Accounting and Finance PhD

Program Overview

The Accounting and Finance PhD at Lancaster University Management School is a 4-5 year program designed for motivated individuals with excellent degrees in related disciplines. The program focuses on preparing students for academia with a curriculum covering theory, econometrics, research methodology, and a thesis on a chosen topic under expert supervision. Graduates have joined prestigious universities, research centers, and institutions worldwide.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The Accounting and Finance PhD at Lancaster University Management School (LUMS) is a full-time program lasting 4-5 years. This program is designed for highly motivated individuals with an excellent first degree and outstanding Master's level degree performance in a related discipline. The program emphasizes pursuing an academic career and provides full-time studentships that include a generous living allowance and fee waiver for four years. The department offers an excellent research environment with a high level of collegiality, state-of-the-art databases, strong seminar series, and a senior visitors program. The program aims to equip students with the necessary skills and knowledge for success in academia, with graduates joining prestigious universities, research centers, and institutions worldwide.

Outline:

The program structure is divided into two main parts:

Coursework:

Students are required to complete a portfolio of PhD level courses and seminars covering:

• Finance theory
• Econometric and statistical methods
• Research methodology

Thesis:

After successfully completing the coursework, students research and write a thesis on a topic of their passion under the detailed supervision of two subject experts.

Course Schedule:

The first year involves completing modules covering accounting and finance theory, econometric and statistical methods, and research methodology.

• PhD in Accounting: This track includes modules such as Advanced Financial Accounting, Advanced Accounting (Theory and Empirics), Quantitative Methods, Corporate Finance I & II, Data and Programming for Accounting Research, Econometric Topics in Accounting and Finance, and a pilot paper and presentation for upgrading to PhD.
• PhD in Finance: This track includes modules such as Quantitative Methods, Corporate Finance I & II, Asset Pricing I & II, 2 Electives, and a pilot study for PhD.
• Research Training Seminars: Two compulsory seminars cover Plagiarism and Ethics and Research.

Teaching:

• The department regularly invites distinguished visiting professors from the best universities in the world to deliver doctoral tutorials on specialized research topics.
• PhD students have the opportunity to gain international experience by visiting a leading US/European school with expertise in a relevant research area.
• The department provides dedicated office space, generous funding of conference and research visits, access to many specialized databases, as well as scientific computing facilities and IT support.

Careers:

• The department has been consistently building the strength of a doctoral program for many years and has developed comprehensive PhD training to enable graduates to succeed in the job market.
• In recent years, PhD graduates have successfully joined many excellent universities, research centers, and institutions, including Australian National University, Bocconi University, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Durham University, LSE, Liverpool, Manchester, Monash, and Warwick Universities.

Other:

• The department encourages active student participation in seminars and their contact with seminar speakers.
• The department conducts regular pre-seminar meetings to discuss presented papers, facilitating better understanding of current research streams, exchanging ideas and opinions, providing a platform for feedback on research, and improving writing skills and critical thinking.
• The department offers an excellent environment for PhD studies, including dedicated office space, generous funding of conference and research visits, access to many specialized databases, as well as scientific computing facilities and IT support.