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kmhickey · 03-31-2006, 05:47 AM

I know an MBA would be better, but since I'm just graduating I would need to get a few years of work experience first. I've been looking and applying for jobs, and to be honest my degree just isn't doing anything for me at all (despite being summa cum laude and having a financial internship). In retrospect I might have been better with a finance/accounting major. In any case, I'm in the position of not being able to get worthwhile work experience for an MBA down the road. MSF (Finance) programs that I have come across are just as costly, don't offer impressive placement, and are at less prestigious schools. I wonder if other people feel as frustrated as I do when they realize their (somewhat) hard work in undergrad just doesn't pay off.

If I wanted to sell insurance or something id be fine, but its tough to break into some of the more competitive career fields with a state school BA.

prometheys · 03-31-2006, 10:11 AM

OT: sorry to write here, but I would not know where else.

Today I am going to accept Duke's offer (Pratt School of Eng).

Marco30 (and, in case you are @duke, notacolour) : would you mind sharing info about Duke?

thanks anyway for your attention and sorry for intrusion

Marco30 · 03-31-2006, 01:53 PM

Hey kmhickey, if you are just graduating and you want to be in the job market I strongly suggest you to find a job first, gain some experience, applied for the MBA and then get a better job. The job market is not like academics at all. I know because I have 6 years of experience in consulting and what is most important for consulting firms is experience followed by an MBA.

As an example I can tell you that a guy in my previous company got an MBA from MIT but still his boss was a guy with a BA from USC but with years ahead of experience. So think it really carefully in what you want to do and as I told you the MA will be less valuable in the job market than the MBA but experience will beat them all.

PCG · 03-31-2006, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kmhickey

I know an MBA would be better, but since I'm just graduating I would need to get a few years of work experience first. I've been looking and applying for jobs, and to be honest my degree just isn't doing anything for me at all (despite being summa cum laude and having a financial internship). In retrospect I might have been better with a finance/accounting major. In any case, I'm in the position of not being able to get worthwhile work experience for an MBA down the road. MSF (Finance) programs that I have come across are just as costly, don't offer impressive placement, and are at less prestigious schools. I wonder if other people feel as frustrated as I do when they realize their (somewhat) hard work in undergrad just doesn't pay off.

If I wanted to sell insurance or something id be fine, but its tough to break into some of the more competitive career fields with a state school BA.

I think what people are trying to tell you is that by doing the MA program, you're not really going to be better off -- so imagine the situation you are in now, but with much more school debt.

A couple other notes: there are also these financial engineering degrees that DO have good placement and DO come from good schools (i.e. NYU, Columbia, CMU, Berkeley). Also, Princeton has a MSF -- is that not a good enough school? I can't imagine NYU's MA econ program offers better placement than these finance programs.

And yes, getting a job is hard -- not just for you, but for everyone -- don't just run back to academics because the real world scared you.

What's your major/school? Are you getting interviews? If you're summa cum laude, it couldn't be as bleak as you make out.

kmhickey · 03-31-2006, 06:10 PM

I'm an econ major at SUNY Buffalo. I guess I just thought that doing an econ masters with a concentration in something like financial econ with a bunch of courses at a b-school would give me a better base of knowledge and more skills to sell to potential employers. I've been actively searching for jobs for the entire year and have gotten a couple interviews, but the only things that have been offered are pretty much insurance/financial advisor type stuff. I'm not running scared back into academia, but I think I could be a bit more prepared so that I don't end up doing something I dislike for 3 or 4 years before b-school. Not to mention the fact that its gonna be tough to get entrance to a good school if my experience is not up to par.

PCG · 03-31-2006, 06:56 PM

I don't think your school puts you at as much of a disadvantage as you think. Do you think there are no SUNY grads working in industry here in NYC? Of course there are. Maybe you won't have all the advantages of a Columbia grad, but there are options for you.

If you've spoken with the faculty of these programs, and they can assume you they have decent track records of graduates getting goodjobs, then maybe it isn't a bad idea, but personally I think you'd be better off sucking it up, and puting in the work to find a decent job -- maybe do some temping or something to pay the bills while you're doing that -- and then going to b-school after a couple of years. Note that b-schools weigh gmats heavily and certainly even a so-so b-school will probably give you better opportunities later on than an econ MA from duke or NYU.

P.S. good idea avoiding the financial advisor positions.

EconMist · 03-31-2006, 07:10 PM

Kmhickey, why is it that you don't want to work before grad school? Or do you just want to get it over with? I, for one, am an international student and cannot get more than one year experience even if I wanted to. However, if you can, and if MBA interests you, go for the experience. It really is not that bad. And MBA is just two years, so you are really in a good situations. Also, your undergraduate degree in economics will help you because I hear that MBA programs favor economics students because they believe that they are more math oriented than other business students (which is true most of the time).

871007 · 03-03-2008, 02:26 PM

I just received news that I got into the MA Econ Program at NYU. Apart from any other considerations, can anyone tell me what the job prospects are for the graduates of that program?

poornimaba · 05-06-2008, 04:08 AM

All
I have a question too

I have got an admit into the MA Program at NYU. I have heard some positive and negative feedback about the program. I want to pursue a career in Economics and I am not too keen on doing my Ph.D. I currently have a BA in Economics and a Masters in Human Resource Management. I need some help on the following questions:
1. How are the placements for this program. Is it easy to get a good job post the program?
2. I heard the faculty for this program are all adjunct professors and may not be very good. Is this correct?
3. Is this program recognized worldwide? I may want to work in several countries including India.

