ALL PROGRAMS | Robinson College of Business Programs

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What does it cost?

Students typically offset the cost of the program through an assistantship that includes full tuition waivers. Contact us for information on tuition and funding your doctoral studies.

Adenike Brewington, [email protected]

How long will it take?

Typically 5 years

Where can I take classes?
Atlanta Campus, Buckhead Center (3348 Peachtree Rd. NE)

Application Deadlines View Admissions Requirements

The Ph.D. program admits students once a year for the fall semester. We will begin accepting applications for fall 2024 on September 15, 2023. For fullest consideration, the application and all required materials should be submitted by January 8, 2024.

After the application deadline, some departments may consider high-quality, late applicants. Contact Hadiye Aslan at [email protected] for approval to apply after the deadline.

In making admissions decisions, each academic unit must consider the optimum number of students in the program. This could result in the denial or deferral of otherwise qualified applicants.

Finance Concentration, Ph.D. in Business Administration

Dr. Hadiye Aslan, associate professor
[email protected]
404-413-7345

Through Robinson’s Ph.D. in finance, you will be prepared for a successful career in academia, government institutions, or the private sector.

You will undertake a rigorous course of study based on economic and financial theory as well as applied methods. In addition to building the skills necessary for undertaking original research, you will develop collaborative relationships with leading research faculty in key areas of finance, including corporate finance, investments, and financial institutions. Recent graduates from the Ph.D. program typically have obtained placements at major U.S. research universities and teaching institutions.

Tailor Your Program of Study

You will play an active role in designing your program of study during the coursework phase of the program. You will take 15 hours of research methods courses, 18 hours of discipline-specific coursework within your major, and nine hours dedicated to a secondary area of interest.

Focus on Research

Research is the main component of the Ph.D. program. You will be mentored by highly productive research faculty and strongly encouraged to publish in scholarly journals and present research papers at national and regional conferences. You will be encouraged to attend Robinson’s Research Workshops as well.

Join Robinson Ph.D. Fellows

You automatically will become a member of the Robinson Ph.D. Fellows student organization. Through the organization, you will foster a sense of community with other doctoral students and make valuable connections with faculty. You also will receive academic and professional development support. Key activities include but are not limited to:

  • New student orientation sessions
  • Lunch and Learn seminars focusing on topics of relevance to all Ph.D. students such as insurance, taxation, and investments; publishing in academic journals; surviving the comprehensive exams; Mplus statistical modeling; the Institutional Review Board process; and how to conceptualize, plan, and execute your dissertation
  • Sponsored travel to assist in presenting your research at premier conferences in your field of study

Program Details

Application Requirements

  • Online application and $50 application fee
  • Tests scores – GMAT or GRE
  • College transcripts
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Resume – All applicants must submit an updated résumé.
  • Letters of Recommendation – Three letters of recommendation are required.
  • Interview – If an interview or additional information is required, applicants will be notified.
  • Immunization Certification – Immunization forms should be sent directly to the Immunization Office after an offer of admission is accepted by the applicant.
  • Additional requirements apply for international applicants

Learn more about the application process and what you will need to apply.

Although there are a number of required courses for all Ph.D. students, your program of study will be individually tailored to meet your particular needs and goals. Your program of study is not cast in stone once it has been approved and filed with the Ph.D. program office. However, any changes must be approved in writing by your unit coordinator and the Ph.D. program office. The rate of progress in the Ph.D. program may be a factor in the allocation of competitive awards. These awards include fellowships as well as graduate research and teaching assistantships. As a general guideline, students are expected to register for a minimum of nine hours each semester (with the exclusion of summer quarter) until graduation. Many students will opt to register for more hours than the minimum. Failure to follow the program of study may be interpreted as a lack of progress. Required Courses – 42 Hours
  • Research Methods (15 hours)
  • Major (18 hours)
  • Secondary Area (9 hours)
Research Methods Requirements - 15 semester hours The satisfactory completion of no fewer than 15 graduate-level semester hours constitutes minimum preparation in research methods. The Ph.D. coordinator may approve substitutions for any of the following research methods requirements.
  • Approved Graduate-Level Statistics Course
  • MGS 9940 – Design of Experiments
  • MGS 9950 – Regression Analysis
  • MGS 9960 – Multivariate Data Analysis
Elective Options
  • BA 9260 - Theory Development
  • BA 9280 - Quantitative Research Methods in Business
  • BA 9300 - Qualitative Research Methods in Business
  • BA 9330E - Philosophy of Science for Business Research
  • BA 9340E - Advanced Psychometrics
  • BA 9520E - Principles of Multi-level Methods and Modeling
  • IFI 8650 - Image and Text Analytics with Deep Neural Networks
  • IFI 9000 - Research Methods with Analytics
Quantitative and Economic Foundations Students entering the Ph.D. program are presumed to have background and current knowledge in:
  • multi-variable calculus – including multiple integration, partial derivatives, and infinite series
  • matrix algebra – including linear transformations, vector differentiation and eigenstructures
  • computer skills for empirical research – including statistical packages and the use of data tapes and files macroeconomics and microeconomics through the intermediate level
Academic Deficiencies New students should discuss any deficiencies in their academic background with their Ph.D. coordinator. Students lacking English communication skills may be required to take special English courses as foundation coursework. A proficiency test is administered at the special orientation program for international students. Any English courses assigned as a result of this test must be taken during the student’s first semester of coursework.

