About Graduate Study

The City College master’s programs are designed both for the student seeking graduate training ending at the master’s level and for those interested in preparing for admission to doctoral degree programs. More than fifty different master’s degree programs in the College of Liberal Arts and Science and the Schools of Architecture, Education and Engineering offer students a wide range of specialized learning opportunities. Ninety percent of students enrolled in the College’s graduate programs are pursuing advanced degrees. Currently, more than eight hundred master’s degrees are conferred each year.

The City College’s student body of approximately 16,000 men and women is drawn from eighty different countries and represents over one hundred different language groups, bringing an international and cosmopolitan ambiance to the campus. An approximately equal number of men and women make up the graduate student body of over 3,000. A large percentage of these attend school on a part-time basis. The wealth of diversity and range of experience represented in the graduate student body is an important learning asset that enriches both classroom and out-of-class learning for all students.

Graduate programs are designed for individuals at different stages of career development. Students returning to school after time spent working or in other pursuits will find a particularly receptive environment. Schedules can accommodate both full-time and part-time students.

Programs offer a balance of coursework, research training and, where appropriate, supervised fieldwork. Graduate faculty engage with students in classrooms, tutorials, laboratories and independent inquiry to develop skills in creative thinking as well as in the academic discipline. Working in partnership with the faculty, students are in an environment where they are known personally and well, and where concern for them is strong.