Individualized Major (BA)

Components of a Gallatin Education

Gallatin students develop individualized concentrations under the guidance of the School’s advisers, take core courses within Gallatin as well as courses in the other Schools of NYU, expand their knowledge by pursuing global study opportunities, cultivate experiential and self-directed educational opportunities outside of the classroom, engage with civic life both on campus and in greater New York City, and draw together all that they have learned in the senior colloquium, a final oral examination.

The Structure of a Four-Year Program

Gallatin undergraduates mark their progress by fulfilling a set of carefully defined expectations during each year of study.

Degree Requirements

Students follow the degree requirements in effect during the first semester in which they matriculate at Gallatin. In an Intellectual Autobiography and Plan for Concentration (IAPC), they articulate the academic plans which they will refine over the course of their undergraduate academic career. Students consult with their advisers to develop a concentration, a program of study organized around a theme, problem, activity, period of history, area of the world or some central idea. At the end of their final year of study, they synthesize various learning experiences by engaging their senior colloquium, an integrated discussion of several books and themes, from classical to modern, and reflect on their Gallatin concentration.

Study in the Other Schools of NYU

Gallatin students may take courses in most of the schools, departments, and programs of NYU--sometimes referred to as cross-school study. Each semester there are several hundred courses to choose from, many taught by some of the country’s leading research scholars and teachers. While Gallatin students must comply with each school’s policies about prerequisites and requirements, including restrictions in particular programs, the opportunity to take courses throughout the University enables them to develop a unique, interdisciplinary program of study.

Global Study

To expand their academic and cultural horizons, Gallatin students may take advantage of several forms of global learning that range from individual travel courses to summer courses to semester and year-long study away programs.

Civic Engagement

The School supports innovative and collaborative models of learning that reflect active participation in the communities outside our classrooms; the development of scholarship that is directly useful for practitioners, as well as other scholars; and a self-reflexive, critical analysis of ourselves and our place in civil society.

Internships and Other Learning Opportunities

A key part of the Gallatin curriculum, experiential learning bridges the gap between the classroom and the outside world. From global study to internships to courses in the Community Learning program, students are given the opportunity to combine community-based action with intensive reflection, to explore the relation between theory and practice and to develop skills and knowledge that will contribute to social change as well as to intellectual, personal, and professional growth.

Student-Directed Learning

Gallatin offers students an opportunity to pursue their interests through a variety of alternatives outside the traditional classroom: independent study, tutorials, private lessons, and senior project. The faculty encourage students to use these learning formats when appropriate.

Accelerated Bachelor's-Master's Tracks

Gallatin offers students the possibility of completing the bachelor's degree and specific master's degrees in five years by taking graduate-level courses while enrolled in the undergraduate program. These accelerated programs are designed for academically strong students with an equally strong commitment to the specific areas of study. The options currently available to Gallatin students are:

Admissions

New York University's Office of Undergraduate Admissions supports the application process for all undergraduate programs at NYU. For additional information about undergraduate admissions, including application requirements, see How to Apply.

Program Requirements

The undergraduate program requires completion of 128 credits, comprised of the courses below. See Policies for program details and program-specific policies.

Course List
Course	Title	Credits
Gallatin Core Requirements
First-Year Interdisciplinary Seminar		4
First-Year Writing Seminar		4
First-Year Research Seminar		4
Interdisciplinary Seminars		16
Intellectual Autobiography & Plan for Concentration (IAPC)		0
Colloquium (Rationale & List of Works)		0
Remaining core credits may be taken in any Gallatin curricular area (course subject area ending -UG).		4
Liberal Arts Requirement
Humanities		8
Social Science		8
Mathematics or Science		4
Historical and Cultural Requirement
Premodern		4
Early Modern		4
Global Cultures		4
Critical Race Studies
Critical Race Studies course		4
Electives
Other Elective Credits		44-60
Total Credits		128

Sample Plan of Study

Below is one of many possible configurations for a plan of study for the Gallatin BA degree. Students may opt to take more or fewer credits throughout the semesters, but should be aware that completion of 32 credits per year ensures the completion of 128 credits in four years.

Courses listed below as "Other Course" may be additional Gallatin courses, or may be courses offered by other NYU programs. For more information on other NYU courses that may be open to Gallatin students, see NYU Academic Departments and Programs.

Plan of Study Grid
1st Semester/Term		Credits
First-Year Interdisciplinary Seminar		4
First-Year Writing Seminar		4
Other Course		4
Other Course		4
	Credits	16
2nd Semester/Term
First-Year Research Seminar		4
Other Course		4
Other Course		4
Math/Science (Gallatin course or other NYU course)		4
	Credits	16
3rd Semester/Term
Gallatin Interdisciplinary Seminar		4
Social Science (Gallatin course or other NYU course)		4
Critical Race Studies (Gallatin course or other NYU course)		4
Other Course		4
	Credits	16
4th Semester/Term
Gallatin Interdisciplinary Seminar (Global Cultures)		4
Humanities (Gallatin course or other NYU course)		4
Other Course		4
Other Course		4
Intellectual Autobiography & Plan for Concentration		0
	Credits	16
5th Semester/Term
Gallatin Interdisciplinary Seminar (Premodern)		4
Gallatin Interdisciplinary Seminar (Humanities)		4
Other Course		4
Other Course		4
	Credits	16
6th Semester/Term
Gallatin Interdisciplinary Seminar (Early Modern)		4
Social Science (Gallatin course or other NYU course)		4
Other Course		4
Other Course		4
	Credits	16
7th Semester/Term
Gallatin Elective (Independent Study or Internship)		4
Other Course		4
Other Course		4
Other Course		4
	Credits	16
8th Semester/Term
INDIV-UG 1905	Senior Project	4
Other Course		4
Other Course		4
Other Course		4
Colloquium		0
	Credits	16
	Total Credits	128

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will:

Learn how to forge their various and sometimes disparate intellectual and/or artistic interests into an individualized program of inquiry and learning that comprises their concentration. Student concentrations should demonstrate breadth, depth and coherence.
Gain proficiency in oral and written communication. They learn to write clear and well-developed analytical prose that reflects careful and complex thinking.
Learn the critical analysis of ideas, themes and texts from major historical, cultural, scientific and philosophical traditions.
Learn to become active learners in the classroom and to probe the relationship between the material they study in the classroom and the worlds outside of it – in the city and in the world beyond, in the domain of work beyond the classroom and in the professions they seek to enter.
Learn to approach their own lines of inquiry with creativity and rigor, which transcend traditional disciplinary and professional categories and via the conception and execution of individualized and innovative projects.

Policies

Program Policies

Undergraduate Core Requirement

The Core comprises both credit-bearing (32 credits) and non-credit bearing requirements.

