Individualized Study (MA)

Department Website

Program Description

Gallatin’s Master of Arts program offers each student an opportunity to explore their unique interests. Working closely with a faculty adviser, the student creates an individualized, interdisciplinary program shaped according to their own vision. With diverse goals, Gallatin students are often intellectual and professional pioneers, mapping new relationships among fields of knowledge. Students are encouraged to draw on the educational resources of NYU’s graduate and professional schools and of New York City.

Admissions

Please consult the Admissions section of this bulletin for information on the requirements and process for admissions specific to this program.

Program Requirements

Course List

Course	Title	Credits
Graduate Core Requirements
CORE-GG 20XX	Proseminar 1	4
Additional Gallatin Graduate course		4
Electives
Other Elective Credits		26
Master's Thesis
CORE-GG 2401	Thesis Proposal seminar 2	2
CORE-GG 2402	Master's Thesis I	2
CORE-GG 2403	Master's Thesis II	2
Total Credits		40

¹

 Offered fall only; must be completed before earning 12 credits.

²

Offered spring only; must be completed after earning at least 12 credits and before earning 24 credits.

About the Major

Each graduate student works closely with a faculty adviser to design a curriculum that integrates course work throughout the University with the Gallatin graduate core courses and individualized project options.

The MA program begins with the proseminar, a graduate core course that is taken in the first or second semester of enrollment (must be taken before completing 12 units). The majority of the curriculum will then consist of course work taken at the various NYU graduate schools and can also include options such as Gallatin elective courses, independent study, tutorials, internships, and private lessons.

The graduate program culminates with the MA thesis. Students begin the thesis process by writing the thesis proposal in the Thesis Proposal Seminar, which must be successfully fulfilled before completing 24 credits. Students then continue working on the thesis in Master's Thesis I and Master's Thesis II, which are independent studies overseen by the adviser.

Gallatin Core Courses

All Gallatin graduate students are required to complete 14 credits in the five Gallatin Core courses:

Proseminar

Each fall semester, Gallatin offers three Proseminars that focus on theory and methods in the arts, the humanities or the social sciences. The Proseminar introduces students to key concepts and thinkers and emphasizes the reading of classic and contemporary works of theory in the arts, humanities, or the social sciences. Students should choose the Proseminar that aligns most closely with their proposed concentration for the program, keeping in mind that they have the option to take an additional Proseminar (if space allows) to fulfill the additional Gallatin graduate course requirement.

This course performs a number of functions:

1. It introduces students to the nature of individualized and interdisciplinary studies by engaging them in work on a broad theme or problem. Students learn how different kinds of scholars approach a common problem: how they ask questions, gather relevant information, conduct analysis and reach conclusions.
2. The Proseminar helps students think through their own programs of study by broadening their conception of the knowledge and skills they will need to pursue their plans and by encouraging them to clarify their own educational goals.
3. Finally, the Proseminar engages students in some of the academic processes—research, analytic thinking, scholarly communication—that they will need throughout their graduate studies.

The specific course descriptions may vary from semester to semester, but each class will raise issues of approach and method that every student needs to consider. The aim of the Proseminar is to broaden the student’s interdisciplinary inquiry and to suggest ways that the University’s resources can be used to attain the student’s goals.

Offered in the fall semester. This course is graded with letter grades (A-F). Students are required to complete the Proseminar before earning 12 credits. Students who have not completed the Proseminar within the first 12 credits may be prevented from registering for future courses.

Additional Gallatin Graduate Course

In addition to the Proseminar and Gallatin thesis courses (Thesis Proposal Seminar, Master’s Thesis I, and Master’s Thesis II), students must take another four credits in graduate courses offered by Gallatin.

This requirement serves several functions: to engage students more fully with the Gallatin community; to give them an opportunity to encounter and integrate wide-ranging theoretical, historical, and methodological insights; and to strengthen their academic and interdisciplinary skills. Students have considerable leeway in choosing how to satisfy this requirement, thus manifesting the individualized character of the program.

