Doctor of Philosophy - Banking & Finance

Prospective candidates are invited to submit their Expressions of Interest (EOI) between May 1st and July 31st to be considered for admission in the following year. PhD students normally commence their study in Term 1 around early February each year. Out of round EOIs submitted after the deadline could be considered only for interested candidates with strong prior research experience, e.g., with a masters by research degree from a leading global institution.

Most students complete the overall PhD study (including the MPDBS year) in four to five years full-time, or 5–8 years part-time. For candidates with strong prior research experience, e.g., with a masters by research degree from a leading global institution, it is possible to complete the study in three to four years without the MPDBS year.

The program is structured across multiple years. In Year One, students complete the Master of Pre-Doctoral Business Studies (MPDBS), which covers foundational research methods and stream core courses such as Asset Pricing Theory and Mathematical Economics. In Year Two, students undertake specialised coursework (e.g., Empirical Corporate Finance, Corporate Finance Theory, Empirical Asset Pricing) and identify their thesis topic with a supervisor. From Year Three onwards, students focus on full-time research and completing their doctoral thesis.

For Stream 1, the minimum academic entry requirement is the equivalent of a four-year UNSW Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline (Economics, Finance, and related subjects) with first or upper second class honours. For Stream 2, the minimum is the equivalent of a four-year UNSW Bachelor's degree with an Honours year (research), or the equivalent of a UNSW Masters' degree with substantial research component with first or upper second class honours. An upper second class honours is equivalent to a weighted average mark of at least 75/100 (i.e., a Distinction) at UNSW.

The training is geared toward preparing you for a career in academia at a premier research institution anywhere in the world, with opportunities to develop a teaching portfolio throughout the degree. Beyond academia, there is also significant demand in the private and public sectors for people with deep knowledge and sound research and analytical skills. Other career paths enabled include consulting, government, industry, and non-profit sectors. Notably, nineteen of the largest ASX companies have PhD graduates on their senior executive teams.