|
Chair of the Department: David Ikenberry
Director of Graduate Studies: Roger E. Cannaday (MSF); Neil Pearson (PhD)
340 Wohlers Hall
1206 South Sixth Street
Champaign, IL 61820-6271
(217) 244-4515 | Fax: (217) 244-9867
Graduate Degree Programs
The Department of Finance offers graduate work leading to the master
of science and doctor of philosophy degrees. The following fields
are available for specialization: banking and financial institutions,
corporate finance, insurance and risk management, investments, and
real estate and urban land economics.
Admission
The minimum required grade point average for admission is 3.0 (A =
4.0). To be admitted without deficiencies, the applicant should have
completed one undergraduate course each in computer science, financial
accounting, managerial accounting, and principles of economics as
well as two courses each in calculus, probability and statistics,
and financial management. Courses to remove deficiencies may be taken
after beginning the program, but such courses will not count toward
the departmental requirements for graduation. All applicants are required to submit Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) scores.
Most international applicants are also required to submit Test of
English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores. The test scores will
be used by the Graduate Standards Committee, along with other information,
in evaluating the applicant’s qualifications for graduate study.
Graduate Teaching Experience
Experience in teaching is considered a vital part of the Ph.D. and is required as part of the academic work of all Ph.D.
candidates in the program.
Master of Science (for Ph.D. students)
A master of science degree is available for students in the Ph.D.
program. Ph.D. students may earn a master’s degree as they work
toward the Ph.D. degree. Students interested in a terminal master’s
degree are not admitted to the Ph.D. program. Options available at
this University for a terminal master’s degree in finance include
the M.S. in Finance (terminal master's)
described below, and the M.B.A. with a track in finance as described
under the section on business administration.
Master of Science in Finance (Terminal master's)
The Master of Science in Finance (terminal master's) is a one-year program designed primarily for practitioners
in finance-related positions.
All candidates are required to complete at least 40 graduate hours
of coursework in finance, financial economics, and quantitative methods.
The program is designed to be completed in 12 months, beginning in early June.
Admission requirements and other details about the program can be found at business.uiuc.edu/msf.
Doctor of Philosophy
The first stage toward the degree of doctor of philosophy ends when
the candidate receives a master’s degree in finance or earns
the equivalent credit (a minimum of 32 graduate hours at this University
or 32 semester hours or 48 quarter hours of acceptable work at another
recognized university). The second stage comprises certain minimum
coursework, fulfillment of other departmental requirements, and successful
completion of preliminary examinations. The third stage includes research,
preparation of the dissertation, and the final examination. The minimum
number of graduate hours required for the second and third stages
combined is 64. A student plans courses and research with his or her
adviser. Consideration is given to previous academic training, career
objective, and the general requirements of the Graduate College and
the department. The student should become familiar with these requirements
and satisfy them as soon as possible.
To enter the third stage of the doctoral program, a candidate must
pass preliminary examinations to test his or her qualifications for
further advanced study and research. The examinations are written
and oral. A written preliminary examination is required for the field of finance. An oral defense
of the proposal for the dissertation is the final step in the second
stage.
The doctor of philosophy is primarily a research degree, and the candidate
must demonstrate the capacity for independent research by producing
an original thesis on a topic within his or her major field of study.
The subject of the thesis must be reported to the doctoral committee
and to the Graduate College at the time of the preliminary examination.
The candidate is admitted to the final oral examination by the dean
of the Graduate College upon completion of the dissertation and the
recommendation of the department.
The doctoral program generally begins in the fall semester, but admission
for fall allows registration for the preceding summer session. The
application deadline is February 1. Additional details on the program may be found at http://www.business.uiuc.edu/finance/phd/.
|
