Studying Finance and Accounting at Baruch
Baruch College-CUNY appears in our ranking of the 25 Great Master of Financial Engineering Programs.
Since 1998, the Zicklin School of Business has conferred a Bachelor of Business Administration to support Baruch College-CUNY students launching mid-level managerial careers in the globalized market. Led by Dr. Fenwick Huss, the 124-credit BBA allows students to pick from 18 concentrations, including Accountancy, Finance, and Quantitative Modeling. Specialized courses build atop core classes like Service Operations Management, Business Policy, and Information Systems that have a 17:1 student-faculty ratio. Thanks to CUNY Pathways, credits are easily transferred from different campuses. Undergrads might also engage in the Subotnick Financial Services Center, study abroad in Berlin, join Investment Club, take the Honors Program, and enter the KPMG International Case Competition.
Adhering to New York State CPA laws, Baruch College offers an MBA in Accountancy that deepens graduates’ financial reporting know-how for effective business decisions. The Stan Ross Department customizes the 42-73 credit curriculum to students’ previous study with courses from Federal Income Taxation to Auditing Systems. Delivered by directors of Barclays Capital, JPMorgan Chase, Axioma, and others, the Master of Financial Engineering utilizes statistical methods to solve business problems. The 23-course curriculum started in 2010 with an optional SQL for Finance Certificate has weekday sessions starting at 6 pm. Only requiring 30 credits, the Master of Science in Finance is the shortest, 12-month option with broad analytical tools. There’s also an M.S. in Financial Risk Management.
About Baruch College-CUNY
Baruch College-CUNY was founded in 1919 as the School of Business and Civic Administration of New York City’s The Free Academy. Coeducational since 1935, it saw enrollment spike to become the largest business school nationwide. Three decades later, Baruch had been renamed to honor President Roosevelt’s long-time adviser and welcomed into the CUNY system. Endowed for $180 million, Bernard M. Baruch College now employs 1,221 faculty to train 18,289 Bearcats, including Finance and Accounting majors, from 170 nations. The public, research-intensive Manhattan institution holds a 17-story, AIA Award-winning vertical campus in Gramercy. Linked to 99,649 LinkedIn alumni, Baruch College has trained CEOs like William Aldinger, George Weissman, Adam Neumann, and Oscar Onyema.
The U.S. News & World Report ranked Baruch as the 20th best Northern college, 67th top value, and fifth best public university with the 56th best MBA program nationally. On Niche, Baruch is America’s 30th best finance college, 88th best location, and 201st safest college. Forbes positioned Baruch College-CUNY 200th with the 12th most valuable tuition. Times Higher Education crowned Baruch the country’s 271st best institution. According to the Princeton Review, Baruch is the third most stone-cold sober school and fifth best entrepreneurship program. CollegeNET declared Baruch #1 on its Social Mobility Index. The Public Accounting Report noticed Baruch College-CUNY for the 32nd best master’s degree. Business Insider also touted Baruch for the 19th best ROI.
Baruch College-CUNY Accreditation Details
In 2015, Baruch College-CUNY had its Level V accreditation renewed for another 10 years by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) under president Mitchel B. Wallerstein, Ph.D. This regional agency in Philadelphia is authorized by the U.S. Department of Education to review institutional practices for all of Baruch’s 29 baccalaureate and 57 graduate programs. The Zicklin School is among the top 5 percent of accounting institutions accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Certain programs are also approved by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA).
Baruch College-CUNY Application Requirements
Classified as “very difficult” by Peterson’s, Baruch College-CUNY only accepted one-third of applicants for a Fall 2016 admission rate of 31 percent. Eligibility for the Zicklin BBA majors doesn’t occur until 45 credits have been completed with a 2.25 GPA or greater. Accredited pre-business requisites like Principles of Accounting and Calculus are mandated. Though optional for transfers, Baruch undergrads report a mean SAT score of 1280. Starting the MBA will require having a bachelor’s degree and at least two years of work experience. The Master of Financial Engineering has four prerequisites: Calculus, Probability, Linear Algebra, and C++ Programming. Achieving a “B” average is expected, but the median GPA is 3.31 and GMAT score is 589.
Baruch College-CUNY suggests undergrads meet priority deadlines of February 1st for Fall and September 15th for Spring starts. The Zicklin School of Business has four rounds of admission for MBA students from December 1st to May 1st. The Financial Engineering (MFE) program has deadlines of November 15th, January 15th, February 15th, and April 1st. Create an online account with ApplyYourself to complete the application. Extra materials might also be emailed to admissions@baruch.cuny.edu or sent to 55 Lexington Avenue in New York, NY 10010. Number sleuths seeking an Accounting or Finance major shouldn’t forget these:
- Scanned copies or electronic PDFs of transcripts
- Two professional letters of recommendation
- Two typed, 500-word personal essay responses
- Official SAT, GRE, or GMAT composite scores
- Up-to-date résumés with all work experiences
- One-time $65 application fees ($125 for graduate)
Tuition and Financial Aid
Pursuing the BBA in Accountancy or Finance will cost New York residents $285 per credit or $3,265 each term full-time. Baruch charges non-resident undergrads $580 per credit. Budget for the $125 technology fee and $125 student activity fee every semester. Living in the Residence Hall near Central Park adds $17,926 for yearly room and board. Annual cost of attendance equals $31,782 in-state and $39,172 out-of-state. Graduate MBA students at Zicklin pay $685 per credit or $7,685 per term full-time as New Yorkers. Out-of-state bills rise to $1,050 per credit. The Master of Financial Engineering publishes a total price of $27,675 in-state and $40,980 out-of-state.
According to the NCES College Navigator, 83 percent of full-time Baruch Bearcats share $54.9 million in yearly financial aid for $6,412 apiece on average. Filing the FAFSA form with code 007273 opens federal resources like the Pell Grant, SEOG Grant, Direct Loan, PLUS Loan, and Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant. New Yorkers could earn Tuition Assistance Program grants, the Excelsior Scholarship, or the World Trade Center Memorial Scholarship. The SEEK Program helps City University of New York students cover fees with a $500 book stipend. Those who earn a 100 percent on the Federal Work Study Orientation Quiz qualify for jobs. Graduate assistantships in the Zicklin School currently pay $17.66/hour. Baruch College-CUNY also offers institutional awards, such as the Dean’s Scholarship, Macaulay Scholarship, Aaron Schechter Scholarship, Bert Holden Scholarship, Defliese Sustenance Scholarship, Marvin Mitchell Scholarship, and Morton Wollman Medal.
Learn more about Baruch College-CUNY at the Zicklin School of Business website.
