Refer to the Drexel Course Catalogue for the full list of course requirements and class descriptions.

Degree Requirements

60 credits (Post-Master’s degree)
90 credits (Post-Bachelor’s degree)

• 15 credits of core courses
• 30 credits of specialization requirements
• 15 credits of dissertation research
• 30 credits for students without Master’s degree

Specialization Courses

Students specializing in finance take the following courses in addition to the PhD core courses:

• ECON 910: Advanced Microeconomics I
• ECON 920: Advanced Macroeconomics I
• ECON 940: Econometrics I
• ECON 941: Econometrics II
• FIN 920: Foundations of Finance Theory
• FIN 924: Seminar in Macro Finance
• FIN 928: Applied Capital Markets
• FIN 922: Corporate Finance Theory
• Three electives with the permission of the adviser

Academic Timeline

Year 1

• 20 hours of research assistant work per week
• Present at least one idea during PhD Idol (winter/spring)
• 1st year comprehensive exam (summer)
• 1st year summer paper (summer)
• 1st year assessment

Year 2

• 20 hours of research assistant work per week
• 2nd year exam
• Solo-authored term paper (by end of summer)
• 2nd year assessment

Year 3

• Teach one course in fall or winter quarter
• Teach two courses in the subsequent quarter
• 1st paper submitted to a top-three journal (by the end of the third year/early 4th year,

Year 4

• Teach two courses (if not completed in year three)

Year 5

• Proposal Defense before the FMA
• FMA interviews (fall)
• Final defense (spring)