Simon Professor Ramona Agostina Teaching Simon Students

Effective solutions for complex business problems.

Simon’s methodological approach to finance emphasizes formal modeling of problems and empirical testing of theories. Explore topics related to areas such as corporate finance, financial institutions, and asset pricing using principles of economics, mathematics, and statistics.

Prepare with Math Camp.

 

Program Outline: Finance

The First Year

The first-year course work covers central foundations of Microeconomics, Econometrics, and Finance. Our Finance Seminars introduce students to current research topics. Students are required to take courses offered by the Simon Business School as well as an Economics Sequence offered through the University of Rochester's Economics Department, with a preliminary exam required at the end of the spring term. Students are also required to prepare a first-year research paper that they will present in the fall of the second year. 

The Second Year

The second year allows students to take additional PhD-level courses in Finance. In addition, participation in Finance and Applied Economics seminars is required to prepare students for the qualifying exam in the fall of the third year. The qualifying exam tests students' abilities to develop their own research ideas and to write and present an original research paper.

The Third Year and Beyond

In the third year, students move from course work to active research. Continued participation in all Finance and Applied Economics Seminars is required throughout the program. 

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Advancement to Candidacy

This is achieved after passing the Preliminary and Qualifying Exams. At the conclusion of the qualifying exam, the faculty administering the qualifying exam evaluate the student and through that evaluation make a recommendation to the PhD Faculty Director and Senior Associate Dean of Faculty that the student advance to candidacy.

 

Thesis and Proposal

Students are expected to submit a Thesis proposal paper along with a faculty advisor and committee that has agreed to serve on the dissertation committee. The dissertation must be an original critical or synthetic treatment of a suitable subject, an original contribution to creative art, or a report on independent research formulated in a manner worthy of publication. The exact form and timing of this proposal is defined by the area requirements.

 

Required Courses.

The Course Catalog contains degree requirements and course descriptions. Please refer the Simon Registrar's website for the current Course Catalog.

 

PhD Finance Courses

FIN 505

Theory of Finance

FIN 511

Continuous Time Theory in Finance

FIN 512

Empirical Asset Pricing

FIN 513

Agency Theory

FIN 514

Empirical Corporate

FIN 522

Advanced Empirical Asset Pricing

FIN 523

Advanced Agency Theory

FIN 524

Financial and Economic Networks

AEC 510

PhD Workshop in Applied Economics