Students fulfill this requirement by completing one of the following courses:

1. a Gallatin graduate elective course (ELEC-GG);
2. a second Gallatin Proseminar (CORE-GG 20XX);
3. a Gallatin independent study (INDIV-GG 2901 Independent Study) or tutorial (INDIV-GG 2925 Tutorial:) (internships and private lessons will not fulfill this requirement);
4. a graduate-level class offered by a Gallatin instructor at, or in conjunction with, another NYU department or program.

Thesis Proposal Seminar

Each spring semester. Gallatin offers three sections of the Thesis Proposal Seminar (TPS). This course is taken after the student has completed a Proseminar and generally during the second semester of full-time study, or after completing 12 credits and before earning 24 credits.

As the first step in the sequence leading to the thesis, the Thesis Proposal Seminar meets regularly during the semester and moves students toward the completion of an acceptable thesis proposal.

Students learn about the structure and content of the thesis proposal as they:

1. consider ways of integrating their work and articulating a core problem;
2. discuss the conventions of scholarly discourse, documentation, and argumentation; and
3. formulate a plan for the thesis.

Multiple sections of this course are offered every spring. This course is offered only in the spring term. The course combines classroom instruction with special events (e.g., guest lectures, library visits, human subjects research instruction). The class also takes advantage of student research affinity groups formed before and during the students’ enrollment. For more information on the proposal itself, please consult this page, which details the three kinds of thesis proposals.

To fulfill the thesis proposal requirement, students must receive a grade of "P" from their instructor and submit an adviser approved draft of the thesis proposal to the program via Thesis Proposal Submission form. After completing the Thesis Proposal Seminar in the spring term, students are required to submit the adviser-approved thesis proposal to Gallatin by June 15.

Offered only in the spring semester. This course is graded Pass/Fail. Students are required to complete the Thesis Proposal Seminar after earning at least 12 credits and before earning 24 credits. Students who have not completed the Thesis Proposal Seminar within the first 24 credits may be prevented from registering for future courses.

Master's Thesis I

This course is generally taken in the third semester of full-time study, or after completing 24 credits. The faculty adviser supervises and grades Master's Thesis I.

• Prerequisite: Thesis Proposal Seminar
• To register for this course please follow these registration guidelines. Students must include this course on their Plan of Study and submit an MA Thesis I Registration Form. 
• To pass this course, students must demonstrate significant progress toward completing the thesis.

In Master’s Thesis I, students will complete the basic research for and begin drafting the thesis. The course, which is a two unit course supervised by the student’s adviser, will entail independent work, supported by the writing resources of the MA Program. 

Students enrolled in MA Thesis I:

1. attend a meeting (registered students will be emailed information about place and time at the beginning of the semester) with the MA Program faculty and staff to discuss the overall goals of the course;
2. immerse themselves in the relevant scholarly discourses and literatures and begin drafting the thesis and, in the case of artistic theses, developing the artwork and accompanying research essay; 
3. meet with their advisers, on a regular basis, to consult on the content, logic, organization and methods for the thesis; 
4. draw on the resources of the MA Program (e.g. individual consultations, organized peer writing groups, themed writing workshops) led by Gallatin M.A. program staff; 
5. have the option to present their work in progress at the Raw Forum. The MA RAW (Research and Writing) Forum gives Gallatin MA students the opportunity to share their research and ideas with students,  faculty, and staff, making connections in an intellectually engaged, supportive environment.

Offered in the fall, spring, and summer semesters. This course is graded Pass/Fail.

Master's Thesis II

This course is generally taken in the final semester of study.  The faculty adviser supervises Master's Thesis II.  The Gallatin MA program submits grades for students in Master's Thesis II. 

