Masters Program in Economics

Dr. Marta Bengoa Calvo is a Full Professor of Economics at the City University of New York (CUNY-CCNY). Most of her research is in international economics, trade, growth and innovation. She is also an External Professor at the South African Research Chair in Industrial Development (SARChI) at the University of Johannesburg. She serve as a Senior Fellow at CIRANO data lab in Montreal, Open Political Economy Network in London and in the Institute of International Economics at University Jaume I (Spain). Currently, Dr. Bengoa Calvo serve as the President of the International Trade and Finance Association in the U.S.

Please visit her personal page for more details.

Q1: How can I apply for the M.A. in Economics Program?
Submit transcripts, two letters of recommendation, and a 2-page Personal Statement. More details on course offerings and degree requirements can be found at the Economics MA Bulletin, department page, and CCNY Graduate Admissions page.

Q2: When are the deadlines for admissions applications?
Spring: November 20th
Fall: May 15th
Fall Extended: June 1st

Q3: How fast can I complete the degree?
If you take three courses each semester, you can complete the M.A. degree in four semesters (less than two calendar years).

Q4: How slow can I complete the degree?
You can complete the degree on a part-time basis with one or two courses per semester.

Q5: Is financial aid available?
Yes. A variety of subsidized loans and graduate assistantships are available. Please see the Financial Aid page, many students work as teaching assistants. Please click here to learn more about the Colin Powell School Graduate Fellowship.

Q6: Do you require submission of test scores?
Generally, NO. For international students, all applicants from countries in which the official language is not English are required to submit official TOEFL or IELTS scores [500 (pBt), 61 (iBt)].

Q7: Do you offer job placement services?
CCNY has an active Professional Development Institute that organizes career fairs, supports professional development like Resume and cover letter writing, and generally acts as a clearing house for employers and potential employees. We also have a network of CCNY M.A. Economics alumni in NYC and around the world, and a strong Economics and Business Alumni association who can provide advice and help find opportunities. Colin Powell School Santander Finance Fellowship

Q8: Where do alumni of the M.A. in Economics program find employment?
Alumni from the program have gone on to work at various government agencies and in the private sector. Some have pursued doctoral studies in economics. Please check the departmental alumni and MA Alumni Stories pages.

Q9: Do you have an internship program?
The M.A. in Economics program does not offer an in-house internship program, but the Career and Professional Development Institute keeps an active list of employers who seek interns during the summer, as well as the fall and spring semesters. Employers regularly contact CCNY with open positions.

Q10: Sounds good. But there are several other M.A. in Economics programs. What competitive advantages do you offer?
While quantifying all those advantages comprehensively is a difficult task, there are some unique advantages to getting your M.A. in Economics at the CCNY Department of Economics and Business:

1. Being in NYC, you’ll have almost unbounded opportunities. You can hop on a subway to meet an alum working on Wall Street or in the NYC Department of Finance for a quick coffee, which may lead to another subway ride to an internship interview.
    
2. The program is also significantly less expensive than other comparable programs in NYC, particularly if you qualify for in-state tuition.
    
3. The department has both Economics and Business faculty, and so presents an array of business course offerings. For example, you can take a course in Entrepreneurship – a rarity in traditional Economics M.A. programs.
    
4. In the same vein, the college hosts the Zahn Innovation Center, to boost your next big idea.
    
5. You will have an opportunity to take related courses in another department at CCNY, such as in Public Administration or Computer Science (with M.A. advisor’s approval).
    
6. (vi) CCNY is part of CUNY, an extended network of colleges all within NYC. You will have opportunities to access an extended array of courses, taking up to three classes at other colleges within the CUNY system, such as Baruch College or Hunter College.

Q11: Can someone who does not have a Bachelors in Economics apply to the M.A. in Economics program?
Yes. Such students may be admitted conditionally if they do not have certain standard Economics courses as part of their background (see #14 below). We look at the overall profile of the student to ascertain if they can succeed in the program. One key indicator is quantitative proficiency, such as whether a student has taken courses in calculus.

Q12: Is there a GPA requirement?
No, we look at the whole student.

Q13: What math preparation is necessary for the master's program?
Applicants are expected to have taken at least one semester of calculus and one semester of statistics.

