Enquire to study in the UK 
For Mahsa pursuing a PhD is all about making a difference. “As a woman aware of gender inequalities, I am driven to join the growing number of female academics to effect positive societal change,” she says.
Her inspiring mission has led her to the American University of Sharjah (AUS), one of the top three universities in the UAE. Here, she’s completing a PhD in Business Administration (PhD-BA) with a concentration in finance. It builds on her master’s degree research that bridged finance and management to reveal the critical role of financial strategies in sustaining businesses – much like her father’s.
“My experience as a researcher highlighted the limitations of my impact outside academia, strengthening my resolve to contribute meaningfully through rigorous research and teaching,” she says. “This PhD and concentraion align with my academic interests and personal commitment to make a difference through scholarly work.”
The PhD-BA is designed with a special focus on the business needs and challenges of the UAE and other countries, giving a scope that will address and solve industry issues both locally and globally. By using the American model of higher education, you will be at the forefront of creating and disseminating knowledge. Your work could even lead to creating strategies, proposing structures, and developing operations for corporate organisations as well as government agencies.
To earn a PhD-BA, you are required to complete a minimum of 60 credit hours consisting of core business and finance courses, electives, exams, and a dissertation. Source: American University of Sharjah
To achieve this, you must successfully complete a minimum of 60 credit hours consisting of core business and finance courses, electives, exams, and finally, a dissertation where you will prepare, present, and defend your research proposal before writing it up. The overall PhD curriculum offers a solid foundation in core areas like asset pricing, corporate finance, and econometrics while also allowing flexibility to explore specialised topics that you are interested in.
“Several courses stand out for their significant impact on my academic development,” student Moiza says. “For example, advanced courses in econometrics have been critical in equipping me with the tools needed to conduct high-quality empirical research, while asset pricing has provided deeper insights into the complexities of financial markets, and banking was particularly impactful in understanding the interactions between financial institutions and market dynamics.”
A significant advantage that sets this programme apart from other PhDs in the country is the opportunity to turn the PhD into a dual degree. This is in conjunction with the university’s partnership with the University of South Carolina‘s Darla Moore School of Business, an American institution known for its top-ranking international business programmes. Students taking on the dual degree will receive the best of both worlds as they have the opportunity to spend their second year in the US, which exposes them to a different university – all whilst earning degrees from two well-respected universities and gaining a wealth of global connections and an appreciation of different cultures.
The PhD-BA programme can be turned into a dual degree in conjunction with the university’s partnership with the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business. Source: American University of Sharjah
“Having a PhD degree from both institutions will be enormously beneficial to students looking to accelerate their position as business leaders or pursue careers in academia,” Dr. Narjess Boubakri, the School of Business Administration‘s dean, says. “For many AUS students, undertaking a PhD abroad is not practical given work or family commitments. However, this dual degree programme now makes a PhD from abroad possible for these students, as they need only spend one year abroad.”
This international-level programme will open doors to vast networking opportunities where you will have access to world-class researchers and highly published academic instructors. This is not only a chance for you to receive guidance from the best minds but also to build a strong relationship that can benefit your professional career in and out of academia. Although an academic career is the obvious path to pursue, an AUS PhD-BA graduate can also enter the finance industry, research institutions, government and regulatory agencies, and international organisations.
“Working with multinational corporations in different parts of the world offered me several advantages, both professionally and personally, including challenges to explore my own potential, an understanding of diversity and inclusion, an open-minded work environment and above all, an opportunity to understand the role of finance in building a sustainable and resilient economy,” Moiza says. “In addition, my extensive career in the corporate sector provided me with a wealth of practical experience and insights into the real-world applications of how finance is an integral part of all functions of an organisation.”
Follow the American University of Sharjah on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube.
