Advisory Committee

During the first semester of the student's enrollment in the program, the student's Advisory (coursework) Committee chairperson, usually the Ph.D. Coordinator, shall be named. Approval of the members of the Advisory Committee by the departmental Ph.D. Coordinator is required. This committee has primary responsibility for:

• Structuring the coursework program and insuring that all program requirements and equivalencies are satisfied.
• Monitoring the student's progress, and issuing a formal annual review.
• Supervising the oral comprehensive examination.

Transfer Credit Guidelines

Core finance courses may not be transferred. Students who have completed appropriate courses in previous graduate course work may transfer a maximum of twelve semester credit hours as finance or non-finance electives. The transfer of coursework is based on the following guidelines:

• Courses for which transfer credit is requested must have grades of 'B' or higher and may not be more than five years old at the time of the transfer request.
• The course work must be graduate-level and consistent with the advanced study of finance and related fields.
• The Department of Finance must approve the transfer request. Final authority for the approval of all transfer requests rests with the Finance Ph.D. Coordinator.
• Requests for the transfer of courses taken prior to enrolling at the University of Houston should be made during the first year of attendance as a graduate student in the Bauer College of Business.
• Transfer credit is not given for either professional experience or professional development courses.

Time Limitation

A student has four years from the date of successfully completing the comprehensive examination to complete the dissertation. In addition, candidates must successfully defend their dissertation within six years of admission to the Ph.D. program. If either of these time constraints are violated, the candidate will be required to retake the comprehensive examination.

Continuous Enrollment

Unless students petition for a leave of absence, they must maintain continuous enrollment during the fall and spring semesters. Students who are out of the program for more than one calendar year will be under the jurisdiction of the catalog in effect at the time of reentry.

Students who fail to maintain continuous enrollment for more than two calendar years must reapply for admission to the program and must meet admission requirements in effect at that time.

Effective Semester of Admission

Admission is granted for a specific semester, usually the Fall semester. If students wish to postpone enrollment, they must secure approval from the Finance Ph.D. Coordinator. The first semester in which students, as graduate students, complete graduate-level work that applies toward a degree is the effective semester of admission.

Financial Assistance

It is the policy of the Department of Finance to provide financial assistance to most entering Ph.D. students requesting such aid, subject to funding limitations. Our total support package for Ph.D. students is $27,000 and up, depending on fellowships and teaching responsibilities. The Annual Review of each Ph.D. student will determine their continuation in the program and their eligibility to receive financial aid.