Accounting and Finance PhD

Overview

Our PhD in Accounting and Finance is designed to develop excellent students into outstanding independent researchers who are experts in their field. It offers a strong platform for an academic or professional career following graduation.

Supervision

You will receive supervision from a supervisory team. This will comprise a primary and secondary supervisor (s) who are experts in their field.

You will also be supported by a panel of two further academics. They will review and provide feedback on your work on an annual basis.

Training and presentation opportunities

Our Faculty experts offer research training. Specific modules are also provided by experts in your discipline of study. This enables you to:

• undertake rigorous research training
• develop your own research and study skills
• explore interdisciplinary work
• deepen your disciplinary knowledge

You will also have opportunities to attend subject group seminars. These are presented by academic staff members and external speakers. You will be encouraged and supported to present your work at internal seminars and external conferences.

Databases

To support your research, you will have access to a number of databases, such as:

• Audit Analytics
• Bloomberg
• Thomson Reuters

Course structure

The full-time PhD programme is studied over three years, with an additional writing-up year if necessary. Full-time students complete Faculty-provided modules in their first year.

The part-time programme is studied over six to eight years. Part-time students can study the Faculty-provided modules over their first two years.

You can study disciplinary-specific modules throughout the programme.

Areas of research

The programme is designed to equip you with research expertise in one of the two areas:

Accounting and Financial Management research

Our Accounting and Financial Management academics research and extend disciplinary knowledge, in areas including but not limited to:

• accounting and business history
• accounting and financial reporting
• audit and assurance
• corporate finance and financial management
• environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG)
• financial technology
• performance measurement
• sustainability accounting and reporting
• taxation

Finance research

Our Finance academics research and extend disciplinary knowledge, in areas including but not limited to:

• asset pricing
• behavioural finance
• experimental finance
• corporate finance
• corporate governance
• financial agents
• financial markets
• financial economics
• financial econometrics
• financial management
• financial innovation
• financial institutions
• financial stability
• sustainable/green finance
• household finance

Important information

We've highlighted important information about your course. Please take note of any deadlines.

Your course and study experience - disclaimers and terms and conditions

Please rest assured we make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the programmes, services and facilities described. However, it may be necessary to make changes due to significant disruption, for example in response to Covid-19.

View our Academic experience page, which gives information about your Newcastle University study experience for the academic year 2025-26.

See our terms and conditions and student complaints information, which gives details of circumstances that may lead to changes to programmes, modules or University services.

 

How you'll learn

Assessment methods

Depending on your modules, you'll be assessed through a combination of:

• Thesis
• Viva

Additional assessment information

Every year you will undergo an assessment of your research progression by presenting your work to a panel.

The panel consists of two academics independent of your supervisors. They will provide feedback and make a recommendation on whether you can progress to the next stage.

Such a recommendation will then be further considered by the Business School Director of Postgraduate Research and the Faculty Postgraduate Dean.

Postgraduate research student support

Our mission is to help you:

• stay healthy, positive and feeling well
• overcome any challenges you may face during your degree – academic or personal
• get the most out of your postgraduate research experience
• carry out admin and activities essential to progressing through your degree
• understand postgraduate research processes, standards and rules

We can offer you tailored wellbeing support, courses and activities.

You can also access a broad range of workshops covering:

• research and professional skills
• careers support
• wellbeing
• health and safety
• public engagement
• academic development

Find out more about our postgraduate research student support

Our staff

Research supervisors

Our academic staff are highly qualified. Potential supervisors for postgraduate research can be found on our staff pages:

• Accounting and Financial Management staff
• Finance staff

Your development

Along with the training at a Faculty level, we offer a series of training and development modules to PhD students. These run across the two semesters. For Accounting and Finance PhD students, modules are built upon three distinct yet interrelated pillars:

• disciplinary competence
• methodologies and databases
• research practice

The exact mix of modules depends on the research area/topic that you focus on, as well as your particular training needs. Modules should be decided in consultation with your supervisory team.

You will have numerous opportunities to participate in:

• research seminars
• conferences
• developmental events. For example, sessions featuring editors of leading journals who will share insights on how to succeed as an academic and publish in top-tier journals

You will also have several opportunities to present your PhD research papers in our internal Accounting and Financial Management or Finance research seminar series, as well as at external academic conferences.

Your research may be guided by academic supervisors, with the aim of developing it into a paper(s) suitable for publication in relevant peer-reviewed journals. Such publications can enhance your future career prospects and support job applications. This will depend on discussions with your supervisory team.

Modules

Disciplinary competence

• NBS8566 Topics in Accounting
• NBS8567 Topics in Finance

Methodologies and databases

• NBS8554 Research Designs in Management and Business Studies
• NBS8563 Causal Inference and Applied Microeconometrics
• NBS8565 Applied Time Series Econometrics
• Databases and Software Programmes training

Research practice

• NBS8561 Research Practice in Management and Business Studies

NBS8564 Research Practice in Economics and Finance

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (HaSS) researcher development programme 

Each faculty offers a researcher development programme for its postgraduate research students. We have designed your programme to help you:

• perform better as a researcher
• boost your career prospects
• broaden your impact

Through workshops and activities, it will build your transferable skills and increase your confidence.

You’ll cover:

• techniques for effective research
• methods for better collaborative working
• essential professional standards and requirements

Your researcher development programme is flexible. You can adapt it to meet your changing needs as you progress through your doctorate.

