10 Great Finance Dissertation Topics You Should Use

When it is time to write a finance dissertation, many students are left uncertain about what to write about. A topic should be selected that interests the student because it will be easier to spend long hours working on it. Likewise, students should find a topic that interests them. To get a head start on writing a finance dissertation paper, consider the following topic ideas.

1. Commercial mortgage-backed securities were at the heart of the credit crisis. Is there a future for CMBS or are they a thing of the past? What evidence supports this thesis?


2. British nationals often choose to become expatriates and work in Spain. What financial factors lead the British to expatriate? (Taxation, financial governance, potential for a higher income)


3. Islamic banking is known for not charging interest. How does this style of banking differ from traditional banking? Is “free” banking actually occurring or is it a propaganda tool?


4. How is credit extended to corporations since the global crises?Research topics like the need for high cash flows, liquidity substitutes and bank restrictions.


5. Known for being a hub for international shipping, ship-building is a major profit-making activity in Singapore. Research how new builds are financed and how financing decisions are made.


6. The United States Federal Reserve bank has approached the crises with quantitative easing measures over the past few years. How is the decision reached to carry out this action? What effects does this have on the marketplace?


7. The controversial World Trade Organization states that it has a non-discrimination and transparency policy in place. Are the trade negotiations carried out by the WTO fair and equitable? Or do these agreements just advance the interests of developed countries?


8. Every investment contains some risk. This component is often mitigated using investment tools like standard deviation. While standard deviation demonstrates volatility and risk, is it appropriate as the mechanism of choice in the current era? Are there other, more effective methods?


9. Capital structure and corporate flexibility are intricately linked. Due to this, the capital structure of a corporation are complex and encompass factors like liquidity constraints, institutional structures and taxes. How are capital structure decisions reached? How do developed and developing countries use different models with financial leverage?


10. Should investment banking be viewed in terms of regional dominance or as global multinationals? In Li and Rugman (2007), the idea was proposed that investment banking should be looked at in terms of regional dominance, partially because of the importance of certain banks to individual country economies. Is this thesis correct or over-simplified?