Finance
PhD (Finance)
The Department of Finance is particularly interested in applicants who would like to conduct research in the following areas:
- asset pricing
- corporate finance
- behavioural finance
- banking
- financial markets.
We are seeking applicants who hold a prior research degree with an 80% average, and who want to be part of a dynamic and intellectually stimulating environment supported by world class facilities.
Experienced supervision
The Department of Finance is ranked in the 76-100 band in the most recent ARWU Subject ranking. The PhD program is supported by experienced researchers with an excellent track record of publishing in top journals in the discipline, including the:
- Journal of Finance
- Journal of Financial Economics
- Management Science
- Journal Financial and Quantitative Analysis
- Review of Finance.
As part of the Business School’s commitment to the recruitment of world-class researchers, the department has hired academics who hold a PhD degree from renowned universities, including University of Washington at St. Louis, University of Michigan, University of California, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), and Hong Kong University. The department has also recently hired Tarun Chordia (Emory University) and Alok Kumar (University of Miami) as Professorial Research Fellows.
The Department of Finance admits a small number of students into the PhD program each year, allowing us to offer a very high standard of individual attention.
Program outline
Our doctoral program is designed to prepare PhD students for successful careers in academia, industry, or government. Students complete four coursework units in their first year of study. These units are:
- MAF900 Advanced Data Methods
- MAF905 Advanced Finance
- MAF907 Empirical Corporate Finance
- MAF908 Empirical Asset Pricing
At the end of their first year of study, students will defend their thesis proposal in a process called confirmation of candidature. Confirmed students then spend the remainder of their candidature completing their doctoral research.
Applicant characteristics
- Intellectual curiosity
- Strong academic background in Finance, Economics, Mathematics or Statistics while also demonstrating potential to complete PhD-level courses in Finance to a high standard
- Strong referee letters that are able to rank the candidate relative to their peers and also relative to previous cohorts
- Ability to clearly articulate contributions and gaps in one’s own research work as well as the research work embodied in key papers in the academic literature within one’s field of interest
- Strong GRE or GMAT scores are valuable but not mandatory.