Gallatin Courses

Students must complete 32 credits in Gallatin School courses, all of which contain the letters “UG” in the course subject area. In fulfilling this requirement, students must earn 4 credits in the *First-Year Interdisciplinary Seminar, 4 credits in *First-Year Writing Seminar, 4 credits in *First-Year or Transfer Student Research Seminar, and 16 credits in interdisciplinary seminars. Any remaining credits may be taken in any Gallatin curricular area (course subject area ending -UG).

Please Note:

The First-Year Interdisciplinary Seminar counts as an interdisciplinary seminar; thus first-year students who have completed a First-Year Interdisciplinary Seminar are only required to complete 12 credits in Interdisciplinary Seminars.
Students may not take the First-Year Interdisciplinary Seminar, First-Year Writing Seminar, First-Year Research Seminar or the Transfer Student Research Seminar on a pass/fail basis.

For Transfer Students:

Transfer students who enter with 32 or more credits may substitute another Gallatin interdisciplinary seminar for the First-Year Interdisciplinary Seminar.
Transfer students may satisfy the required First-Year Writing Seminar and First-Year Research Seminar with approved expository writing courses from other schools; this substitution does not reduce the required 32 credits in Gallatin courses.
Transfer students who must complete one or both seminars in Gallatin should consult with their transfer adviser.

Intellectual Autobiography and Plan for Concentration

Students are required to write a two- to three-page essay called the Intellectual Autobiography and Plan for Concentration by the end of the semester in which they complete the 64th credit toward the B.A. degree. Students who transfer into Gallatin with 64 credits must complete this requirement during their first semester at Gallatin (deadline: summer/fall admits – November 1; spring admits – April 1). Students write the essay in consultation with their adviser, and the essay must be approved by the adviser.

This essay has several purposes. First, students are expected to compose an intellectual history that describes the trajectory of their interests and education thus far. Second, students are asked to frame a plan for future study, including classroom course work and individualized projects. In constructing this essay, students should describe their educational experiences, the central idea or ideas informing their concentration, and the course work relevant to their concentration. Finally, this essay should be understood as an opportunity for students to reflect on how they learn as individuals and to consider what they find academically interesting and worthwhile.

For more information about this topic, see Intellectual Autobiography and Plan for Concentration.

Senior Colloquium

Rationale and List of Works

Students must successfully complete a final oral examination called the Colloquium, to occur preferably during the penultimate semester of the senior year. The Colloquium is an intellectual conversation between the student, the student’s primary faculty adviser, and one other member of the faculty about a selection of works representing several academic disciplines and historical periods. Under certain circumstances, a third committee member (an additional faculty member) can be included.

Both the Rationale and List of Works serve as the main focus of the discussion in the Colloquium. Students are required to submit (1) a five- to eight-page adviser-approved Rationale about the topic or topics to be discussed in the Colloquium and (2) a List of Works consisting of 20-25 works representing several academic disciplines and historical periods related to the theme or themes described in the Rationale. The Rationale and the List of Works must be formally approved by the student’s adviser, who may opt to request a second review by another member of the Gallatin faculty.

For more information on this topic see Colloquium and Rationale and List of Works web pages.

Liberal Arts Requirement

All students must complete the Liberal Arts requirement, which is distributed as follows: 8 credits in the Humanities; 8 credits in the Social Sciences; and 4 credits in either Mathematics or Science.

Liberal Arts Course Policies

Some Liberal Arts courses may also satisfy one of the Historical and Cultural requirements, and/or the Critical Race Studies requirement (for example, a course may satisfy the Humanities area of the Liberal Arts requirement, as well as the Early Modern area of the Historical and Cultural requirement, as well as the Critical Race Studies requirement). In this example, three requirements would be satisfied by the completion of a single course.
To fulfill the Liberal Arts requirement, students may take courses in Gallatin, as well as in several departments and programs in other schools of the University. A list of Gallatin interdisciplinary seminars that may be counted toward the Liberal Arts requirement is available on the Gallatin Courses page. A list of other NYU departments and courses that satisfy an area of the Liberal Arts requirement is available on the NYU Courses that Fulfill Gallatin Requirements page.
Please note that the following Gallatin courses do not fulfill any area of the Liberal Arts requirements: Individualized projects, including independent studies, tutorials, etc. (INDIV-UG), First-year program courses, including first-year interdisciplinary seminars and first-year writing and research seminars (FIRST-UG), Advanced writing courses (WRTNG-UG), Arts Workshops (ARTS-UG), Community Learning courses (CLI-UG), Practicums (PRACT-UG).
Courses taken to fulfill the Liberal Arts requirement may not be taken on a pass/fail basis. After admission, transfer students' prior coursework will be evaluated to determine which, if any, of the Liberal Arts requirements they have fulfilled. AP course credit/unit and credits earned from other similar programs may not be used to fulfill the Liberal Arts requirement.

Historical and Cultural Requirement

This requirement is designed to help students think historically—and culturally---about their concentration work. To that end, students are required to take at least 4 credits of coursework in the 'Premodern' period, 4 credits in the 'Early Modern' period, and 4 credits in ‘Global Cultures’ for a total of 12 credits. While some courses may satisfy multiple areas of the Historical and Cultural requirement (i.e. Global Cultures and Premodern), one course cannot be used to fulfill more than one area of the requirement (in this example, either Global Cultures or Premodern, but not both).

Pre-modern Period

The 'pre-modern' period traditionally extends from the world of antiquity, from the earliest records of human civilization up to the emergence of early modern social, political, and technological regimes (14th-16th centuries CE). It is common to include under this vast temporal umbrella such disparate phenomena as the ancient civilizations of the Mediterranean, the Middle East and South Asia; the societies and cultures of the European 'Middle Ages'; the Mayan and Incan civilizations of South and Central America; pre-Ming dynasty China; the Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphates of the Middle East, north Africa, and Spain. Students of the pre-modern world might expect to study (among many possibilities) Classical Greek philosophy and drama, Ancient Mediterranean wisdom Literature, Epic poetry and romance, the interplay of oral and written cultures, the Han legacy in the East, the Roman legacy in the West, heresy and the institutionalization of religion, the rise of Islam, crusade, the flourishing of scientific learning at Baghdad and Cordoba.

For a course to fill the pre-modern requirement, at least half of the semester's coursework should focus on this historical period. Courses that use this historical period as foundation or context for later historical periods do not fill this requirement.

**It is important to understand that 'pre-modern' and 'early modern' are categories created by Western scholars to describe cultural, political, social, and economic differences across vast periods of time. For this reason, these categories are not fixed, and they vary across disciplines and geographic regions. In other words, while the terms 'pre-modern' and 'early modern' can be useful for exploring the diversity and development of ideas across time, they also invite debate, discussion, and interrogation.

