New York University

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From the College

New York University (NYU) is one of the foremost private research universities in the United States. At its anchor campus in the heart of downtown Manhattan, NYU offers over 160 undergraduate programs of study that match almost every professional interest through ten undergraduate schools, colleges, and programs. The goal for educating undergraduates is lofty: to prepare students in a number of the world’s great urban centers to become confident, global citizens and tomorrow’s leaders by cultivating a spirit of inquiry, creativity, and independent ambition.

NYU is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. Full professors teach on both the graduate and undergraduate levels. Ten undergraduate schools, colleges and programs provide extensive offerings in a wide range of subjects: more than 2,500 courses in more than 160 major fields are available to NYU’s full-time undergraduates. The average class size is under 30, and the faculty-student ratio is 1:11—benefits generally associated with a much smaller institution.

NYU’s residence hall program is an important aspect of the total educational experience. Approximately 12,500 undergraduate students live in twenty-one University residence halls, seven of which are reserved exclusively for freshmen. All freshmen who request housing on their admission application and meet all deadlines are guaranteed housing accommodations during all their years of undergraduate study. Freshmen are not required to live on campus, and many students live in private apartments off campus.

The traditions of campus life—nearly 400 clubs, fourteen fraternities and six sororities, and athletics and other activities—are very much a part of the University. Students have the opportunity to write for the campus newspaper and to work with the University’s radio station, WNYU-FM. The Jerome S. Coles Sports and Recreation Center and the Palladium Athletic Facility serve the recreational needs of all students. Coles provides the setting for seventy-five intramural sports teams and is the home of NYU’s twenty intercollegiate teams. NYU and eight other private, urban research universities have formed a varsity league, the University Athletic Association. The athletic program includes men’s basketball, fencing, golf, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, track and cross-country, volleyball, and wrestling and women’s basketball, cross-country, fencing, golf, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, track, and volleyball.

Located in Greenwich Village, NYU’s anchor campus is unlike any other institution of higher education in the United States. When you enter NYU, you become part of a close-knit community that combines the nurturing atmosphere of a small- to medium-sized college with the myriad offerings and research opportunities of a global, urban university. The energy and resources of New York City serve as an extension of our campus, providing unique opportunities for research, internships, and job placement. On campus, NYU's intellectual climate is fostered by a faculty of world-famous scholars, researchers, and artists who teach both undergraduate and graduate courses. Students have the opportunity to work on individual projects with these outstanding professors.

Additionally, in 2010, NYU will open NYU Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, a highly selective liberal arts and sciences college. As the first such campus operated by an American university outside of the United States and the only comprehensive liberal arts college in the Middle East that is fully integrated into a major research university, NYU Abu Dhabi will draw students with top qualifications from around the globe. Like NYU’s campus at Washington Square in New York City, it will be a portal campus within NYU’s extensive global network, offering a complete residential college education as well as access to NYU’s international academic centers on five continents.

At NYU Abu Dhabi, students will receive a four-year undergraduate education that begins with a curriculum incorporating the humanities, science, and technology, and moves into specialized courses in a chosen area of study, culminating with a capstone project. They will also have the opportunity to study abroad at NYU’s academic centers around the world or at NYU in New York City.

Together, NYU’s anchor campus in New York City and the new branch campus in Abu Dhabi form the backbone of a uniquely interconnected global network university. Faculty and students from either New York or Abu Dhabi may spend semesters abroad at one or more of the numerous academic centers NYU maintains on five continents. Students have the opportunity to study abroad at NYU Abu Dhabi and at NYU’s other academic centers in Accra, Ghana; Berlin, Germany; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Florence, Italy; London, England; Madrid, Spain; Paris, France; Prague, the Czech Republic; Shanghai, China; and Tel Aviv, Israel—or in any of the 15 exchange programs the University has established with outstanding urban research universities around the world. The individual NYU schools and colleges also offer international intersession programming and major-specific, semester-long, and summer-long study abroad programs.

