georgia tech accounting phd students

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A doctoral degree in finance qualifies you to pursue an academic career as a researcher and educator. An academic career provides not only tremendous intellectual freedom but makes it possible to work with bright people throughout your life. You can make a difference through the scholarly research you create, and the lives you shape through your teaching.

The starting salary for finance Ph.D. graduates’ often ranges from $180K to $250K, depending on placement, which is largely determined by performance in the doctoral program. Moreover, the job market for finance Ph.D.s has been strong, and in recent years more positions have been available than candidates pursuing jobs. It is not surprising that the position of a university professor is frequently ranked as one of the most desirable jobs in the world.

“I started my Ph.D. journey at Scheller because its distinguished faculty members are known as the top-tier researchers in my field, and my Scheller experience has far exceeded my expectations. Faculty generously share their expertise and offer robust support for my research work, cultivating a warm and encouraging academic environment. This vibrant research atmosphere provided an ideal backdrop for me to fully commit to my research pursuits.”

– Wendi Du Ph.D. '24 Ph.D. Candidate Finance

Why Finance?

A Ph.D. in finance provides a solid foundation in the theoretical and empirical tools of modern finance, drawing heavily on the discipline of economics. Students build on this foundation and apply these tools to study frontier issues in asset pricing, corporate finance, financial institutions, international finance, and behavioral finance. We develop the cutting-edge ideas that mutual fund managers, investment bankers, and CEOs use to make their firms more productive.

Why at Georgia Tech?

Georgia Tech Scheller's Ph.D. program is strongly research-oriented and emphasizes the early involvement of our students in research projects with worldwide leading faculty. The finance group has a proven track record of teaching students the skills necessary to conduct original research. Our Ph.D. students have gone on to publish a number of papers in leading finance journals. The Ph.D. program will also help you sharpen your instruction skills as you teach during the final years of the program. Given the small size of the program, the tutorial-mentor model is the primary educational approach employed. Thus, doctoral students experience significant attention and support from a diverse set of world-class faculty.

How Do I Finance the Program?

If admitted to the program, we’ll pay you to go to school to get your degree! Your tuition will be waived and you will receive a monthly stipend.

Tuition and Financing 

“I learned various quantitative tools to gain a deeper understanding of financial institutions, corporate finance, and asset pricing, and my co-authored research was published in the Review of Finance. The Ph.D. program at Scheller has been a life-changing experience that has prepared me to pursue roles at the intersection of finance, economics, and programming.”

– Baridhi Malakar Ph.D. '23 Model Risk Analyst, Western Alliance Bank

Application Process

The application deadline is jan. 6 for admission the following fall semester (starting mid-august)., recent student placements.

• Bank of Korea
• Baruch College
• Emory University
• Florida International University
• Georgia State University
• Loyola University - Baltimore
• Loyola University - Chicago
• Rutgers University
• San Jose State University
• Singapore Management University
• University of Central Florida
• University of Connecticut
• University of Georgia
• University of Hawaii
• University of Rhode Island
• University of South Florida
• University of Texas, Dallas
• University of Wyoming

Recent Research Areas

• Monetary policy and financial markets
• Household finance
• Financial econometrics
• International capital markets and corporate finance
• Informational imperfections in capital markets and corporate financial policy, including dividend policy, capital structure theory, the capital acquisition process, corporate restructuring, and entrepreneurial finance
• Portfolio management and asset pricing
• Theory of financial intermediation and analysis of financial services
• Valuation of derivative securities and the expansion of derivative securities markets

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Bachelor of Science in Business Administration - Accounting

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PHD, Business Administration: Accounting

The PhD degree in the Tull School of Accounting is designed to prepare students to conduct scholarly research in accounting and to eventually take positions at research universities.

Degree Type: Doctoral

Degree Program Code: PHD_BUAD

Degree Program Summary:

The mission of the J. M. Tull School of Accounting is to pursue excellence in accounting education. As a professional school in a major public research university, we are committed to teaching, research, and service that advances the accounting discipline and prepares future leaders for business and academia.

The Ph.D. degree in the Tull School of Accounting is designed to prepare students to conduct scholarly research in accounting and to eventually take positions at other research universities. The program is individually planned with each student by his/her major professor and advisory committee. The student and the committee evaluate previous work and designate sufficient coursework to provide the necessary proficiency to do research and teach in the chosen field of specialization.