Q14: What are the terms of conditional admission?
During the first semester you would need to take any undergraduate courses that are either missing from your required preparation, or else that you took but did not meet our grade requirements. (This could be from one to three courses, depending on your individual background). Meanwhile, you would also take an elective graduate course. You must earn a grade of B+ or higher in those courses to continue in the program. This is a grade level required of all admitted students with respect to undergraduate economics requirements.

Due to USCIS rules, currently international students with conditional admission need to complete their pre-requisite courses successfully before starting at CCNY, as SEVP regulation prohibits the issuance of a Form I-20 based on conditional admission.  ​

Q15: Is it difficult to succeed at a conditionally admitted student?
Our data show that approximately 95% of our conditionally admitted students succeed in meeting the requirements and continue studying in our program.

Q16: Can I take other classes outside the department?
Yes! We encourage interdisciplinary study. Students may include electives in the degree programs for Public Service Management, International Relations, Sustainability in the Urban Environment, Data Science, Mathematics, and others.

Q17: Can I finish this program if I work full-time?
Absolutely YES. The majority of our students work full-time and all classes are held in the evening.

Q18: Are there online* courses?
Not yet, but there are some hybrid courses, where some of the teaching and learning takes place online.

Q19: What Economics Courses Are Offered in the Summer?
Summer courses depend on student interest and vary from year to year.

Q20: What is your transfer credit policy?
We decide this on a case-by-case basis.

Our FAQ does not replace or supersede the rules set out in the College Bulletin. Please contact the program's director at mbengoa@ccny.cuny.edu if you have more questions.

Welcome!

Whether you are obtaining or maintaining a non-immigrant international student status, please visit the two links below for the latest information on deadlines, requirements, and specific issues.

CUNY: Student Guide & Tutorial
CCNY: International Students Overview

Applicants from countries in which the official language is not English are required to submit official TOEFL or IELTS scores [500 (pBt), 61 (iBt)].

Apply Now
 

Requirements

Step 1

• The complete application form
• Application Fee

Step 2
Mail all supporting documents

• 2-page Statement of Purpose
• ​​​​​Two letters of recommendation (at least one letter should be academic)
• Transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended
• Resume/CV
• TOEFL/IELTS tests and scores
• GRE score 

Where do I send application’s supporting documents?
All application materials should be submitted online via the Apply Yourself website. Nothing should be mailed to the program director or to the department directly. All supporting documents such as official transcripts, application fee, and any other supporting materials should be mailed to the Office of Admissions at:

WILLE  ADMINISTRATION BUILDING, ROOM 101
160 CONVENT AVENUE
NEW YORK, NY 10031

For more information on how to apply, please visit the CCNY’s Graduate Admissions official website or read the FAQ section above for further inquiries. 

 
Meet some of our alumni below.

Advait Apte, MA Economics
Investment Officer
Virginia Retirement System

Advait Apte is an Investment Officer at the Virginia Retirement System where he helps manage an $80 Billion state pension plan benefiting half a million Virginia state employees.

A strong desire to work in the investments industry motivated him to join the MA Economics program. While in the program, he not only completed the Chartered Financial Analyst curriculum by passing all three exams, but he also achieved prestigious distinctions such as the Colin Powell Fellowship and the CCNY Business Alumni Award. 

Advait received his BA in Biomedical Engineering in India and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Virginia Commonwealth University. He also pursued advanced research at Virginia Tech to improve the efficiency of biofuel and commodity chemical production.

Alvin Christian '16, MA Economics
Research Analyst
Brown University

"I learned to love research through Professor Kevin Foster's econometrics course and from writing a thesis under Professor Prabal De—which we eventually published! I got my first job through a CCNY economics alum!"

As Research Analyst Alvin studies teacher evaluation practices and teacher labor markets at Brown University’s Department of Education. During his time in the MA Economics program, Alvin studied educational inequalities between the Bronx and Westchester as a Powell Fellow, and worked as a Research Assistant for Professor Prabal De, studying health and development economics. These experiences led him to write his thesis on the relationship between microfinance and domestic violence in Bangladesh. Alvin was also part of the City College Honors Program and a member of the CUNY Service Corps. 