• Prerequisite: Master's Thesis I
• To register for this course please follow these registration guidelines. To register for this course, students must include it on their Plan of Study and submit a MA Thesis II Registration form. 
• To pass this class, which is supervised by the student’s adviser, the student must submit and defend the thesis.*

In the first months of the semester, the student continues to work in collaboration with the adviser to complete the thesis paper or, in the case of an artistic thesis, the artwork and accompanying research essays. All students are further expected to:

1. attend one meeting at the start of the semester (registered students will be emailed information about place and time at the beginning of the semester) with MA Program faculty and staff to discuss the overall goals of the course. 
2. draw on the resources of the MA Program (individual consultations with writing specialists, peer writing groups, themed writing workshops) during the writing process. 

As prescribed by the online thesis and defense calendar, students must receive approval for all work from their adviser far enough in advance of the defense so that the other panelists will have at least four weeks to read and inspect the submission. For more details, please see the additional information about Master's Thesis II on the Gallatin course website and refer back to the thesis and defense calendar as well your registration forms.

Offered in the fall, spring and summer. This course is graded Pass/Fail.

* Students who are not able to defend their thesis while registered for MA Thesis II will receive a grade of incomplete for the course.  That grade will be changed once they successfully defend their thesis.  If you need additional time to complete your thesis following MA Thesis II, you should register for Thesis Advisement.

Electives

Students complete 26 credits in elective graduate-level courses offered by Gallatin or other NYU schools, or Gallatin individualized projects. Gallatin students may take courses throughout the graduate degree-granting programs of NYU. It should be noted that some courses have prerequisites, and others may be limited to students in their respective departments. Graduate students will not receive credit for undergraduate course work.

Sample Plan of Study

Below is one of many possible configurations for a plan of study for the Gallatin MA degree. Students may opt to take more or fewer credits throughout the semesters, but should be aware that 12 credits is considered full-time by the Gallatin MA Program.

Courses listed below as "Elective" must be graduate-level courses. Students may choose from Gallatin Graduate Elective courses, Gallatin individualized project courses, or courses offered by other NYU graduate programs.

Plan of Study Grid

1st Semester/Term		Credits
Proseminar		4
Elective Course		4
Elective Course		4
	Credits	12
2nd Semester/Term
CORE-GG 2401	Thesis Proposal seminar	2
Additional Gallatin Graduate Course 1		4
Elective Course		3
Elective Course		3
	Credits	12
3rd Semester/Term
CORE-GG 2402	Master's Thesis I	2
Elective Course		4
Elective Course		4
Elective Course		2
	Credits	12
4th Semester/Term
CORE-GG 2403	Master's Thesis II	2
Elective Course		2
Thesis Defense		0
	Credits	4
	Total Credits	40

¹

Or Independent Study, Tutorial, or additional Proseminar.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will:

1. Create an individualized and integrated program of study drawing on theories, methods and practices from a variety of disciplines, schools of thought and professions.
2. Demonstrate familiarity with a substantial body of thought, academic and professional literatures, and related practices germane to their individually constructed programs.
3. Perform effectively the higher forms of cognitive and intellectual operations: not merely to know and understand facts, ideas, theories, and texts, but also to analyze, synthesize, render judgments (including, where appropriate, ethical and/or aesthetic judgments), and interpret them; to identify significant questions in their areas of concentration and to explore, investigate and respond to them in rigorous, imaginative and productive ways; for artists and practitioners, to approach their work with an understanding of the theoretical and scholarly tools that can inform it (following the artist/scholar or practitioner/scholar model).
4. Utilize effectively the technical skills and tools required for locating and employing appropriate informational, organizational and material resources for their work; to implement effectively the methods of research and practice demanded by their self-designed fields.
5. Present their ideas and practices effectively in oral, written, and, if appropriate, visual and virtual communication.
6. Produce a culminating work (viz., a research, artistic, or project thesis) that integrates and reflects a substantial portion of the ideas, practices and skills acquired through their individualized programs; in one of several forms of the thesis, students will demonstrate:

​Research thesis: the ability to articulate a significant research question, to locate it in its theoretical and/or applied context, to design methods of investigation appropriate to that problem, to collect and analyze relevant information using productive concepts and theories, and to construct an effective argument in response to the central research question(s).

