The University of Oxford has an exceptionally high-profile group of academics researching in finance. The strength of the University's presence in this area derives from the fact that research in finance is undertaken in several departments including the economics, law and maths departments, as well as the Saïd Business School. Research expertise therefore ranges from the most mathematically technical to the most policy relevant.
Saïd Business Shcool has particular expertise in the fields of asset pricing and corporate finance. As well as being of the highest academic standards, its research is relevant to the design and regulation of securities markets, corporate financial policy and the impact of financial markets on real economic activity.
Follow the links below to find out more about the course structure and assesment.
Year one
In the first year, students admitted onto the Financial Economics doctoral programme will be expected to take the following courses from the MSc in Financial Economics:
- Asset pricing 1 and 2
- Corporate finance 1 and 2
- Financial econometrics 1 and 2
- Microeconomics 1 and 2
- Continuous time finance
- Macroeconomics
- Advanced topics in finance
- One other elective
- Individual project.
Students will be allocated a provisional supervisor at the beginning of the course. At the end of year one their main thesis and a subsidiary supervisor will be identified.
Year two
In year two students will take two of the following three MPhil Economics options:
- Advanced Econometrics
Generally includes: Modelling and methodology; Distribution theory for stationary and non-stationary processes; Simulation based methods; Finite sample theory; Theory of reduction; Modelling dynamic systems; Testing, encompassing, and exogeneity; Panel data analysis; Limited dependent variables; Sample-selection problems; Non-parametric methods; and Structural estimation. Applications may include consumption, demand analysis, investment, money demand, housing, financial and labour markets.
- Economics of Industry
Designed to provide you with a grounding in modern industrial organisation analysis, including an understanding of both empirical and theoretical methods and some policy issues.
- Advanced Economic Theory
Students with the requisite background may seek exemption from one or more of the above courses.
There will be a finance doctoral research workshop that all doctoral students in Years Two, Three and Four will be expected to attend. The workshop will be organised around student presentations and subject based discussions.
Students will be required to submit a detailed description and a preliminary draft of one chapter of their thesis. If successful they will then transfer from PRS (Probationer Research Student) to doctoral status.
Years three and four
Students will be expected to submit two thesis chapters, one of which will be their job market paper, and apply for confirmation of status at the end of year three.
Addittionally, at the end of year three and the beginning of year four, students will be given training in job applications, interviewing and presentations. Students will attend the finance doctoral workshop and will have the opportunity of applying for teaching and research assistant posts.
They will be expected to enter the job market during year four and complete their thesis by the end of year four.
Assessment
By the end of the first year, students are required to have successfully completed four core courses and four electives and to have submitted a satisfactory thesis proposal. By the end of the second year, they are required to have successfully completed two elective courses and to have submitted a satisfactory preliminary draft of one chapter of their thesis. They then transfer from probationer to doctoral status. At the end of the third year, following the submission of drafts of two thesis chapters, their status is confirmed. Final examination of the doctoral thesis is at end of the fourth year.
Download the statement of provision