Kristen ValentineIf you’ve considered pursuing a doctoral degree in accounting, our Ph.D. students are a perfect resource! Since they tend to be extremely busy, we took the time to interview a few to share their thoughts on the program and what led them to seek a Ph.D. It’s definitely a major commitment, but obviously from our chat with Kristen, it’s very rewarding and the community here is incredibly supportive.

How did you decide to work for the Big 4 prior to starting your Ph.D.?
I wasn’t 100% sure about getting a Ph.D.. I was a second year Senior Associate with Deloitte and went to a research symposium. When I came home and told my husband about how exciting it was, he encouraged me to start pursuing my Ph.D.. Accounting is an application based field, so having experience from working as an associate and understanding the institutions that work within the accounting industry helps inform my work and let me know that my research is relevant.

How did you decide on a Ph.D.? What events led you to this path?
I completed a five-year program at BYU that’s very similar to the iMPA program here. As a junior I knew I liked accounting, but I wasn’t quite sure which direction I should take within the field. We had a career day where public accounting and industry were present, but a professor also spoke about what his career looked like. I like the college campus environment and knew that I enjoyed teaching and mentoring others. Challenging the next generation of accountants was an exciting concept to me, so I enrolled in the Ph.D. prep program. It involved some extra math and econ classes that helped set me up for the beginning coursework in the Ph.D. program.

How has your audit work with the Big 4 informed your research? Why’d you leave when you did?
I wanted to explore what I found to be most interesting. I found myself wondering what information was going to matter to the practitioners and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). I’ve actually got a working paper with some of the accounting faculty that looks at the potential effects of the PCAOB requiring auditors to disclose critical audit matters (CAMs) in the auditor’s report. The general consensus is that the more you say as an auditor, the more rope you’re laying out to hang yourself with; however, we found that CAMs would actually lower the liability for auditors.

Why McCombs?
There is a large, diverse faculty here. This program has an excellent reputation and you’re treated as a colleague and friend from day one. There is no arrogance here.

What’s your advice to those interested in pursuing a Ph.D.?
Get involved as soon as possible, especially in research. A lot of people know that they will like teaching because they’ve been exposed to it, but you haven’t necessarily been exposed to the research aspect of getting a Ph.D. and being a professor. See if there are research positions available where you can work with faculty to test it out. McCombs has an Undergraduate Research Assistant Program (URAP) that would be great for people considering this path. Also, plan to take more math, econ, and stats classes. As you’re doing all of this make sure you’re developing relationships with your professors. They’ve been through it all, plus you’ll want them to help provide recommendations when you apply to a program.

How have you been able to have a work/life balance as you pursue your Ph.D.?
Well I had my daughter seven months ago, just before spring break. It’s never convenient to have kids, but you make it work. Everyone, from my family to the faculty, has been very flexible and supportive of my priorities. I missed a few classes, but a lot of my work can be done from home as long as I have a laptop. The flexibility of this path within accounting can be a blessing and a curse. While it may seem like a 9-5, you end up thinking about your work all the time.