FOX SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT

Learn more about the Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration.

About the Program

The PhD in Business Administration program, with a concentration in Finance, prepares students for successful academic careers.

Time Limit for Degree Completion: 7 years

Campus Location: Main

Full-Time/Part-Time Status: Full-time study is required.

Accreditation: The PhD in Business Administration program, with a concentration in Finance, is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International).

Job Prospects: The program is primarily dedicated to producing well-trained researchers who will work in academic positions.

Non-Matriculated Student Policy: Non-matriculated students are not permitted to take doctoral courses.

Financing Opportunities: Typically, all PhD students receive financial assistantship in the form of full tuition remission and a stipend in return for offering services as a Research Assistant (RA) or Teaching Assistant (TA). The level of support is based on the concentration, the applicant’s qualifications, and other competitive considerations. 

Admission Requirements and Deadlines

Application Deadline:

Fall:

Applications must be submitted AND complete (i.e., all required materials must be received and verified by Fox Staff) by Dec. 5 to be considered.  Applications received after this deadline are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and dependent on availability. 

APPLY ONLINE to this Fox graduate program.

Letters of Reference:
Number Required: 2

From Whom: Letters of recommendation should be obtained from evaluators, typically college/university faculty or an immediate work supervisor, who can provide insight into your abilities and talents, as well as comment on your aptitude for graduate study.

Master's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: A master's degree is not required, but preferred.

Bachelor's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: The equivalent of a four-year U.S. baccalaureate degree from an accredited university or college is required. For three-year degrees, mark sheets must be evaluated by WES or another NACES organization.

Statement of Goals: In 500 to 1,000 words, describe your specific interest in Temple's program, research goals, career goals, and academic and research achievements.

Standardized Test Scores:
GMAT/GRE: Required. GMAT scores are preferred. Test results cannot be more than five years old. Although the applicant’s test score is an important factor in the admissions process, other factors, such as the ability to conduct research as demonstrated by academic research publications and whether your indicated research interests match with those of our faculty, are also taken into consideration.

Applicants who earned their baccalaureate degree from an institution where the language of instruction was other than English, with the exception of those who subsequently earned a master’s degree in a country where the language of instruction is English, must report scores for a standardized test of English that meet these minimums:

• TOEFL iBT: 90
• IELTS Academic: 7.0
• Duolingo: 110
• PTE Academic: 68

Resume: Current resume or CV required.

Program Requirements

General Program Requirements:
Number of Credits Required to Earn the Degree: 48

Required Courses:¹

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
Core Courses
Math Preparation (August) non-credit		0
BA 9103	Econ Theory of Choice	3
BA 9105	Business Econometrics I	3
BA 9106	Business Econometrics II	3
BA 9108	Capital Markets Research	3
BA 9203	Financial Economics	3
BA 9209	Business Econometrics III	3
STAT 8112	Statistical Methods for Business Research I	3
Core Finance Seminars
FIN 9001	Corp Finance Theory	3
FIN 9002	Empirical Research in Corporate Finance	3
FIN 9005	Empirical Asset Pricing	3
FIN 9011	Proseminar in Finance	3
Electives 2		9
BA 9104	Game Theory
BA 9205	Information Economics
BA 9212	Seminar in Global Finance and Governance
or FIN 9004	Seminar in Global Finance and Governance
Research Courses 3		6
BA 9994	Preliminary Examination Preparation
BA 9998	Pre-Dissertation Research
BA 9999	Dissertation Research
Total Credit Hours		48

¹

Students require approval from their mentor and the Concentration Director for all course selections, including those dropped and/or added.

²

The program of study may be individualized to a significant degree for the student's best professional and scholarly development. Recommended electives include BA 9205 and BA 9212 or FIN 9004. With approval from the Concentration Director, students may take other electives to match their research interests.

³

Of the 6 required research credits, a minimum of 2 credits of BA 9999 must be taken. The other 4 credits may be taken in any combination of BA 9994, BA 9998, and BA 9999. Given that 6 credits constitute the minimum requirement, additional credits may be needed to fulfill the degree program's culminating experiences. Doctoral students must maintain continuous enrollment from matriculation to graduation.

Culminating Events: A committed student can complete the Finance PhD in five years by adhering to the following schedule:

• Complete coursework in Economics, Finance and Statistics in the first two and a half years.
• Take the competency exam in Economics and Statistics at the end of the first year. See details in "Statistics Competency Examination" below.
• Complete and present two research papers at the end of the first and second year. See details under "Research Paper and Presentation Requirements" below.
• Take the Finance PhD comprehensive exam in the third year. See details for the "Comprehensive Examination" below.
• Work on dissertation, revise and submit research papers to conferences and journals, and develop teaching skills during the fourth and fifth years.

Statistics Competency Examination:
An assessment of proficiency in statistical theory and methodology is made at the end of the first year in the program. Students who fail the Statistics competency exam on the first attempt must sit for reexamination prior to the Fall term of their second year. A second failure results in dismissal from the program. No third attempt is permitted.

Research Paper and Presentation Requirements:
PhD students in Finance are required to complete a first-year research proposal by the end of September in the second year. They must also complete a research paper in their second year. The deadline for presentation of papers at the Finance Department's internal seminar is Fall of the third year. After each presentation, a committee of Finance faculty evaluate whether the student has completed the paper and presentation requirement with satisfaction.

Comprehensive Examination:
PhD students in Finance are required to pass a comprehensive exam in February of the third year. The exam is designed to test whether the student has a comprehensive and integrative understanding of the theories, methodologies and empirical findings in the field of finance. It primarily focuses on the knowledge gained in the concentration seminars and theory courses, although other pertinent materials may also be included in the comprehensive exam.

Contacts

Department Contacts: