stanford university accounting phd

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The accounting area is preeminent in research and teaching related to the dissemination and use of information in markets and within firms.

Faculty affiliated with the area are worldwide leaders in scholarship and in their contributions to accounting pedagogy. They also help shape accounting practices in the United States and elsewhere as a result of their influence in the standard-setting process.

Research by the accounting faculty draws on economics, finance, and statistics and employs analytical and empirical methodologies to study issues such as:

• The pricing of securities in capital markets, with a focus on the role of financial reporting and information intermediaries.
• The design of performance measurement and incentive systems.
• Best practices in corporate governance and executive compensation.

Faculty in the area teach in the Stanford MBA Program , Stanford MSx Program , Stanford GSB Executive Education , and Stanford GSB PhD Program , with courses focusing on two broad areas: financial reporting and management control. Beyond the core MBA classes, a wide variety of electives cover topics in global financial reporting, financial statement analysis, and accounting-based valuation techniques.

Recent Publications in Accounting

Esg assurance in the united states, internalizing peer firm product market concerns: supply chain relations and m&a activity, fraudulent financial reporting and the consequences for employees, jobs & placement.

Christopher S. Armstrong

Mary E. Barth

William H. Beaver (1940–2024)

Jung Ho Choi

George Foster

Brandon Gipper

Ron Kasznik

John D. Kepler

Jinhwan Kim

David F. Larcker

Charles M. C. Lee

Rebecca Lester

Iván Marinovic

Maureen McNichols

Joseph D. Piotroski

Stefan J. Reichelstein

Kevin Smith

Safra A. Catz

Jaclyn Foroughi

Samuel Blake Hinkie

David a. kaval.

Paraag V. Marathe

Jennifer mulloy.

Matthew Rogers

David Byrd Singer

Mark A. Wolfson

Donald Wood

Recent insights, mapping the maze where the irs could find billions in unpaid taxes.

American Innovation Got Slammed by the “Temporary” End of a Key Tax Incentive

Your Company Is on a High-Growth List! It May Not Be There Next Year.

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Stanford University Full-Time MBA Program

Graduate School (Business) • Stanford, CA •  

Graduate School (Business) • Stanford, CA

More from This School

• Engineering

Stanford University Business School Overview

The Graduate School of Business at Stanford University offers these departments and concentrations: accounting, business analytics, e-commerce, economics, entrepreneurship, ethics, finance, general management, health care administration, human resources management, insurance, international business, leadership, manufacturing and technology management, marketing, management information systems, not-for-profit management, production/operations management, project management, organizational behavior, portfolio management, public administration, public policy, real estate, sports business, supply chain management/logistics, quantitative analysis/statistics and operations research, tax, technology, and transportation. Its tuition is full-time: $79,860 per year (in-state) and full-time: $79,860 per year (out-of-state). At graduation, 60.90 percent of graduates of the full-time program are employed.

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At-a-Glance

School Type

Enrollment (ALL Programs)

Programs Offered:

Full-time MBA, Specialty Masters

Stanford University 2024 Rankings

Overall Score

Full-time graduates employed at graduation (2 year average)

Full time graduates employed three months after graduation (2 year average)

MBA Program Rankings

• # 1 in Best Business Schools  (tie)

Business School Specialty Rankings

• # 7 in Accounting
• # 2 in Entrepreneurship
• # 5 in Finance
• # 3 in Management
• # 4 in Marketing  (tie)
• # 3 in Nonprofit
• # 5 in Production / Operations
• # 10 in Supply Chain / Logistics  (tie)

Application fee

Test-optional admissions

Stanford University Admissions

Applicants :

(full-time)

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Full-Time MBA Cost

Tuition & Fees (In-State/Out-of-State)

Room & Board, Books, and Misc

Financial Aid Available?

Stanford University Cost

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Student Population

Graduate Enrollment

Total Enrollment

Full-Time Degree-Seeking Students

Stanford University Student Body

Gender distribution :

Minority Enrollment

International

Two or more races

American Indian

Pacific Islander

Not Specified is not included in this breakdown due to an enrollment of 0%.

Department Concentrations

• accounting business analytics
• e-commerce economics
• entrepreneurship ethics
• finance general management
• health care administration human resources management
• insurance international business
• leadership manufacturing and technology management
• marketing management information systems
• not-for-profit management production/operations management
• project management organizational behavior
• portfolio management public administration
• public policy real estate
• sports business supply chain management/logistics
• quantitative analysis/statistics and operations research tax
• technology transportation

AND 21 MORE

Stanford University Academics

Career & salary.

