Finance (Graduate Program)

For information regarding the UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM, click here.  

Program Overview

The Department of Finance has a strong commitment to excellence in research and teaching and to offering meaningful, relevant, and intellectually stimulating courses. Graduate education is an important part of the department’s instructional effort.

The objective of the MS curriculum is to provide qualified students, who have previous coursework in finance, the opportunity to deepen their knowledge. The MS program gives students the analytical and communicative skills necessary for effective financial decision-making. The curriculum is flexible, with a student’s departmental-level academic course plan reflecting his or her professional objectives. The program is narrower in scope than that of the MBA and is intended as an alternative to the MBA rather than a bridge to the PhD. Another program designed as an alternate course of study is the JD/MS program. A dual degree program with the LSU Law Center, the program is similar to the dual degree JD/MBA program. The objective of this alternate route is providing students with a highly concentrated background in finance and Louisiana state law. It is an intensive study of analytical financial decision making and interpretation of law code.

The PhD program in business administration with a concentration in finance is research-oriented and designed to prepare qualified students for academic professions. The program includes an intensive study of the theory and empirics of finance through seminars, independent study, and individual work with faculty members. To be successful in the program, a student must develop a sense of scientific curiosity and be committed to the highest level of academic achievement.

Administration

Admission

Applications and supporting materials for all graduate study must be submitted through the online application site for the LSU Graduate School. Official transcripts, official test scores, and other materials that come from third-party sources must be mailed to: Graduate Admissions, 114 West David Boyd Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803. These paper documents are stored electronically and departments have access to all materials submitted by and/or on behalf of a student applying to graduate study.

Applications for admission are received and evaluated by the department on a rolling basis. Applicants must adhere to the application deadlines established by the Graduate School.

Admission is based on prior academic performance, test scores, and other indicators of a high likelihood of success in the program. The MS program is best suited for those with either an undergraduate or graduate degree in business administration. Applicants to the MS program must submit satisfactory credentials from previous study, Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) scores, resumé, and letters of recommendation. Applicants for the PhD program must submit satisfactory credentials from previous study, GMAT (preferred) or GRE scores, letters of recommendation, and a departmental assistantship application. International students whose native language is not English must also submit an acceptable TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE score.

Most students begin the PhD program in the fall. Students may enter the MS program in either the fall or spring.

Financial Assistance

Financial assistance is available to some students. Support may be available through the student’s home department or other units in the form of research or teaching assistantships. A student should contact his or her home department for more information on available assistantship positions. To ensure consideration for financial aid, all application materials should be submitted in accordance with deadlines established by the LSU Graduate School.

Graduate Faculty

(check current faculty listings by department here)

Don M. Chance (M) • Derivatives, risk management
Frances Lawrence (M) • Financial planning, behavioral finance, financial literacy
Joseph Mason (M) • Financial markets and institutions, banking
Haitao Mo (6A) • Asset pricing
Rajesh Narayanan (M) • Corporate finance, financial markets and institutions, banking
R. Kelley Pace (M) • Real estate applications of spatial statistics, automated appraisal
Gary C. Sanger (M) • Financial theory, investments and regulation
V. Carlos Slawson, Jr. (M) • Real estate, mortgage pricing, derivative securities
Wei-Ling Song (M) • Financial markets and institutions, corporate governance
Clifford P. Stephens (3F) • Dividend policy, managerial incentives
Jumbo Wang (6A) • Asset Pricing and Mutual Funds

Programs

• Business Administration, PhD (Finance Concentration)

• Finance, M.S.

• Dual Degree: JD/MS in Finance