Thanks for your time

JLEcon · 05-07-2008, 09:31 PM

Hi to all... I also just got accepted into the NYU MA program in Economics. I was very exited at first, but this blog has certainly lead me to doubt! I am an Economics major, from Ecuador, I really love economics and don't like MBA's, but I am not sure I want to dedicate my youth to academics or research (there goes the PHD). My aim is more towards International Economics or a job as an economic analyst at firms as Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, etc.
Is this MA program going to get me there? NYU is a top 10 ranked in economics, how "un-serious" can it's MA in Economics program be?

03-31-2006, 10:11 AM	#12 (permalink)
prometheys Eager! Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Rome, Italy Posts: 57	Duke OT: sorry to write here, but I would not know where else. Today I am going to accept Duke's offer (Pratt School of Eng). Marco30 (and, in case you are @duke, notacolour) : would you mind sharing info about Duke? thanks anyway for your attention and sorry for intrusion

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03-31-2006, 05:47 AM	#11 (permalink)
kmhickey Trying to make mom and pop proud Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Buffalo, New York Posts: 18	I know an MBA would be better, but since I'm just graduating I would need to get a few years of work experience first. I've been looking and applying for jobs, and to be honest my degree just isn't doing anything for me at all (despite being summa cum laude and having a financial internship). In retrospect I might have been better with a finance/accounting major. In any case, I'm in the position of not being able to get worthwhile work experience for an MBA down the road. MSF (Finance) programs that I have come across are just as costly, don't offer impressive placement, and are at less prestigious schools. I wonder if other people feel as frustrated as I do when they realize their (somewhat) hard work in undergrad just doesn't pay off. If I wanted to sell insurance or something id be fine, but its tough to break into some of the more competitive career fields with a state school BA.

03-31-2006, 01:53 PM	#13 (permalink)
Marco30 Trying to make mom and pop proud Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Durham Posts: 24	Hey kmhickey, if you are just graduating and you want to be in the job market I strongly suggest you to find a job first, gain some experience, applied for the MBA and then get a better job. The job market is not like academics at all. I know because I have 6 years of experience in consulting and what is most important for consulting firms is experience followed by an MBA. As an example I can tell you that a guy in my previous company got an MBA from MIT but still his boss was a guy with a BA from USC but with years ahead of experience. So think it really carefully in what you want to do and as I told you the MA will be less valuable in the job market than the MBA but experience will beat them all.

03-31-2006, 06:10 PM	#15 (permalink)
kmhickey Trying to make mom and pop proud Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Buffalo, New York Posts: 18	I'm an econ major at SUNY Buffalo. I guess I just thought that doing an econ masters with a concentration in something like financial econ with a bunch of courses at a b-school would give me a better base of knowledge and more skills to sell to potential employers. I've been actively searching for jobs for the entire year and have gotten a couple interviews, but the only things that have been offered are pretty much insurance/financial advisor type stuff. I'm not running scared back into academia, but I think I could be a bit more prepared so that I don't end up doing something I dislike for 3 or 4 years before b-school. Not to mention the fact that its gonna be tough to get entrance to a good school if my experience is not up to par.

03-31-2006, 06:56 PM	#16 (permalink)
PCG Within my grasp! Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: UCLA Posts: 369	I don't think your school puts you at as much of a disadvantage as you think. Do you think there are no SUNY grads working in industry here in NYC? Of course there are. Maybe you won't have all the advantages of a Columbia grad, but there are options for you. If you've spoken with the faculty of these programs, and they can assume you they have decent track records of graduates getting goodjobs, then maybe it isn't a bad idea, but personally I think you'd be better off sucking it up, and puting in the work to find a decent job -- maybe do some temping or something to pay the bills while you're doing that -- and then going to b-school after a couple of years. Note that b-schools weigh gmats heavily and certainly even a so-so b-school will probably give you better opportunities later on than an econ MA from duke or NYU. P.S. good idea avoiding the financial advisor positions.

03-31-2006, 07:10 PM	#17 (permalink)
EconMist Within my grasp! Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 217	Kmhickey, why is it that you don't want to work before grad school? Or do you just want to get it over with? I, for one, am an international student and cannot get more than one year experience even if I wanted to. However, if you can, and if MBA interests you, go for the experience. It really is not that bad. And MBA is just two years, so you are really in a good situations. Also, your undergraduate degree in economics will help you because I hear that MBA programs favor economics students because they believe that they are more math oriented than other business students (which is true most of the time).

03-03-2008, 02:26 PM	#18 (permalink)
871007 Trying to make mom and pop proud Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 6	I just received news that I got into the MA Econ Program at NYU. Apart from any other considerations, can anyone tell me what the job prospects are for the graduates of that program?

05-06-2008, 04:08 AM	#19 (permalink)
poornimaba Trying to make mom and pop proud Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 3	All I have a question too I have got an admit into the MA Program at NYU. I have heard some positive and negative feedback about the program. I want to pursue a career in Economics and I am not too keen on doing my Ph.D. I currently have a BA in Economics and a Masters in Human Resource Management. I need some help on the following questions: 1. How are the placements for this program. Is it easy to get a good job post the program? 2. I heard the faculty for this program are all adjunct professors and may not be very good. Is this correct? 3. Is this program recognized worldwide? I may want to work in several countries including India. Thanks for your time

05-07-2008, 09:31 PM	#20 (permalink)
JLEcon Trying to make mom and pop proud Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 3	Hi to all... I also just got accepted into the NYU MA program in Economics. I was very exited at first, but this blog has certainly lead me to doubt! I am an Economics major, from Ecuador, I really love economics and don't like MBA's, but I am not sure I want to dedicate my youth to academics or research (there goes the PHD). My aim is more towards International Economics or a job as an economic analyst at firms as Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, etc. Is this MA program going to get me there? NYU is a top 10 ranked in economics, how "un-serious" can it's MA in Economics program be?

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