PhD
Finance
The Finance group at MIT Sloan delves into the study of markets for real and financial assets, emphasizing the practical applications of modern financial theory widely adopted by Wall Street and corporations. Students gain a robust understanding of foundational theories and acquire the tools necessary for conducting both theoretical and applied research. After completing coursework in microeconomics and macroeconomics, students tailor their research programs with faculty guidance, often contributing to and expanding on faculty research. Notable faculty members include Hui Chen, whose research intersects asset pricing and corporate finance; Deborah Lucas, known for her work on public sector financial management; and Maryam Farboodi, who explores the economics of big data and its impact on financial markets.
Research from Finance Faculty
Daron Acemoglu, Nobel Prize winner in economics: 'We've never had companies as powerful as technology companies; they control the fabric of our society, how we access information, and how we interact.'
Institute Professor Daron Acemoglu said: "The promise of technology was to create opportunities for all, but what we have is a single system that concentrates power and wealth."
MIT Economist Andrew W. Lo on finance, AI, and human behavior
Professor Andrew W. Lo said: "We're working on an AI financial advisor that can satisfy the most important criterion of financial advice that regulators impose, fiduciary duty. A fiduciary is somebody who is appointed to help you further your goals and will look out for your best interests above and beyond their own."
Why does cybersecurity management in enterprises fail?
Research scientist Ranjan Pal and co-authors wrote: "The most creative and technically innovative employees choose roles in software development for products whose value is of most importance to venture capitalists and enterprise shareholders. The relatively less innovative and coding-competent employees are put in cybersecurity roles and are paid comparatively less."
What happens when manufacturing firms adopt AI
By
Companies that adopt industrial artificial intelligence see productivity losses before longer-term gains, according to new research.
Select Finance Faculty
Full-Time Faculty
Paul Asquith
Gordon Y Billard Professor of Finance
Paul Asquith is the Gordon Y Billard Professor of Finance and a Professor of Finance at the MIT Sloan School of Management.Asquith is a specialist in corporate finance and a media source for the field of corporate finance and control, including…
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Hui Chen
Nomura Professor of Finance
Hui Chen is the Nomura Professor of Finance and a Professor of Finance at the MIT Sloan School of Management.His research focuses on asset pricing and its connections with corporate finance. Chen is particularly interested in the interactions…
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John C. Cox
Nomura Professor of Finance, Emeritus
John Cox is the Nomura Professor of Finance, Emeritus at the MIT Sloan School of Management.A leading authority on corporate finance and finance theory, Cox has developed an inter-temporal financial model broad enough to include the fundamental…
Learn MoreExample PhD Thesis Topics
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Maya Bidanda (2024)
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Timothy de Silva (2024)
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Allison Cole (2023)
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Parinitha Sastry (2022)
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Peter Hansen (2021)