 

VIEW CATALOG INFORMATION

Assistantships

Ph.D. students are eligible for graduate research assistantships and graduate teaching assistantships.

These assistantships waive tuition and provide a stipend for living expenses, depending on the availability of funds from the college and academic department supporting the degree. There is no separate application; consideration is automatic.

University Doctoral Fellowships

As part of the university’s Second Century Initiative (2CI), a limited number of competitive university doctoral fellowships are available to qualified students working in each 2CI area.

Students selected as University Fellows receive the following:

Competitive stipends
Fellowships are awarded to an individual doctoral student at the level of $22,000 for a 12-month period and may be supplemented by grant or other funding.

Reduced teaching requirement
Fellowships are designed to be primarily graduate research fellowships. But recognizing the benefit of developing strong teaching experience for potential future faculty members, fellows may be the instructors of record only after they have completed their first year in the program. Then they may teach one course (or the equivalent in laboratory instruction) during each fellowship year (three semesters).

Graduate assistant benefits
As with all assistantships, University Fellows will receive full tuition waivers. Students will pay mandatory USG, registration and health insurance fees.

Renewable award
A fellowship may be awarded to the same student for up to 4 years as long as the student is meeting established doctoral program progress and academic guidelines and is being productive scholarly.

Second Century programs in the Robinson College of Business include:

Chinese Studies
The Robinson College of Business and the College of Arts & Sciences have established an inter-college research cluster in Chinese studies. The program involves Chinese language studies, Chinese politics and relationships between politics and economics, and Chinese business.

The Business of Science: Law, Policy and Ethics in the Regulation and Governance of Scientific Businesses
The Robinson College of Business and the College of Law have established a collaborative cluster with the theme of legal and ethical governance of businesses in healthcare, life sciences and biotechnology markets.

Health Information Technology
The Department of Computer Information Systems and the Institute of Health Administration in the Robinson College of Business and the Georgia Health Policy Center in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies are undertaking research around the theme of health information technology. This initiative will build upon the existing strengths of the nationally ranked computer information systems and health administration programs and the extensive funded research of the Health Policy Center.

Prospective and current Robinson College of Business students interested in pursuing a University Doctoral Fellowship should contact the their department’s doctoral coordinator.

Laern more about the Second Century Initiative.

The Ph.D. program of the J. Mack Robinson College of Business will develop in graduates a high level of competence in conducting research and in teaching business disciplines by requiring:

(1) education in theory;
(2) education in general research techniques as well as research techniques specific to a discipline;
(3) research experience with faculty members on contemporary research problems and issues; and
(4) training on teaching methodology reinforced with active classroom teaching experience.

Careers

Robinson Ph.D. students go on to pursue research-focused careers in academia at well-regarded institutions.

Alumni Career Updates
In spring 2020, Dr. Yuehua Tang (Ph.D., finance, ’13) and Dr. Ryan Williams (Ph.D., finance, ’12) were promoted to associate professor with tenure at the University of Florida and University of Arizona, respectively.

Current Students

Ercan Erol (email / office RCB 1217), Liu Haoran (email / RCB 1217), Park Jongchan (email / RCB 1229), Kim Bokyung (email), Li Shuting (email / RCB 1216), Qian Jialin (email / RCB 1212), Nam Soyun (email / RCB 1242), Wang Meng (email / RCB 1212), Wang Xiaoyu (email / RCB 1217), Xiao Jiqiu (email / RCB1214), Guo Suiheng (email / RCB 1214), Huang Yen-lin

Recent Placements

2022
Xuxi Guo, Saint Louis University
2021
Joo Hun Lee, Tennessee Technological University
Liang Zhang, Florida International University
2020
Han Ma Shanghai, University of Finance and Economics
2019
Zhe Wang, University of North Carolina (Postdoc)
Honglin Ren Renmin, University of China
Ashutosh Tyagi, Georgia State University (Visiting AP)
Mehdi Haghbaali (No placement)

2018
Mo Shen, Auburn University
2017
Sangho Le, Tulane University (Visiting AP)
Qinxi Wu, Baylor University
2016
Chen Cai, Lehigh University (Clinical)
Kevin Mullally, University of Central Florida
Haibei Zhao, Lehigh University
2014
Daniel Greene, Clemson University
Todd Stonitsch, University of South Carolina (Clinical)

Contacts

Dr. Hadiye Aslan, associate professor
[email protected]
404-413-7345

Adenike Brewington, associate director
[email protected]
404-413-7070

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