<p>Hi, I think there was a thread on this a while back, but I can't find it..
I want to major in Econ, and I'm aware that there's an Economics major in both CAS and Stern. Does anybody know the differences between them (and elaborate on the details)? Is it like you get a B.A in CAS and something different in Stern?</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/business-major/1030363-nyu-cas-econ-vs-nyu-stern-econ.html?highlight=CAS+Stern[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/business-major/1030363-nyu-cas-econ-vs-nyu-stern-econ.html?highlight=CAS+Stern</a></p>
<p>Thanks for the link. Unfortunately there’s only one response to that person’s thread 
Can anyone give more info about the the major? Like is CAS’s Econ more of a science or w/e? And Stern’s is more business?</p>
<p>Sorry - I was hoping that would help. I don’t know anything about Econ at either of those NYU schools…</p>
<p>Sure. I’m a sophomore in Stern right now, I’ll give it a shot.</p>
<p>CAS is a liberal arts school. You’ll approach econ there as a science, learning formulas, theory, and exploring historical trends of the discipline. It’s a great education without a doubt, but if you want to work in the financial services industry, you’ll have a tough shot cracking the bulge bracket with a B.A. in econ.</p>
<p>Stern is the 4th-ranked (actually 5th this year, dropped one rank randomly) undergrad business program in the nation. Anything you study will be geared practically and applicably to business; models, theory, history . . . it all goes to practical business solutions for emerging business topics and issues. Our classes for any subject incorporate everything I mentioned CAS does, yet focuses on directly preparing students for a career in the upper echelons of the business world. Most kids here don’t take econ as a primary major but as a second. It’ll be a B.S., and it’ll come from a top-5 program with a tremendous alum network on Wall Street and in F500.</p>
<p>If you have more questions on anything more specific, you can go to the thread I made: <a href=“Current Stern Sophomore: Ask Me - New York University - College Confidential Forums”>Current Stern Sophomore: Ask Me - New York University - College Confidential Forums; Good luck. =)</p>
<p>Most of the Stern Econ degree is comprised of courses in CAS; I think it’s all in CAS with the exception of Micro and another course. As the poster above me mentioned, most Sternies take Econ as a secondary major. Stern is much more applied in terms of business practice/whatever while the CAS degree is more theoretical. Stern Econ’s a B.S. and CAS is a B.A. Stern is a much more competitive environment. Both are solid for finance jobs. Stern is much better represented on the Street but a hard-working CAS Economics major shouldn’t have terrible difficulty getting a finance job, even if it isn’t at the most prestigious firm. While Stern is undoubtedly tops for finance, CAS would be equal to Stern or even preferable for careers in other fields like law, politics, academia, etc. It is probably easier to maintain a high GPA for graduate or professional school in CAS. But if Wall Street is where you want to be, Stern provides the most direct route and is more prestigious in said industry.</p>
<p>While Stern is Stern, CAS Econ is also superb… Top 10-15 according to several rankings. Many professor are top-notch in their fields.</p>
<p>It’s a matter of preference. Some prefer Stern’s competitive and focused environment, while others prefer a relatively laid-back and broader approach to Economics in CAS. Take your pick. They’re both good choices.</p>
<p>OP, do not listen to nyyankees2012, he has no idea what he’s talking about and is probably one jealous kid who did not do so well in high school to get into Stern, and instead opted to CAS and now has an inferiority complex over it.</p>
<p>First of all, Stern takes EVERY single one of its business economics major in the STERN department, including the cores (ex. microeconomics) - these classes are strictly off-limits to CAS majors.</p>
<p>Second, based on on current upperclassmen, TWO OF WHICH are majoring in economics at CAS, they have a very hard time competing with the Stern students in terms of job employment simply because of their degree. From what I’ve heard from them specifically, the CAS majors who have succeeded in wall street have either 1. networked like beasts 2. family connections. This is coming from the CAS majors, one of who will be entering Merrill Lynch’s wealth management department - an internship that most Stern kids do their FRESHMEN summer.</p>
<p>If you’re coming to NYU to LEARN econ then sure it may be alright. But if you’re majoring in econ to get a job in the financial industry, then trust me, NYU is not the place to be with a bachelors of arts in economics. I’m sure nyyankees2012 is going to go off on a rant about how I’m wrong and that NYU CAS is just as good as Stern but I’m not going to waste my time arguing over stupid stuff. Heck, I remember in one post nyyankees2012 said that NYU CAS is just as good as Columbia University - are you seriously going to believe that? Take my word for what it is.</p>
<p>Yeah, the only thing I would add to the discussion that’s evolved is that no Stern degree will force you to take classes anywhere except Stern. The only potential exception would be the BEMT minor, Business of Entertainment, Media, & Technology which is between Tisch-Steinhardt-Stern. That’s a minor, however, not a major.</p>
<p>I’d also speak to the difficulty many CAS kids have finding positions on the Street. Econ in general is theory. Employers don’t look for kids who learn theory. They look for smart, active, intelligent, motivated people who have proven how well they can learn anything, how hardworking they are, and how well they can balance a heavy workload. Stern forces that on its students in spades, which is why we’re recruited from so heavily. </p>