Early Modern Period

The 'early modern' period is understood to begin in many regions around the 14th century, and to continue to the 18th century, or, depending on geographic region, to the late 18th or 19th century CE. It describes the era from the invention of the printing press to the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, from the early contact of European explorers with the Americas to the American Revolution. It marks the beginning of world exploration and the expansion of world trade, the beginning of a global economic system; and the beginning of European colonialism, including the Atlantic Slave trade. It is common to associate this period with, for some examples, the European Renaissance, the Ottoman Empire, the Tokugawa Shogunate in Japan, the Ming and Qing Dynasties in China, colonial Latin America, the colonial and early revolutionary culture of the United States.

For a course to fill the Early Modern requirement, at least half of the semester's coursework should focus on this historical period. Courses that use this historical period as foundation or context for later historical periods do not fill this requirement.

Global Cultures

Gallatin students are required to stretch beyond the cultural context that is most familiar to them, and take (at least) 4 credits of coursework in classes dealing with the beliefs, practices, literatures, or intellectual traditions found in contexts beyond the boundaries of, in general, the United States and Europe. Students are encouraged to take classes that address the various contexts of Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, and the Middle East.

For a course to fulfill the Global Cultures requirement at least half (seven weeks) of the semester's coursework should focus on a single non-Western cultural context. Please note that courses focused on globalization, colonialism, or imperialism do not necessarily satisfy the requirement. While a course may cover other contexts, courses that fill this requirement will demonstrate a strong focus on a single non-Western context so that some depth of understanding can be achieved. Courses that survey a range of contexts with limited depth do not fulfill this requirement.

Historical and Cultural Course Policies

Some Historical and Cultural courses courses may also satisfy one of the Liberal Arts requirements, and/or the Critical Race Studies requirement (for example, a course may satisfy the Early Modern area of the Historical and Cultural requirement, as well as the Humanities area of the Liberal Arts requirement, as well as the Critical Race Studies requirement). In this example, three requirements would be satisfied by the completion of a single course.
To fulfill this requirement, students may take courses in Gallatin, as well as several other NYU departments and programs. A list of Gallatin interdisciplinary seminars that may be counted toward the Historical and Cultural requirement is available on the Gallatin Courses page. A list of other NYU departments and courses that satisfy the Historical and Cultural requirement is available on the NYU Courses that Fulfill Gallatin Requirements page.
Please note that the following Gallatin courses do not fulfill any area of the Historical and Cultural requirements: Individualized projects, including independent studies, tutorials, etc. (INDIV-UG), First-year program courses, including first-year interdisciplinary seminars and first-year writing and research seminars (FIRST-UG), Advanced writing courses (WRTNG-UG), Arts Workshops (ARTS-UG), Practicums (PRACT-UG).
Courses taken to fulfill the Historical and Cultural requirement may not be taken on a pass/fail basis. After admission, transfer students' prior coursework will be evaluated to determine which, if any, of the Historical and Cultural requirements they have fulfilled. AP course credit/unit and credits earned from other similar programs may not be used to fulfill the Historical and Cultural requirement.

Critical Race Studies Requirement

The Critical Race Studies 4-credit requirement is met by classes, across disciplines and intellectual traditions, that foreground race/racism and structures and practices that produce them. These classes will help students better understand how to unpack the racial grammar, sometimes visible and often latent, that shapes and constricts “knowledge” in different domains about that theme. This may entail focusing on how the legacies of racial and colonial violence have given rise to “common sense” notions about race, naturalizing uneven distributions of power, resources, cultural worth, and life chances.

Courses meeting this requirement address how modern race/racism emerged and attend to the flexibility and adaptability of ruling ideas about race in the U.S. and transnationally. Some courses allow students to examine how seemingly group-specific racial ideologies change across time and place, with attention to the ways in which racial thinking has led to dispossession, elimination, and social deaths of others. Other courses focus on decolonizing movements and cultures that have envisioned marginalized peoples as sources of social transformation and liberation. Regardless of their specific topics, courses meeting this requirement help students develop their concentrations by situating different ways of knowing in relation to historical and contemporary maps of racial power and privilege, local and/or global. Courses may examine political economies, cultural production, scientific knowledge, and people’s understanding of themselves and others.

Students must take (at least) 4 credits of coursework to fulfill this requirement. For a course to fulfill the Critical Race Studies requirement, at least half (seven weeks) of the semester’s coursework should focus explicitly on the above.

Critical Race Studies Course Policies

Some Critical Race Studies courses may also satisfy one of the Liberal Arts requirements and/or one of the Historical and Cultural requirements (for example, a course may satisfy the Critical Race Studies requirement, and the Humanities area of the Liberal Arts requirement, and the Early Modern area of the Historical and Cultural requirement). In this example, three requirements would be satisfied by the completion of a single course.
To fulfill the Critical Race Studies requirement, students may take courses in Gallatin, as well as in several departments and programs in other schools of the University. A list of Gallatin interdisciplinary seminars that may be counted toward the Critical Race Studies requirement is available on the Gallatin Courses page. A list of other NYU departments and courses that satisfy an area of the Critical Race Studies requirement is available on the NYU Courses that Fulfill Gallatin Requirements page.
Please note that the following Gallatin courses do not fulfill the Critical Race Studies requirement: Individualized projects, including independent studies, tutorials, etc. (INDIV-UG), First-year program courses, including first-year interdisciplinary seminars and first-year writing and research seminars (FIRST-UG), and Practicums (PRACT-UG).
Courses taken to fulfill the Critical Race Studies requirement may not be taken on a pass/fail basis. After admission, transfer students' prior coursework will be evaluated to determine if the Critical Race Studies requirement could be fulfilled by a transfer course. AP course credit/unit and credits earned from other similar programs may not be used to fulfill the Critical Race Studies requirement.

Other Courses

Courses listed as "Other Courses" may be additional Gallatin courses, or may be courses offered by other NYU programs. For more information on other NYU courses that may be open to Gallatin students, see NYU Academic Departments and Programs.

Additional Study Options

Independent Study

An independent study provides students with the opportunity to work one-on-one with a faculty member on a topic or creative project for the purpose of deepening or sharpening the student’s concentration. Independent Studies are student-generated. While they may arise out of coursework, they should not duplicate courses on oﬀer to undergraduates/graduate students at NYU. At the end of the semester all students are evaluated by the instructor and assigned a letter grade (A through F).

Before proposing an Independent Study, students and instructors should become familiar with the policies and procedures listed below. Faculty who are asked to mentor an Independent Study should also carefully review the Independent Study Instructor Guidelines below before agreeing to be a mentor.

