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Apply to Gies, embark on a future academic career in accounting

The Department of Accountancy welcomes applications from superior students with a strong interest in and commitment to accounting research, scholarship, and teaching. We provide a high level of faculty mentorship to all of our students to prepare them for successful careers in teaching and research in leading academic institutions. To maintain excellence in our program, we limit the program to approximately 15 PhD candidates. Typically, two to four candidates are admitted to the program each year. As a result, our admissions process is highly competitive. Learn more about the program from our detailed Accountancy PhD brochure.

Students are admitted to the doctoral program through the Illinois Graduate College. We encourage students to begin the program during the summer semester if possible.

Prerequisites

Background knowledge prerequisites for the PhD program include:

  • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
  • A minimum of fifteen hours of coursework in accounting
  • An intermediate undergraduate microeconomics course
  • Undergraduate courses in calculus (differential and integral) and linear algebra

Admissions checklist

  • Graduate College admission application
  • Graduate College application fee
  • All transcripts
  • A personal statement articulating your interest in accounting and your motivation to pursue a PhD in accounting, as well as demonstrating an informed understanding of the general nature of accounting research
  • Résumé
  • Three letters of recommendation, preferably from research-active faculty members, that give insight into your potential as an accounting researcher and teacher
  • Official GMAT Score (institution code VKR TK 03) or GRE Score (institution code 1836)
  • Official TOEFL iBT or IELTS scores (institution code 1836). Applicants whose native language is not English must meet the English proficiency requirement for teaching assistants in addition to the English proficiency requirements for graduate admission. Our Department requires a TOEFL iBT total score of ≥ 103 and a TOEFL iBT speaking score of ≥ 24, or an IELTS total score of ≥ 7.5 and an IELTS speaking score of ≥ 8.

Deadline

Applications and all supporting materials are due December 15. Applications received before this deadline will receive first priority, but we will continue to accept applications after this deadline.

Submit your application online at grad.illinois.edu.