Welcome to the John Jay Department of Economics!

John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York (CUNY) offers both undergraduate and MA programs in economics. The John Jay Economics Department is committed to a progressive, policy-oriented approach to economics, and to the study of a diversity of schools of thought. We are one of the few departments in the United States that is committed to heterodox approaches, embracing Marxian, Post Keynesian and feminist economics.

This is the unofficial site for the MA program in Economics. For the official department site, and for information on the undergraduate program, click here.

Latest News

Arielle Concilio Parra (MA Economics, John Jay College, 2022) Earns PhD in Economics

Arielle Concilio Parra (MA Economics, John Jay College, 2022) successfully defended her PhD in Economics at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid on April 10, 2026. Her dissertation, Essays on the Political Economy of Disability offers a groundbreaking analysis of disability and its role within capitalist society. Drawing on Marxist political economy and feminist economics, her research examines how disability is shaped by the commodification of labor-power, the structure of labor markets, and the dynamics of capitalist accumulation and crisis. Arielle’s work combines theoretical and empirical analysis, including a case study of the U.S. nursing home industry, to demonstrate how disability is not simply a medical or social condition but is fundamentally linked to the organization of production and the exclusion of certain populations from wage labor. Her research contributes to a growing body of scholarship that situates disability within broader questions of inequality, labor markets, and social reproduction. Her Doctoral …

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Admissions are now open!

To apply for Fall 2025, your application needs to be submitted by July 31st, 2025.

Get more information on how to apply

January 8, 2026

“What Kind of Housing Is Being Built in New York?”

Professor JW Mason Along with Zohran Mamdani’s historic victory in last month’s elections, New York City also approved three housing-related ballot proposal. Together, these …

December 11, 2025

MA Alumni Lauren Melodia Publishes Research on Black-White Unemployment Gaps

“Evaluating the Impact of Industrial and Occupational Change on Black-White Unemployment Gaps in New York City and the United States” Lauren Melodia. Review of …

May 13, 2025

Economics Student Conference 2025

Information for the Economics Student Conference 2025.

January 27, 2025

Kathyrn Loeb Reviews “Capital City: Gentrification and the Real Estate State”

Loes reviews Samuel Stein’s (2019) book, which uses New York City as a case study for gentrification and urban development.

January 27, 2025

Professor Ian Seda-Irizarry: “Redefining the political in colonial Puerto Rico”

The struggle for life is taking new and interesting twists in Puerto Rico. The last few months have seen an escalation in the confrontation between those that want to preserve the status quo and those that wanted to explore alternative roads with the November 5th election.

January 25, 2025

Professor J.W. Mason: “Democrats Lost on the Economy. What Voters Felt That the Politicians Missed.”

While wages have outpaced inflation, the end of pandemic-era welfare policies has left many feeling financially worse off. Voters’ concerns aren’t just “vibes”—they reflect real material changes in their economic well-being.