The College of Arts and Science awards B.A. and B.S. degrees in Africana studies, anthropology, anthropology-linguistics, art history, biochemistry, biology, chemistry, cinema studies (in conjunction with Tisch School of the Arts), classical civilization and Hellenic studies, classical civilization-anthropology, classics, classics-art history, comparative literature, computer science, dramatic literature, East Asian studies, economics, economics and computer science, economics and mathematics, engineering (chemical and biological, civil, computer, electrical, and mechanical, in a dual-degree program with Polytechnic Institute of NYU), English, English and American literature, environmental studies, European and Mediterranean studies, French, French and linguistics, gender and sexuality studies, German, German and linguistics, Greek, Hebrew language and literature, Hellenic studies, history, Iberian studies, international relations, Italian, Italian and linguistics, Jewish history and civilization, journalism, language and mind, Latin, Latin American studies, Latino studies, linguistics, Luso-Brazilian language and literature, mathematics, mathematics and computer science, medieval and Renaissance studies, metropolitan studies, Middle Eastern and Islamic studies, music, neural science, philosophy, physics, politics, psychology, religious studies, Romance languages, Russian and Slavic studies, self-designed honors major, social and cultural analysis, sociology, South Asian studies, Spanish, Spanish and linguistics, and urban design and architecture studies. Preprofessional programs are available in dentistry, law, medicine, optometry, and podiatry. A seven-year B.A./D.D.S. program is also available.

The Leonard N. Stern School of Business awards the B.S. degree in accounting, actuarial science, business and political economy, economics, finance, information systems, management and organizational behavior, marketing, and statistics.

The Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development awards the B.S. degree in applied psychology, communication (with a major in media, culture, and communications), education (with majors in childhood education/childhood special education, early childhood education/early childhood special education, and secondary education, with a teaching specialization in English, foreign languages, mathematics, science, or social studies), health (with a major in nutrition and food studies with specializations in food and restaurant management, food studies, and nutrition and dietetics), public health, and speech pathology. In the area of arts professions, Steinhardt offers the B.F.A. degree in studio art, the B.S. in educational theater, and the B.Mus. in instrumental, music business, music education, music technology, music theory and composition, piano (classical and jazz), and voice (classical voice and music theater).

Tisch School of the Arts awards the B.A. degree in cinema studies (film history, theory, and criticism) and the B.F.A. in dance, dramatic writing, film and television (animation, film, television, and video), photography and imaging, recorded music, and theater (acting, directing, musical theater, and technical production and design).

The Silver School of Social Work awards the B.S. degree in social work.

At the Gallatin School of Individualized Study, students under the mentorship of faculty advisers create and refine their own plans of study by combining Gallatin courses with courses at other schools within NYU, independent studies, and internships and, upon completion, receive a B.A. degree.

The Preston Robert Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism, and Sports Management at the School of Continuing and Professional Studies offers the B.S. degree in sports management and leisure studies, the B.S. degree in hotel and tourism management, and the B.A. degree for adults.

The College of Nursing awards the B.S. degree in nursing.

The Liberal Studies Program is a two-year course of study in the liberal arts that is offered to a select group of students chosen by the NYU Admissions Committee. After successful completion of this program, students move on as juniors into the school or college to which they originally applied.

The Global Liberal Studies Program is a B.A degree program in the liberal arts with a strong global component including international study.

Requirements for graduation vary among departments and schools. A liberal arts core curriculum is an integral part of all areas of concentration. The baccalaureate degree requires completion of at least 128 credits. The University calendar is organized on the traditional semester system, including two 6-week summer sessions. Some divisions offer part-time programs during the day and evening and on weekends.

NYU’s global network includes the NYU anchor campus in New York City and the new portal campus in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, along with ten international academic centers in Accra, Ghana; Berlin, Germany; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Florence, Italy; London, England; Madrid, Spain; Paris, France; Prague, the Czech Republic; Shanghai, China; and Tel Aviv, Israel. Additionally, NYU has direct exchange agreements with fifteen outstanding urban research universities around the world. The individual NYU schools and colleges also offer international intersession programming and major-specific, semester-long, and summer-long study-abroad programs.