Base Salary By Occupation

# REPORTING JOBS

AVERAGE BASE SALARY

Number reporting operations/production jobs

Number reporting general management jobs

Number reporting finance/accounting jobs

Number reporting management information systems (MIS) jobs

Number reporting consulting jobs

Number reporting human resources jobs

Number reporting having jobs in other areas

Stanford University Career and Salary

Specialty master's admissions.

Test-optional admissions (Specialty)

Specialty Master's Students

Minority Students

International Students

Stanford University Student

Business School details based on 2023 data.

The MBA Career Services & Employer Alliance's Standards for Reporting Full-time MBA Employment Statistics are the globally accepted platform by which business schools capture, analyze and distribute employment data in order to ensure accurate and comparable information is provided to internal and external stakeholders. The Standards Compliance Review Program is an optional opportunity for schools to have their employment data reviewed by an external firm to ensure it complies with the Standards. Schools that make their employment data eligible for a review are providing an external acknowledgement that their data is collected using the Standards, and is accurate and comparable with other schools.

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Reviews & Ratings

See reviews and ratings of this school from students, alumni, staff and others. These reviews are not written by U.S. News and have no impact on any of the Best Graduate Schools rankings.

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Explore Graduate Programs

Stanford GSB Application Portal

Welcome to the Stanford GSB application portal. You can view your in-progress application(s) or start a new application below. The Stanford GSB PhD Program application deadline is December 1, 2024 at 5pm PST. The Stanford GSB Research Fellows Program’s application is due by October 18, 2024, for full consideration. The program has rolling admissions until March 1, 2025. Please be reminded that all application materials, including recommendation letters, must be submitted by the application deadlines. We cannot guarantee review of any materials submitted after the deadlines. 

To learn more about required application materials and deadlines, please see:  

GSB PhD Program If you need assistance with your PhD application, please email [email protected] .

Research Fellows Program If you need assistance with your RF application, please email [email protected]

IDDEAS@Stanford If you need assistance with your IDDEAS@Stanford application, please email [email protected] .  

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You are here

Application requirements for all doctoral programs (phd).

All of our doctoral programs are designed to develop outstanding educational researchers who have a deep understanding of the scientific, practical and policy issues they study. All require full-time study, and we promise five years of full-time financial support for every student we admit. Our doctoral programs are small, typically ranging from about 25 to 35 new students a year. The small size of our doctoral cohorts creates big educational advantages for students: the classes are almost always small, students receive individualized attention from their advisors, and they have many opportunities to develop close collegial relationships with fellow students.

It is extremely important to demonstrate in your statement of purpose that your interests converge closely with the current research of faculty who work in the program to which you are applying. Other doctoral applicants will certainly do this, and if you don't, you will forfeit an important competitive advantage to them. 

If you wish to contact faculty, please read our Which Degree Which Program article, by Professor Eamonn Callan, which outlines the appropriate process for contacting faculty with whom you share research interests. 

• Program website:  Degrees and Programs/PhD
• Length of Program:  5 years (average length)
• Tuition: fellowship/assistantship salary and tuition guaranteed for first five years of the program (autumn, winter and spring quarters) for all students, including international students. Funding includes two summers.

Application Requirements:

Application form.

Complete and submit Stanford's graduate online application .

Application Fee

The application fee is $125 , is non-refundable, and must be received by the application deadline.

Application Fee Waivers

Stanford offers three types of application fee waivers for which GSE applicants may apply and be considered:

• GRE Fee Reduction Certificate-Based Waiver
• Diversity Program Participation-Based Waiver
• School-Based Waiver

Please visit the Stanford Graduate Diversity website for instructions, deadlines, and the fee waiver application form.

Statement of Purpose

A Statement of Purpose is required. Your statement should be typed, single-spaced and should be between one to two pages . Describe succinctly your reasons for applying to the proposed program, your preparation for this field of study, and why our program is a good fit for you, your future career plans, and other aspects of your background as well as interests which may aid the admissions committee in evaluating your aptitude and motivation for graduate study. You may indicate potential faculty mentors as part of your study and research interests. Be sure to keep a copy for your records. What's a Good Statement of Purpose?

A resume or CV  is required of all applicants, depending on which document is most appropriate for your background. There is no page limit for resumes or CVs, though we typically see resumes of one page in length. Please upload your resume or CV in the online application.

