Columbia University School of General Studies

Columbia University School of General Studies (GS), established in 1947, is the finest liberal arts college in the country dedicated specifically to nontraditional students seeking a traditional Ivy League education. Nontraditional students include those who have, for personal or professional reasons, interrupted their educations, 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 undergraduates at the University. In the classroom, the diversity and varied personal experiences of the student body promote discussion and debate that is unparalleled in the Ivy League, fostering an environment of academic rigor and intellectual development.

In addition to its core undergraduate program, GS is home to the Columbia University Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program, the Dual BA Program Between Columbia University and Sciences Po, the Dual BA Program between Trinity College Dublin and Columbia University, the Joint Bachelor's Degree Program between City University of Hong Kong and Columbia University and the Joint Program with List College of the Jewish Theological Seminary.

GS enrolls world-class dancers, athletes, and musicians; bankers and small business owners; military veterans; and people who come from as far away as China, Israel, and Germany. There are more than 2,100 undergraduate degree candidates and more than 400 students enrolled in the Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program. The average age of the GS student body is 26. More than 70 percent attend classes full time, and more than 70 percent of GS graduates go on to earn advanced degrees.

Columbia University Campus

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, Mount Sinai St. Luke's Hospital, Riverside Church, and the historic Cathedral of St. John the Divine, the largest cathedral in the world. The diversity of intellectual and social activities offered by these institutions is one of Columbia's great assets; another is New York City itself, which offers Columbia students a rich and almost boundless variety of social and cultural opportunities.

Columbia University Majors and Degrees

GS offers a traditional, Ivy League liberal arts education leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree, which is 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 to provide a solid foundation for positions of responsibility in the professional world. Students choose from more than 80 majors and concentrations, and individually-designed majors are also available.

The Dual BA Program Between Columbia University and Sciences Po is an intensive, transatlantic course of study in which students earn two bachelor's degrees in four years, one from each University. Students begin their studies at one of three Sciences Po campuses, each of which is devoted to a particular part of the world and offers a heavy linguistic and cultural focus. After two years, students matriculate at GS to complete core and major requirements. Upon graduation, students are eligible for guaranteed admission to a graduate program at Sciences Po. Admission to the program is highly competitive, and high school seniors are eligible to apply.

The Dual BA Program between Trinity College Dublin and Columbia University transcends traditional study-abroad opportunities by providing students the opportunity to pursue a rigorous undergraduate liberal arts education spanning two continents, at two world-renowned universities in the heart of Dublin and New York City. Upon completion of one of four programs at Trinity—English studies, European studies, history, or Middle Eastern and European languages and cultures—students matriculate at GS to complete core and major requirements. Admission is highly competitive, and high school seniors are eligible to apply.

Study Abroad

Columbia students are encouraged to enhance their academic experiences through the more than 150 study abroad programs offered in more than 100 cities around the world. Options include studying in Paris at the Columbia University Global Center, in Kyoto at the Consortium for Japanese Studies, in Kenya completing the Tropical Biology and Sustainability Program, or in Cuba taking courses at the University of Havana, to name a few.

Financial Aid

GS awards financial aid based upon need and academic ability. Approximately 70 percent of GS students receive some form of financial aid, including federal Pell grants, New York State TAP grants, federal unsubsidized and subsidized Stafford Loans, institutional scholarships, and Federal Work-Study Program awards. GS is also a proud participant in the Department of Veterans Affairs' Yellow Ribbon Program, and more than 400 military veterans are currently enrolled at the School.

Costs

For the 2018-2019 academic year, tuition is $1,822 per point (credit). Living (room and board) and personal (books, local commuting costs, etc.) expenses are approximately $24,170.

Columbia University Faculty

All undergraduate liberal arts courses at Columbia University are taught by members of the Columbia University Faculty of Arts and Sciences. These distinguished scholars in virtually every discipline also teach students in Columbia College, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the School of the Arts, and the School of Professional Studies. The student-faculty ratio is six to one, and GS students have many opportunities to work closely with faculty members, both in small classes and on research projects. Faculty members also serve as departmental advisors to students majoring in their area of study and maintain regular office hours.

Admissions Information and Deadlines

GS employs a rigorous admissions process geared toward nontraditional students. Applicants are evaluated individually, with each student's background and experiences taken into account alongside more traditional measures of academic success. 

Students who wish to apply to GS must submit an application, standardized test scores, high school and college transcripts, two letters of recommendation, and a non-refundable application fee. If the applicant has not taken the SAT or ACT within the last eight years, he or she has the option of taking the General Studies Admissions Exam (GSAE). For additional information about admissions requirements, visit the GS website.

Students may apply to GS either Early Action (nonbinding) or Regular Decision. Early Action applicants receive a decision significantly earlier. Application deadlines are as follows: 

Fall Early Action (nonbinding): March 1; Fall Regular Decision: June 1

Spring Early Action (nonbinding): October 1; Spring Regular Decision: November 1

The application deadline for the Dual BA Program Between Columbia University and Sciences Po is January 2. For additional information about admissions requirements, visit the Dual BA Program website.