Independent Study Policies for Undergraduate Students

INDIV-UG 1901 Independent Study

Student and Faculty Eligibility for a Gallatin Independent Study

Gallatin students may apply for a Gallatin Independent Study in the junior or senior year. First-year and sophomore students are not permitted to take an independent study
The Gallatin program is designed for a careful balance between independent and classroom experience. Undergraduate students may therefore register for no more than 8 credits in any combination of Independent Study (INDIV-UG 1901) and/or Tutorial (INDIV-UG 1925) during their undergraduate career.
Students enrolled in another NYU school are not permitted to apply for a Gallatin Independent Study.
Gallatin Independent Studies are offered for students in residence at the Washington Square campus only. Remote independent studies are not permitted. Students who will be studying at one of the NYU global locations may not enroll in any Gallatin Independent Study.
Only instructors employed by NYU and located at the Washington Square campus can be the instructor for a Gallatin Independent Study.
Students are required to submit an Independent Study Proposal form by the published deadline listed for each semester.
- For Summer and Fall: April 1
- For Spring: November 1
- Independent Studies are not offered in January term
Submission of a proposal does not guarantee approval.

Academic Requirements for an Independent Study

Independent studies are student-generated.
The independent study proposal cannot duplicate an existing class, nor may a student take a course as an independent study. If an NYU course exists that covers the content of a student's proposed independent study, the student is expected to enroll in the NYU class.
Independent studies may be taken for two, three or four credits.
The number of credits determines the number of readings and amount of work assigned. The work for an independent study, including readings, preparation, assignments, grading, and due dates, should be comparable to that of a Gallatin classroom course.
Independent studies do not fulfill any area of the liberal arts requirement, the historical and cultural requirement, or the critical race studies requirement.

Location, Grades, Deadlines

Meeting spaces for an Independent Study are identified and secured by the student and/or instructor. Please note that personal spaces (i.e. an apartment or dorm room) are not suitable. It is recommended that the instructor or student book an NYU space through Bobst Library.
Independent studies may be conducted during the Fall, Spring, and Summer terms. No Gallatin Individualized Projects are allowed in the January term.
Independent Studies are graded with letter grades (A through F).

Independent Study–Colloquium Preparation Policy for Undergraduate Students

INDIV-UG 1903 Independent Study-Colloquium Preparation

The policies for Independent Study–Colloquium Preparation are the same as those for Independent Study (INDIV-UG 1901) with the following exceptions:

Independent Study–Colloquium Preparation is offered only in the Fall and Spring semesters. Proposal deadlines are:
1. For Fall: May 1
2. For Spring: December 1
Independent Study–Colloquium Preparation may be taken for two credits only
Independent Study–Colloquium Preparation is graded Pass-Fail only
Independent Study–Colloquium Preparation does not count toward a student’s overall 8-credit limit for Independent Studies and Tutorials

Designing an Independent Study and Completing the Proposal

INDIV-UG 1901 Independent Study

Develop a description of the study: Like the course description in a college catalog, this part of the proposal should describe the general theme and scope of the independent study, and should not exceed 250 words.
Identify an appropriate instructor: Only instructors currently employed by NYU and located at the Washington Square campus can be the instructor for a Gallatin Independent Study.
Determine the number of credits: Generally, independent studies are two, three, or four credits.
Articulate the work to be evaluated by the instructor: The work for an independent study, including readings, preparation, assignments, grading, and due dates, should be comparable to that of a Gallatin classroom course for the same credits.
1. Readings: The student must provide a reading list with authors and titles along with the proposal, roughly equivalent to the following:
  1. 4 credits: 6-10 books
  2. 3 credits: 4-7 books
  3. 2 credits: 3-5 books
2. Written Work: The proposal should indicate the kinds of work (response papers, research essays, creative works, etc.), to be evaluated by the instructor. The scope, length, and number of assignments should be comparable to a similar classroom course, roughly equivalent to the following:
  1. 4 credits: 20-25 pages of written work
  2. 3 credits: 15-20 pages of written work
  3. 2 credits: 10-15 pages of written work
3. Independent Studies that produce creative work must also produce academic writing in the form of response papers or an essay that explains the creative work in relationship to the theories explored in the readings, roughly equivalent to the following:
  1. 4 credits: 8-10 pages of academic writing
  2. 3 credits: 6-8 pages of academic writing
  3. 2 credits: 4-6 pages of academic writing
Determine the syllabus: Instructors and students are expected to meet regularly throughout the semester. The student must provide a schedule of the meetings with the instructor, which includes the topics, the readings, and assignments to be covered during each session.
1. The required minimum number of meetings for independent studies of various credit values are:
  1. 4 credits: 7 meetings
  2. 3 credits: 5 meetings
  3. 2 credits: 4 meetings
Prepare other elements of the proposal. Students are asked:
1. to identify classroom courses on offer in the Independent Study’s area, and explain why these are not sufficient for the student’s needs;
2. to explain what motivates them to undertake this Independent Study and the relevance of the Independent Study for their concentration;
3. which courses they have taken to prepare them for this Independent Study.
Secure written approvals: Both the instructor’s and adviser’s approval of the proposal are required. While the instructor may agree to supervise the student’s work, the student’s adviser determines whether it is appropriate for the student to undertake an independent study. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that approvals are received by the deadline.
Meet the proposal submission deadlines and requirements: All components of the Independent Study proposal must be submitted by the deadline to be considered. Complete proposals are reviewed by the Gallatin Faculty Committee on Individualized Studies. Submitting a proposal does not guarantee approval.
Title of the Independent Study: It should be a useful, descriptive title that reflects the unifying theme and content of the study. It should not duplicate an existing NYU course. The title is limited to 26 characters including spaces and punctuation.

Independent Study Instructor Guidelines

Only instructors currently employed by NYU can be the instructor for a Gallatin Independent Study. All instructors must be located at the Washington Square campus. Before agreeing to work with a student on an independent study, instructors should review the above policies and processes.

Designing an Independent Study: Independent Studies are student-generated. While you should work with the student on developing appropriate readings, assignments, and timelines, the Independent Study should connect directly to a student’s concentration and should be driven by their interests.

Grading Student Work: In the fall and spring semesters, faculty are asked to complete both midterm progress assessments and final grades. For the summer semester, there is only a final grading period and the grades are due at the end of each summer session.

Confirmation and Payment: After a student submits the online Independent Study Proposal form, instructors will receive a copy of the proposal at the email address listed by the student on the form. Please verify that the information on the proposal is correct prior to emailing your approval.

Payment for the Independent Study is processed after the student has officially registered. Instructors are paid per credit for each student. An email confirming student registration and the payment amount will be sent to all instructors in the fourth week of the semester. Prior to this time, you should confirm student registration in Albert.

Please Note: Instructors should not begin working with students until the student is officially registered and appears in the instructor’s roster in Albert.

