Questions Frequently Asked
by Students in the PhD Program(updated 10/29/03)

What courses am I required to take?

Course requirements are listed in the Wharton Doctoral Programs catalog. Here is the most recent version of the Finance Section of the catalog.

What is the FNCE 950: Research Seminar in Finance?

The department uses the FNCE 950 seminars, two sections of which are offered each semester, as a way for students (only students in the PhD Program in Finance) to make up the difference between the 12 courses required by the department and the 20 credits required by the university. These seminars can also help foreign nationals fulfill the visa requirement that they remain enrolled for three credits each semester or register for dissertation status. If you have credits to transfer, it would probably be best to use the transfer credits rather than registering for FNCE 950; you would reach dissertation status sooner, and your dissertation fee will be reduced sooner (after 5 semesters of being registered for dissertation, the dissertation fee falls from [in 2003-2004] $2367 to $532 per semester).

When can I register for dissertation and how?

When you have 20 credits on your transcript, you can enroll in "FNCE 995: Dissertation" even if you have not technically been admitted to candidacy (that is, fulfilled all of the requirements for the degree except for the proposal and dissertation defenses). You need to have a Finance department administrator enroll you the first semester; after that registration rolls over every semester until you apply for your degree.

When is the finance preliminary exam given? What does it cover? How many times can you take it? How is it graded?

The ground rules for the preliminary examination are set out in the Wharton Doctoral Policies and Procedures document. There you will find the rule that you may take the exam only twice and the procedure for requesting a third try. The standard procedures for the composition and grading of the exam are set by departmental policy. In recent years, the exam has been administered in June. The exam usually covers all of the courses taken during the first year in the program, although the specific courses may vary from year to year.

How can I get a Master's in Finance?

You are usually eligible to apply for a master's degree during your second year in the program. The requirements are set by departmental policy. The basic requirements are (1) ten course units, including the ten required courses, (2) passing the preliminary exam, and (3) finding a faculty member to certify that a paper you have written satisfies the research requirement for the master's degree. You must apply for the degree in the Doctoral Programs Office. The deadlines are the same as for the PhD degree.

What are the rules concerning the second-year paper requirement?

A proposal for the second year paper along with the names of two faculty advisors must be submitted to the Program Coordinator by April 30 of your second year in the program. The paper must be presented in a workshop by September 30 of that same year, and the two advisors must confirm that the paper has been satisfactorily completed and presented. There is a (downloadable) form for this purpose (both advisors should return the forms to the departmental administrator for the PhD program).

What are the rules governing the dissertation proposal defense?

The rules for the dissertation proposal defense are set by the Wharton Doctoral Programs. The essential steps are forming a dissertation committee and getting the composition of the committee approved, setting a date (with your committee), reserving a room and announcing the event.

Which funding is available beyond the fourth year?

The GSAC provides some funds for travel. See http://dolphin.upenn.edu/~gsac/money.html#travel Also, the Ph.D. program occasionally can provide some limited support for students who are on the program of a conference. See the Ph.D. coordinator for details about 5th year funding and health insurance. Also: please read this message from PhD Program Coordinator, Dr. Andrew Abel.

Site Maintained by: University of Pennsylvania The Wharton School Finance Department Please send comments, questions and suggestions to: fnce-webmaster@wharton.upenn.edu