PhD in Finance or Accounting?

I have an undergraduate degree in accounting and 18 graduate hours in accounting and will have an MBA in May.

I want to pursue a PhD in Accounting, but will not be living near an AACSB-accredited university offering the degree in the next 3 years. However, there is a university offering a PhD in Finance nearby. With all of the accounting I already have, I'm really thinking of moving into Finance for the PhD anyway.

Here's the dilemma - most advertisements for professor positions at universities in accounting want applicants with a PhD in Accounting. There is a lot of talk about a major shortage of Accounting PhDs, so I'm wondering if schools would still consider someone with a PhD in Finance and 18 graduate hours in accounting.

My husband is military, so I do not have the option of pursuing programs outside of the area where we live. Are there DL programs overseas with Accounting concentrations?

Anyone have any opinions on this?

Thanks.

 

accounting vs. finance

If you're still at Texas A & M, find out who does the screening of applicants for the b school and collect their advice. You will face this issue: AACSB school prefer, if not require, their phd's to be terminal in the field they teach, because AACSB imposes this criteria. Thus, the idea of using the 18 hours would be fine at a community college, where the phd is just gravey anyway, since you're set with just an MBA. Thus, if the phd matters and you're applying to an AACSB school, you may be dissapointed, or you may consider teaching finance.

While your still in the program, get some profs to call around and find out. Plus, check with the b schools dean to determine their own hiring policy. The criteria is generally set at the dean's level and pushed down to the deparments. Also, AACSB has a good web site. Check it out and/or call them.

One thing is how you can tailer your expertise by aligning your dissertation to a more accounding orientation. Basically, the are hiring you off your disseration anyway as this will be the platform from which your first few pubs is launched. But again, you may hit a technical snag basis the terminal degree in the field per AACSB. Check it out and good luck.