Tutorial

Tutorials are small groups of two to ﬁve students working closely with a faculty member on a common topic, project, or skill for the purpose of deepening or sharpening the students’ concentrations. Tutorials are student-generated. While they may arise out of coursework, they should not duplicate courses on oﬀer to undergraduates at NYU. Students may collaborate on creative projects as well. The tutorial group meets in person regularly throughout the semester, and students follow a common syllabus: all participants complete the same readings, write papers on similar topics, etc. At the end of the semester all students are evaluated by the instructor and assigned a letter grade (A through F).

Tutorial Policies for Undergraduate Students

INDIV-UG 1925 Tutorial:

Student and Faculty Eligibility for a Gallatin Tutorial

Submission of a proposal does not guarantee approval.
Gallatin students may apply for a Gallatin Tutorial in the junior or senior year. First-year and sophomore students are not permitted to take a tutorial.
The Gallatin program is designed for a careful balance between individualized and classroom experience. Undergraduate students may therefore register for no more than 8 credits in any combination of Independent Study (INDIV-UG 1901) and/or Tutorial (INDIV-UG 1925) during their undergraduate career.
Tutorial groups must include at least two students, but no more than a total of five students. At least two members of a Tutorial group must be Gallatin students.
Gallatin tutorials are offered for students in residence at the Washington Square campus only. Remote tutorials are not permitted. Students who will be studying at one of the NYU global locations may not enroll in any Gallatin tutorial.
Only instructors currently employed by NYU and located at the Washington Square campus can be the instructor for a Gallatin Tutorial.
Each student who wishes to participate in a tutorial is required to submit a Tutorial Proposal form by the published deadline listed for each semester.
1. For Summer and Fall: April 1
2. For Spring: November 1
3. Tutorials are not offered in the January term.

Academic Requirements for a Tutorial

Tutorials are student-generated.
The tutorial proposal cannot duplicate an existing class, nor may a student take a course as a tutorial. If an NYU course exists that covers the content of a proposed tutorial, the student is expected to enroll in the NYU class.
Tutorials may be taken for two, three, or four credits. All students enrolled in a tutorial must be enrolled for the same credits.
The number of credits determines the number of readings and the amount of work assigned. The work for a tutorial, including readings, preparation, assignments, grading, and due dates, should be comparable to that of a Gallatin classroom course.
Tutorials do not fulfill any area of the liberal arts requirement, the historical and cultural requirement, or the critical race studies requirement.

Location, Grades, Deadlines

Meeting spaces for a tutorial are identified and secured by the student and/or instructor. Please note that personal spaces (i.e., an apartment or dorm room) are not suitable. It is recommended that the instructor or student book an NYU space through Bobst Library.
Tutorials may be conducted during the Fall, Spring, and Summer terms. No Gallatin Individualized Projects are allowed in the January term.
Tutorials are graded with letter grades (A through F).

Designing a Tutorial and Completing the Proposal

INDIV-UG 1925 Tutorial:

Coordinate with at least one other student: Tutorial groups must include at least two students, but no more than a total of five students. At least two members of a tutorial group must be Gallatin students. Please note:
1. All students enrolled in the same tutorial must register for the same number of credits and follow the same syllabus.
2. Each student should submit their own proposal, and students in the same tutorial should coordinate the submission of their proposal forms; every student who wishes to join a tutorial must submit a proposal by the deadline.
Develop a description of the study: Like the course description in a college catalog, this part of the proposal should describe the general theme and scope of the tutorial, and should not exceed 250 words.
Identify an appropriate instructor: Only instructors currently employed by NYU and located at the Washington Square campus can be the instructor for a Gallatin Tutorial.
Determine the number of Credits: Generally, tutorials are two, three, or four credits.
Articulate the work to be evaluated by the instructor: The work for a tutorial, including readings, preparation, assignments, grading, and due dates, should be comparable to that of a Gallatin classroom course for the same credits.
Determine the syllabus: Instructors and students are expected to meet regularly throughout the semester. The student must provide a schedule of the meetings with the instructor, which includes the topics, the readings, and the assignments to be covered during each session.
Prepare other elements of the proposal. Students are asked:
1. to identify classroom courses on offer in the tutorial area, and explain why these are not sufficient for the student’s needs;
2. to explain what motivates them to undertake this tutorial and the relevance of the tutorial for their concentration
3. which courses they have taken to prepare them for this tutorial.
Secure written approvals: Both the instructor’s and adviser’s approval of the proposal is required. While the instructor may agree to supervise the student’s work, the student’s adviser determines whether it is appropriate for the student to undertake a tutorial. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that approvals are received by the deadline.
Meet the proposal submission deadlines and requirements: All components of the Tutorial proposal must be submitted by the deadline to be considered. Complete proposals are reviewed by the Gallatin Faculty Committee on Individualized Studies. Submitting a proposal does not guarantee approval.
Title of the Tutorial: It should be a useful, descriptive title that reflects the unifying theme and content of the study. It should not duplicate an existing NYU course. The title is limited to 26 characters, including spaces and punctuation.

Tutorial Instructor Guidelines

Only instructors currently employed by NYU can be the instructor for a Gallatin Tutorial. All instructors must be located at the Washington Square campus. Before agreeing to work with students on a tutorial, instructors should review the above policies and processes.

Designing a Tutorial: Tutorials are student-generated. While you should work with the student on developing appropriate readings, assignments, and timelines, the Tutorial should connect directly to a student’s concentration and should be driven by their interests.

Grading Student Work: In the fall and spring semesters, faculty are asked to complete both midterm progress assessments and final grades. For the summer semester, there is only a final grading period and the grades are due at the end of each summer session.

Confirmation and Payment: After a student submits the online Tutorial Proposal form, instructors will receive a copy of the proposal at the email address listed by the student on the form. Please verify that the information on the proposal is correct prior to emailing your approval.

Payment for the Tutorial is processed after the student has officially registered. Instructors are paid per credit for each student. An email confirming student registration and the payment amount will be sent to all instructors in the fourth week of the semester. Prior to this time, you should confirm student registration in Albert.

Please Note: Instructors should not begin working with students until the student is officially registered and appears in the instructor’s roster in Albert.

Senior Project

The Senior Project is a semester-long, four-unit, intensive independent research and/or creative project that students work on under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Projects often, although not always, take on themes or questions with which students engage in their colloquium or rationale, and they attempt to make a new scholarly or artistic contribution to their fields. Examples of Senior Projects include a paper based on original research, a written assessment of a community-learning initiative, or an artistic project (such as design-based work, art exhibit, or theatrical production) accompanied by an analytic essay (comprising artistic background, aims, and technique). They may also take other forms, depending on the student’s interests and abilities.

