Dr. Charles Cao

Professor

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Biography

Charles Cao is a Professor of Finance at the Smeal College of Business, Pennsylvania State University. He received his Ph.D. in Finance from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business in 1993, an M.S. in Statistics from the University of Kentucky in 1988, and a B.S. in Mathematics from Peking University in 1984. Professor Cao's research interests encompass FinTech, cryptocurrencies, hedge funds, mutual funds, derivative securities markets, and market microstructure. His work has been published in leading academic journals, including the Journal of Finance, Review of Financial Studies, Journal of Financial Economics, and Management Science. Notably, his paper “Empirical Performance of Alternative Option Pricing Models” was among the top-cited articles in the Journal of Finance. He has received several prestigious awards, including the Graham Dodd Award for Excellence in 2018 and a New York Stock Exchange Award. Additionally, Professor Cao has been honored with competitive research grants and has served as an editor or associate editor for multiple finance journals. He teaches courses at the undergraduate, M.B.A., and Ph.D. levels, contributing significantly to finance education at Penn State University.

Research Interests

Experience

Professor

— Present

Smeal College of Business, Pennsylvania State University • University Park, PA

Teaching and researching finance-related topics, leading various academic projects.

Courses

FIN 410 – Derivative Markets FIN 601 – Ph D Dis Full-Time FIN 597 – Special Topics FIN 597A – Asset Pricing Theory FIN 596 – Individual Studies FIN 585 – Financial Innovation Portfolio Risk Management

Requirements for Pennsylvania State University

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
TOEFL
Writing
Required:24
Speaking
Required:23
Total
Required:100
IELTS
Writing
Required:7
Speaking
Required:7
Overall
Required:7
GRE General
Prerequisites
Master's degree in related field for PhD Baccalaureate degree from accredited institution
Application Checklist
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Writing Sample
  • Official Transcripts
  • Resume/CV
Specialization Notes

GRE scores are highly recommended but not strictly required for Applied Linguistics.