Accounting - PhD

The Kent Business School Accounting and Finance Department has a strong international reputation for its research on public sector accounting, critical accounting and accounting history.

Overview

Staff members have published many scholarly papers in highly esteemed journals and a number of influential books. Our Accounting scholars’ research interests include privatisation and neoliberalism, public sector accounting and accountability, the social and political importance of accounting, accounting for sustainability, accounting history and optimal capital markets.

Exchange partners

Kent Business School (KBS) has excellent links with business schools globally, including in China, USA, Hong Kong, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden and Italy. Our wide array of exchange partners gives you the opportunity to gain international experience. Our partners are committed to enhancing their international outlook while providing excellent teaching. You will gain invaluable work experience, develop your understanding of a new culture and improve your language skills.

Our exchange partners include these top-ranked institutions among others:

  • University of Technology Sydney (UTS)
  • Renmin Business School, Renmin University of China
  • The University of Hong Kong (HKU)
  • ESSEC Business School
  • NEOMA Business School
  • Freie Universitat Berlin
  • University of Florence
  • IE University, Madrid
  • Stockholm Business School.

About Kent Business School

Our School is proud to be in the top 1% of business schools globally to hold accreditations from three leading business organisations – The European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS) accreditation from the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD)The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and The Association of MBAs (AMBA).

Our programmes offer world-class business education enabling transformative learning experiences built around the School’s fundamental values of sustainable innovation and responsible management practice. Our students are at the heart of all considerations and through engaging teaching, world-class research, professional partnerships and an international community, we create an exciting atmosphere in which to learn and thrive. All our programmes at Kent Business School address the challenges of modern global business and we aim to meet industry demands of producing quality graduates by ensuring we unlock our students’ potential, expand their thinking and nurture their talent.

Entry requirements

Applicants should hold a 2.1 at undergraduate level and a Merit at Master’s level in a relevant discipline, from a UK or other approved university and/or equivalent. You must submit a research proposal of approximately 1,500 words on your intended topic.

In Kent Business School, entry to all research programmes is in September only. The deadline for PhD applications is 31 July. 

All applicants are considered on an individual basis and additional qualifications, professional qualifications and relevant experience may also be taken into account when considering applications. 

International students

Please see our International Student website for entry requirements by country and other relevant information. Due to visa restrictions, students who require a student visa to study cannot study part-time unless undertaking a distance or blended-learning programme with no on-campus provision.

English language entry requirements

The University requires all non-native speakers of English to reach a minimum standard of proficiency in written and spoken English before beginning a postgraduate degree. Certain subjects require a higher level.

For detailed information see our English language requirements web pages. 

Need help with English?

Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of pre-sessional courses in English for Academic Purposes through Kent International Pathways.

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Course structure

Duration: 3 to 4 years full-time, 5 to 6 years part-time

Fees

The fees for the 2024/25 year have not yet been set. As a guide, the tuition fees for postgraduate study in 2023/24 are shown below.

  • Home full-time £4712
  • EU full-time £18000
  • International full-time £18000
  • Home part-time £2356
  • EU part-time £9000
  • International part-time £9000

For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.

For students continuing on this programme fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.* If you are uncertain about your fee status please contact information@kent.ac.uk.

Your fee status

The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.

Additional costs

General additional costs

Find out more about general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent. 

Funding

Take a look at the KBS website for possible funding opportunities or search our scholarships finder.

We have a range of subject-specific awards and scholarships for academic, sporting and musical achievement.

Search scholarships

Independent rankings

In the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021, 80% of our research was deemed ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. The school’s environment was judged to be conducive to supporting the development of research and international excellence.

Research

Research areas

Research activities at Kent Business School are broadly organised into 4 departments:

  • Accounting and Finance
  • Analytics, Operations and Systems
  • Leadership and Management
  • Marketing, Entrepreneurship and International Business

Our Accounting and Finance department has an international reputation for its research on public sector critical accounting and accounting history. Recent topics include privatisation, health and New Public Management.

Staff research interests

Our world-class academic staff provide research students with excellent supervision.

Kent Business School has over 30 eligible research degree supervisors. Postgraduate research can take place in any subject area where they have expertise.

Please note, it is possible for students to be supervised by a member of academic staff from any of Kent’s schools, providing their expertise matches your research interests. Use our ‘find a supervisor’ search to search by staff member or keyword.

Full details of staff research interests can be found on the School's website.

Careers

The KBS PhD programme is designed to provide a thorough training for research careers in academia or industry. Our students generally take up academic appointments in UK or international higher education institutions or work in policy or industry settings.

Professional recognition

KBS is a member of the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) and the Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS); and the Kent MBA is an Association of MBAs (AMBA) accredited programme.

In addition, KBS has accredited programmes with the following professional bodies:

  • The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)
  • The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT)
  • The Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS)
  • The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM)
  • The Chartered Management Institute (CMI)
  • The Professional Risk Managers’ International Association (PRMIA)
  • The Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP)
  • The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)
  • CFA Institute

KBS is a signatory of the United Nation's Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME), which provides a global network for academic institutions to advance corporate sustainability and social responsibility.

Study support

Each research student is supported by a supervisory team (usually two members of academic staff) who give guidance about the nature of the research, the standard of work required, and about the relevant literature and sources that should be consulted.

Students meet with supervisors each month to agree upon a schedule of work, and bring written work for comment and discussion. The co-supervisor provides additional input and ensures continued support. You have formal progression reviews at key points in your programme.

All KBS PhD students receive:

  • access to office space with a laptop for the duration of their studies
  • funds for conference attendance and research expenses
  • research methods training
  • full access to the Graduate and Researcher College facilities.

All first year PhD students take a mandatory research training programme which covers:

  • relevant research methods
  • theory of management and specialist management topics related to your research
  • skills-based courses in areas such as statistics, computing, electronic literature searching and languages.

Additionally, you can attend research seminars and postgraduate training events run by the Graduate and Researcher College. PhD students with scholarships or part-time teaching commitments also take modules from the Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education.

KBS students benefit from training and development opportunities made available through our membership of NATCOR, the ESRC’s South East Doctoral Training Centre, and the European Doctoral Association in Management and Business Administration (EDAMBA).

Researcher Development Programme

Kent's Graduate School co-ordinates the Researcher Development Programme for research students, which includes workshops focused on research, specialist and transferable skills. The programme is mapped to the national Researcher Development Framework and covers a diverse range of topics, including subject-specific research skills, research management, personal effectiveness, communication skills, networking and teamworking, and career management skills.

Apply now

In Kent Business School, entry to all research programmes is in September only. The deadline for PhD applications is 31 July. 

Learn more about the application process or begin your application by clicking on a link below.

You will be able to choose your preferred year of entry once you have started your application. You can also save and return to your application at any time.

Apply for entry to:

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