Three (3) Letters of Recommendation

Applicants are required to submit three letters of recommendation . In the online application, you will be asked to identify your recommenders and their email addresses. Please notify your recommenders that they will receive an email prompt to submit their recommendation online. You can submit your request for letters of recommendation through the system without submitting the entire online application.  Stanford GSE only accepts online recommendations through the application system ; Stanford GSE cannot accept mailed, emailed or faxed recommendations.

Recommendations should be written by people who have supervised you in an academic, employment, or community service setting. We very strongly recommend that at least one of these letters be from a university professor familiar with your academic work. Your recommendations should directly address your suitability for admission to a graduate program at Stanford GSE.

It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that all three letters of recommendation are submitted through the system by the application deadline , so please work closely with your recommenders to remind them of the deadline.

College and University Transcripts

Transcripts are required from every college and university you have attended for at least one academic year as a full-time student. When submitting your online application, transcripts should be uploaded to the application as a scanned copy or PDF ; this is sufficient for the application review process. Please refrain from sending a secured PDF/transcript with a digital signature as our system cannot upload these properly. The best way to ensure we receive an upload-able document is for you to print out the secured transcript, scan it, and upload the scanned copy (not to exceed 10MB) as a PDF. 

If you earned a degree at the institution from which you are submitting a transcript, please ensure that the degree conferral date and the degree conferred is clearly visible on the document. If you are currently enrolled in a degree program and will not have earned the respective degree by the time of submitting your GSE application, you should submit your most recent in-progress transcript from your institution.

Only if admitted will we contact you with instructions on sending two copies of your official transcripts to our office. We cannot accept mailed, emailed or faxed copies of your transcripts during the application process. Please note: the instructions for sending transcripts on the online application and on the general Stanford Graduate Admissions Office website differ from this Stanford GSE requirement.

Concerning course work completed in a study abroad program

If the coursework and grades are reflected on the transcript of your home institution, you do not need to submit original transcripts from the study abroad institution.

Concerning foreign institutions

If your institution provides a transcript in a language other than English, we require that you submit a translation of the transcript that is either provided by the institution or a certified translator. Translations must be literal and complete versions of the original records.

If your transcript does not include your degree conferral date and the degree conferred , please submit a scanned copy of your diploma, a conferral statement, or a conferral document in addition to your transcript . If you are currently enrolled in a degree program and will not have earned the respective degree by the time of submitting your GSE application, you should submit your most recent in-progress transcript from your institution.

Stanford University requires the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) from all applicants whose native language is not English. The GSE requires a minimum TOEFL score of 250 for the computer-based test, 600 for the paper-based test or 100 for the internet-based test in order to be considered for admission. The Test of Written English (TWE) portion of the TOEFL is not required. Applicants who have completed a four-year bachelor's degree or a two-year master's program (or its equivalent) in the U.S. or at an institution where English is the main language of instruction are not required to take the TOEFL. For more information on TOEFL requirements, please refer to the Required Exams  page on the main Stanford Graduate Admissions website. You may register for the TOEFL test directly at the ETS website .

TOEFL Dates and Deadlines

PhD applicants who are required to take the TOEFL should plan to take the internet-based TOEFL test and have official TOEFL scores sent electronically to Stanford at institution code 4704 (department code does not matter) no later than November 1 . This will give your official TOEFL scores time to be sent from ETS and be received by our system in time for the December 1 deadline. PhD applicants to Knight-Hennessy Scholars should plan to take the internet-based TOEFL test no later than October 16 so your scores can be received by our system in time for the November 16 KHS GSE deadline. Please note that the TOEFL may be taken no earlier than 18 months prior to the application deadline.

Does Stanford accept tests other than TOEFL?

No. We accept only TOEFL scores; we do not accept IELTS or other test scores.

Contact Information

Admissions:  [email protected]  

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Stanford University Finance & Accounting Degrees

This school appears in our ranking of the  25 Great Master of Financial Engineering Programs .

Finance and accounting programs at Stanford University are offered at the graduate level, and students can pursue other degrees at the undergraduate level that feature classes in finance and accounting. Students may take classes like Accelerated Managerial Finance or Capital Markets & Institutional Investing when they study finance. Students who want to augment their degree with accounting courses may take Financial Accounting, Managerial Accounting, or Accounting-Based Valuation.

