Finance

PhD specialisation in Finance

The PhD specialisation in Finance prepares candidates for careers in world leading academic institutions, research-oriented international and national organisations, and the industry. Job market candidates from the department have found employment at premier universities including London Business School, Tilburg University, University of Melbourne, NOVA University Lisbon, Norwegian School of Economics (NHH), Central University of Finance and Economics (CUFE) and National Chengchi University (NCCU). Local placements in Norway include Boston Consulting Group, Financial Supervisory Authority, and Storebrand. We encourage candidates with solid quantitative and analytical skills, and a strong background in disciplines such as Finance, Economics, Statistics, and Mathematics to apply.

The four-year study programme leading to a PhD degree is designed to allow you to conduct in-depth research. In addition, it is comprised by a course component, seminars, PhD committees, pre-doctoral defence, and lastly, dissertation and final defence. 25% of the time is reserved for teaching.

Distinguishing features of the specialisation

The four-year programme offers rigorous training for candidates with strong analytical skills and intellectual curiosity. It follows a standard structure in place at all comparable programmes around the world. The first year is devoted to course work that covers all the major fields in Finance and core topics in Economics relevant for a Finance PhD. BI faculty mainly teaches these courses. The candidates can also take specialised courses and participate in doctoral workshops through the Nordic Finance Network.

The second year of the programme sees candidates transitioning to research work that continues through to the end of the programme. Candidates will work towards the doctoral dissertation that is typically a collection of three research articles. Research work is done in close co-operation with the supervisor and other faculty members from the department. Projects joint with faculty members often involve collaborators from other research institutions. Candidates also participate in weekly research seminars with international scholars and present their research work at departmental workshops. The research environment is supportive and PhD candidates take actively part in all the social life at the department.

Fully funded scholarships

All PhD candidates receive financial support when accepted into the programme. The candidates are hired as full-time employees on an initial four-year contract. Continuation of the support through the four years of the program is dependent on good standing and regular progress towards completing the programme’s requirements. PhD candidates are entitled to full parental leave and health insurance, and are part of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund. The workplace is BI Norwegian Business School at its main campus in Oslo.

What you can expect

The four-year study programme leading to a PhD degree is designed to allow you to conduct in-depth research. In addition, it is comprised of a course component, seminars, PhD committees, pre-doctoral defence, and lastly, dissertation and final defence. 25% of the time is reserved for teaching.

Department of Finance

The Department of Finance is ranked 10th in Europe, and 2nd in the Nordic countries, based on top-finance publications 2013-2017 (U of Texas Dallas rankings). BI hosted the European Finance Association (EFA) Annual Meeting in 2016 and in 1996. The department is committed to research at the highest international level and faculty members currently represent about 20 different nationalities. Faculty come from some of the world’s best institutions such as University of Chicago, Wharton, UCLA, Ohio State University, Carnegie Mellon, University of Southern California, London Business School, and London School of Economics.

Faculty members publish their research regularly in the top Finance and Economics journals. These publications have appeared in Journal of Finance, Review of Financial Studies, Journal Financial Economics, American Economic Review, Econometrica, Journal of Political Economy, and Review of Economic Studies. The strong commitment to research has earned the department a top-10 rank in Europe based on research output in top-tier academic Finance journals.

The department runs an international weekly research seminar series in which academics from the world’s best research institutions present their work. These seminars and other visits by international researchers give PhD candidates an excellent opportunity to reflect and receive feedback on their own research. The department also regularly organises conferences and workshops.

The department has access to all the commonly used international databases. Many faculty members also work with unique Norwegian micro data on firms and individuals obtained from official registers. The department hosts the Centre for Asset Pricing Research (CAPR) and the Centre for Corporate Governance Research (CCGR). These centres sponsor and support faculty research groups, conferences, and seminars.

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