Key information
- School
- Edinburgh Business School
- Location
- Edinburgh
- Award
- PhD
- Delivery type
- Full-time, Part-time
- Start date
- September
- Duration
- Normally 3 years
Our accounting research looks at the relationship between the accounting profession, governance and society and explores the nature and purpose of accounting institutions and practices, with a view to improving social well-being and stimulating greater accountability.
Research projects
Accounting research is based around the following four broad areas:
- The Accounting Profession
- Governance and Society
- Accountability
- Globalisation
We welcome enquiries and applications from suitably qualified candidates for PhD studies in these areas.
Entry requirements
Candidate criteria
We welcome applications from suitably qualified candidates. Please note that it is not necessary to have identified a potential supervisor before submitting your application.
Students successful in obtaining a place on our PhD programme normally commence their research studies at the start of the academic year in September. However, it is possible to join the PhD programme at an agreed date during the academic year.
Applications should be submitted via the Heriot-Watt online application portal.
N.B: In order that your application can be processed please ensure all of the supporting documents listed below are submitted with your application:
1. Academic Transcripts and Degree Certificates
Copies of full academic transcripts from all previous academic degree courses and copies of degree certificates for degrees already awarded.
If you are currently pursuing a degree course please provide all available marks to date.
2. Research Proposal
The research proposal should be around 5-8 pages long and contain as much as possible of the following: an introduction or outline of the proposed topic; a statement of objectives and/or specific research questions; a summary of some of the relevant literature which supports the research objective(s); an indication of the intended research methodology; an indication of the theoretical structure and/or conceptual outline; a provisional timetable of the major phases of the research process; results expected from the research e.g. practical value of the research or possible contributions to knowledge or policy or methodology. At this stage we are not looking for a definitive document but merely an indication that you have thought through most of the above issues.
Please note that work submitted may be subject to screening via plagiarism software.
3. English Language Requirements
See section on English Language Requirements below.
4. Funding information
You should confirm how you are proposing to fund your studies.
5. References
If you have references available these should be submitted with your application. If they are not currently available please ensure that you provide the names and contact details, including email addresses, of two academic referees on the application form. You may also submit a Curriculum Vitae if you wish.
English language requirements
If your first language is not English, we'll need to see evidence of your English language ability.
The minimum English language requirement for entry to this programme is IELTS 6.5 (or equivalent) with no score lower than 6.0.
If you do not have IELTS 6.5, we offer a range of English language courses to help you meet the English language requirement for this programme prior to commencing your studies.
For more information about your application and our English Language requirements, please see Section 10 of our page on English Language Requirements as part of your application.
Funding information
| Status | Full Time | Part Time |
|---|---|---|
| Scotland | £5,006 | £2,503 |
| England / Wales / N Ireland | £5,006 | £2,503 |
| International | £19,816 | £9,908 |
- Status: Your residency status is usually defined as the country where you have been ordinarily resident for the three years before the start of your course.
- International: 'International' includes applicants from European Union countries who do not hold Pre-Settled or Settled status in UK. (This does not include students from the Republic of Ireland - see above).
Why Heriot-Watt
We're the top university in Scotland for graduate outcomes which means that more of our graduates are employed or in postgraduate education than any other institution in the country and we ranked 5th in the UK.
We're also rated number one in the UK for CEO or MD roles, meaning more of our graduates go on to become CEOs or MDs than any other university in the whole of the UK. On top of that, we have beautiful campuses, across the globe, so you'll get a truly international education. Our Edinburgh Campus is home to Oriam, Scotland's National Sports Performance Centre combined with plenty of wellbeing resources, prioritising fitness and mental health for all students. Our Global Research Institutes look at solving real world issues such as climate change and saving our oceans as well as working on the next medical technological breakthrough and the future of AI and robots.
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