Students who have had their rationale approved and have completed or scheduled their colloquium by the application deadline in their first semester of their senior year may apply to do a Senior Project in the second semester of their senior year. The crucial question the Senior Project Committee asks is whether it will be possible for the student to complete the proposed project to a high standard in a semester. Thus the proposal should show that the student is well prepared for the project and has considered the tight timeline for completing it. Students who complete the best senior projects, as judged by the committee, will receive Gallatin honors (which are distinct from Latin or University honors, which are based solely on class rank as determined by GPA).

Senior Projects are distinct from Independent Studies in their selection, expectations, and potential to earn Honors; students whose Senior Project proposals are unsuccessful may consider scaling back their projects and pursuing them as Independent Studies. All questions about the Senior Project should be directed to the student's Senior Class Adviser.

Note: Students who will be studying at one of the thirteen NYU global locations may not enroll in the Gallatin Senior Project option (INDIV-UG 1905). Students are permitted to take only the courses listed in the NYU global site course offerings. Students should consult the specific site course offerings by linking to the site page from the Studying Abroad website.

Planning

Senior Projects are student-generated. Generally they are an opportunity to continue a sustained line of inquiry that the student has already begun. A Senior Project may grow out of a piece of work (a research paper, a creative writing piece, a CLI project, a stage production, an art exhibit, etc.) a student has done in a course, tutorial, or independent study. It may also derive from questions or ideas spurred by a student’s colloquium. Successful Senior Projects will involve significant preparation. As such students interested in pursuing a Senior Project are strongly encouraged to consult with their advisers early in their undergraduate program in order to plan for appropriate coursework and research well in advance. Indeed, students are strongly encouraged to consider undertaking an Independent Study in the semester prior to applying for a Senior Project, as a way to engage relevant secondary literature, formulate plausible research designs/creative processes, and generally lay the foundations for their potential Senior Projects.

Timing

Senior Projects may only be undertaken in the Fall or Spring semesters. Generally, students will complete Senior Projects in their final semester at Gallatin, following completion of their colloquia in their penultimate semester. Students planning to graduate in September should plan to complete Senior Projects in the preceding Spring semester.

Please note: Rationales are sent to second readers on the first of each month, and this process may take several weeks. The Senior Projects Committee strongly recommends that any students planning to propose a senior project submit their rationales for review before November 1 (if applying for a spring senior project) or April 1 (if applying for a fall senior project), in order to ensure that their rationales are approved and colloquia are scheduled prior to the review of senior project proposals.

Credits

The Senior Project is a four-credit course of study, requiring a minimum of seven contact hours between student and mentor during the course of the convening semester. The arrangement of contact hours will vary depending on the needs of the specific project and the student’s level of progress. Please remember that according to Gallatin policy, students may register for no more than eight credits per semester in any combination of independent study, tutorial, and/or Senior Project.

Requirements

While expectations for Senior Projects will differ depending on the nature of the work undertaken, certain minimum standards apply generally. In particular, all Senior Projects require a written component:

In general, research papers should be of substantial depth and length, and span approximately 40 pages. These papers should follow appropriate academic standards of documentation, argumentation, and analysis, as determined and developed in consultation with faculty mentors.
In general, artistic or design projects should be accompanied by essays of substantial depth and length – approximately 20 pages – that address the project’s background (locating students’ projects within a larger artistic or design context), artistic or design aims (articulating students’ goals in mounting a particular project, and explaining how the actual project met those goals), and technical issues (such as character development, stage design, storyline creation, directorial choices, etc), as determined and developed in consultation with faculty mentors.

Note: In some cases Senior Projects may require and in fact be designed as part of an ensemble or group (for instance a play where the Senior Project is stage direction, or an ensemble production where the Senior Project is a student’s individual performance, etc). However, all Senior Projects should be individually proposed and will be individually assessed by faculty mentors on their own merits.

Mentors

Students arrange to execute their Senior Projects under the guidance of an NYU/Wahsington Square faculty member. It is not possible for students to work with faculty members located at NYU study away sites. In most cases, students are already acquainted with the faculty mentor who will be supervising the study. The faculty mentor should help the student clarify the Senior Project proposal to ensure that it includes all necessary components. In the semester that the Senior Project is undertaken, faculty mentors meet regularly with the student to discuss readings and progress, as well as provide feedback on the development of the final product. At the end of the term, faculty mentors submit anecdotal grade reports that briefly describe and provide a final evaluation of the student’s work to accompany the assignment of a letter grade. Please note that faculty mentors wishing to nominate the student work for honors designation should do so no later than one week before the last day of classes.

Proposal

Only complete proposals will be considered. A completed Senior Project proposal will include the following elements:

Project Description

The description should be approximately three double spaced pages and should (a) describe the project, its expected output, and its scholarly or artistic aim(s), and (b) explain how you expect to successfully complete the project. While you must address all the questions below, you need not do it in any particular order.

State clearly the proposed research question or artistic aim(s) of the project. What is the contribution you hope to make? Describe your project’s relationship to your ongoing work or area of concentration. You must also clearly specify the expected output (e.g., a research paper, design project, or artistic project) and discuss the specific methods with which you will complete your project.
It is especially crucial that your proposal explicitly explain your preparation to carry out your project. First, because a Senior Project is only one semester long, it is not the time for learning new skills, but for practicing, implementing, and honing the skills you already have. What skills and methods do you require to complete the project, and where did you acquire them? For instance, if your project is archival, explain how you developed your archival skills; if it requires a certain artistic technique, state where you learned it; if it involves statistical analysis, say where you learned your statistical methods. Second, beyond methods, skills, and techniques, what intellectual or theoretical background does the project require and how did you develop this background? Describe both in paragraph form and in the annotated bibliography below the intellectual context of your project and where and when you did this preparatory work. Show us what’s in the current scholarly literature or artistic field and what’s absent and place your proposed project in respect to those presence and absences. Third, your proposal should show how you intend to complete your project in a semester. With your faculty mentor, create a list of milestones you will need to pass in order to complete your project, and include that list in your proposal together with estimated dates for when you will hit each one.

Annotated Bibliography or Relevant Works

The bibliography should situate a student’s project within a body of work in their field. This should include 8-12 books, articles, key documents, films, plays, catalogs, etc. Please provide the full citation and a short description of the relevance of each text or work to the proposed project.

Form

Completed Senior Project proposal form.

Approval and Registration

Enrollment in a Senior Project requires the approval of the Gallatin School. Students should submit completed Senior Project proposals to Gallatin’s Office of Student Services where it will be reviewed by Gallatin’s Senior Project Committee according to the deadline below. Proposals will be reviewed with an eye toward selecting projects of exceptional promise. The committee will evaluate proposals based on the following criteria:

clarity of project goal(s), mode of inquiry, and final product
project’s relation to concentration and course of study
feasibility of the project within one semester through an articulated timeline
clear articulation of student/mentor relationship, including schedule of meetings
the degree to which the project would culminate in an original artistic or scholarly work

Upon approval, students will receive a permission number required for registration from the Office of Student Services. Students may then register for the Senior Project on Albert, or in person if Albert is not available. Please note that students are responsible for the registration process.

