PhD specialisation in Finance

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PhD specialisation in Finance

Eager to explore new ideas in finance?
Interested in an academic career?

The PhD Specialization in Finance at NHH welcomes applications
Application Deadline: 15 September 2026 / Intake: August 2027

The Department of Finance invites interested students to an informal get-together to learn more about doing a PhD in Finance and life as an academic. You will have a chance to meet finance faculty and current PhD students. Food and drinks will be provided.

Where: Department of Finance, Faculty Lounge, 7th Floor
Date: Friday, 28 August
Time: 16:15

The PhD specialisation in Finance offers rigorous training in financial economics in a vibrant and collegial research department. Our programme allows students to grow into ambitious researchers who can successfully move on to an academic career.  

The structure of the PhD programme follows international standards. During the first year, students focus on challenging coursework. The second year includes additional coursework while the primary focus shifts to independent research. Students typically take five years to complete their dissertation. 

Our faculty covers all major areas in financial economics and is highly committed to support our doctoral students, who are well integrated into the activities of the department. We have a strong record of placing graduates in international academic institutions.   

 

  • Structure of the Program

    Structure of the Program

    Students usually finish the program within five years. Here is an overview of the main ingredients of the program. 

    Course Work 

    The aim of the PhD courses is to equip students with the necessary tools to create innovative research. The first year in the program is fully devoted to coursework and students are expected to take some additional elective courses during their second year.  

    Regular Courses: 

    The regular courses are taught by NHH faculty and by adjunct faculty from top institutions such as the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and UCLA. In addition, leading scholars occasionally teach short specialized courses during visits at the department.           

     
    espeneckbo_p.jpg
    «I have had the pleasure of teaching topics in corporate finance to NHH’s PhD students at NHH’s Department of Finance for over a decade. Many of the PhD courses are comparable to those offered in top programs internationally. The faculty members actively interact with the students, some of which have also been exploiting unique visiting opportunities at top U.S. business schools during their dissertation work.»

     

    Espen Eckbo, Adjunct Professor at the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH), and Tuck Centennial Professor of Finance, Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College (USA)

    Thesis Work 

    Students converge on a research field and find a supervisor by the beginning of the second year. During the second year, the focus shifts from coursework to working on the dissertation. A dissertation usually includes three research papers that are deemed publishable in international journals. Some of the chapters may be coauthored with faculty members, other PhD students or researchers at other institutions.  

    Seminars & Conferences

    Participation in research seminars is an essential part of the doctoral studies. The department regularly welcomes leading scholars for seminar presentations. 
    Before each seminar, the PhD students and a different faculty member meet for a “pre-seminar workshop” to discuss the paper presented at the seminar. In addition, faculty members and PhD students regularly present their work in internal seminars. Research and conference travels are strongly encouraged and funding for these purposes is usually available.  

    International Orientation 

    We encourage and facilitate international interactions for the PhD students. The Department of Finance regularly host international visitors and we are a member of the Nordic Finance Network that organizes workshops and advanced courses for doctoral students at Nordic universities and business schools. Students also have the possibility of a research visit abroad during their studies. In recent years, students have undertaken long-term visits at places such as Boston College, Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College, UCLA, University of Washington, and the University of Zurich.   

     

  • People

  • Placements

    Placements

    2025

    TRANG VU 

    Placement: Virginia Tech (Pamplin College of Business)
    Position: Visiting Assistant Professor in Finance

    2024

    MARKUS LITHELL 

    Placement: Virginia Tech (Pamplin College of Business)
    Position: Assistant Professor 

    DIEGO BONELLI 

    Placement: Banco de España
    Position: Senior Research Economist

    JOHAN KARLSEN 

    Placement: BI Norwegian Business School, Bergen
    Position: Associate Professor

    2023

    ANDRE LOT 

    Placement: The University of Sydney Business School, Australia 
    Position: Lecturer level B (tenure-track Assistant Professor) 

    2022

    MICHAEL AXENROD

    Placement: ESCP Business School, London
    Position: Assistant Professor of Finance

    ZHOU LU

    Placement: Nankai University, School of Finance, Tianjin, China
    Position: Assistant Professor

    JING LAN

    Placement: Analysis Group, Brussels
    Position:     Associate

    2021

    STIG ROAR HAUKØ LUNDEBY

    Placement: BI Norwegian Business School, Oslo
    Position: Assistant Professor of Finance

    LORETA RAPUSHI

    Placement: BI Norwegian Business School, Bergen
    Position: Associate Professor of Finance

    Damiano maggi

    Placement: The Financial Supervisory Authority of Norway
    Position: Advisor at the Solidity Regulation Section

    2020

    Negar Ghanbari

    Placement: Aarhus BSS - Aarhus University
    Position: Assistant Professor of Finance

    JOHAN MELLBERG

    Placement: The Swedish Social Insurance Inspectorate
    Position: Researcher

    2019

    Giovanni Bruno 

    Placement: Scientific Beta, France
    Position: Senior Quantitative Researcher

    Xiaoyu Zhang 

    Placement: Vrije Universiteit (VU) Amsterdam, The Netherlands
    Position: Assistant Professor

    2018

    Varun Verma 

    Placement: Horda
    Position: CFO

    Erik Hetland Tvedt 

    Placement: Ernst & Young, Norway
    Position: Analyst

    2017

    Raffaele Giuliana 

    Placement: Central Bank of Ireland, Ireland
    Position: Economist

    Yun Tang 

    Placement: OECD, France
    Position: Economist

    2016

    Jens Kværner 

    Placement: Tilburg University, The Netherlands
    Position: Assistant Professor

    Kamil Klavidko

    Placement: Örebro University School of Business, Sweden
    Position: Associate Senior Lecturer

    CHUNBO LIU 

    Placement: Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, China
    Position: Assistant Professor

    2014

    Tor Åge Myklebust 

    Placement: Norwegian Cancer Registry, Norway
    Position: Statistician

  • Job Market Candidates 2026

    Job Market Candidates 2026

    Here we will publish our job market candidates going on the job market 2026

         
         

  • Application and Admission

    Application and Admission

    We encourage candidates with solid quantitative and analytical skills, and a strong background in disciplines such as Finance, Economics, Statistics, and Mathematics to apply. 

    We admit students for the PhD in finance biannually. 
    The next intake will be for the academic year 2027/2028.
    Application Deadline: 15 September 2026

    Further information on minimum admission requirements and on how to apply can be found by clicking here.