Students move with ease between locations within NYU’s global network. They may find themselves spending a fall semester in Buenos Aires and a spring semester in Abu Dhabi, all the while taking major courses and electives that will, with a little careful planning with an academic adviser, keep them on track to graduate with their class. Through international study, students soon develop the ability to see opportunities where others cannot, overcome cultural barriers, and become confident world citizens.

NYU offers an exceptional range of facilities and student services and an enormously varied program of clubs and activities, residence halls, meal plans, and dining locations. Academic facilities include nine libraries and centers and institutes renowned for their research in applied mathematics, physics, neural science, and fine arts. Foreign language and cultural centers offer a wide variety of lectures, films, and concerts. In addition, students have access to the award-winning NYU Wasserman Center for Career Development, advanced computer and multimedia resources, and specialized offices that address almost every student need, from medical attention to discount theatre tickets. The Kimmel Center for Student Life houses dining facilities, student lounges, computers, space for student clubs, and the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, the largest performance space in lower Manhattan.

For 2008–09, tuition and fees were $37,372, and average room and board costs were $12,810. Books and supplies cost about $800, and personal expenses total between $500 and $1000.

NYU believes that every student should be able to choose a college that offers them the best range of educational opportunities. In order to make this choice possible, the University attempts to aid students who are in need of financial assistance.

A high percentage of students entering NYU receive some form of financial aid. Scholarships and grants are based on financial need, academic merit, or both. Low-interest education loans are available for both students and parents. Part-time employment, on and off campus, is another source of funding.

NYU also offers or participates in a variety of payment plans. They range from interest-free prepayment plans to extensive loan programs that allow families to finance the cost of a college education over many years.

There are many sources of financial aid at NYU, and all students are invited to apply for financial aid or one of NYU’s financing plans. At NYU, 74 percent of all full-time undergraduates receive some form of financial aid. A financial aid package might include any combination of scholarships or grants, loans, or work-study programs. Students who wish to be considered for aid must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA's submission deadline is February 15 for the fall semester and November 1 for the spring semester.

NYU faculty members are among the country’s leading intellectuals, including world-famous scholars and researchers who have received Nobel, Crafoord, and Pulitzer Prizes; MacArthur, Guggenheim, and Fulbright Fellowships; and Oscars and Emmy Awards. Faculty members teach both graduate and undergraduate courses, making it possible for undergraduate students to become directly involved in research projects with internationally known scholars.

Each of NYU’s schools and colleges has a student council, organized by its respective students, that represents those students. The University Senate, the major policymaking body for all matters relating to academic concerns not delegated to the separate schools and colleges, has 22 student members.

Admission to the undergraduate colleges of New York University is highly selective. The admission process involves a comprehensive review of the applicant’s academic background, standardized test scores, extracurricular activities, an essay, and letters of recommendation. Several programs also require the applicant to audition or submit creative materials. The Admissions Committee pays particular attention to the number of honors, AP, and I.B. courses the applicant has completed in high school. NYU carefully considers each applicant’s level of involvement in school and/or community activities, their special talents, alumni affiliation, socioeconomic background, geographic location, and race or ethnicity.

Applicants must submit scores from either the SAT Reasoning Test or the ACT examination (with writing test). Scores from the TOEFL examination are also required if English is not the applicant's native language. The Admissions Committee requires applicants (except those applying to the Tisch School of the Arts and the art and music programs in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development) to submit scores from two SAT II Subject Tests.

For entrance in the fall term, the application for admission—including all supporting credentials—must be received by November 1 (early decision freshman candidates), January 1 (freshmen), or April 1 (transfer students). For entrance in the spring term (transfer students only), the application materials must be received by November 1. For entrance in the summer (transfer students only), the application materials should be received by April 1. Applications for admission received after these dates are considered only if space remains. Official notification of fall admission is made by April 1.

The admissions staff also visits high schools and hosts receptions throughout the country. Please check with a college counselor or the Admissions Web site at http://admissions.nyu.edu for dates and times.

A campus tour or an appointment for an information session can be arranged by calling 212-998-4524 or online at http://events.embark.com/event/nyu/on_campus/.