Program Overview

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This research programme gives you the opportunity to undertake advanced empirical research in the fields of accounting and finance. You will gain in-depth knowledge of the research methods used in capital market analysis and will explore areas high on the agenda of financial institutions. You may choose to explore areas such as:

• banking and financial institutions
• mergers and takeovers
• the role of financial analysts
• shareholder activism

You can follow a 'three paper' thesis, where you produce three research articles, framed by an introduction and conclusion. Alternatively, you may opt to follow a traditional thesis approach, writing a complete and systematic account of your research in a dissertation. Your supervisors support you to submit your work to conferences and for publication in international journals, so you can begin to build you international research portfolio well before graduation. You study at Essex Business School (EBS), world-renowned for high-quality empirical research in accounting, finance and related disciplines. We are the largest department at the University of Essex, giving you the opportunity to work alongside expert academics with a diverse range of research interests and viewpoints on financial practice and policy. Our accounting group has an excellent reputation for research on governance, auditing practices in developing countries and the impact of accounting practices in a globalised world. We explore alternative aspects of accounting through a social science lens and champion responsibility and ethics in business. For example, Emeritus Professor Prem Sikka 's criticisms of corporation tax avoidance can often be found in the national and international media. We are also home to one of the largest and most respected finance groups in the UK. Our work has been cited in the Bank of England, the European Central Bank and the Federal Reserve. You benefit from insight from our many accounting and finance research centres:

• Essex Accounting Centre
• Essex Finance Centre
• BAFA Accounting and Finance in Emerging Economies
• Essex Centre for Macro and Financial Econometrics

They organise seminars throughout the year where you have access to the latest academic thinking and the opportunity to network with colleagues and visiting scholars from across the world. PhD Accounting and Finance can be studied on a full-time or part-time basis and we also offer an Mphil and a Masters by dissertation in this subject. You may also be eligible for a PhD scholarship. Why we're great.

• Ranked in the top 200 for Accounting and Finance in the QS World University Rankings by Subject (2022).
• We have strong links with professional accounting bodies, such as ACCA, ICAEW and CIMA
• Our doctoral students join us from more than 40 different nationalities

Our expert staff

At Essex Business School, you benefit from world-class supervision and research training conducted by our senior academic staff such as Dr Pawan Adhikari . Pawan is a Senior Lecturer in Accounting. His expertise lies within public sector accounting, and his contemporary research follows two distinct directions: a contribution to accounting theory and promoting impact research in emerging economies. His impact research has highlighted the issues that emerging economies are facing while improving their accounting/accountability practices and is widely used in policymaking. He serves as an Associate Editor of the Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting and Financial Management and in 2019, he was awarded the best postgraduate supervisor at the faculty level. Our department boasts eight research centres across our two campuses. Dr Louise Nash and Director of Postgraduate Research at Essex Business School oversees and leads the provision of our graduate research programmes and ensures that we create an environment where our doctoral students can flourish as researchers in a thriving and mutually supportive PhD community. Louise is a lecturer in Management and Marketing and completed her PhD Management at Essex. She has extensive management and marketing experience which has influenced her research interests – these focus on interpretative, qualitative studies of the lived experience of work, including: the spatial and temporal rhythms of everyday life; the culture, aesthetics and symbolism of organisational life; gender in the workplace and exploring and developing sensory and embodied methods for researching organisations. You work with two supervisors during your studies. They provide guidance and support to help you achieve your individual research goals, develop your research topic and create a personalised training plan. You meet with your supervisors at least once a month and are usually required to submit work in advance for feedback. Twice a year, you have a supervisory board meeting to discuss your progress and agree your plans for the next six months. As well as supporting you to complete your thesis, your supervisors can help you to plan your career development. Our academics often co-author publications with doctoral students and can help you to develop the transferable skills needed for the jobs market. Take a look at our staff pages to find out more about our areas of supervision.

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Specialist facilities

PhD Accounting and Finance is based at our Colchester Campus , in the UK’s first zero carbon business school building. Our Colchester home reflects our commitment to sustainability and business ethics; we are a member of the UN Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) . You have access to excellent research facilities , including:

• a quiet place to research in our dedicated PhD study area, with PC access
• office space for Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) in our GTA pods
• our Bloomberg virtual trading floor, complete with industry-standard software
• access to databases such as Bloomberg, Compustat, Passport GMID, Bankscope and Datastream
• e-book finance and business packages to support part-time and distance learning (including Ebrary, NetLibrary, Oxford Scholarship Online, Palgrave Connect and SpringerLink)
• final year students are provided with office space to encourage successful thesis completion innovation booths for group-working, situated in our stunning winter garden
• Bonds café with adjacent sun terrace

The University library is a short walk from our building and our Colchester Campus has ample IT labs. Across the road from our building, buses take you to Colchester town centre and the railway station, where you can take trains directly to London. London Stansted airport is just over an hour away, providing connections to mainland Europe.

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Your future

Our graduates hold academic positions in top universities around the world, as well as organisations in the public and private sectors. Our doctoral programmes are designed to foster the business leaders and researchers of the future who use creativity, innovation and ethical awareness to meet the many challenges facing the international business world. The University’s Employability and Careers Centre can provide careers advice, with Essex Business School also providing employability support , such as CV workshops, one-to-one advice and career resources. “I did my Masters at Essex Business School. I knew that EBS had a lively and supportive PhD community and I wanted to be part of it. “Now that I’m doing my doctorate, I really enjoy the opportunities to present my work and lead seminar discussions. Being able to contribute to intellectual debates with leading academics gives me the confidence that I can follow in their footsteps after I graduate.” Peterson Ozili - PhD Accounting and Finance