Locations Offered:

Athens (Main Campus)

College / School:

Terry College of Business

600 S. Lumpkin Street Athens, GA 30605

Department:

J. M. Tull School of Accounting

Graduate Coordinator(s):

Frank Heflin

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PhD in Accounting

Program Overview

If you’re considering a PhD in Business Administration with a focus in Accounting, you will appreciate these core elements that helped our PhD program to be ranked No. 11 in the world in terms of the research productivity of our graduates over the last six years.

Research-active faculty

Our program includes a large set of active researchers, from energetic junior scholars to accomplished senior professors. The research productivity of our faculty over the last six years ranks No. 11 in the world. This ranking is the result of our faculty publishing in leading journals such as Accounting, Organizations and Society , The Accounting Review , Contemporary Accounting Research , the Journal of Accounting and Economics , the Journal of Accounting Research and the Review of Accounting Studies . In addition, our faculty are seen as leaders in their field, as they routinely serve as editors or on the editorial board at leading journals such as The Accounting Review , Contemporary Accounting Research and the Review of Accounting Studies .

Diverse and invigorating mix of talent

Our students come from a variety of backgrounds and are highly motivated. Recently, our doctoral candidates have received both the Deloitte Foundation Fellowship and the American Accounting Association/Grant Thornton Doctoral Dissertation Award for Innovation in Accounting Education.

Collaborative and supportive atmosphere

Students collaborate with faculty members on all phases of the research process—from idea generation and study design to data analysis and writing—while seasoned students offer guidance and mutual support.

Preferred deadline: January 4

Applications after January 4 will also be considered until spots are filled

• James Don Edwards Chair in Corporate Accounting Policy and Professor , J.M. Tull School of Accounting

See the Accounting PhD Student Handbook for a complete overview of our program and curriculum.

Students arrive four weeks prior to the start of fall semester to take:

• SAS/STATA/Python Coding Bootcamp
• ECON 8000  Math for Economists

Additional coursework depends on the area of concentration.

Students take three accounting seminars during their first two years:

• ACCT 9100  Behavioral Accounting Research
• ACCT 9120  Capital Markets Research I
• ACCT 9140  Capital Markets Research II

The quality of our program is proven by the placement of our students. Since 2010, graduating PhD students have taken tenure-track positions at some of the most respected universities in the world.

• Ryan Johnson , Indiana University – Bloomington (graduated October 2023)
• Truman Rowley , University of Nevada – Las Vegas (graduated August 2023)
• Karson Fronk , Texas Christian University (graduated May 2023)
• Owen Davidson , Baylor University (graduated May 2022)
• Patrick Ryu , University of Manchester (graduated July 2021)
• James Warren , University of Connecticut (graduated May 2021)
• Enrique Gomez , Temple University (graduated May 2020)
• Jasmine Wang , University of Virginia (graduated May 2020)
• Emily Shafron , Texas A&M University (graduated July 2019)
• Jenna D’Adduzio , University of British Columbia (graduated May 2019)
• Christy Sims , University of Mississippi (graduated May 2019)
• Mike Ricci , University of Florida (graduated May 2017)
• Anne Ehinger , Indiana University at Indianapolis (graduated May 2017)
• Ashley Austin , University of Richmond (graduated May 2016)
• Lisa Hinson , University of Florida (graduated May 2016)
• Steven Utke , University of Connecticut (graduated May 2015)
• Emily Griffith , University of Wisconsin (graduated May 2014)
• Wayne Nesbitt , Michigan State University (graduated May 2014)
• David Koo , University of Illinois (graduated May 2013)
• Ann Backof , University of Virginia (graduated May 2012)
• Julia Yu , Nanyang Technical University (graduated May 2011)
• Mary Im , University of Alabama at Birmingham (graduated May 2011)
• Jeremy Griffin , Notre Dame University (graduated May 2010)

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Ph.D. in Economics

The Ph.D. Program in Economics at Georgia Tech has research strengths in the applied areas of health, energy & environmental economics, global development, international economics, market design, and game theory. Underpinning all our applied fields are strengths in microeconomic theory and statistical methods. 

The program prepares students for research careers in academics, government, and the private sector.

Students in the Ph.D. program benefit from:

• Enthusiastic faculty to mentor students
• High faculty-to-student ratio
• Exceptional research opportunities at the Health Economics and Policy Innovation Collaborative (HEPIC), the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) , the Atlanta Research Data Center (ARDC) , and the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
• Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Ph.D. Program certification 1
• Core curriculum strengths in Microeconomic Theory and an exceptionally strong Econometrics sequence
• Georgia Tech Ph.D. Interdisciplinary Minor
• Tech to Teaching Certificate for the graduate teaching assistants, including opportunities to teach your own courses
• Competitive financial support for select students
• Georgia Tech’s location in the dynamic Midtown area of the city of Atlanta , one of the fastest-growing metro areas in the country

During the first year of the program, our students concentrate on the core areas of Econometrics and Microeconomic Theory. In the second year of the program, students choose one or more fields of specialization and begin focusing on their dissertations.

