By Dave DeFusco
Dr. Assa Cohen, a visiting assistant professor of finance at Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»â€™s Sy Syms School of Business, has been named program director of the new STEM-OPT Master of Science in Finance. In this role, he will provide academic and strategic leadership to ensure the program’s growth and excellence.
The M.S. in Finance program, which launches this academic year, is designed to prepare students for competitive careers in finance by combining rigorous quantitative training with ethical and values-driven leadership. Located at East 33rd Street and Lexington Avenue, just steps from Wall Street, the program connects students directly with the world’s leading financial institutions.
As program director, Dr. Cohen will oversee curriculum development and academic standards, coordinate with faculty to strengthen teaching and course offerings, and serve as the primary mentor and advisor for M.S. in Finance students. He will also guide admissions, marketing and program development initiatives fostering innovation and expanding the program’s reach and impact.
“Dr. Cohen brings deep academic expertise and a global perspective to this leadership role,” said Dr. Tamar Avnet, associate dean and director of graduate programs at Sy Syms. “His background in both research and policy will help ensure that our master’s students gain the technical knowledge and analytical sophistication that employers value, while upholding the integrity and values that define a Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół» education.”
Dr. Cohen specializes in market microstructure, the study of how financial markets function at a detailed, transaction-by-transaction level. His research integrates theoretical modeling with empirical analysis to examine how information, regulation and competition determine market liquidity.
Before joining Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół», Dr. Cohen earned his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Pennsylvania. During his Ph.D., he also served as a graduate research analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. There, he collaborated with Dr. Benjamin Lester on research applying search models to over-the-counter financial markets and worked extensively with the bank’s proprietary microdata.
Earlier in his career, Dr. Cohen was a research fellow at Israel’s National Economic Council in the Prime Minister’s Office, affiliated with the Milken Center for Financial Innovation. He developed industrial policy recommendations to support high-growth firms in Israel’s technology sector and authored research on choosing the proper discount rate for cost-benefit analysis in the public sector. He holds an M.A. in economics and an M.A. in philosophy from Tel Aviv University.
The M.S. in Finance will be taught by Sy Syms faculty with expertise in corporate finance, investments and market dynamics. The 15-month, full-time program includes 10 courses totaling 30 credits, with spring and fall start dates. Students will take advanced courses in core areas such as corporate finance, investments, mergers and acquisitions, financial modeling, econometrics and quantitative methods. Electives in topics, such as options, futures and fixed income, will enable students to tailor their studies to specific interests. Training in the Bloomberg Finance Lab will provide hands-on experience with real-time market data, while the Shevet Glaubach Center for Career Strategy and Professional Development will offer personalized career guidance.
