully developed Research Proposal consisting of a substantive confirmation report
Year Two-Three: The remaining part of your PhD studies will be devoted to complete your thesis before your viva examination at the end of your three to four years (maximum amount of time allowed by university rules).

Year One

During your first year of studies, you will be required to:

Attend at least 60 credits from PhD/Masters level courses in Research Methods and other relevant courses plus a non-credit bearing course (see below)
Attend some short courses (2-3 hours each) required for the Reading Researcher Development Programme at the Graduate School (overseeing PhD studies within the University of Reading)
Attend the Preparing to Teach training programme (which is necessary to be able to complete any teaching-related activities within Henley Business School)
Participate in regular research seminars organised by your Department and others relevant to your area of interest
Hold regular meetings with your supervisor(s).

Required Taught Component

We have a slightly different path of taught components for students primarily using quantitative vs. qualitative research methods

Quantitative Path

Compulsory modules	Credits
Understanding Management and Financial Research (Autumn) (ICM116) This module aims to equip new PhD students with a clear understanding of the necessary requirements for obtaining a PhD at Henley Business School and at the ICMA centre. Academic authors Dr Alfonso Dufour More information	20 [10 ECTS credits]
Advanced Finance Theory with Empirical Applications (ICM289) This module is designed for advanced Master’s students and doctoral students. It has a very high technical content. It aims to equip the students with the foundations of theoretical asset pricing and with the relevant skills for performing empirical tests. The objective of the module is to prepare students to become independent and quality researchers. Academic authors Professor Marcel Prokopczuk More information	20 [10 ECTS credits]
Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods (MMD013) This module aims to introduce students to the understanding of qualitative research, (in social science and particularly in the area of business and management studies). It is designed for students mainly using quantitative methods in their PhD studies who wish to have an introductory class in qualitative research. Academic authors Professor Kleio Akrivou More information	0 [0 ECTS credits]
Any other relevant course/module (TBD) More information	20 [10 ECTS credits]

You may choose an alternative Advanced Quantitative Methods course instead of Advanced Finance Theory with Empirical Applications. Please note Microeconometrics 1 and 2 are 10 credits each.

Optional modules	Credits
Financial Econometrics (ICM204) Building on the material introduced in Quantitative Methods for Finance, this module covers a number of more advanced techniques that are relevant for financial applications, and in particular for modelling and forecasting financial time series. These include an introduction to maximum likelihood estimation and two-stage least squares, models of volatility, simulation techniques, and multivariate models. Case studies from the academic finance literature are employed to demonstrate potential uses of each approach. Extensive use is also made of financial econometrics software to demonstrate how the techniques are applied in practice. Academic authors Professor Michael Clements More information	20 [10 ECTS credits]
Microeconometrics 1 (ECM607A) This module is the first of two modules intended to teach students advanced microeconometrics. The module considers how to select and apply econometric techniques for research. In addition students will develop their econometric software skills using Stata. Academic authors Dr Sarah Jewell More information	10 [5 ECTS credits]
Microeconometrics 2 (ECM607B) This module is the second of two modules intended to teach students advanced microeconometrics and focuses on causality and treatment effects. The module will build on the first module ECM607A, and whilst ECM607A is not a pre-requisite, students will be expected to have knowledge of the topics taught in ECM607A. The module considers how to select and apply econometric techniques for research. In addition students will develop their econometric software skills using Stata. Academic authors Dr Sarah Jewell More information	10 [5 ECTS credits]

Qualitative Path

Compulsory modules	Credits
Introduction to Thesis Literature Review (Autumn) (MMD001) The module aims to provide students with an understanding of all the issues involved in researching, preparing and writing a literature review for their thesis, together with the specific techniques and resources involved. Academic authors Professor Peter Scott More information	20 [10 ECTS credits]
Advanced Qualitative Research Methods (MMD002) The module aims to deepen students’ understanding of qualitative research, particularly in the areas of business, organisational, social and management studies. Academic authors Professor Jane McKenzie More information	20 [10 ECTS credits]
Data Analysis: Finding Patterns With Regressions (Autumn) (MMD010) The module aims to broaden students’ understanding of data analysis by providing an overview of key methods and particularly focusing on regression analysis. Academic authors Dr Min Zou More information	0 [0 ECTS credits]
Any other relevant course/module (TBD) More information	20 [10 ECTS credits]

Confirmation of Registration

After 15 to 18 months from the start of your PhD (see differences between departments), you will submit a substantive Confirmation Report that will be defended in front of Faculty members and/or assessed by independent examiners. This process will coincide with your confirmation of registration and, if successful, it will grant you the status of PhD candidate.

The Confirmation Report will be a significant development of the initial proposal you submitted for your application. It will include material you may have produced during the first-year courses in research methods (e.g. literature review, methodologies, data description, etc.) If you plan to do a PhD thesis combining three papers, you are expected to include a draft of the first paper in your Confirmation Report. Alternatively, if you intend to use a book-like structure for your thesis, the document should include the draft of at least one of the three/four key chapters.

Year Two and Three

During your second and third year you will:

Continue to work on your PhD dissertation drafting the other two papers/key chapters
Hold regular meetings with your supervisor(s)
Attend some short courses (two-three hours each) required for the Reading Researcher Development Programme at the Graduate School
Participate in weekly research seminars organised by your Department and others relevant to your area of interest
Contribute to Business School and Departmental teaching/research activities and events
Present posters/papers at national/international conferences.