Find out more about the Researcher Education and Development programme

Doctoral training and partnerships

There are opportunities to undertake your PhD at Newcastle within a:

• Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT)
• Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) / Doctoral Landscape Award (DLA)

Being part of a CDT or DTP/DLA has many benefits:

• they combine research expertise and training of a number of leading universities, academic schools and academics.
• you’ll study alongside a cohort of other PhD students
• they’re often interdisciplinary
• your PhD may be funded

If there are currently opportunities available in your subject area you’ll find them when you search for funding in the fees and funding section on this course.

The following centres/partnerships below may have PhD opportunities available in your subject area in the future:

• ESRC Northern Ireland/North East (NINE) Doctoral Training Partnership

Your future

Careers support

Career development and employability are woven throughout our teaching, learning and student experience.

The School has dedicated employability support and career spaces in the School to support our students on their career journey both during their studies and for up to three years after they finish.

Find out more about our employability offer

Business School students get access to both the wider University careers service and exclusive Business School events and resources for students. This means you'll have access to a wealth of resources and support to enhance your employability, including:

• one-to-one career support
• industry-specific career events
• online career learning tools
• career planning and information sessions
• an annual careers week, where careers activity takes place during a gap in classes
• networking opportunities
• specialist careers and business start-up support from the University's Careers Service and the Business School's careers consultants
• the chance to apply for various work experience opportunities while studying with us

We're also one of 140 business schools worldwide to be accredited by the EQUIS scheme for our managerial and entrepreneurial skills development.

Our Careers Service

Our Careers Service is one of the largest and best in the country, and we have strong links with employers. 

Visit our Careers Service website

Quality and ranking

All professional accreditations are reviewed regularly by their professional body

Recognition of professional qualifications outside of the UK

From 1 January 2021 there is an update to the way professional qualifications are recognised by countries outside of the UK

Check the government’s website for more information.

Facilities

Newcastle University Business School is one of the largest Schools in the University. We have over 4,000 students from over 85 countries. This valuable community extends beyond our current students to include:

• regional, national and international leaders
• over 37,000 alumni in our network, spanning 152 countries
• leading professional and academics who are experts in their field
• businesses and partners in academe

The Business School is the gateway to Newcastle Helix -  a landmark 24 acre hybrid city quarter. It brings together researchers, business and communities with the purpose of helping families, communities and cities around the world live healthier, longer, smarter, and easier lives.

We have two buildings – the Business School and the Frederick Douglass Centre. Both offer a range of purpose-build facilities, including.

• computer clusters housing over 120 PCs, plus open IT spaces for laptops
• seven large lecture theatres, plus a 750-seat auditorium – the largest in the University
• 25 seminar and teaching spaces, many with flexible furniture to accommodate learning
• a dedicated Student Hub and Quiet Space, providing a mix of space for group work, individual study, or quiet study
• study pods, some with wall mounted screens, and bookable rooms for working in groups or individually
• a contemporary café, refurbished in 2025
• two dedicated hubs for employability support and events
• a Bloomberg lab with over 20 terminals, so you can experience a real trading room floor
• Experimental and Behavioural Economics Lab, a state-of-the-art research facility for conducting studies in experimental economics and economic psychology
• a flexible conference room with panoramic views across the city and St. James’ Park, which doubles up as a large flexible teaching space

Accessibility

The Business School values individual differences and the diversity this brings. Our buildings are accessible and user friendly. We have a range of adjustments that can support you when moving around our buildings, such as lifts and accessible toilets. We also have gender-neutral toilets in the FDC.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees for 2026 entry (per year)

PGR Home fee note

Home fees for research degree students

For 2025-26 entry, we've aligned our standard Home research fees with those set by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).  For 2026-27 entry, we will again be aligning our standard Home research fees with UKRI. They will announce their fees in Spring 2026.

 

Tuition fee increases

As a general principle, you should expect the tuition fee to increase in each subsequent academic year of your course, subject to government regulations on fee increases and in line with inflation.

EU, other EEA and Swiss nationals - tuition fee status

Depending on your residency history, if you’re a student from the EU, other EEA or a Swiss national, with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you’ll normally pay the ‘Home’ tuition fee rate and may be eligible for Student Finance England support.

EU students without settled or pre-settled status will normally be charged fees at the ‘International’ rate and will not be eligible for Student Finance England support. You may be eligible for a scholarship worth 25% off the international fee. Search our funding database. 

If you are unsure of your fee status, check out the latest guidance here.

Scholarships

We support our EU and international students by providing a generous range of Vice-Chancellor's automatic and merit-based scholarships. See our searchable postgraduate funding page for more information. 

What you're paying for

Tuition fees include the costs of:

• matriculation
• registration
• tuition (or supervision)
• library access
• examination
• re-examination
• graduation

Find out more about:

• living costs
• tuition fees

Deposit

If you are an international student or a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland and you need a visa to study in the UK, you may have to pay a deposit.

You can check this in the How to apply section.

Funding deadlines

If you're applying for funding, always check the funding application deadline. This deadline may be earlier than the application deadline for your course.

For some funding schemes, you need to have received an offer of a place on a course before you can apply for the funding.

Search for funding

Find funding available for your course

Select your country

How to apply

Using the application portal

The application portal has instructions to guide you through your application. It will tell you what documents you need and how to upload them.

You can choose to start your application, save your details and come back to complete it later.

 

If you’re ready, you can select Apply Online and you’ll be taken directly to the application portal.

Alternatively you can find out more about applying on our applications and offers pages.

Apply Online  

Open days and events

Find out about how you can visit Newcastle in person and virtually

Overseas events

We regularly travel overseas to meet with students interested in studying at Newcastle University.

Visit our events calendar for the latest events