Columbia University, School of General Studies

Colleges You May Like

• Barnard College
• Boston University
• Cornell University
• Fordham University
• New York University

From the College

The School of General Studies (GS) of Columbia University is one of the finest liberal arts colleges in the country dedicated specifically to students with nontraditional backgrounds seeking a traditional education at an Ivy League university. Most students at GS have, for personal or professional reasons, interrupted their education, never attended college, or are only able to attend part-time. GS is unique among colleges of its type, because its students are fully integrated into the Columbia undergraduate curriculum: they take the same courses with the same faculty members and earn the same degree as all other Columbia undergraduates.

GS students come from varied backgrounds and all walks of life. They have the option to study either full- or part-time. Many students work full-time while pursuing a degree, and many have family responsibilities; others attend classes full-time and experience Columbia’s more traditional college life. In the classroom, the diversity and varied personal experience of the student body promote discussion and debate, fostering an environment of academic rigor and intellectual development. GS has approximately 1,200 undergraduate degree candidates and more than 400 postbaccalaureate premedical students. The average age of a GS student is 29. More than 60 percent of GS students attend classes full-time.

In addition to its bachelor’s degree program, GS offers combined undergraduate/graduate degree programs with Columbia’s Schools of Social Work, International and Public Affairs, Law, Business, Dental Medicine, Teachers College, and the College of Physicians and Surgeons. Between 80 and 85 percent of the School’s students continue on to graduate and professional study after graduation. In the past, the acceptance rate for GS postbaccalaureate premedical program students applying to U.S. medical schools is up to and above 90 percent.

Columbia University is located in Morningside Heights, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The University’s neighbors include the Union Theological Seminary, the Jewish Theological Seminary, the Manhattan School of Music, St. Luke’s Hospital, Riverside Church, and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. The diversity of intellectual and social activities offered by these institutions is one of Columbia’s great assets as a university; another is New York City itself, which offers Columbia students a rich and almost boundless variety of social, cultural, and recreational opportunities that are themselves an education.

The School of General Studies grants the B.A. and B.S. degrees and offers the following majors: African studies; African American studies; American studies; ancient studies; anthropology; applied mathematics; archaeology; architecture; architecture, history and theory; art history; art history–visual arts; Asian American studies; astronomy; astrophysics; biochemistry; biology; biophysics; chemistry; classical studies; classics; comparative ethnic studies; comparative literature and society; computer science; creative writing; dance; drama and theater arts; earth and environmental sciences; East Asian languages and cultures; economics; economics–mathematics; economics–operations research; economics–philosophy; economics–political science; economics–statistics; English and comparative literature; environmental biology; evolutionary biology of the human species; film studies; French; French and Francophone studies; German literature and cultural history; Hispanic studies; history; human rights; information science, Italian cultural studies; Italian literature; Latino studies; mathematics; mathematics–statistics; Middle East and Asian languages and cultures; music; neuroscience and behavior; philosophy; physics; political science; political science-statistics; psychology; regional studies; religion; Russian; sociology; statistics; urban studies; visual arts; women’s and gender studies; and Yiddish studies. Individually designed majors are also available. In addition, the School offers two undergraduate dual-degree programs: one in conjunction with Columbia’s School of Engineering and Applied Science and the other in conjunction with the Jewish Theological Seminary.

The School of General Studies offers a traditional liberal arts education designed to provide students with the broad knowledge and intellectual skills that foster continued education and growth in the years after college as well as providing a sound foundation for positions of responsibility in the professional world.

Requirements for the bachelor’s degree comprise three elements: (1) core requirements, intended to develop in students the ability to write and communicate clearly; to understand the modes of thought that characterize the humanities, social sciences, and sciences; to gain familiarity with central cultural ideas through literature, fine arts, and music; and to acquire a working proficiency in a foreign language; (2) major requirements, designed to give students sustained and coherent exposure to a particular discipline in an area of strong intellectual interest; and (3) elective courses, in which students pursue particular interests and skills for their own personal growth or for their relationship to future professional or personal objectives. Students are required to complete a minimum of 124 credits for the bachelor’s degree; 60 of these may be in transfer credit, but at least 64 credits (including the last 30 credits) must be completed at Columbia. In addition to the usual graduation honors (cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude), honors programs for superior students are available in a majority of the University’s departments.

