The doctoral program in finance at the Eller College of Management prepares its graduates primarily for careers as university professors, with research agendas in corporate finance, investments and financial institutions. The faculty members, with degrees from internationally recognized universities, conduct research in these areas.
Finance Ph.D. Student Studies
A set of economics and finance courses is required of all students, regardless of which areas of concentration they choose. This is supplemented with special courses and electives.
In addition, students are required to become competent in economics and econometrics and pass the requirements for a minor in economics.
Students have opportunities to work with faculty through small classes and ongoing research projects to develop the methodological and analytical tools needed for research and teaching.
Degree Requirements
The PhD in Finance degree program requires a minimum of 12-hours of approved 500-level economics minor coursework, 36-hours of approved 500- and 600-level finance coursework, and 18 hours of finance dissertation units. Students must maintain an overall GPA of at least a 3.0 and at least a B in all economics minor coursework.
The first year of study is primarily in economics, the second year of study is in economics and finance, and two courses in the third year of study may be in approved elective subjects (general accounting, economics, finance, math, statistics, computer science or MIS).
The program starts in late July, prior to the start of the formal school year, with boot camps in SAS (taught by the Accounting Department) and Mathematics for Economists (ECON 519). At the end of the first year of study, students will take the economics written qualifying exam for the economics or econometrics minor.
During the second year, students are required to develop a research proposal, present the idea to faculty and develop a paper and final presentation of the research. At the end of the second year of study, students will take the finance written comprehensive exam.
During the third year of study, students will complete coursework and develop a dissertation research proposal. The proposal will be presented to the dissertation committee, along with the oral examination of finance and economics. During the rest of the program, students will complete their dissertation research and begin additional research with the aim of publication.