After graduating college, Alvin worked at MDRC, formerly known as Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation, where he studied early childhood education.

Elizabeth Chung '19, MA Economics
Captain
United States Army

Elizabeth chose to come to City College after being selected in 2016 to become an instructor at the United States Military Academy (West Point), requiring a graduate-level degree in Mathematics or Economics. While in the program, she focused on Finance and Data Analytics as her future assignment was to be a math instructor and fell in love with the program and opportunities the Colin Powell School provided. She is currently teaching “Math Modeling and Introduction to Calculus” to the freshmen class at West Point.

Elizabeth obtained her Bachelor of Science from the United States Naval Academy in 2010 when she cross-commissioned in the United States Army as a Military Intelligence 2nd Lieutenant. In her 9 years of service so far, she has been stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado, Fort Huachuca, AZ, Fort Drum, NY, and has deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. She has worked at multiple levels, from a Platoon Leader all the way up to the Brigade Intelligence Officer.

While at City College, Elizabeth enjoyed the diverse backgrounds, experience levels, and ages of those in the program, learning as much from her classmates as from her instructors. As Diversity and Inclusion is a topic close to her heart being a female in a male-dominated profession, Elizabeth dedicated her focus for her thesis on the effects that personal attributes of cadets at West Point have on their likelihood to graduate. With a combination of both empirical research/statistical analysis of current data and exploring the complexities of building a large scale agent-based simulation of the cadet and faculty population at West Point, she was able to discover some interesting potential trends for groups at risk and plans on continuing her research while at West Point to determine future policy changes to better support those groups and ensure the success of as many cadets as possible as they enter the Army.

Elizabeth credits her success at City College to the professionalism and availability of her instructors and faculty members and enjoyed being able to seek their advice while working on her projects and thesis. The smaller class sizes and professional expertise of her instructors set apart City College from most other universities on top of more convenient class times for working adults. She took the opportunity to also mentor and tutor undergraduate students, including being a Teaching Assistant one summer for a Corporate Finance course. She hopes to continue her educational relationship with the Colin Powell school through joint research, conferences, and speaking opportunities while assigned just up the Hudson River from CCNY.

Fatjon Kaja '16, MA Economics
Lecturer
University of Amsterdam

Fatjon is a Lecturer of Law and Economics at the University of Amsterdam. The historic mission and legacy of City College attracted Fatjon to join the BA/MA program in Economics and the dedication of the faculty and supportive peers is what kept him there.

Besides completing his regular coursework at City College, Fatjon took doctoral level courses in Economics and Political Science at The Graduate Center of the City University of New York. Upon graduation in 2016, Fatjon enrolled at the University of Minnesota Law School, where he completed his law degree. He focused his studies in law and economics, a passion he had developed since his days at City College when he worked as a research assistant for various professors. Ultimately, Fatjon hopes to pursue a public service career in his homeland, Albania.

Jason Ramnath '18, MA Economics
Private Equity Data Operations Analyst
Chronograph

Jason is a Private Equity Data Operations Analyst at Chronograph, LLC, a market-leading portfolio monitoring, reporting, and diligence solution for private capital investors. In addition, Jason become a licensed life insurance agent, working to help families across the US.

Jason earned Bachelor’s and Master's degrees with honors. Prior to the BA/MA program, Jason interned at Old Orchard Capital Management, a hedge fund that specializes in credit trading with a focus on municipal bonds. His experiences at Old Orchard allowed him to pursue a concentration in finance.

Anthony Cacchione '18, MA Economics
Baseball Operations ApprenticeHouston Astros

“My thesis was the big reason I landed this position, because I will be helping them on valuing player contracts, and  the research on my thesis put me ahead of everyone else.”

As an undergraduate at City College, Anthony Cacchione enrolled in the BA/MA program, which allowed him to take courses that satisfied requirements for both a Bachelors and Masters Degree in   Economics simultaneously. A scholar-athlete, Anthony played baseball for City College, and served as team captain his junior and senior year. His passion for the game fueled an interest in baseball   operations and player analytics. “As I got closer to the end of my playing career at CCNY,” Anthony says, “I knew I was not ready to be done with the sport entirely.” In his fourth year, he wrote his Masters   thesis on the value of major league draft picks. The thesis came to the attention of the New York Mets, who hired Anthony for an internship in their business office, where he has worked on ticket sales and  pricing strategies.      