Artistic thesis: the ability to produce an artistic work (a film, novel, dance concert, series of paintings, etc.) of high quality; to conduct a research study that relates the creative work to appropriate theoretical and scholarly contexts; and to analyze the creative process effectively in technical and logistical terms.

Project thesis: the ability to identify and analyze an issue, problem or need in the chosen area of practice; to design, implement and evaluate a professional project addressing that problem; and to describe and explain that project in a written document that incorporates appropriate theoretical and scholarly tools and approaches.

Policies

Program Policies

Information about Program Requirements

Degree requirements in the Gallatin School are subject to change. Students are required to complete the degree requirements in effect during the first semester in which they matriculate at Gallatin. Students who are readmitted must fulfill the degree requirements that are in effect when they are readmitted, unless their offer of readmission states otherwise.

Total Required Credits

To be eligible for the Master of Arts degree, students must complete 40 credits within six years of matriculating in Gallatin. While students are generally not permitted to exceed the required number of credits for the degree, if there are unusual circumstances requiring additional course work in excess of 40 credits, the student may petition the MA Program Committee to take the extra credits. Degree requirements may be completed in no fewer than three semesters.

Time Limit

The master’s degree must be completed within six years. If there are unusual circumstances warranting a formal extension, the student may request one from the MA Program Committee. Degree requirements may be completed in no fewer than three semesters.

Graduate-Level Courses

Graduate students will not receive credit toward the master’s degree for undergraduate courses. Courses that contain -G* in the subject area (e.g. CORE-GG, COLIT-GA, MCC-GE, etc.) are graduate-level courses. Courses with a -U* in the subject code are undergraduate courses (e.g., JOUR-UA, IDSEM-UG, MCC-UE, etc.).

Classroom Unit Requirement

Classroom learning is an essential component of the program, giving graduate students the opportunity for intellectual exchange with their peers. All Gallatin graduate students are required to earn a minimum of 14 units in classroom courses. The Graduate Core courses do not count towards the classroom unit requirement as they form a separate requirement. Transfer credit generally counts toward this requirement. Individualized projects (independent studies, tutorials, internships and private lessons) do not count toward this requirement. 

Transfer Credit Limit

Students may apply to transfer up to 12 credits of graduate-level coursework taken prior to admission to Gallatin, provided the courses do not already count toward a prior degree. A single course cannot count toward two separate degrees.

Individualized Projects Credit Limit

At Gallatin, students have the option to pursue individualized projects, which are learning experiences that are not available in the traditional classroom. The types of individualized projects include independent studies, tutorials, internships and private lessons. A maximum of 12 units may be earned in individualized projects. Master’s Thesis I and Master’s Thesis II, which are required independent studies, are not counted toward these 12 units. If a student chooses to complete the Additional Gallatin Graduate Course requirement through independent study, these units will count toward the 12-unit maximum for individualized projects. Students are permitted to earn a maximum of 6 units in private lessons.

Residency Requirements

1. In the first semester of enrollment, students are required to be in attendance on campus in New York. Students are not permitted to begin the program remotely.
2. A minimum of 28 units must be earned at NYU while the student is enrolled in the Gallatin School.

Thesis Advisement

Students who do not complete the thesis and defend it successfully during the semester in which they register for Master’s Thesis II are required to register for Thesis Advisement each fall and spring until the thesis has been completed and defended. Students who plan to graduate in September must also register for Thesis Advisement during the summer prior to their graduation. credits earned through Thesis Advisement are not included in the 40-unit requirement for the master’s degree.

NYU Policies

University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages.

Gallatin Academic Policies

For a full list of school-specific related academic policies, please see the Gallatin School of Individualized Study Academic Programs page.