<p>Most of the CAS kids I’ve spoken with know more about econ than I do. Cool. I’ve only taken one class in it and will only have to take one, at <em>tops</em> two more before I graduate. They, however, do not have what I have. They do not understand accounting–the fundamental language of business–, valuation, financial metrics, or any of the other myriad of technical topics that come up in 2nd round interviews. Most, consequently, can make it past the 1st round fit/behavioral interviews but choke on the 2nd and don’t receive a superday invite.</p>
1 Like
<p>shuffleace: Why don’t you relax, okay? FYI, I didn’t know/care what Stern was before I was even accepted to NYU. I never had any intention of going to business school, even if my parents had let me. I was in the top 20 of my large high school, so again, your unfounded statement about me not doing well in high school is entirely false. I’m pleased that you were accepted and are now attending Stern, but let’s not pretend that every Econ major in CAS has always dreamed of being in Stern. Maybe some do/did, but I certainly do not. </p>
<p>And quite frankly, I feel much more qualified to speak on this matter than you do. You’re a FRESHMAN, aren’t you? I’m pretty sure first semester Stern freshman have NOT taken Stern courses, or am I wrong? I’m a junior and have taken CAS Econ courses, Stern courses, and have friends both within my own major and many friends in Stern majoring in Econ. When we were registering, my Stern friends asked me what 300-level courses I was planning to take next semester because THEY take upper level Econ courses in CAS as well. The Stern core Econ classes are “off limits” to CAS students because CAS Econ majors have their own core requirements, in the way that Tisch dance classes are “off limits” to the rest of us.</p>
<p>Have I EVER said CAS is on par Columbia? You have clue no what you’re talking about, man. Hate to break it to you, but Stern isn’t either. I’m pretty sure Columbians are as well represented on Wall Street, and they don’t have a finance major… hmm… If you want to post in these threads, say something constructive and if you choose to refute my post (which you’re entirely in your right to do), do it in a way that’s 1) rational, 2) factually accurate, and 3) helpful to the OP. By posting such immature and ignorant remarks, you’re really hurting your own cause and not helping the OP get a well-rounded answer to his or her question…</p>
<p>If you had actually READ my post instead of making poor generalizations and drawing false inferences about previous posts I’ve made, you’d see that I’m actually PRAISING Stern. It is superb for what it does and is more prestigious than CAS. A Stern Econ degree is in many cases better than a CAS Econ degree, but my point is that a CAS degree in Econ is great too. I have multiple friends working at UBS, Merrill Lynch, and one (an ENGLISH major), just got a full time position at Morgan Stanley. Stern freshman hardly get any prestigious internships. I’ve been to recruiting events with my CAS Econ / Stern friends and these Sternies laugh out loud whenever they see SOPHOMOREs there, let alone freshman. I’m pretty sure the awesome internships are summer after junior year… Sure CAS is not heavily recruited for Wall Street, but this is partially because there is less of a passion for Wall Street there as opposed to Stern.</p>
<p>Hellodocks: You’re right. But also, from recruiting events I’ve been to, employers constantly say that all technical training is on the job. While Stern undoubtedly is better represented on Wall Street, such employers do look for liberal arts students as well.</p>
<p>Stern has marginal benefits over CAS Econ
1)alumni
2)competition
3)classes </p>
<p>After that, all the recuiting events are shared.
CAS guys do get Bulge offers, quite a few</p>
<p>If you’re at stern and you go into an interview they expect you to know technical finance</p>
<p>CAS students not at all</p>
<p>First of all, lol.</p>
<p>@esthetique and AudreyH</p>
<p>You can decide on the policy or theory track of econ regardless of which school you attend. Most people go with policy since it requires fewer credits and you don’t have to take crazy level mathematics. As for the debate between schools…as a </p>
<ul>
<li>CAS econ major you will take a couple Stern classes in addition to your liberal arts classes. </li>
<li>Stern econ majors will have full access to all Stern classes and can double major in most other Stern majors usually for only 12 credits, since core courses overlap.</li>
</ul>
<p>I don’t know what CAS kids do outside of their classes, but as a Stern student, I think that the main difference is the social aspect of the school. Having taken a few CAS advanced econ courses I definitely notice less social interaction among the students. The school is just so much bigger than there isn’t a tight knit community. With Stern, you end up knowing practically everyone from different grade levels, because you have to take so many courses together and are always in either Kmec or Tisch Hall. Stern’s clubs are really great. They hold meetings every week and bring in a lot of speakers and firms for informational and networking experiences. Because of the close social culture, Stern’s alumni network is strong.</p>
<p>You can’t really go wrong with either school. I would put it this way
- Top Stern student - You can pretty much land at any firm, you have the networking experience and connections along with a great GPA and resume
- Top CAS student - You have the potential to land at any firm with a great GPA, but haven’t had as many opportunities to network or develop connections, which makes the initial job searches harder.</p>
<p>It’s really what you decide to make of your experience.</p>
<p>Thank you so much everyone! All your experiences have been really helpful and I’m really grateful for your sharing. 
