The Finance PhD focuses on research topics in the broad areas of Financial Market Modelling, Market Microstructure, Energy Finance, Sustainable Finance, Quantitative Finance, Corporate Finance and Banking.
Finance PhD
Program outline
The program usually requires three to four years to complete.
Typically the first year is spent on coursework determined in conjunction with their supervisor, following which PhD students undertake original research resulting in a thesis incorporating three publishable research papers.
Depending on their specialisation, Finance Department PhD students can take courses in the areas of Empirical Finance, Finance Theory, Market Microstructure, Behavioural Finance, Numerical and Computational Methods in Finance, Probability Theory and Stochastic Analysis, Derivatives Pricing, Financial Econometrics, Financial Risk Management and Corporate Finance.
Several courses are offered by the Financial Research Network (FIRN).
Structure
During their candidature Finance PhD students are offered opportunities to interact and collaborate with experienced finance researchers and research supervisors, other Departments within UTS Business School as well as experts from other institutions. Students also have opportunities to interact with distinguished visiting academics and are exposed to cutting-edge research by global finance scholars through the Finance Seminar Series and participation in faculty-led pre-seminar workshops. Twice a year, the Finance Department holds a one-day event, open to all faculty members, in which PhD students have their doctoral assessment presentations and receive feedback by senior faculty members, experienced researchers and their peers.
Finance Department PhD students have access to leading research databases and can receive financial support to present at national and international conferences. Students are encouraged to undertake teaching and research assistant positions. A range of scholarships are available on a highly competitive basis, including the Capital Markets Cooperative Research Centre (CMCRC) for industry-based research projects.
You may also want to look at some thesis topics of our current and past research degree students.
Research relevance and impact
The Finance Department emphasises practical relevance and impact of finance research and provides PhD students with opportunities to engage with academically trained financial professionals on an ongoing basis. As such, students are invited to attend events hosted by the Finance Department to discuss their research and general research trends in the financial services industry. Past PhD discussion guests include:
- 10 May 2019: Dr Michael Newman, Founder, Quantitative Asset Management (previously Senior Managing Director at Macquarie Bank)
- 12 April 2019: Dr Martin Emery, Quantitative strategist at GMO and Adjunct Professor at City University Hong Kong
- 8 November 2018: Dr David Allen, Head of Long/Short Strategies at Plato Investment Management
- 13 September 2018: Dr Tommy Mermelshtayn, Chief Strategist at ZipCo.
- 10 May 2018: Dr Joanna Nash, Portfolio Manager at Acadian Asset Management
- 23 March 2018: Dr Alan Brace, Senior Quantitative Analyst in Market Risk at National Australia Bank
This emphasis on research with practical relevance and impact has led to our PhD students research being published in leading academic journals. See some of the recent publications by our PhD students.
Expression of interest (EOI)
Learn about how to complete your EOI, including important dates, deadlines and other requested supporting documents.
Note
- Completing an EOI and providing us with this information before you formally apply to enrol for a Research degree saves significant time where a formal application is deemed unlikely to be successful.
- Submitting and EOI also speeds up the process of application where feedback from the relevant Department indicates that an application would likely be supported.
