Accounting and Information Systems
About the Program
The Wisconsin PhD Program in accounting and information systems prepares individuals for careers in research, teaching, and service at the university level.
The program stresses high-quality research at the frontiers of knowledge. A majority of the student’s time in the program is dedicated to developing, refining, and applying their research skills.
The accounting and information systems specialization has a strong track record of producing high-quality researchers and teachers. Our approach values collegiality; students work closely with faculty in an apprenticeship-type approach.
Core Areas of Research
Student research is supported by faculty in four core areas and include archival and experimental research:
Auditing
Financial accounting
Managerial accounting
Tax
Academic Requirements
The admissions process is highly competitive. Ideal candidates possess a strong academic background including prior study of accounting at the undergraduate or graduate level. Work experience is also valued.
All students must meet the general PhD requirements of both the UW–Madison Graduate School and the Wisconsin School of Business. Prospective students should have:
- A strong mathematical background. Students with an undergraduate or graduate degree in accounting or the equivalent are given preference. While many students have completed master’s degrees or an MBA program, these are not required.
- In limited cases, a degree in the related fields of psychology, economics, or sociology, coupled with demonstrated interest in accounting, is sufficient.
Ideally, students complete the following courses prior to entering the program. (In some cases, these courses can be completed early in the program.)
- Two semesters of undergraduate calculus
- An upper division course in linear algebra
- An upper division course in microeconomic theory, taught using a mathematical approach
Program Coursework
Students are required to complete three seminars in accounting research:
Introduction to Accounting Research
Behavioral Accounting Research
Archival Accounting Research
Faculty Research Interests
Jongwoon “Willie” Choi
Research interests:
- Experimental Economics
- Managerial accounting and control
- Reward systems
Dain Donelson
Research interests:
- Shareholder litigation
- Financial reporting fraud
- Corporate law and governance
- Regulation
- Accounting standards
Ruyun “Ivy” Feng
Research interests:
- Financial reporting
- Informativeness of accounting information
- Information environment and firm behavior
- Information technology and alternative data
Ewelina Forker
Research interests:
- Managerial accounting & control
- Joint human-machine decision making
- Forecasting and planning
- Organizational learning
- Reward systems in healthcare
Fabio Gaertner
Research interests:
- Executive compensation
- Corporate tax reporting
- Taxation and capital structure
- Corporate tax policy
- Tax policy and disclosures
Emily Griffith
Research interests:
- Auditor judgment and decision-making
- Use of specialists in auditing
- Auditing complex estimates
Minjeong (MJ) Kim
Research interests:
- Managerial accounting and control
- Executive Compensation
- Corporate governance
- Sustainability
Stacie Laplante
Research interests:
- Intersection of financial and tax reporting
- Influence of tax and financial reporting on capital markets
- Importance of tax and accounting information on business decisions
Tom Linsmeier
Research interests:
- Role of accounting information in securities markets
- Valuation-relevance of earnings component information
- Economic effects of changes in accounting regulation
Dan Lynch
Research interests:
- Tax policy changes
- Financial reporting of income taxes
- Corporate tax avoidance
Brian Mayhew
Research interests:
- Auditing
- Audit quality
- The role of reputation in markets
- Experimental economics
- Impact of agency costs on firm valuations and performance
- Related party transactions
- Audit markets
Andrea Tillet
Research interests:
- Effects of accounting standards and regulatory changes on financial reporting and disclosure
- Informativeness of disclosures to users of financial statements
- Revenue recognition
Dan Wangerin
Research interests:
- Accounting Standards
- Financial accounting standards board pronouncement
- Financial reporting
- Taxation and capital structure
John Wild
Research interests:
- Financial accounting and reporting
- Earnings quality
- Informativeness of accounting measures
- Financial markets
- Audit reports
- Corporate governance
- Managerial ownership
- International financial markets
Karla Zehms
Research interests:
- Decision-making in financial accounting, auditing, and managerial accounting
- Corporate governance
- CFO compensation
- Auditor client acceptance
- Fraud
- Client-auditor negotiation
- Audit budget-setting process
- Accounting curriculum effectiveness
Connect With Current Students
We encourage you to contact our doctoral students in accounting and information systems to hear their perspectives on the Wisconsin PhD Program.
See Our Placement Results
Graduates of our PhD specialization in accounting and information systems have accepted tenure-track positions at top research universities.
Contact Us