PhD Programme in Accounting and Finance

The Department of Accounting and Finance at Lancaster University Management School (LUMS) invites applications for their PhD programme in Accounting and Finance. You will be working alongside world leading academics in a busy, exciting and innovative department.

We are looking for highly motivated candidates who have an excellent first degree and outstanding Masters level degree performance. Qualifications should be in a related discipline to your intended PhD studies. You should also be committed to pursuing an academic career. We are offering full-time studentships to commence in October 2026. All studentships pay a generous living allowance and offer a full fee waiver for four years.

About the department:

The department offers an excellent research environment, with a high level of collegiality, subscriptions to state-of-the-art databases, a strong seminar series, and a senior visitors program. The Department of Accounting and Finance is one of the largest departments within LUMS – a world-ranked international business school that is highly regarded by the Financial Times, QS, The Economist and more. In the 2014 and 2021 Research Excellence Framework, LUMS was ranked first in the UK in research power and is one of few business schools whose programmes are accredited by the three major international business school accreditation bodies: AMBA, EQUIS and AACSB.

The Department offers a PhD Programme in Accounting and Finance. PhD students are required to complete a portfolio of PhD level courses and seminars covering finance theory, econometrics, and research methodology. Upon successfully completing the course work, you will then research and write a thesis on a topic which you are passionate about. Two subject experts will offer detailed supervision to ensure it will contribute new knowledge to the academic community. You will also have the opportunity to gain international experience by visiting a leading US/European school with expertise in a relevant research area. We offer an excellent environment for PhD studies, including dedicated office space, funding of conference and research visits, access to many specialised databases, as well as scientific computing facilities and IT support.

The Department has been consistently investing in its doctoral programme for many years. It has developed comprehensive PhD training courses to enable our PhD graduates to succeed in the job market. Apart from training delivered by our own excellent faculty, our department regularly invites distinguished visiting professors from the best universities in the world to deliver doctoral tutorials on specialised research topics. Our PhD students have the privilege of being trained by world-leading scholars and have extensive opportunities to consult external experts.

In recent years, our PhD graduates have successfully joined many excellent universities, research centres and institutions, including Australian National University, Bocconi University, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Durham University, Exeter University, LSE, University of Liverpool, University of Manchester, Monash University, Oxford University, and Warwick University.

Eligibilities:

Eligibility for this studentship will include Home and Overseas applicants, and will be subject to the usual academic criteria (e.g., a relevant Masters degree (UK or equivalent) with Distinction level performance, both overall and in the dissertation; and a Bachelors degree with First-Class Honours) and English language entry criteria. Successful applicants will have the potential to produce world class research in the future and be able to undertake important teaching duties within LUMS during the period of their scholarship.

Important deadlines:

We recruit candidates on a continuous basis.

Application Deadline for ESRC scholarships: 2^nd February 2026

Application Deadline for LUMS scholarships: 16^th March 2026

We will be reviewing the applications received after this date as they may still be eligible for funding from a department. However, to maximize your chances of receiving a scholarship, we advise all candidates to submit their application as soon as possible.

Online information session

We are inviting you to attend an online information session about LUMS PhD programmes on 13^th January 2026 12:00-13:30 (GMT). Prospective students will obtain information about our PhD programme and the application process, funding, our world-leading research, living in Lancaster, and job opportunities after graduation.

To attend, please register at LUMS PhD Studentship & Funding information session - Events - Lancaster University.

The online information session will be presented by the Directors of LUMS Doctoral Programmes.

More details about our doctoral programmes, entry requirements and application process can be found at: www.lancaster.ac.uk/lums/our-departments/accounting-and-finance/phd

To submit an application, go to: www.lancaster.ac.uk/lums/postgraduate/apply-for-phd

If you have any questions, please contact:

Prof. Justin Chircop (PhD Director in Accounting) j.chircop1@lancaster.ac.uk

Dr. Chelsea Yao (PhD Director in Finance) chelsea.yao@lancaster.ac.uk

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