DBA in Finance and Business Analytics

Master advanced research and analysis skills in finance to enhance your career trajectory and guide your organization to success in today’s unpredictable business environment.

The DBA is a full-time, STEM-designated, three-year program requiring 72 credit units. Classes are held on-site at Washington University in St. Louis, and the program is in-person. DBA students must maintain satisfactory academic progress; pass examinations and paper requirements; and write, submit and defend a doctoral thesis. 

Required Courses (24 credits)

These existing PhD-level courses will provide a foundational knowledge in finance, economics, and empirical analysis.

• MEC 610: Microeconomics I (3 credits)
• MEC 611: Microeconomics II (3 credits)
• FIN 652: Introduction to Asset Pricing (1.5 credits)
• FIN 655: Introduction to Corporate Finance (1.5 credits)
• FIN 654: Empirical Methods in Asset Pricing (1.5 credits)
• FIN 620: Empirical Methods in Finance (3 credits)
• FIN 642: Advanced Continuous Finance (1.5 credits)
• FIN 643: Information Economics & Corporate Finance Theory (3 credits)
• MGT 680E-A: AI & Machine Learning Business Applications (3 credits)
• MGT 680E-B: AI & Machine Learning Business Applications (3 credits)

View the Finance DBA requirements.

Elective Courses (33 credits)

Elective coursework includes courses from various graduate programs at Olin Business School, as well as other graduate-level courses in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Statistics, and Data Science. These must be authorized by the program director and approved by the course instructor.

View the Finance DBA electives (PDF)

Program Format

The DBA in Finance and Business Analytics program is three-year, full-time program. All coursework is taught on-campus and in-person. Students must reside in the St. Louis metro area.

Research (9 credits)

Research credits finalize the coursework for your DBA degree from Olin Business School.

• Research in Finance (3 credits) – Semesters 4 & 5
  • Compulsory attendance at Friday Finance Seminars during semesters 4 & 5
  • This course is taken jointly with Finance PhD students
• Two semesters of Research Practicum (6 credits) – Semesters 4 & 5

Summer Internships

Students are highly encouraged to work during the two summers during the program.

Qualifying Exams

Qualifying exams are taken at the end of the second year. Comprehensive field examinations should be completed after four semesters of the DBA degree.

Doctoral Thesis (6 credits)

As a DBA student, you will take a doctoral thesis course in your final year. In consultation with the faculty teaching the course, you will prepare your doctoral thesis. Simultaneously, you will also be enrolled in Research in Finance and Research Practicum courses. Once complete, you will defend your doctoral thesis in an oral presentation to your advisory committee. The committee will either assign a passing grade, a failing grade, or ask for revisions to be made in order for you to receive a passing grade.

Finance Faculty and Research

WashU Olin’s Finance faculty members are active and renowned researchers dedicated to advancing understanding in the field of finance.

Their research interests encompass many areas of finance, including both empirical and theoretical topics. Some areas of current interest are banking and financial intermediation, corporate finance, corporate control and capital structure, mergers and acquisitions, asset pricing models, investments and portfolio allocation models, and market microstructure.

Research papers by faculty members have recently been published in well-respected journals such as:

• American Economic Review
• Journal of Finance
• Review of Financial Studies
• Journal of Economic Theory
• Journal of Financial Economics
• Journal of Financial Intermediation