ACCOUNTING DOCTORAL PROGRAMS: A MULTIDIMENSIONAL DESCRIPTION Amelia A. Baldwin, Carol E. Brown and Brad S. Trinkle ABSTRACT Accounting doctoral programs have been ranked in the past based on publishing productivity and graduate placement. This chapter provides descriptions of accounting doctoral programs on a wider range of characteristics. These results may be particularly useful to doctoral applicants as well as to doctoral program directors, accreditation bodies, and search committees looking to differentiate or benchmark programs. They also provide insight into the current shortage of accounting doctoral graduates and future areas of research. Doctoral programs can be differentiated on more variables than just research productivity and initial placement. Doctoral programs vary widely with respect to the following characteristics: the rate at which doctorates are conferred on women and minorities, the placement of graduates according to Carnegie classification, AACSB accreditation, the highest degree awarded by employing institution (bachelors, masters, doctorate), 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 Advances in Accounting Education: Teaching and Curriculum Innovations, Volume 11, 101–128 Copyright r 2010 by Emerald Group Publishing Limited All rights of reproduction in any form reserved ISSN: 1085-4622/doi:10.1108/S1085-4622(2010)0000011008 101