We offer competitive support packages through the Georgia Tech Graduate Teaching and Research Assistantships for select students. Please, consult the rest of the site for additional information. 

Newly admitted Ph.D. students start their program in the Fall semester of each academic year. The application deadline for the Ph.D. in Economics program is Feb. 1  for admission in the Fall semester.

To be considered, applications must be completed with all supplemental materials submitted to the Georgia Tech Office of Graduate Studies  by the posted deadline. Please contact Olga Shemyakina for more information on our Ph.D. program.

1 STEM certification also benefits international students who can, upon graduation, apply for a STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT) visa extension that allows them to work in the United States for up to 29 months rather than one year.

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For information on Graduate Student Handbook please go to the link found here: https://grad.gatech.edu/sites/default/files/documents/grad_guide_fall_2020_20200618.pdf

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Georgia Tech to Offer Ph.D. in Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, New Minor

The University System of Georgia Board of Regents has approved a new Neuroscience and Neurotechnology Ph.D. Program at Georgia Tech.

The interdisciplinary degree is a joint effort across the Colleges of Sciences , Computing , and Engineering . The program expects to enroll its first graduate students in Fall 2025, pending approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

The Institute Curriculum Committee has also approved a new Minor in Neuroscience , set to become available in the Georgia Tech 2024-2025 Catalog .

B.S. in Neuroscience

The Ph.D. and Minor offerings build on the recently launched Neuro Next Initiative in Research , and the established Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience , respectively.

Approved by the Board of Regents in 2017, the interdisciplinary B.S. in Neuroscience degree in the College of Sciences enrolled more than 400 undergraduate students in 2022, and has been  the fastest growing undergraduate major at Georgia Tech.

The B.S. in Neuroscience is also key to a strong ecosystem of undergraduate neuroscience education across the state, which includes peer programs at Mercer University, Augusta University, Georgia State University, Agnes Scott College, and Emory University.

Ph.D. in Neuroscience and Neurotechnology

The new doctoral degree will provide a path for the rapidly growing pipeline of in-state neuroscience undergraduate students and young alumni — while also welcoming a wider slate of graduate researchers to campus.

The Ph.D. Program’s mission is focused on educating students to advance the field of neuroscience through an interdisciplinary approach, with scientists and engineers of diverse backgrounds — ultimately integrating neuroscience research and technological development to study all levels of nervous system function.

Biological Sciences Professor Lewis A. Wheaton , who chaired the Ph.D. Program Planning Committee, shares that a cohort model will fuse “experimental and quantitative skill development, creating opportunities for students to work in science and engineering labs to promote collaborations, while also fostering a program and community that’s unique to the state and against national peer offerings.”

Expanding innovation — and impact

Wheaton explains that the new Ph.D. aims to equip graduates for a wide range of employment opportunities and growing specializations, including computational neuroscience, neurorehabilitation, cultural and social neuroscience, neuroimaging, cognitive and behavioral neuroscience, developmental neuroscience, and neurolinguistics.

The new degree will also help meet the country’s growing demand for a neuro-centric workforce. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth for medical scientists (including neuroscientists) tracked around 13% between 2012 and 2022, faster than the average for all tracked occupations.

Wheaton, who also serves as director of the Cognitive Motor Control Lab and director of the Center for Promoting Inclusion and Equity in the Sciences (C-PIES) at Georgia Tech, adds that the program will equip neuroscientists to conduct research that can significantly improve lives.

Seeking students

The Planning Committee anticipates a tentative February 1, 2025 application deadline for Fall 2025 enrollments — and encourages students with the following interests to learn more and apply in the coming school year:

• Developing deeper quantitative, computing and/or engineering skills to make scientific discoveries that support innovations in neuroscience
• A clear, comprehensive understanding of the nervous system at all scales from molecular to systems
• Understanding how to use and innovate new tools and approaches to investigate the nervous system at all levels
• Becoming uniquely qualified to translate knowledge across neuroscience and related disciplines to create new knowledge in their professional pursuits

Director search

The participating Colleges will soon conduct a search for a program director , engaging a tenured member of the Georgia Tech faculty to serve as the new program’s administrator. A graduate program committee composed of five faculty members and mentors across the Colleges of Sciences, Computing, and Engineering, will also be created.  