More recently, Anthony has been hired by the Houston Astros to work in their baseball operations department during the 2019 season to help research strategies for roster construction based on data analytics; he will be using approaches similar to those showcased in the movie Moneyball.

Jin Chung '13, MA Economics
Director of Data Science
Realogy Holdings Corp

"The Faculty in the Economics department at The City College of New York have been invaluable to my success and I am forever grateful for having them in my life." 

Jin Chung is currently the Director of Data Science at Realogy Holdings Corp., the largest real estate company where he is responsible for the development and execution of advanced analytics enablement.

Jin is a leader in data science, engineering, and advanced analytics. As the North America Chief Technology Architect and Advanced Data Engineering Practice Lead at Capgemini, he led a team of 250 developers. He also led the implementation of the largest global Azure cloud at The Coca-Cola Company and incubated the largest spark consulting capability in North America, in alliance with Databricks and Microsoft. Jin served as the Chief Solution Architect for Mercedes Benz, The Walt Disney Company, Warner Bros, Coke One NA, OneWeb, and as a Senior Data scientist at Metlife and Navy Federal Credit Union.

Jin attributes a lot of his success to the faculty in the MA in Economics program, where he developed a deep knowledge of Economics and Econometrics. He values the freedom he had to discuss conceptual ideas, and guidance he received when trying to develop new skillset. Jin is a PhD candidate in Economics at the CUNY Graduate center and has taught classes at City College and Hunter College. He received his undergraduate degree from Boston University, double majoring in Biology and Economics.

David Dam '19, MA Economics
Research Analyst
Federal Reserve Bank of New York

David works as a research analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. He received both his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Economics from CCNY. Upon enrollment, he quickly found love for economics through inspirational teachers, who motivated him to enroll in the BA/MA Economics program.

David valued hands-on, applicable skills he learned in graduate course and the diversity of fellow peers who often brought insightful new perspectives into class discussions. He worked with several professors within the Economics and Business Department on various research projects, and interned at organizations such as the New York Fed's Research Group and Brookings India.

As a Colin Powell Graduate Fellow, David proposed and completed a research project to investigate pharmaceutical pricing disparities in New York City.

Michelle (Rosario) Liang '13, MA Economics
Diversity & Inclusion Program Manager
Uber

“It was an opportunity to think critically, learn with students as eager to do well in their education, and be forward thinking!”

Michelle works as a Diversity & Inclusion program manager at Uber where she promotes cultural competency and appreciation for diversity of thought. She has worked at education technology, financial services, and human capital consulting.  Michelle also led a company-wide Asian Employee Business Resource Group. 

While in graduate school Michelle interned at the Revenue Office of the Commissioner at the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. She also joined various organizations on campus including Phi Beta Kappa, the Scholars Program, the Philippine American Organization, and currently serves as a mentor for the Eco Biz Alumni Society.

Chibin Zhang, MA Economics
Research Associate
Aleria

Chibin is a Research Associate at Aleria, a public-benefit corporation that aims to promote diversity and inclusion in entrepreneurship. Her expertise in finance, economics, and quantitative analytical techniques are leveraged to change the demographic landscape in the entrepreneurs' community. 

After receiving her MA in Finance from the University of Melbourne, Chibin Zhang joined the Economics program at the Powell School where she acquired extensive knowledge and skill-sets in economics. Meanwhile, her experience as a tutor at the SEEK program, a program designed to meet the needs of students who are economically disadvantaged and academically underprepared, shaped her career goal. As a tutor, Chibin worked with diverse groups of students and learned about challenges of being underrepresented in a society. As a result, she decided to use her finance and economics skills to continue helping underserved communities.

During her second year, she joined a research project funded by the National Science Foundation to study barriers that prevent female advancement in academia. Following the same thought process, she begun working for Kiva, a non-profit organization where she worked on research and fundraising to provide microloans to entrepreneurs around the world through its crowdfunding platform. Her experience at Kiva further reinforced her decision to dedicate herself to public service.