Determining the prevalence of bias or prejudice in the workplace could be an intriguing topic for an accounting dissertation. Stepped-up global commerce is an offshoot of the Internet, giving postgraduates the chance to consider U.S. economic relations with other countries, and whether certain nations receive more favorable treatment than others. A postgraduate student who does not intend to pursue an international finance career might compose a dissertation that compares hiring rates, retention and salaries between men and women in the accounting profession, to address the issue of gender equality in the profession.
Several large U.S. banks and investment firms offer small loans to help individuals in financially developing nations launch businesses, repaying the loan from the profits earned. Finance students could choose to track the investment process from loan application to repayment by following the launch of a new business. They then could use the case study to write a dissertation on the change to a loan recipient's economic situation and the loan's impact on the lender. Additional micro-finance topics include: a comparative study of financial innovation between two continents, or an analysis of the relationship between access to financial services and investment growth in developing regions.
Internet banking is well established, commonly used by individuals and financial institutions around the globe. Still, the subject of Internet banking provides many potential dissertation topics. A student could examine how Internet banking services vary throughout the U.S., and present the findings in a comparative study. Another option: preparing a dissertation on the economic and financial implications of online banking in developing countries, or investigating the security of electronic banking transactions.
Students who wish to be finance professors may wish to consider a dissertation on ethics instruction for college accounting students. Writers with an interest in investigation could pursue a case study of accounting, ethics and any "missing links" in U.S. commerce. Postgraduate research to conclude whether an auditor's independence is a reality or merely a perception could lead to a strong dissertation topic for an individual preparing to enter the auditing field.