MPhil/PhD in Finance

Structure and Outline

In the first year, MPhil in Finance students complete a core programme that is divided into three course sequences, or Blocks: Finance, Microeconomics, and Methods.



Throughout the first year, there is a research seminar exposing students to top research that has been done in finance and economics. This helps students to formulate ideas so they can begin to develop their own research plan. 

During the second year, students complete specialised coursework following their own research interests. Courses will be offered in a variety of financial fields/disciplines, such as Asset Pricing, Corporate Finance, Risk Management, Law and Finance and Behavioural Finance. In addition, students can take courses from the MPhil in Economics.

Finally, at the end of the two year MPhil programme, students must complete a thesis. The thesis proves the student's ability to produce original academic research and should qualify as a chapter for the PhD thesis, as well as for publication in an academic journal.
After the two year MPhil programme, successful students have the opportunity to engage in 3-year PhD positions under individual supervision by an international expert in the field. Students can formulate their own original research plan for this and coordinate with their preferred supervisor (subject to the given supervisor’s availability constraints).

During the PhD phase, students are expected to build-up experience in the transferral of new knowledge. Students will be encouraged to present their work at international conferences and may be supported by travelling grants from the programme. Students are also expected to build experience by way of teaching classes to undergraduate students. Upon successful completion of the PhD, students are ready to contribute actively to quality research environments, either in academia, government, or industry.

All courses offered by the Duisenberg school of finance are subject to change
The Statistics and Econometrics course is spread out over three blocks. The same holds for Advanced Econometrics