Academics
The PhD Program contains five components :
- Course Requirements
- Research Paper
- Comprehensive Examination
- Dissertation
- Research / Teaching Requirements
Each of these requirements is described below. Detailed standards for the PhD candidate are published and provided to all students.[ back to top ]
Students complete a program of study that leads to competency in three areas: quantitative methods, economics and finance. When a student enters the program he or she will be assigned an advisor. Together with the advisor the student will design a program of study to be completed prior to the comprehensive examination.
The requirements of the program of study are typically satisfied by completing 18 courses in the first two-and-a-half years of the program. Required courses include five courses in quantitative methods, three in economics, six in finance and several electives. In some cases coursework prior to entering the program or successful performance on waiver examinations may be substituted for required courses. However, each student must complete a minimum of 14 courses while in the program. The recommended program is shown on the Curriculum page of this site.[ back to top ]
Students are expected to engage in research early in the program. All students work as research assistants for competitive stipend for the first two years of the program. By the end of their first summer, students are required to submit a research paper. A more detailed description of the research paper, its standards and criteria used to evaluate it is available from, maintained and updated by the PhD Committee.[ back to top ]
Satisfactory performance on a written comprehensive examination marks the student's transition from coursework to full-time thesis research. The examination is intended to allow the student to demonstrate substantial knowledge of finance, economics and quantitative methods.
The examination is taken within three months of the completion of the second year of the program. A student will have completed most course work, satisfied the breadth requirements and submitted a satisfactory research paper prior to taking the comprehensive examination.[ back to top ]
The doctoral dissertation is expected to be a substantial, significant and original contribution to knowledge. It is prepared under the guidance of a thesis committee of three or more faculty members selected by the candidate in consultation with his or her thesis advisor. Early in the process, the candidate submits a thesis proposal. The proposal is presented in a seminar to which the finance faculty and doctoral students are invited. The purpose of the presentation is to give the student an opportunity to hear the suggestions and comments of members of the Boston College finance community while the research plan is still fluid.
A thesis-defense seminar, open to the Boston College community, is held when the research is completed.[ back to top ]
Student Support and Research / Teaching Requirement
The current level of financial support for doctoral students is between $23,000 and $25,000 per year in addition to tuition remission. A student in good standing may receive this support for a maximum of four years. In return for this support, the student acts as a research assistant for 15 hours per week for the first two years of the program, then teaches one course per semester or acts as a research assistant in the third and fourth years of the program.
This generous level of support is based on the fact that students are expected to devote their full energies to the program during the entire calendar year, not just the academic year.[ back to top ]