Modules or course content marked as optional are indicative and may be subject to change. Please note, constraints in timetable scheduling may mean you are unable to take some optional modules at the same time as others.

The application process normally consists of three main steps:

1. Formal application

Before applying formally, you may want to contact a potential supervisor who is working in your area. They could be interested in your topic. Please avoid contacting multiple faculty members simultaneously. We do talk to each other and this is not seen as a professional practice. You can contact a faculty member before your formal application, if you wish to.

2. Shortlisting based on the documents you uploaded in your application

3. Formal interview to assess your suitability to pursue a PhD at Henley Business School

The deadline to be considered for a scholarship varies between departments.

The key requirements for a successful application are:

Top grades in your Masters degree (minimum requirement is Merit or equivalent, but we prefer Distinction)
Top grade in your Masters Dissertation (or equivalent research-based piece of work) because this may show your research attitude and skills
A well-developed research proposal. Guidance on writing the research proposal can be found here

A reasonable intended timeline reflecting issues you may encounter in the study as presented above. For example, if you have to collect primary data. The time spent on data collection will be much longer than if you intend to use secondary data sources.

PhD Fees

For fees, please visit the Graduate School website.

Overseas applicants should refer to the non-laboratory based fees listed in the tables (International Band 1 for non UK/Home students).

Scholarships

Our PhD scholarships cover fees and stipend and are renewable for up to three years subject to performance.

Scholarship applications are subject to receiving an offer for a place on the PhD in Business Informatics, Systems and Accounting programme. Upon receiving an offer, your scholarship application will be processed and to be considered by the Scholarship Panel.

If you would like to apply, please download a PhD in Business Informatics Systems and Accounting Scholarship application form, ensuring you complete all parts in as much detail as possible, and return it to bisa@henley.ac.uk.

Further PhD funding

Nationals from India and developing countries: The Felix Scholarship competition is open to candidates applying for either taught Masters or Postgraduate Research Degrees who are either Indian nationals, or from developing countries, and who fulfil the required criteria. For more information and how to apply please follow the link

Regional PhD Bursaries: They are available for PhD applicants normally living within 25 miles of the University. The scheme is not open to students who have already started their study at the University of Reading. For further information, please go to Graduate School website

Former UoR Graduate: If you have already studied at the University of Reading you will get up to £1,500 off programme fees through the alumni fee discount

Other: For information on further opportunities, please see the find funding section on our University website.

Current scholarships

Business Informatics, Systems & Accounting scholarship

PhD programme

You should have obtained an equivalent of a merit or above in a Master’s degree in a related science, social science or engineering field. Relevant research and/or industry experiences may be considered for those with exceptional strengths.

It is also advisable to contact the member of staff with whom you are interested in carrying out your research, to discuss your proposal before you apply.

English requirements

Applicants whose first language is not English are expected to have obtained IELTS 7.0 (with no element below 6.0), TOEFL internet-based test with overall score of 100 and no less than 20 in Listening, Writing and Reading and 21 in Speaking or have passed a TEEP (University of Reading) test with the score of 7.0 (with no element less than 6.0).

For all other equivalent score requirements in our accepted English Language tests, please visit the admissions website.

How can Henley Careers work with you?

We have an award-winning careers team here to support you through your time at Henley and four years after graduating.

Henley Careers and Professional Development run numerous events throughout the autumn and spring terms to help you gain industry experience. These events are aimed to enhance your professional development and network with employers. We also offer one-to-one career coaching appointments where you can talk to a Careers Consultant about your professional development. This may include planning your ideal career journey or building confidence in a particular area. It could also involve practicing for interviews or having your CV checked.

For more information please see our Careers page.

Continuing Your Career

A PhD in the area of Business Informatics, Systems and Accounting can open doors to a successful career in academia and other organisations. This includes large multinationals, leading consulting firms, and governmental and non-governmental organisations worldwide.

PhD Research interests

We offer expertise from many subject fields and conduct interdisciplinary research in theoretical and application domains. We maintain a close-knit community of researchers working together as a team to carry out research in one or more of the research themes.

Henley Centre for Accounting Research & Practice (HARP)

At the Henley Centre for Accounting and Research (HARP), these are just some of the themes we have been involved in:


Sustainability Accounting and Reporting	Particular interests lie in the manner in which accounting and accountability practices can help to encourage decision-makers and awareness and appreciation of the importance of social and environmental sustainability in strategic and operational decision-making. The study focuses on the role of text and visual management in the reporting process by employing semiotic analysis.
Auditing and Accountability	The recent global financial crisis has provided both academics and practitioners an interesting opportunity to study the role and value of auditing and auditing profession. Questions are frequently being asked about auditor independence and judgement, audit quality, auditing model and auditing expectations. Limited qualitative auditing research has been conducted across disciplinary to provide insight into the practice of audit in relation to the international regulatory structures, financialization and organisational change in an international context.
International financial reporting, social and institutional context of accounting regulation, rhetorical and argumentative functions of financial disclosure	Research in this area considers convergence and compliance issues relevant to implementation of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) worldwide with the specific focus on the political and institutional aspects of accounting change and accounting regulation. It also attempts to explore the linguistic, rhetorical and argumentative functions of the narrative and numerical aspects of financial disclosures.

If you want to study for a PhD in Accounting and Financial Management, it is also advisable to contact the member of staff with whom you are interested in carrying out your research, to discuss your proposal before you apply.