This landmark building was once the B. Altman Department Store before the City University of New York (CUNY) took over the building in 1999 to house its Graduate Center. The renovated site hosts 4,600 students, 33 doctoral programs, 7 master’s programs, and 30 research centers and institutes (which focus on areas of social, civic, cultural, and scientific concerns).

Also connected to the institution are four University Center programs: CUNY Baccalaureate for Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies through which undergraduates can earn individualized bachelor’s degrees by completing courses at any of the CUNY colleges; the CUNY School of Professional Studies and the associated Joseph S. Murphy Institute for Worker Education and Labor Studies; the recently established CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, which offers a master’s degree in journalism; and Macaulay’s Honor College. In addition, the Graduate Center extends its intellectual and cultural resources to the general public, offering access to a wide range of events, including lectures, symposia, performances, and workshops.