Decisions regarding Senior Project proposals cannot be appealed. Proposals not selected as a Senior Project can be submitted as a non-honors track Independent Study. The Committee strongly suggests this option for students who are passionate about completing their proposed projects.

Evaluation and Honors

Evaluation

Each Senior Project will be evaluated by the faculty mentor for its ability to meet project aims as delineated in the project proposal as well as the degree to which the final product exemplifies original interdisciplinary work. Successful completion of the Senior Project will be noted in two ways: the student will receive a letter grade awarded by the faculty mentor for the course titled “Senior Project,” and upon graduation a notation will appear on the transcript listing the title of the Senior Project. All Senior Projects will also receive written evaluations from faculty mentors, submitted to the Gallatin Office of Student Services. Please note that the Senior Project may not be taken for a pass/fail grade.

Honors

To be considered for Honors:

Students should submit their completed project to their mentor no later than two weeks before the last day of classes.
Faculty mentors should evaluate and submit their nomination in writing to the Gallatin Senior Project Committee no later than one week before the last day of classes. Letters of nomination should provide a description of why the Senior Project merits Honors.

The Gallatin Senior Project Committee will review the project and award Honors to projects deemed exceptional according to the selection criteria. The Honors designation will appear on students’ transcripts.

Note: To be considered for Honors, Senior Projects comprised of limited run engagements that cannot be fully submitted as text – such as exhibits, stage productions, recitals, etc – require the student and faculty mentor to coordinate with the Gallatin Senior Project Committee to have the Project assessed by Committee members at a mutually convenient time and place. We regret that we cannot consider anecdotal reports of such Projects in awarding Honors.

Deadlines

Proposals: Senior Project proposals and final papers/projects must be submitted according to the following firm schedule of submission deadlines:

Fall Projects

Senior Project proposal due: May 1
To be considered for honors, student project is due to mentor: Two weeks prior to the last day of Fall classes
To be considered for honors, mentor nomination is due to Senior Project Committee: One week prior to the last day of Fall classes
For non-honors grading, student project is due to mentor: The last day of Fall classes

Spring Projects

Senior Project proposal due: December 1
To be considered for honors, student project is due to mentor: Two weeks prior to the last day of Spring classes
To be considered for honors, mentor nomination is due to Senior Project Committee: One week prior to the last day of Spring classes
For non-honors grading, student project is due to mentor: The last day of Spring classes

Internship

INDIV-UG 1801 Internship

At Gallatin, internships are a vital component of the academic program, offering students the opportunity to gain real-world work experience while earning course credit. Internships take place in diverse non-classroom environments, including cultural and community-based institutions, social justice organizations, and private companies. Through internships, students explore the connections between academic ideas and professional practices, developing skills and knowledge that may lead to future employment opportunities.

The Gallatin internship program is designed to align with students' academic goals and interests. Working closely with faculty advisers, students establish clear objectives for their internship experience and determine how it fits into their overall academic program.

More information is available about the Gallatin Internship.

Private Lessons

INDIV-UG 1701 Private Lesson

Gallatin Private Lessons permit students to earn academic credit for their studies at performing or visual arts studios in the metropolitan area. By studying with professional, New York City-based artist/teachers, students are offered the opportunity to learn and perfect their craft. Private lessons are available in a variety of areas such as voice, music, dance, acting, and the visual arts. Unlike private lessons offered elsewhere in the University, in Gallatin private lessons are arranged and paid for by the student.

Students interested in private music instruction may be able to register for a private lesson course offered by Steinhardt’s Music and Performing Arts Professions Department (MPAP). Steinhardt courses provide NYU instructors and have separate registration and academic requirements from the Gallatin Private Lessons course. Students interested in a Steinhardt private lesson should not follow the instructions on this page for Gallatin’s Private Lessons course. For more information, students should contact the department at MPAP-Registration-Services@nyu.edu.

Arranging Private Lessons

Private lessons require the approval of both the student's adviser and the Gallatin School. The student must submit the studio's brochure, (or the instructor's resume or curriculum vitae), before they can register for the course. Studios and instructors must meet the criteria of the Gallatin School.

Upon finding an appropriate studio or instructor, it is the student's responsibility to make arrangements for the lessons, including the schedule of lessons, registration for the course, and payment to the studio or instructor. Please note: The student is responsible for full payment to the studio or instructor for the cost of the lessons, as well as to New York University for the tuition expenses incurred by the number of private lesson course credits.

The number of credits for private lessons will be determined by the number of instruction hours per semester. The student must provide Gallatin with all details of the arranged lessons on the proposal form.

Private Lessons Policies

Undergraduate students may not take more than 24 credits in private lessons during their studies at the Gallatin School. Included in this total will be credits earned from Gallatin Private Lessons as well as credits earned from Steinhardt music courses noted as “individual instruction in the performing arts” (e.g., Participation in NYU Orchestra, Vocal Training (Private Lessons), etc.).
Students who will be studying at one of the thirteen NYU global locations may not enroll in the standard Gallatin Private Lessons option. Students are permitted to take only the courses listed in the NYU global site course offerings. Please consult the specific site course offerings by linking to the site page from the Studying Abroad website.

The Private Lesson Instructor

In addition to confirming the student's schedule of lessons, the Gallatin private lesson instructor must complete and return a written evaluation of the student's performance. The Private Lesson Performance Evaluation form will be sent to the private lesson instructor, who must return this form before the end of the semester. The instructor's evaluation of the student will be considered when the faculty adviser determines the final grade.

The Role of the Adviser

In addition to approving registration for private lessons, the faculty adviser is the grading instructor. The student should meet with the adviser at the beginning of the semester to discuss the required assignments (the student's journal and assessment paper), to set the due date for these assignments, and to arrange a schedule of meetings during the course of the semester. At the end of the term, an anecdotal grade report will be sent to the adviser requesting a brief description and final evaluation of the student’s work to accompany the assignment of the final grade. The student's grade will be based upon the journal, the paper, and the performance evaluation (see above). Private lessons are graded on a pass/fail basis only.

Student Responsibilities

In addition to taking private lessons, the student has two other responsibilities:

During the semester, the student must keep a daily or weekly journal which describes the student's studio work and artistic progress in the lessons.
At the end of the semester, the student must submit a two to three-page evaluative paper, developed from the journal. The paper is an artistic self-assessment documenting the student’s path of development over the course of the semester and should:
1. describe and summarize the nature of the work undertaken and the overall experience;
2. analyze how the private lesson training contributed to the student’s overall educational goals for the semester; and
3. discuss how it has prepared the student for the next level of artistic work.

