UCR’s Ph.D. in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance provides students with a solid foundation in the theoretical and empirical tools of finance. The goal of the program is to prepare students for careers that focus on research in asset pricing and corporate finance. Because finance research draws heavily on the discipline of economics and requires extensive training in quantitative methods, students in the program are required to study microeconomics and econometrics in addition to taking seminars in the field of finance.

Requirements

After completing coursework and passing the comprehensive exam, students are required to produce a dissertation containing original research. A large portion of their time in the program will be devoted to this research and to communicating their research findings to others in written and spoken English. Students will complete this work under the close guidance of the finance area faculty, who are among the world’s leading scholars in finance. For additional information on the faculty members, please see the finance area faculty.

The average time for program completion is five years. Students who progress through the program at the expected pace and who are successful in completing original research projects are typically provided financial aid throughout their five years in the program. Financial aid generally consists of tuition plus income in the form of stipends or teaching assistantships.

Application Information

The UCR School of Business only accepts Ph.D. applications every few years. The next application cycle for the Finance area will be for a program start in Fall 2026. Applications will be open in late 2025, due in January 2026.