Information for PhD Summer Research Papers

Approved by the PhD Policy Committee, April 2003

The degree requirements for the PhD degree of the School of Accounting and Finance, as printed in the University Graduate Calendar, require a research paper to be completed as part of the course work stage of the program. The following guidelines are to clarify the procedures for this requirement.

  1. Normally, the research will be conducted during the summer following the student's admission to the program.
  2. It is the student's responsibility to obtain a faculty supervisor for the research paper. The Graduate Officer of the School will advise and assist in this process as necessary.
  3. The format for the research paper should be as specified in the Regulations for PhD Proposals and PhD Research Papers.
  4. The research paper shall be presented to faculty and PhD students at a seminar, which will normally be held on the Friday preceding the start of regular classes. The student will be allowed an uninterrupted block of time and then the audience will ask questions. The length of time permitted for the student's presentation will depend on the number of students presenting, although 15 or 20 minutes may be a suitable amount.
  5. Following the seminar presentation, the faculty supervisor for the paper shall inform the student within a few days of the modifications and extensions required to respond to issues raised in the seminar. In order to avoid conflicting with the student's work in fall term courses, these changes should be completed within two weeks. Accordingly, many of the changes may be incorporated in a section on suggestions for future work rather than actually being implemented. When these changes are carried out to the satisfaction of the faculty supervisor for the paper, the faculty supervisor shall assign a grade for the paper. The basis of the grading shall be 60% for the written paper, 30% for the presentation, and 10% of the revisions.
  6. The summer research paper must be completed with a passing grade before the student may write the comprehensive examinations.