During their April 2024 meeting, Regents also announced budget approvals and tuition changes for Georgia's 26 member institutions.

The Ph.D. Program Planning Committee included the following faculty:

• Lewis Wheaton (Committee Chair, Biological Sciences)
• Constantine Dovrolis (Computer Science)
• Christopher Rozell (Electrical and Computer Engineering)
• Eric Schumacher (Psychology)
• Garrett Stanley (Biomedical Engineering)
• David Collard (College of Sciences Office of the Dean)

• Ph.D. in Neuroscience and Neurotechnology Contact Professor Lewis Wheaton , Planning Committee Chair
• Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience
• Minor in Neuroscience
• Georgia Tech Neuro and Neuro Next

Press Contact: Jess Hunt-Ralston Director of Communications College of Sciences at Georgia Tech

Neuro Next Initiative:

Sarah Peterson Program Manager GT Neuro

Audra Davidson Research Communications Program Manager Neuro Next Initiative at Georgia Tech

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College of Computing

Your Opportunities are Limitless: Message from a 2024 Cyber Graduate

Wednesday, may 1, 2024, john popham, college of computing school of cybersecurity and privacy, computer systems cybersecurity.

If Sneha Talwalkar could leave behind one piece of advice to the next generation of Georgia Tech graduate students, it would be to treat their master’s program like an extended professional development opportunity because that is exactly what it is. 

Fortunately for future students, she is not leaving behind just one piece of advice. Her time in the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy at Georgia Tech exposed Talwalkar to resources she thinks all students should take advantage of.

Volunteering, mentoring, resume reviews, paper reviews, guest lectures, and talk series like So You Want to be a Professor , and using the Communication Center in the Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons are all on Talwalkar’s list of resources students should use while in their master’s program. One of the most important to her, however, is how students should approach their master’s capstone course and project. 

“It needs to be on the front of your mind before the first day of class even starts,” she said. “Three to four months is just not enough to build a good project and professional relationships- an outcome that both students and the institute can benefit from.”

The opportunities for students are limitless. Talwalkar has witnessed partnerships with industry while working on her own projects. This is especially beneficial for international students as collaborations with nonprofits, government, and industry can increase their employment options after graduating from a professional master’s course.

“Partnerships can help you have a plan ready while also helping the institute to build a pipeline of projects outside academia through your work,” she said. “Reach out to alumni with the help of GTConnect and other platforms to start working on problems that interest you.”  

Talwalkar has spent her time outside of the classroom connecting with faculty to learn as much as she can from them. She will be leaving Georgia Tech with a list of mentors from different areas of expertise, including:

• Courtney Crooks , principal research scientist in the Georgia Tech Research Institute who specializes in the field of cyberpsychology. 
• Professor Peter Swire , J.Z. Liang Chair at SCP, and data privacy expert
• Sashank Varma , professor in the School of Interactive Computing and School of Psychology, a cognitive scientist and human/machine-learning course instructor
• Ling Liu , professor in the School of Computer Science and director of research programs for the Distributed Data Intensive Systems Lab

“Innovation and research are not possible if we stick to our own departments and our group of students or friends,” she said. “Explore different classes and research projects outside of your own coursework and then try to draw the line backward to see how you can weave your own story.” 

Talwalkar has also taken on two mentees of her own. The first is a master’s student in the School of Computational Science and Engineering, Tara (Tingyu) Liu , and the second is Betta Lyon Delsordo , enrolled in the Online Master of Science in Cybersecurity . 

“I am privileged and proud to be carrying Georgia Tech’s heritage with me,” she said. 

Her time in the cybersecurity master’s program ignited a passion for research and education. Once Talwalkar is done with her final class, she will be moving to Canada to begin her Ph.D. in Information at the University of Toronto. Her son will begin pre-kindergarten around the same time.

“We both get to have a first day of school this September!” she said. “I hope my story inspires women with school-age kids to pursue a graduate program."

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We are thrilled to announce Vivek Sarkar as the new Dean of the College of Computing at Georgia Tech! With a distinguished career spanning academia and industry, Sarkar's leadership promises to elevate our community to new heights. https://t.co/2mX5D46cJz pic.twitter.com/LxpLTCXWZV — Georgia Tech Computing (@gtcomputing) April 12, 2024

@GeorgiaTech 's dedication to excellence in computer science (CS) has been recognized once again, with the latest U.S. News and World Report rankings unveiling the institution at 7th place overall for graduate CS studies. https://t.co/qavNUSTb7n pic.twitter.com/BcGyGBQld8 — Georgia Tech Computing (@gtcomputing) April 10, 2024