Ph.D. Program in Finance

Program Overview

At USC the Finance and Business Economics faculty (which includes the Marshall School real estate faculty) is actively engaged in research in such diverse areas as the pricing and valuation of securities, the economics of financial markets, mutual funds and other investment vehicles, the structure and financial decision-making of firms and financial intermediaries, international economics and finance, macroeconomics, industrial organization and regulation, real estate finance, and urban economics.

The purpose of the doctoral program is to educate students in the concepts and analytical techniques needed to understand, and advance knowledge in, finance and business economics. This training usually leads to academic careers at other major business schools. The coursework, normally completed in two years, is designed to equip the students with quantitative skills and a knowledge of theoretical models and empirical research so that they can initiate, pursue and complete dissertation research under faculty guidance. Students take doctoral courses in microeconomic theory, portfolio theory, corporate finance, and empirical methods in finance and also take courses in, for example, the Economics and Mathematics departments or the Law School. The program seeks to balance the need for a solid foundation in economics and statistics with the desire of students to specialize their training.

Besides formal coursework, workshops run by the department allow doctoral students to remain abreast of current research by USC faculty and outside scholars. Currently there are workshops in financial economics, macro and international economics, applied microeconomics and regulation, and real estate (through the Lusk Center joint with the School of Policy, Planning and Development). Students are expected to participate in and benefit from them.

Doctoral students in Finance are required to teach one class before they graduate. Typically, this occurs during the third year of the program. This requirement recognizes that the academic job market looks for evidence that the candidate will be a competent teacher.

Marshall School of Business Ph.D. Program Home Page

Marshall Ph.D. Program Admissions Information and Application