The Economics and Finance Department at Buffalo State College offers a Master’s of Arts degree in Applied Economics with an emphasis on pluralistic approaches to economic theory and policy. We have two tracks: economic policy analysis and financial economics. The program’s orientation has a strong balance between application and pure theory that enhances opportunities for graduates in a broad range of occupations and institutions. These include financial institutions (e.g. commercial banking, investment management, fixed income securities and consulting), corporate business, private and public sector policy-oriented nonprofit corporations, economic consulting, and in economic and social studies education. Graduates have also gone on to enter Ph.D. programs in economics, finance and financial economics. In addition, graduates have taken the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) exams.
The department has 14 faculty members. Our faculty includes Post-Keynesian, Institutional, Marxist and Neoclassical economists. Our program has four core courses. These are the History of Economic Thought, Applied Microeconomic Theory, Applied Macroeconomic Theory, and Applied Econometrics. Our program encompasses Post Keynesian, Marxist, and Institutionalist approaches as well as the neoclassical approach. This mix improves students' critical understanding of economic theory and applications.
We currently have about 65 students in the program. Every year we have 5 to 10 new graduate students and the number has been growing in recent years. Students have the option of going either part time or full time and all of our classes are held in the evening. The newly established research center, the Center for Economic and Policy Studies, provides research projects that enable some of our full time graduate students to obtain research assistantships.
For more information about this program contact Victor Kasper, Ph.D., Coordinator of Graduate Studies in Applied Economics. (716) 878 5132 kasperv@buffalostate.edu