PhD Program Overview and Objectives

The PhD program in Finance is offered by the Department of Economics and Finance in the College of Economics and Political Science. It is designed to cater for economists in fulfilling their highest academic aspirations. The Department of Economics and Finance offers a varied, thought provoking and inspirational intellectual environment for candidates to pursue their PhD studies. It fosters unconstrained academic debate, encourages collaborative exchange of ideas and aims to elevate the economics research frontier. The Department has several world-class faculty members with different areas of expertise in Finance who apply theory and analytics to challenge real-world problems and make exceptional contributions through publications in ranked journals, workshops, seminars, domestic and international conference presentations, collaborative research engagements and direct policy advice and formulation to national and international institutions.

The PhD program in Finance will admit students holding a Master’s degree in Finance. The admission screening procedures will include evidence of English proficiency, an interview, a research proposal (4000 to 5000 words) and a short seminar on the students’ proposed research area to be presented by the student to determine the candidate's aptitude for research and motivation to pursue a PhD degree and other applicable procedures as defined by University’s Postgraduate Academic Regulation 2018. The PhD program will be research based. The official study duration to earn a doctoral degree is up to 4 years’ full-time and 6 years’ part-time. Upon completion of the requirements of the PhD degree set forth in the University’s Postgraduate Academic Regulation 2018, the student will be awarded the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Finance.

Admission Requirements

Admission to the program entails that the applicant must be in possession of the following credentials:

• The program language is English.
• A Master’s degree in Finance (not MBA) will be a pre-requisite for the PhD degree in Economics.
• The candidate must be present for an interview and present a short seminar on their  proposed research area.
• The candidate must submit a dissertation proposal of 4000 (minimum) to 5,000 (maximum) words.
• All students admitted into the PhD degree may be required to undertake two bridging courses. These two Master level elective courses (level 9) are Advanced Econometrics and Seminar in Finance. These courses will be assigned on a case-by-case basis based on students’ past Master degree level academic background.
• All students admitted into the PhD program must submit a progress report through the department's postgraduate studies portal once every semester.
• The PhD program will recognize and facilitate recognition of prior learning (RPL) to support and encourage lifelong learning. The RPL will allow potential students to incorporate previous relevant theoretical and practical learning into their PhD studies. RPL intends to support students with diverse prior learning experiences who are judged to be suitably prepared for study. Admission in terms of RPL will be based on the broader guidelines of the SQU’s policy on RPL.
• In additions to the above, the following are essential:
  • A release letter or a study leave from the employer, addressed to the Dean of Postgraduate Studies at SQU
  • Two letters of recommendation from the candidate’s previous academic advisor or a faculty member capable of testifying the candidate’s competence in Finance and research potential.
  • A letter of motivation that specifies the candidate’s objectives and determination to work hard on a project
  • A resume that shows the candidate’s qualifications, research experience, work experience, research publications, skills, awards and honors received, and any other extracurricular activities.

• English proficiency requirements

Before starting the program, admitted candidates should submit one of the English proficiency certificate meeting the criteria specified below:

• • Band 6.5 or higher in the academic International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or a score of 90 or higher in the International TOEFL-IBT, or
  • Passing the English Course LANC6001 for applicants with a score of 6 in the IELTS or a score of 79 in the TOEFL-IBT, or
  • Passing the English courses LANC6000 and LANC6001 for applicants with a score of 5.5 in the IELTS or a score of 69 in the TOEFL-IBT.

• Additional requirements for Omani applicants: an unemployed applicant should submit a statement from The Public Authority of Manpower Register documenting the unemployment status of the applicant.

Degree and Study Plans

How to Apply

Please follow the link below to apply in PhD Finance program:

https://www.squ.edu.om/ps/en-us/Programs/College-of-Economic-and-Political-Science

Contact Details

PhD Economics Program Coordinator                                    Department Coordinator

Professor Azmat Gani                                                             Asma Al-Shibli

Tel:      +968 2414 2950                                                          Tel:      +968 2414 1843

Email:  azmat@squ.edu.om                                                     Email:  alshibli@squ.edu.om