Doctor of Philosophy in Accounting
Master of Philosophy in Accounting
PhD(ACCT)
MPhil(ACCT)
Both full- and part-time
MPhil
Full-time: 2 years
Part-time: 4 years
PhD
Full-time: 3 years (with a relevant research master’s degree), 4 years (without a relevant research master’s degree)
Part-time: 6 years
MPhil/PhD Programs Coordinator:
Prof Shiheng WANG, Associate Professor of Accounting
MPhil program is only available via the Integrated MPhil-PhD program study scheme.
The Master of Philosophy (MPhil) Program is a research-oriented degree that aims to prepare students for a research and teaching career in universities and research institutes. A candidate for an MPhil degree is expected to demonstrate knowledge in the discipline and to synthesize and create new knowledge, making a contribution to the field. Students intending to do a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Program in Accounting at HKUST should consider entering the MPhil Program to acquire the training necessary for a PhD degree.
The PhD Program follows a strong research-intensive tradition on the North American model. It is designed to enable students to gain a deep knowledge of management in general, to develop a concentration in a specialized field, and to provide opportunities for students to do significant original research in their chosen area. PhD students are offered intensive and targeted research training and exceptional collaboration opportunities with faculty to prepare them for their future careers in teaching and/or research.
On successful completion of the MPhil program, graduates will be able to:
- Demonstrate a sound grasp of the literature in their specialized area of accounting research;
- Apply their specialized knowledge to solve related business problems in an innovative fashion;
- Demonstrate a broad based knowledge of core business functions related to accounting research;
- Integrate functional knowledge to solve business problems within their specialized area of accounting research;
- Teach independent courses or lead lab/tutorial sessions effectively; and
- Present their discipline knowledge clearly to layman.
On successful completion of the PhD program, graduates will be able to:
- Demonstrate a sound grasp of the literature in their specialized area of accounting research;
- Apply their specialized knowledge to solve related business problems in an innovative fashion;
- Demonstrate a broad based knowledge of core business functions related to accounting research;
- Integrate functional knowledge to solve business problems within their specialized area of accounting research;
- Teach independent courses or lead lab/tutorial sessions effectively; and
- Present their discipline knowledge clearly to layman.
The program is offered by the Department of Accounting with the following research foci:
Research Foci
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Financial accounting and capital markets
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Machine learning and big data
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Environmental, social and governance (ESG)
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Cyptocurrency and blockchain
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International accounting
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Financial media
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Debt contracting
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Auditing
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China-related topics
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Minimum Credit Requirement
MPhil/PhD: 33 credits
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Credit Transfer
PhD students who have taken the HKUST MPhil Program in Accounting will be granted credit transfer to the PhD Program. Students who have taken an MPhil program or equivalent in other universities may be granted credit transfer on a case-by-case basis, up to a maximum of 22 credits.
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Introductory Quantitative Requirement
Unless students have clearly demonstrated sufficient knowledge in the area, students entering the MPhil or PhD Program are required to take the following two mathematics-oriented courses in the first regular term of study. The credits earned from these two courses cannot be counted toward the degree requirements.
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Introductory Management Requirement
Unless students have clearly demonstrated sufficient knowledge in management, students are required to take 2 credits of general-management courses chosen from the list below. These credits cannot be counted toward the degree requirements.
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Course Requirement
MPhil:
At least 33 credits in the sequence suggested below. Students may be required to take additional courses related to their research topics, as requested by their thesis supervisors.
Year 1 – Fall Term
Year 1 – Spring Term
Year 2 – Fall Term
Year 2 – Spring Term
PhD:
At least 33 credits including the following. Students may be required to take additional courses related to their research topics, as requested by their thesis supervisors.
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Required Courses
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Cross-discipline Research Courses
Any one of the following:
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Graduate Teaching Assistant Training
All full-time RPg students are required to complete PDEV 6800. The course is composed of a 10-hour training offered by the Center for Education Innovation (CEI), and session(s) of instructional delivery to be assigned by the respective departments. Upon satisfactory completion of the training conducted by CEI, MPhil students are required to give at least one 30-minute session of instructional delivery in front of a group of students for one term. PhD students are required to give at least one such session each in two different terms. The instructional delivery will be formally assessed.
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Professional Development Course Requirement
Students are required to complete PDEV 6770. The 1 credit earned from PDEV 6770 cannot be counted toward the credit requirements.
PhD students who are HKUST MPhil graduates and have completed PDEV 6770 or other professional development courses offered by the University before may be exempted from taking PDEV 6770, subject to prior approval of the School.
Students are required to complete SBMT 6780. The 1 credit earned from SBMT 6780 cannot be counted toward the credit requirements.
PhD students who are HKUST MPhil graduates and have completed SBMT 6780 or other professional development courses offered by the University before may be exempted from taking SBMT 6780, subject to prior approval of the School.
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English Language Requirement
Full-time RPg students are required to take an English Language Proficiency Assessment (ELPA) Speaking Test administered by the Center for Language Education before the start of their first term of study. Students whose ELPA Speaking Test score is below Level 4, or who failed to take the test in their first term of study, are required to take LANG 5000 until they pass the course by attaining at least Level 4 in the ELPA Speaking Test before graduation. The 1 credit earned from LANG 5000 cannot be counted toward the credit requirements.
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PhD Qualifying Examination
All PhD students must pass a qualifying examination.
Students admitted via the HKUST MPhil Program in Accounting will take the qualifying examination in the Summer of the second year of MPhil study. Students who fail the qualifying examination in the first attempt can retake the examination once and must pass the examination no later than December of the first year of PhD study.
Students admitted with an equivalent research master’s degree should take the qualifying examination in the Summer of the first year of PhD study. Students who fail the qualifying examination in the first attempt can retake the examination once and must pass the examination no later than December of the second year of PhD study.
Students admitted without an equivalent research master’s degree should take the qualifying examination in the Summer of the second year of PhD study. Students who fail the qualifying examination in the first attempt can retake the examination once and must pass the examination no later than December of the third year of PhD study.
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Research Paper Requirement
PhD students admitted without an equivalent research master’s degree are required to write a research paper by the Fall Term of the third year of study. Students admitted with an HKUST MPhil degree in Accounting or equivalent will be exempted from this requirement.
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Thesis Research
MPhil:
- Registration in ACCT 6990; and
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Presentation and oral defense of the MPhil thesis.
PhD:
- Registration in ACCT 7990; and
- Presentation and oral defense of the PhD thesis.
Last update: 25 September 2023
To qualify for admission, applicants must meet all of the following requirements. Admission is selective and meeting these minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.
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Applicants seeking admission to a master's degree program should have obtained a bachelor’s degree from a recognized institution, or an approved equivalent qualification;
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Applicants seeking admission to a doctoral degree program should have obtained a bachelor’s degree with a proven record of outstanding performance from a recognized institution; or presented evidence of satisfactory work at the postgraduate level on a full-time basis for at least one year, or on a part-time basis for at least two years.
Applicants have to fulfill English Language requirements with one of the following proficiency attainments:
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TOEFL-iBT: 80*
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TOEFL-pBT: 550
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TOEFL-Revised paper-delivered test: 60 (total scores for Reading, Listening and Writing sections)
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IELTS (Academic Module): Overall score: 6.5 and All sub-score: 5.5
* refers to the total score in one single attempt
Applicants are not requried to present TOEFL or IELTS score if
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their first language is English, or
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they obtained the bachelor's degree (or equivalent) from an institution where the medium of instruction was English.
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A satisfactory score in GMAT or GRE
