Finance
In the last decade, the academic study of finance has experienced an infusion of new concepts and quantitative methodologies that place it among the most sophisticated and dynamic areas of business and economics. New developments in the traditional areas of finance-theory of rational investor portfolio choice, interpretation and determination of security prices, and efficient corporate decision-making have been approached from the perspective of a single integrating paradigm derived from economic theory. This has led to extensive joint teaching and research between the finance, applied economics, and accounting faculties at Berkeley. Academic contributions are having profound effects on financial practice.
Program Overview
A Haas PhD student interested in finance needs a strong course background in mathematics and statistics. This is a prerequisite to the sequence of doctoral seminars in finance (PHDBA 239 A-D and PHDBA 229C).
Students also attend frequent seminars to gain exposure to ongoing research, with speakers featured from other universities throughout the world. These seminars provide a forum for doctoral students to assess the relevance of academic research in their fields.