Approval Process

Enrollment in private lessons requires the approval of the Gallatin School. Students should bring the completed proposal form to the Gallatin Office where it will be reviewed by the director of external programs. Upon approval, the director will give the student the 4-digit access code required for registration. The student may then register for the internship on Albert, or in person if Albert is not available. Please note: the student is responsible for the registration process.

Deadline for Submitting the Proposal

Students must adhere to the following deadlines for submitting a private lessons proposal to Gallatin:

Fall and Spring semester: the last day of the first week of classes
Summer Session: the first day of classes of the session

For more information, see Private Lessons (INDIV-UG 1701).

Classroom Credit Requirement

Students must complete at least 64 credits in classroom courses. Transfer credits from college courses generally count toward this 64-unit requirement, but independent study, tutorial, internship, and private lesson credits do not.

Graduate Course Credit for Undergraduates

The policy listed below may not apply to students taking graduate-level courses that count toward Gallatin's Accelerated BA-Master's programs. Students enrolled in a Gallatin Accelerated BA-Master's program should read the policy governing the graduate-level courses that count toward their specific program. Students can link to the policies from the Accelerated BA-Master's programs web page.

Some graduate courses at NYU are open to undergraduate students, and students may register for these classes on Albert after receiving adviser approval. For all other graduate courses, students must request permission from both their adviser and the department offering the course before being permitted to register.

Graduate courses count toward the 128 credits required for the BA degree, and the grades for these courses will be factored into the final GPA for the BA degree. Students should be aware that courses counting toward the BA degree cannot also be used to count toward a future advanced degree. Undergraduate students who are taking a graduate-level course that is not needed for the BA degree may request to exclude this course from their undergraduate program, which will prevent the course credits from counting toward the 128-credit requirement, and will exclude the grade from the semester and final GPA calculation. Requests to exclude graduate-level courses from counting toward the BA program must be made at the time of registration. Graduate-level courses that are excluded from the undergraduate program are available for future evaluation by another degree-granting program. Students can contact Gallatin's Office of Student Services for more information about excluding a graduate-level course from their undergraduate program.

Note: Gallatin undergraduate students who are participating in the BA-MA in Bioethics program, must request that graduate-level required Bioethics courses taken during the undergraduate program be excluded from counting toward the BA degree.

For graduates of Gallatin's BA program, 6 credits earned in graduate-level courses may be applied toward the Gallatin School MA program as transfer credit, providing that the credits earned are in excess of those used to meet the requirements for the undergraduate degree. Students must request that their course work be reserved for graduate credit at the time that they register for these courses. The transfer of credit is not automatic, and all courses must adhere to the transfer credit policies of the MA program.

Maximum Credit Limitations

Business Courses Maximum Credits

No more than 31 credits in business courses can count towards the Gallatin BA degree. This includes, but is not limited to: all courses in the Stern School; business courses in the School of Professional Studies, Tandon School of Engineering, NYU Shanghai, and NYU Abu Dhabi; and business courses transferred from other colleges and universities.

Individualized Projects Maximum Credit

Students may take a maximum of 8 credits in any combination of Independent Study (INDIV-UG 1901) and/or Tutorial (INDIV-UG 1925) during their studies at the Gallatin School.

Internship Maximum Credit

Students may take a maximum of 24 credits in internship during their studies at the Gallatin School.

Maximum Attempted Credits

Students are expected to satisfy all degree requirements and thus graduate in the semester in which they complete 128 credits. If unusual circumstances require additional course work in excess of 145 credits, the student may file a Petition to request permission to take extra credits for one additional semester only.

No student may attempt or earn more than 168 credits. This limit itself is a rarity--a student may reach it only through receiving approval via a Petition.

Maximum Credits Per Term

Students may register for a maximum of 18 credits per fall or spring semester, a maximum of 8 credits per six-week summer session, and a maximum of 4 credits for a two- or three-week intensive session (i.e., January or summer). Students may request permission to exceed this load, provided they have at least a 3.0 GPA, no incomplete or NR grades, and adviser approval. First-year students, students who do not meet the GPA requirement, and students with grades of incomplete and NR from previous semesters will be permitted to exceed the ordinary credit maximum only in rare circumstances. Students enrolling for more than 18 credits in fall or spring will be assessed additional tuition charges (see the website of the Office of the Bursar for additional tuition and fee charges).

Private Lessons Maximum Credits

Undergraduate students may take a maximum of 24 credits in private lessons during their studies at the Gallatin School. Included in this total will be credits earned from Gallatin Private Lessons (INDIV-UG 1701) as well as credits earned from Steinhardt music courses noted as “individual instruction in the performing arts” (e.g., Participation in NYU Orchestra, Vocal Training (Private Lessons), etc.).

Transfer Credit Maximum

A student may apply a maximum of 64 transfer credits toward the Gallatin degree. Included in this maximum are all credits earned prior to admission to Gallatin (including Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, Maturity Exam Certificate, etc.) and any non-NYU credits a student may be approved to take after matriculation at Gallatin. Please note: all Gallatin degree candidates must complete a minimum of 64 credits after matriculation at Gallatin and must satisfy all other degree requirements.

For more information about transfer credit, please see Transfer Credit and Articulation Agreements.

Petitions and Appeals

Students may petition to waive a rule or policy by submitting a Petition form, available by contacting Gallatin’s Office of Academic Support at gallatin.academicsupport@nyu.edu. In any case in which a student wishes to appeal a petition decision, the student may provide further information and request reconsideration of the decision in a letter of appeal to the Associate Dean.

Repeating Courses

Most courses may be taken one time only for credit toward the BA, unless the course has been approved to be repeated for credit.

Students seeking to improve their grade point average may retake a course that has not been approved as repeatable for credit. While both instances of the course and the grades for each will appear on the transcript:

only the later of the two grades will be computed in the grade point average, and
if credit was given the first time the course was taken, the student will not receive additional credit when the course is repeated.

Students should also be aware that certain graduate schools will count both grades in the average.

Total Credits and Time Limit for Completion of the Bachelor's Degree

To be eligible for the Bachelor of Arts degree, students must complete 128 credits and all degree requirements within 10 years of matriculating at Gallatin. A minimum of 64 credits must be completed after matriculation at Gallatin. Students are expected to satisfy all degree requirements and thus graduate in the semester in which they complete 128 credits. If unusual circumstances require additional course work in excess of 145 credits, the student may file a Petition to request permission to take extra credits for one additional semester only.

No student may attempt or earn more than 168 credits. This limit itself is a rarity--a student may reach it only through receiving approval via a Petition.

Students who are readmitted after an extended absence from NYU will have their records evaluated upon readmission to determine the remaining time permitted to complete the 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 Policies page.