Students interested in majoring in accounting or finance at the graduate level will apply to the Stanford Graduate School of Business and will enroll in the Master of Business Administration or the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) program. Students in the Master of Business Administration program will undertake a two-year curriculum that will begin with the study of general management principles and a global experience.

Enrollees will focus on a topic of their choice in the second year when virtually all of their classes will be chosen as electives. Students can choose Accounting, Finance, or many related topics as their specialty. Classes in accounting a student may take in the MBA program include Accounting-Based Valuation, Analysis & Valuation for Event-Driven Investing, Board Governance, and Mergers & Acquisitions.

Students who choose finance as their focus may take Debt Markets, Modeling for Investment Management, Financial Trading Strategies, and Corporate Financial Modeling. Students can augment their MBA with classes in areas like general management, marketing, economics, and organizational behavior.

Prospective students at Stanford University who already have a graduate degree and want to become a teacher or researcher in business may want to consider the Ph.D. program where admitted students receive full fellowships while they’re enrolled as doctoral students. Two of the fields of study available for Ph.D. students include accounting and finance.

Students who pursue a degree in accounting will take courses like Financial Reporting & Management Control, Applications of Information Economics in Management & Accounting, and Managerial Incentives & Corporate Governance. Meanwhile, students in the finance program will undertake what the university calls “very hard work” in a program that has a very high level of competition for entry.

Some of the unique offerings from Stanford University are its executive education programs that cover topics like finance and accounting, as well as other business-centric subjects. Available classes are sometimes held online, as well as via part-time study on campus. Classes that are available each year include Mergers & Acquisitions, Finance & Accounting for the Non-finance Executive, and The Emerging CFO: Strategic Financial Leadership Program. Not only can students enroll in these executive programs as individuals, but they can also participate as a group through small-team programs meant for businesses.

About Stanford University

Established in 1891, Stanford University is a private school in California. The school was founded by a local railway tycoon who wanted to honor the memory of his son. Around 16,400 students attend the university and more than 2,200 academic staff work at the school. The suburban campus covers 8,180 acres, and the school operates on a quarter system.

The full name of the school is Leland Stanford Junior University, but most people just refer to the school as Stanford. The university’s official colors are cardinal and white, and the sports teams at the school play in NCAA Division I games in a variety of west coast college sports conferences. Alumni of the prestigious school have gone on to head some of the largest and most profitable companies in the world.

Stanford University Accreditation Details

Stanford University is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, which is an organization that accredits schools throughout California and neighboring states. Many of the university’s programs are accredited by various national agencies and organizations.

The American Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar has accredited the law programs and Stanford University’s professional school. The American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation has accredited the Doctor of Philosophy in Counseling Psychology program. The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education has accredited the bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in education.

Stanford University Application Requirements

Students will submit the Coalition Application to Stanford University when they apply, as well as submit a nonrefundable application fee of $90. Students may submit a fee waiver request for the application fee. Applicants must also submit standardized test scores for the ACT or SAT, as well as a counselor letter of recommendation and official School Report. The university also requires official transcripts, two letters of recommendation from teachers, and a midyear transcript.

Admission to Stanford University’s graduate programs requires the official application and fee, as well as several documents that include a statement of purpose, letters of recommendation, and transcripts. Some departments require additional materials, and students should check with their intended program to determine all degree requirements.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Undergraduate tuition at Stanford University is $17,619, and graduate tuition for 11 through 18 units is $17,493. Students who enroll in part-time graduate study pay $11,370 and graduate units above 18 are billed at $1,166 each. Stanford University is a private school, so all students pay the same rate whether they’re from California or another state.

Some programs at the graduate level and from the university’s professional schools are billed at different rates. For example, students in the M.D. program in the School of Medicine pay $20,078 for tuition, and students enrolled in the university’s Law School pay $20,725 for tuition. Other fees students may pay include a campus health service fee of $224 and a document fee of $250.

Approximately half of the students attending Stanford University as undergraduates receive grants from the university based on financial need. Students from families who earn less than $65,000 may qualify for zero tuition and free room and board. Students may also qualify for a variety of student loans, federal and state grants, outside scholarship, and student employment opportunities.

According to the university, the average size of an aid award at Stanford is $47,228, and the university invites students to use its net price calculator to determine the overall cost of earning a college degree. Students who want to enroll in the accounting and finance programs at Stanford University must submit their FAFSA form to qualify for student aid and scholarships.