Finance Concentration
Overview
The finance concentration offers an environment for intellectual growth and challenge. The concentration is designed to develop skills needed to pursue careers in major universities and as researchers in industry and government. Students will work closely with the faculty to produce publishable research. Much of the formal curriculum is devoted to economics and to the examination of theoretical and empirical research considered seminal in the area of finance. Necessarily, the doctoral program is quite theoretical in nature, with heavy emphasis on quantitative methods used in empirical research.
To succeed in this discipline, students need excellent quantitative skills. Those who feel their quantitative skills need improvement should take refresher courses in statistics and calculus prior to applying/entering the PhD program.
Typical Timeline
In the first two years, students typically take graduate-level courses in economics and finance covering topics such as the theory of finance, corporate finance, asset pricing, econometrics, mathematical economics, and microeconomics.
In the third and fourth years, students typically focus on their dissertation.
Application process and requirements
Admission decisions in the PhD program are made by departmental admissions committees on a competitive basis. Those seeking admission to the PhD program should have demonstrated high levels of success in their previous academic work and on the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT). For more information on applications and the application process, please see below.
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
MATTHEW HENRIKSSON, UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI
Finance concentration FAQ
How do I apply?
The application process is described here.
What are the application requirements?
The application process is described here.
Can the GRE/GMAT requirement be waived?
No, waving of the GRE/GMAT requirements is not possible.
Can the application fee be waived?
No. It is not possible to waive the application fee.
Is there a minimum required GRE/GMAT score?
While there is not an official minimum required GRE or GMAT score, our accepted students usually score in the 90th percentile and above on those exams.
FAQ’s about the PhD in Business Administration
FAQ’s about the PhD in business administration more broadly, as opposed to the finance concentration more specifically, can be found here.
Finance Concentration Area Coordinator: Jared Williams jwilliams25@usf.edu