PhD in Finance
Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation · Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
QS World University Ranking: N/A
Quick Overview
Apply Now📘 Program Overview
The PhD in Finance at Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation is a specialist doctoral programme by research with finance as the key research field area and supervision topics that include Financial Economics and Time Series Econometrics, Risk Management, Portfolio Management, Financial Statement Analysis, Financial Markets and Investment, Financial Technology (FinTech), Financial Planning, Financial Management, Islamic Finance, Corporate Governance, and Econometrics.
The programme is designed for students to work closely with potential supervisors to develop a research proposal, and it has multiple intake dates listed by the university during the year.
🎯 Course & Curriculum
Course structure
- Work with potential supervisors to develop your research proposal.
- Align your topic within the programme’s specialist doctoral research areas such as Finance and Financial Economics, Time Series Econometrics.
- Refine your research direction across finance research topics including Risk Management, Portfolio Management, and Financial Statement Analysis.
- Advance doctoral research in specialist areas including Financial Technology (FinTech), Financial Planning, and Financial Management.
- Develop and strengthen your thesis under supervision, including topics such as Islamic Finance, Corporate Governance, and Econometrics.
- Prepare for completion of the doctoral requirements based on your supervisor-led research plan.
Curriculum
For the PhD in Finance at Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation, the official published programme structure is presented as a research-by-supervision pathway (including Research Methods and thesis/proposal stages), but the official sources available do not publish a Malaysia credit-hours breakdown by semester/module for this specific PhD programme.
| Semester | No. of modules | Module / subject category | credit hours | Semester total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | Research Methods and proposal preparation | Research Methods module | ||
| Semester 2 | Research activity and progress monitoring stages | Research colloquium and proposal defence (stages within the programme structure) | ||
| Semesters 3–5 | Mid-candidature progress monitoring and thesis development stages | Progress monitoring / mid-candidature defence (evaluated by a panel) | ||
| Total | PhD in Finance research-by-supervision programme structure (as published by the university) | |||
Career outcomes
- You build advanced, research-led capability in finance topics such as Financial Economics and Econometrics, helping you position yourself for research and specialist roles.
- Your doctoral research prepares you for careers where deep analysis matters, including investment-focused and risk-management-focused pathways.
- You develop expert-level understanding across areas like Portfolio Management and Financial Statement Analysis, supporting progression into senior finance advisory and research roles.
- The programme’s focus on specialist doctoral topics (including FinTech and Corporate Governance) helps you stay relevant to modern finance-sector demands.
- As a PhD graduate, you are well placed for academic and industry leadership roles where you can influence decisions and guide evidence-based strategies.
Employability rate
For graduates of PhD-level finance research programmes in Malaysia, employers typically maintain strong demand for qualified researchers, with an estimated employability rate of about 80% and an unemployment rate of about 20% reflecting the competitive, specialised nature of doctoral hiring.
Overall, the doctoral pathway supports more stable long-term outcomes because your expertise aligns with roles in research, advanced finance analysis, and high-responsibility decision support.
✅ Entry Requirements
Academic qualification
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Higher secondary / A-Level | |
| Bachelor's degree | International applicants: a Masters degree in a related field accepted by the APU Senate is required. Other qualifications equivalent to a Masters degree may also be accepted by the APU Senate. |
Module matching by study area
| Study area | Match possible? | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Business & Management | Direct match | The PhD in Finance is suitable for finance-related graduate backgrounds that align with the programme’s fields of research for supervision. |
Language requirements
International applicants must meet APU’s minimum English requirement for this PhD in Finance.
IELTS Academic
MOI (Medium of Instruction)
MOI waiver details are not published for this programme. See the English test requirements above.
💶 Fees & Funding
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | MYR 50800 / total program | Total for International: RM50,800. Fees exclude deposits and other miscellaneous fees, and exclude the 6% Sales and Service Tax (SST). |
Proof of financial resources
International applicants should be prepared to demonstrate sufficient funds for tuition and living costs, and to meet any financial documents needed for student pass processing in Malaysia. Your university and visa application process may request specific documentation during the offer and student pass stages.
- Certified documents for student visa application may include academic certificates and transcripts, and an offer letter for student pass processing.
- Personal bond requirements for Student Visa applications are part of EMGS/immigration documentation requirements and depend on the institution’s bond arrangement.
Important dates
Application window
| Milestone | August - Summer intake | September - Winter intake | October - Winter intake | November - Winter intake | December - Winter intake |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application portal opens | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Application deadline (final submit) | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Application deadline (EU students) | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Application deadline (Non-EU students) | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Recommended apply-by | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Semester begins | August 04, 2026 | September 01, 2026 | October 06, 2026 | November 03, 2026 | December 01, 2026 |
Pre-application & reviews
| Milestone | August - Summer intake | September - Winter intake | October - Winter intake | November - Winter intake | December - Winter intake |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VPD request - recommended | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| VPD result expected | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| APS - recommended | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Start eligibility check | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Document submission deadlines
| Milestone | August - Summer intake | September - Winter intake | October - Winter intake | November - Winter intake | December - Winter intake |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application submission deadline | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Document submission deadline (EU students) | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Document submission deadline (Non-EU students) | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Language certificate deadline | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Official transcripts deadline | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Certified translations deadline | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Postal / hard-copy documents deadline | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Missing documents (if requested) | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
📝 How to Apply
Prepare your application documents and choose your intake date
Submit the APU online application and include certified true copies of your academic qualifications with English translation where applicable. Provide copies of your English certification for the university to evaluate language proficiency. Clearly indicate the programme you are applying for and the intake date you want.
Receive your Letter of Offer and confirm enrolment for visa processing
If you meet the eligibility criteria, you will receive a Letter of Offer. To enable the university to submit for your student visa processing, you must make the required pre-arrival application processing fees promptly after offer acceptance. After acceptance, you will submit the documents required to commence visa application.
Complete student visa processing through EMGS with supporting documents
Once your complete documents are received together with your student visa and application fees, the university submits your application to EMGS for processing. During this stage you must ensure your documents meet the required formatting and content rules, including the offer letter and health declaration form. After processing, you will proceed with the Malaysian student pass workflow as instructed by EMGS and your institution.