MFIN 8877 PhD Seminar: Research Topics in Behavioral Finance
This PhD course will examine how psychological biases and non-standard preferences interact with traditional topics in corporate finance and asset pricing. We will survey recent research on biases in individual decision-making, the predictability of security returns, and the practical limits to arbitrage. The objective of the course is (1) to familiarize students with the foundations and recent developments of research in behavioral finance, and (2) to help students develop research ideas and quantitative skills, which can be used to write a successful PhD dissertation.
Course overview
- Department
- Finance
- School
- CSOM
- Credits
- 3
- Level
- Graduate
Course evaluations
- Course rating
- 4.71 / 5 · Excellent
- Instructor rating
- 4.81 / 5 · Excellent
- Terms evaluated
- 4
| Term | Instructor | Course overall | Instructor overall | Well organized | Clear learning objectives | Intellectually challenging | Helpful assignments | Applicable beyond course | Attendance necessary | Weekly effort | Responses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring 2026 | Samuel Hartzmark | 4.5 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 1–3 hrs/week | 6 of 6 |
| Spring 2025 | Samuel Hartzmark | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 10+ hrs/week | 4 of 5 |
| Spring 2024 | Samuel Hartzmark | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4–6 hrs/week | 6 of 7 |
| Spring 2023 | Samuel Hartzmark | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.8 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.8 | 5.0 | — | 5 of 5 |