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AccountingDegrees

University of Pennsylvania · Accounting Department, The Wharton School

Accounting, PhD

Research doctoratePhDDedicated degreeOn campus

Overview

Research doctorate in accounting at the Wharton School. The curriculum combines accounting research seminars with economics, statistics and finance courses, summer research papers, a comprehensive exam and a dissertation.

Official program name
Accounting, PhD
Awarded degree
PhD in Accounting · major: Accounting
Source: catalog.upenn.edu · verified October 30, 2026
Degree level
Doctoral — research doctorate
Subject focus
Dedicated degreeThe degree title itself is in accounting, accountancy, taxation or another accounting subject (for example a Master of Accountancy).
Source: catalog.upenn.edu · verified October 30, 2026
School
Source: accounting.wharton.upenn.edu · verified October 30, 2026
Location
Philadelphia, PA
Subjects
Accounting — core of the degree
Required credits
19 graduate course units
Source: catalog.upenn.edu · verified October 30, 2026
Duration
Not verified
Why this program is listed

Research PhD in accounting at the Wharton School, campus-based.

Research doctorate whose title names accounting, with accounting research seminars as core requirements.

Source: catalog.upenn.edu · verified October 30, 2026

We list associate, bachelor's, master's and research-doctorate programs in accounting, accountancy and taxation at institutionally accredited US schools — degrees in the subject and formal accounting majors or concentrations, never certificates or degrees with a single accounting course. Eligibility rules

Format and attendance

Formats, online delivery, campus visits, internships and class schedule are shown separately, each only as the school states it.
Formats offered
On campus
Source: accounting.wharton.upenn.edu · verified October 30, 2026
Internship
Internship requirement: not verified
Study intensity
Not verified

Curriculum

Other

CPA-related information

Academic qualification, CPA exam eligibility and CPA licensure are three different things, and requirements differ by state board, pathway, applicant background and date. These are statements this school publishes, shown with the jurisdiction they name.

CPA-related statements for this program: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

A school describing a program as supporting CPA preparation does not establish eligibility for every applicant in every state, and this directory does not label any program “CPA eligible”. Check your own state board's current rules before you enrol. Accounting degrees and CPA requirements

Other professional recognition

Other credentials and outcomes appear only where the school itself publishes them, with their date.

Other professional recognition for this program: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

This directory does not publish pass rates, placement rates or salaries for any program. Occupational statistics for accountants are in the guides, labelled as statistics for the occupation, not outcomes of a school.

Research and doctoral requirements

Research areas, supervision, examinations and residency as the school publishes them.

Qualifying examinations

  • Major field exam in accounting taken in the summer after the second year, after coursework and summer research papers.
    Source: accounting.wharton.upenn.edu · verified October 30, 2026

Dissertation

Admissions

Required, optional, waived and not-required items are shown exactly as the school states them. Anything not listed is not verified — not “not required”.

Technical preparation

Prerequisite courses
RecommendedStrong undergraduate preparation in microeconomics and mathematics is an advantage; no other formal admission requirements are printed.
Source: accounting.wharton.upenn.edu · verified October 30, 2026
Application fee
Required$80 — $80 non-refundable application fee, not waivable
Source: doctoral.wharton.upenn.edu · verified October 30, 2026

Tests

GMAT
RequiredGMAT or GRE general test required of all applicants
Source: accounting.wharton.upenn.edu · verified October 30, 2026
GRE General Test
RequiredGMAT or GRE general test required of all applicants
Source: accounting.wharton.upenn.edu · verified October 30, 2026
TOEFL iBT
RequiredFor applicants whose native language is not English
Source: accounting.wharton.upenn.edu · verified October 30, 2026

We do not publish acceptance rates or estimate admission chances.

Start dates and deadlines

Dates are shown with the term the school printed. A past date is marked passed and is never carried into a new cycle.

Application deadlines: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

Tuition and fees

Each amount keeps its student category, academic year and basis. Per-credit, per-term and whole-program figures are not comparable with each other, and tuition is not the full cost of attendance.

Tuition for this program: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

Scholarships and funding

Awards published by the school for this program or for its level. Loans must be repaid and are not scholarships; service scholarships require government service after graduation. Doctoral funding guide
  • Wharton doctoral fellowship Fellowship

    Covers tuition and health insurance and provides a stipend; a similar level may be awarded for up to 5 years, contingent on satisfactory academic progress.

    Eligibility: All admitted Wharton doctoral students

    Source: doctoral.wharton.upenn.edu · verified October 30, 2026

Accreditation

Three different things, kept apart: institutional accreditation of the school, business-school accreditation of the unit, and supplemental accounting accreditation. One never implies another.

Institutional accreditation

  • Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) — accreditedSource: ope.ed.gov · verified October 10, 2026

Business-school accreditation

  • AACSB — accreditedUnit: The Wharton SchoolListed as: AACSB business accreditationConfirmed in the accreditor's own directory.Source: aacsb.edu · verified October 26, 2026

Supplemental accounting accreditation

No separate accounting accreditation is on record. AACSB business accreditation does not mean the accounting program holds AACSB accounting accreditation.

Sources and verification

Every fact on this page comes from the official pages and directories below. Last verified October 26, 2026.
  1. accounting.wharton.upenn.edu/programs/mba/ — Official program page, verified October 30, 2026
  2. accounting.wharton.upenn.edu/programs/phd/admission-requirements/ — Official admissions page, verified October 30, 2026
  3. accounting.wharton.upenn.edu/programs/phd/program-overview/ — Official program page, verified October 30, 2026
  4. catalog.upenn.edu/graduate/programs/accounting-phd/ — Official catalog / bulletin, verified October 30, 2026
  5. doctoral.wharton.upenn.edu/expenses-financial-aid/ — Official program page, verified October 30, 2026
  6. DAPIP — MSCHE institutional accreditation record (data files downloaded 2026-10-10) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 10, 2026
  7. AACSB accredited institutions (accreditor directory) — Accreditor directory, verified October 26, 2026

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Same degree level and focus. Listed for discovery, not ranked.

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Accounting Degrees is independent and not affiliated with University of Pennsylvania. Information is collected from official pages and directories and can change; confirm requirements, costs and deadlines with the school.