NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) is launching two new, full-time master’s programs in Economics and Fine Arts respectively. The University’s first master’s offerings, these new programs will enable students to support growing industries across the region. Applications for the fall 2020 semester are now open.
The first accredited MSc in Economics offered in the UAE will offer students a blend of theoretical and quantitative analytical modules, enabling them to learn how to analyze complex data and solve economic problems, as well as apply economic theory and quantitative techniques to understand key economic issues like market failures, behavior, or effects of economic policy.
The MFA in Art and Media program, a first in the region, aims to attract promising, creative talent looking to thrive in a studio-based learning environment.
NYU Abu Dhabi Vice Chancellor Mariët Westermann commented: “As we celebrate our tenth academic year and look forward to the next decade of success, this is an important moment for NYU Abu Dhabi. These two new graduate programs – offering the University’s first master’s degrees — inaugurate our next stage of growth and development. Building on the strengths of NYU’s economics and arts programs in Abu Dhabi and New York, these courses of study are unparalleled for the region and infused with global perspectives. Students will learn in a rigorous academic environment nurtured by top faculty, on a world-class campus embedded in one of the world’s fastest growing economic and cultural hubs.”
The full-time, one-year MSc in Economics offers a unique two-path degree for both policy makers and prospective PhD students. Students will learn to assess regional socio-economic challenges and opportunities in the current climate. By studying the core elements of economic theory, macroeconomics, and econometrics, students enrolled in the curriculum will pursue specializations both in theory and policy, offered in one of the most dynamic and fastest growing economies in the world.
The program builds on the University’s strong undergraduate Economics major, which was recently ranked the fourth most-cited economics faculty in the Asian region, by Research Papers in Economics (RePEc).
NYUAD Dean of Social Science Hervé Crès commented: “This program will establish a generation of academic and professional economic researchers who would fundamentally understand the region and its needs. As the trained graduates of the program take their place in the regional economy, and as the enhanced research agenda of the faculty working with talented students addresses challenges of a rapidly evolving United Arab Emirates, the proposed MSc in Economics will further the mission of NYUAD to support the growth of the knowledge-based economy.”
The full-time, two-year MFA will allow students to integrate art, media, and design through creative processes that combine theory with practice.
Students can choose to focus their work in-depth in a particular area or across multiple arts disciplines, including sculpture, photography, printmaking, fiber art, painting, drawing, digital art, design, digital media, and transmedia, all taught by internationally-renowned artists and scholars.
NYU Abu Dhabi’s rich arts and culture ecosystem, including The Arts Center at NYUAD and the NYUAD Art Gallery, will offer students immediate, real-time opportunities to learn, volunteer and take part in behind-the-scenes functions of multi-disciplinary cultural institutions.
NYUAD Professor of Philosophy and the Interim Dean of Arts and Humanities Taneli Kukkonen said: “The arts are a cornerstone of NYU Abu Dhabi and the University is very well placed to launch this MFA program. With world-class arts faculty and state-of-the-art studio facilities, this new graduate program will provide students with the intellectual and creative tools required to achieve their individual potential and contribute to and shape our collective future.”
Within both programs, there is a strong emphasis on critical thinking and intellectual curiosity — skills that are crucial to fostering creative solutions in today’s interconnected world.
MSc in Economics graduates will be able to enroll in a PhD or pursue opportunities within policy making institutions, research institutes, international organizations. The MFA will help produce local artists and arts professionals who will be well-positioned to contribute to the arts industries and take on leadership roles within the UAE’s burgeoning cultural sector.
NYU Abu Dhabi, NYU Shanghai, and NYU in New York form the backbone of NYU’s global network of degree-granting campuses and academic centers across six continents. The first of its kind, this global university represents a transformative shift in higher education, one in which the intellectual and creative endeavors of academia are shaped and examined through an international and multicultural perspective.
NYU ranks 29th globally in the Times Higher Education World University rankings for 2020, and 11th globally in the QS Graduate Employability rankings for 2019. All rankings are based on enrollment and programs throughout all campuses of New York University, including NYU Abu Dhabi.
*Program launch dates are contingent upon successful completion of CAA accreditation. For more information please contact nyuad.graduateadmissions@nyu.edu.
