Finance Ph. D. Degree Program

Program Information

General Information

The Finance PhD Program implements a curriculum that will enable students to gain the necessary qualifications to become an academician/expert who produces and applies scientific knowledge in the field of finance, and to acquire useful knowledge and skills in this sense. The program covers the basic components of finance such as Asset Pricing Theory, Corporate Finance Theory and Microeconomics within the scope of compulsory courses, while elective courses offer the opportunity to specialize in areas such as Portfolio Management, Risk Management, Financial Mathematics, Digital Finance and Econometric Analysis. The program focuses on training researchers who can adapt to the digital finance world by also including current finance approaches such as big data analysis, artificial intelligence and machine learning.


Program Educational Objectives

1. To train experts who can conduct original scientific research in the field of finance and transform the knowledge they produce into academic and sectoral applications.
2. To contribute to academic literature by training researchers who have in-depth knowledge of finance theory and applications and who can think critically and analytically.
3. To train finance professionals who can use contemporary finance technologies such as big data analysis, artificial intelligence and machine learning and develop innovative approaches.
4. To contribute to the training of academics and professionals who can act in accordance with scientific research ethics, evaluate from a critical perspective and conduct independent research, and who can lead universities and the finance sector.
5. To train individuals who can produce innovative solutions to economic and financial problems by encouraging interdisciplinary research in the field of finance.


Degree Earned

Students who successfully complete this program are awarded a Ph. D. Degree in Finance.


Level of Degree Earned

The Finance program is a Ph. D. degree program, classified as Level 8 in the Turkish Higher Education Qualifications Framework (TYYÇ).


Requirements and Rules of the Degree Earned

This degree is awarded to students who have successfully completed the compulsory and elective courses in the curriculum, passed the Doctoral Qualifying Exam, completed 250 ECTS credits by preparing a Doctoral Thesis, and have a general grade point average of at least 3.00 out of 4.00.


Admission Requirements

To apply to a scholarship program, the candidate must have a minimum score of 85 from ALES, a minimum score of 80 for a fee-based program, and a minimum score of 75 from a foreign language exam conducted by YDS, E-YDS, YÖKDİL or TOBB ETÜ. For candidates who apply to the program after graduating from a bachelor's degree, a minimum GPA of 3.50/4.00 is required for scholarship and fee-based programs; for candidates who apply to the program after graduating from a master's degree, a minimum GPA of 2.50/4.00 or a GPA of 3.10/4.00 is required for scholarship programs, and a minimum GPA of 2.30/4.00 or a GPA of 3.00/4.00 is required for fee-based programs.


Recognition of Prior Learning

Courses taken in other graduate programs may be accepted after their documentation and course content are reviewed by the Institute's Board of Directors in terms of suitability and adequacy.


Examinations, Assessment and Evaluation

Exams, measurement and evaluation are carried out on the basis of “TOBB University of Economics and Technology Graduate Education and Examination Regulations” (See : TOBB University of Economics and Technology Graduate Education and Examination Regulations, https://www.mevzuat.gov.tr/mevzuat?MevzuatNo=8039&MevzuatTur=8&MevzuatTertip=5).


Mode of Instruction

Full Time


Graduation Requirements

Students who successfully pass the compulsory and elective courses in the curriculum, complete 250 ECTS credits, pass the Doctoral Qualifying Examination and prepare a Doctoral Thesis and have a GPA of at least 3.00 out of 4.00 can graduate from the program.


Occupational Profile of Graduates - Employment Opportunities

Graduates can work in the academic staff of universities in Turkey and abroad, as researchers and financial analysts in supervisory and regulatory financial institutions operating in important public institutions and private sector in Turkey and abroad, as fund managers and financial managers in senior institutions operating in public institutions and private sector.


Access to Further Study

Since this program is at the highest level of the Turkish National Qualifications Framework, it is not possible to transfer to a higher degree.