Oh and Happy Thanksgiving! :D</p>
<p>@nyyankees2012</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/new-york-university/488589-nyu-vs-columbia-3.html#post1065391301[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/new-york-university/488589-nyu-vs-columbia-3.html#post1065391301</a></p>
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<p>Is it just me or do I see that you CLEARLY wrote that NYU “NOT just Stern/Tisch, are on the same level as or just below those of Columbia”? </p>
<p>Alright nyyankees2012 we believe you. NYU CAS is just as good as Stern, heck they’re as good as Columbia! You are so right! And i guess since NYU CAS have access to Stern recruiting events that, this will make them at equal standing! Does this mean that kids at Columbia school of general studies are just as competitive as kids in the college of Columbia university? Does this mean that Harvard Extension school is equal to that of Harvard college? Based on your logic, I guess so.</p>
<p>With this I admit defeat. To the OP, please listen to nyyankees2012 and just go to NYU CAS, since it’s just as good, if not better than Stern.</p>
<p>Shuffleace, you’re showing, yet again, how poor your logic is. In my post cited by you, I was making a relatively broad generalization about the two institutions (Columbia and NYU) as a whole. You assume my reference strictly and exclusively pertains to CAS, while it in fact does not. For example, NYU Law is on par with Columbia Law, Stern grad is on par with Columbia Business School. The same can be said of other various academic disciplines (philosophy, economics, politics, etc etc). </p>
<p>I am not implying that NYU CAS undergraduate programs are on the same level or better than a Columbia College education, or that Tisch/Stern aren’t on Columbia’s level; I was just trying to highlight the fact that in recent years ALL of NYU has developed an excellent academic reputation approaching that of Columbia even though Tisch/Stern remain the most reputable (well besides the law school).</p>
<p>Further, your analogy using Columbia General Studies / Harvard Extension School is a poor one. To my knowledge, CGS is for people who want to go back to school after some sort of break or whatnot. I frankly don’t even know what HES is, exactly, but I think it’s safe to assume it is not like NYU CAS. You’re comparing apples and oranges here and therefore your analogy makes no sense.</p>
<p>And lastly, by the simple act of reading my previous posts, you might discover that I NEVER actually do tell the OP to go to CAS. You know that the bulge bracket firms (that you most likely aspire to work at) look for people who can digest/interpret information and draw logical conclusions from such information; if one does not possess these skills, he or she will not be hired, regardless of any advantages in marginal prestige or learned “technical skills” that Stern may have over the rest of NYU.</p>
<p>On another note, I think AoDay sums it up pretty well.</p>
<p>I think the decision mainly depends on whether or not you want to work in a business related field.</p>
<p>The CAS Econ department is much more rigorous than the one in Stern. This year’s Nobel Prize winner for Economics is a CAS faculty member and CAS Econ department is top ten in the world (or at least top 20). But a lot of people assume that Stern’s econ program is better just because Stern is such a good business school. That some of my friends thought Thomas Sargent was a Stern teacher goes to show what a big misconception it is.</p>
<p>If you want to work for the government, go into the academic world, get a research position, or get a PhD/graduate degree then you should definitely go to CAS. You won’t have to deal with ignorant people thinking economics and business are almost the same thing, or that economics is a useless/the easy/secundary major.</p>
<p>But if you want to work in the business world, then choose Stern’s econ program. The major is geared towards business applications, you’ll get exposure to other fields like accounting and marketing with the core business courses, econ classes are relatively undemanding and it’ll be really easy to double major (you need less credits to major in econ). Not to mention that Stern has more prestige, you’ll have more networking opportunities, and it’s competitive curve will prepare you to deal with the cutthroat “real” world. </p>
<p>If you want to go into business but you’re worried about not getting into Stern and apply to CAS Econ instead, then you obviously won’t get the same opportunities (Stern is a top business school for a reason), but if you take some business classes in Stern, then you should be fine. Most employees don’t care if it’s CAS or Stern as long as it’s NYU, and the recruiting process is almost the same (though I don’t know for sure). As I see it, the only real downside would be Sternies looking down on you and having to deal with people assuming that you’re in CAS because you didn’t get into Stern (which will be true anyway).</p>