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[opserator]

I'm currently a senior at probably a mediocre school with a 3.9+ GPA.  I've currently applied to a few MAcc programs and feel pretty good about my chances, as I also got a 750+ GMAT.  I have strongly considered eventually pursuing a PhD in accounting, probably after earning a CPA and gaining some experience.

I've read several topics here about the fact that accounting PhDs are very very highly in demand relative to their supply.  But as far as I could tell these topics were last updated in about 2008.  Obviously a few things have happened since then, most notably the general recession but also the push by some accounting firms and regulatory bodies to convince more accountants to pursue PhDs.  I might even anticipate SOX eventually having an effect on the number of PhDs awarded.  What effect have these events had on PhD supply/demand so far and what effects should I anticipate a few years down the road?  Will these events create serious competition for the jobs or, as one past topic here said, is an accounting PhD essentially a guanteed tenure-track job?

As a somewhat unrelated question, some grad school officers I have talked to have said that a PhD directly after a bachelor's in not unheard of - so how important is the work experience to becoming a good applicant for a tenure-track job?  I have considered skipping it if those few years would make a difference in getting onto the market before competition.

I definitely plan to talk to the faculty at my school about this situation but I also wanted some input from people who don't really have a motivation to paint an overly rosy picture but also obviously have some experience discussing the topic.

Thanks.

[opserator]

A more general question...

Is it at all appropriate to ask professors who I assume have been on or at least have knowledge of recent hiring committees in the department how stiff that competition was number and resume-wise?  If so, how could I best phrase this?

[acctspouse]

I am surprised this hasn't been answered yet, but there are several articles on the accounting PHD shortage you can google.  I am the spouse of a 5th year accounting PHD student so my viewpoint is from a far.  It is not unheard of going from a bachelor's to a PHD with no work experience but unusual.  A master's degree is not required to get your PHD.  Getting into a PHD program isn't easy, and graduating is even harder. 

Schools are cutting back on PHD admissions and less AASCB schools are offering PHD options.  The school my wife is currently enrolled at has cut back admissions by 50% the last few years.  If there are any more specific questions I can try and answer them

[clean]

You can go to PhD school directly from the BA. 

The CPA route is ok, but it requires work experience, and by the time you get that, you are usually making much more than a PhD student.  Further, by the time you finished with the PHD (making a 'package' including tuition waivers in the low 20s), you could be making as much in practice as a starting PhD.

However, you still have earning potential in industry.  As a state employee, you get state raises, and I think that you can see what those have been.

I have not seen the current numbers, but the 08-09 AACSB salary survey shows new PHDs in Accounting earned over 125K on average (at public accreditted universities).

Is it worth it? 
That depends on what you want to do with your life. 

A 750 GMAT should make you a contender.

Ask your profs.  Apply.   

[obprof]

What kind of school would you want to work at after your PhD?

At an R1, publications in good journals will get you a job and tenure -- they won't care as much about work experience.

If your preference is to teach at a SLAC, then the work experience may be valued a little more -- people might think that it helps you with your teaching.

And definitely ask your current accounting profs about this issue. Ask them what they think makes a competitive job applicant. (and take the answer with a grain of salt).

Finally, I would take a few articles in academic (not practitioner-focused) Accounting journals off the shelf -- are they interesting? Would you be interested in writing some? Academic research in business is not always what people think it is...