Research Focus
The PhD research focus in Accounting at Nanyang Business School centres primarily on core areas such as capital markets accounting, auditing and assurance, corporate governance and financial reporting, management accounting and organisational behaviour, taxation and public policy, accounting information systems and data analytics, and sustainable accounting and ESG disclosure. Research emphasises rigorous empirical and quantitative methods, interdisciplinary theoretical frameworks and data-driven analysis to explore the formation, disclosure and economic consequences of corporate financial information, while also attending to the impact of regulatory policy, technological innovation and changes in the global business environment on accounting practice. The overall focus combines depth with an international perspective, with particular emphasis on Asian-context research, accounting transformation in the context of digitalisation and fintech, and the key role of accounting in capital markets and corporate decision-making.
Programme Structure and Funding
This programme is a full-time PhD programme with a duration of 5 years. Tuition is approximately RMB 125,000 per year; location of study: Singapore. Entry is in August, with applications closing on 31 January of the same year. Full scholarship: tuition waiver plus a monthly stipend of SGD 2,500.
Entry Requirements
·Academic background: bachelor’s degree from a domestic 985 university, or a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a relevant field from a top 100 QS university. GRE: 319 (3.5) or GMAT: 650 (3.5); GPA: 3.5 or above. ·Language requirements: IELTS 7 or TOEFL 88 or above; waived for those with a bachelor’s degree taught in English.
Application Materials
- Passport personal information page 2) Recent passport-sized colour photograph 3) GMAT or GRE score report 4) IELTS or TOEFL score report 5) Bachelor’s or master’s degree certificate 6) Official bachelor’s or master’s degree transcripts 7) Two academic referee reports 8) A short research proposal 9) Personal CV and academic CV
Tuition and Living Costs
Study and Living
The cost of living in Singapore is among the highest in Asia. The university recommends that international students budget approximately SGD 24,000–30,000 per year for living costs (approximately RMB 127,000–158,000):
-
Accommodation: on-campus single rooms SGD 12,000–18,000 per year (approximately RMB 63,000–95,000), including utilities, internet and gym access; off-campus shared housing (Jurong East and Choa Chu Kang areas) SGD 1,800–2,500 per month (approximately RMB 95,000–132,000 per year); about 30 minutes by MRT from campus to Singapore city centre.
-
Food: university food courts charge SGD 4–8 per meal (approximately RMB 21–42); “Hawker Centres” around campus offer good value, at SGD 3–6 per meal; self-catering costs SGD 500–700 per month (approximately RMB 2,630–3,680); NTUC FairPrice and Cold Storage supermarkets offer fresh ingredients at prices about 12% lower than in the city centre.
-
Transport: a Singapore student EZ-Link card costs SGD 100–150 per month (approximately RMB 526–789), covering MRT and buses; free campus shuttle buses connect the colleges; the bike-sharing system (oBike) costs SGD 1 per hour, and within the Yunnan Garden campus the main buildings are reachable by bicycle in 5 minutes. - Other: Singapore overseas student medical insurance (MI) costs SGD 500–700 per year (compulsory purchase); textbooks cost SGD 400–600 per semester (SGD 800+ for science and engineering); student union membership is SGD 30 per year; the Singapore Science Centre and ArtScience Museum are free for students.
Career Prospects
Under systematic supervision, PhD students will gain an in-depth command of frontier research methods in capital markets accounting, auditing and assurance, corporate governance, management accounting, tax policy, accounting information systems and data analytics, and will develop comprehensive research capabilities spanning accounting, finance, economics and data science. Graduates have broad prospects in the following areas:
-
Universities and research institutions: academic research and teaching in financial accounting, auditing, corporate governance, management accounting, ESG disclosure, accounting and finance econometrics, and related fields, as lecturers, assistant professors or researchers at research universities.
-
Finance and professional services: senior roles in investment banks, asset management institutions, the Big Four audit firms and consulting firms, undertaking accounting and audit research, capital markets analysis, risk control, policy evaluation or professional consulting. - Corporate finance and analysis roles: at multinational corporations, technology companies or large conglomerates, supporting corporate financial decision-making, internal audit, risk management, data-driven financial analysis and the formulation of disclosure strategies.
-
Government departments and regulatory bodies: professional functions at finance departments, accounting and audit regulators, stock exchanges or financial regulators, undertaking policy research, support for accounting standard-setting, evaluation of regulatory systems and capital markets data analysis. Through systematic academic training and international research collaboration, students will not only acquire a solid foundation in accounting theory and rigorous empirical research skills, but will also develop independent research thinking, data analysis capabilities and interdisciplinary collaboration skills, laying a solid and long-term foundation for future careers in global universities, research institutions, the financial industry or international innovative enterprises.