Columbia students may enhance their academic experiences through various study-abroad programs around the world. For example, students may spend a term at the Reid Hall Program in the Montparnasse district of Paris, the Berlin Consortium for German Studies, the Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies, or the Language Program in Beijing, China. In addition, students may apply to participate in one of the Columbia-approved study-abroad programs located in countries around the world.

The Columbia University libraries constitute the nation’s sixth-largest academic library system, with a collection of more than 9.8 million volumes, more than 5 million microform pieces, and 26 million manuscript items in 850 separate collections. Of the twenty-five libraries in the system, five are designated Distinctive Collections because of their unusual depth and nationally recognized excellence. All library divisions are available to GS students. The University’s Computer Center is one of the largest and most powerful university installations in the world and has remote units and terminals in several parts of the campus to enhance its accessibility. The Fairchild Life Sciences Building houses research facilities, laboratories, electron microscopes, and a vast amount of biochemical equipment used for teaching and research. The University’s physics building has been the scene of many important developments in the recent history of physics, including the invention of the laser and the first U.S. demonstration of nuclear fission.

For the 2008–09 academic year, tuition is $1210 per credit, monthly living expenses (including rent) were about $1600, fees were approximately $1400, and books were $1000 to $1300.

The School of General Studies awards financial aid based upon need and academic ability. Approximately 70 percent of GS degree candidates receive some form of financial aid, including Federal Pell Grants, New York State TAP Grants, Federal Stafford and unsubsidized Stafford Loans, Federal Perkins Loans, General Studies Scholarships, and Federal Work-Study Program awards. Priority application deadlines for new students are June 1 for the fall semester and October 15 for the spring semester.

The faculty of the School of General Studies, which is shared with Columbia College, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and the School of International and Public Affairs, includes distinguished scholars in virtually every discipline. Of the School’s more than 1,000 faculty members, over 99 percent hold a Ph.D. Students, whether full-time or part-time, have many opportunities to work closely with faculty members, both in small classes and in research projects. Faculty members also serve as advisers to students majoring in their area of study and maintain regular office hours to see students.

One student of the School represents GS students in the University Senate, a decision-making body comprising students, faculty members, and administrative staff members from each division of the University. In addition, 2 GS students sit as voting members on the Committee on Instruction, which oversees the curriculum of the School. The General Studies Student Council elects officers each year and sponsors activities for students. The Observer, the School’s student-run magazine, is published several times each year. The Premedical Association (PMA) sponsors events related to the medical school admissions process.

The GS admission policy is geared to the maturity and varied backgrounds of its students. Aptitude and motivation are considered along with past academic performance, standardized test scores, and employment history. The School’s admission decisions are based on a careful review of each application and reflect the Admissions Committee’s considered judgment of the applicant’s maturity, academic potential, and present ability to undertake course work at Columbia.

Admission requirements include a completed application form; a 1,500- to 2,000-word autobiographical statement describing the applicant’s past educational history and work experience, present situation, and future plans; two letters of recommendation from academic or professional evaluators; an official high school transcript; official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended; official SAT or ACT scores (applicants may take the General Studies Admissions Examination); and a nonrefundable application fee of $65.

Students from outside the United States may apply to the School of General Studies to start or complete a baccalaureate degree. In addition to the materials described above, international applicants must submit official TOEFL scores.

Application deadlines are March 1 for early action (nonbinding), June 1 for the fall semester, and October 15 for the spring semester. Applicants from countries outside the U.S. are urged to apply by August 15 for the spring semester and April 1 for the fall semester. Applications are reviewed as they are completed, and applicants are notified of decisions shortly thereafter.

For more information, students should contact: