Finance Doctoral Program

Ph.D. in Finance Frequently Asked Questions



Q: What do you look for when you evaluate potential students?

A: We choose to look at the "big picture" in evaluating applications. This means we look at traditional measures like GMAT, GPA (particularly undergraduate GPA), recommendation letters, and transcripts. But we're also interested in intangibles like fit with the program and placement potential. This is why we ask potential students to visit campus if possible and get to know the faculty and current students, as it helps us to evaluate the intangibles.

Q: What are the minimum and preferred GMAT scores for admission to your program?

A: The College of Business has a minimum GMAT requirement of 600. Typical finance doctoral students, however, have GMAT scores that average from 680-700 in most years.

Q: I'm a non-native English speaker. What are the TOEFL or iBT requirements?

A: The minimum score for TOEFL is 600 if the paper version is taken and 250 for the computer version. We also require that non-native English speaking applicants take the Test of Spoken English (TSE) in order to qualify for a teaching assistantship. Both the TOEFL and TSE exams have been combined into the new, internet-based TOEFL (iBT). The minimum score on the iBT exam is 100.

Q: Do you admit students who start the program in the spring or summer semesters?

A: No. Students in our program start only in the fall semester.

Q: How many students do you recruit in a typical year?

A: We recruit 3 new students each year.

Q: Do you have part-time or online options for the doctoral program in finance?

A: No. The doctoral program in finance at FSU is full time and requires students to be in residence.

Q: Do I need a postgraduate degree to apply?

A: No. We do require some master’s equivalent work in finance, economics, and quantitative methods. We also require Calculus 1 and 2 and Linear Algebra.

Q: How long does the doctoral program last?

A: The FSU doctoral program in finance is a four-year program. There are two years of coursework followed by two years of intensive research work, culminating with the dissertation.

Q: What is it like to get a doctoral degree in finance at FSU?

A: Although we value teaching a great deal and help our students excel in this area, a Ph.D. in finance is primarily a research-focused degree. We seek to prepare students to do high quality scholarly research in finance and to place them in respected universities of their choice around the world.

Q: What do you mean by "research in finance"?

A: Scholarly research in finance is intended to answer relatively broad research questions about finance phenomena. You can read more about this kind of research in scholarly finance journals such as the Journal of Finance, Journal of Financial Economics, and the Review of Financial Studies.

Q: Can I get financial assistance?

A: Yes. The basic financial package is $15,000 per year plus tuition waivers. In addition, many of our students qualify for increased funding through University sponsored fellowships and scholarships.

Q: I hear that your program has a reputation for producing minority graduates. Is this true?

A: We have a very diverse student body at FSU and we're proud of it. Along these lines, we know of no other university that has produced as many minority doctoral graduates in business as FSU. We welcome applications from students of all ethnic and social backgrounds.

Q: Do you wave the application fee for McKnight applicants?

A: Yes, we do.

Q: Where can I get more information about the FSU doctoral program in finance?

A: The best place to start is by contacting Dr. David Peterson (dpeterson@cob.fsu.edu), our doctoral program director. For more general questions about graduate education in the FSU College of Business, contact Jennifer Clark (jsclark2@cob.fsu.edu) in our graduate programs office.

Q: Do I have the opportunity to conduct research with finance faculty?

A: Yes, you will have numerous opportunities to work with well-renowned finance faculty.

Q: Where do you place your students?

A: We have placed students at 50 different universities in 25 states and 5 foreign countries. To date, every student that has completed our program and sought an academic position has been successfully placed. Please see our program “fast facts” for more information.