Student Services

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Registration

Registrar’s Office

The NYU Shanghai Registrar’s office provides academic services and information on registration throughout the year. Any student with a question or problem is invited to come to the Registrar’s office at N928 for assistance or to view its website at shanghai.nyu.edu/academics/registration. Office hours are weekdays from 9:00am to 11:30am, and 1:00pm to 5:30pm.

Students can complete their initial registration through Albert, NYU’s online registration system, at home.nyu.edu. Students can also use Albert to make later adjustments to their schedule.

Program of Study 

NYU Shanghai students will take 128 credits of coursework to graduate; these courses will be distributed among core curriculum requirements, major requirements, and general electives. Students will typically complete the core curriculum during their first two years and the bulk of their major requirements during their second two years. Students considering some of the STEM majors (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), however, may take longer to complete the core courses since they must begin taking required courses in their intended major as early as the first semester.

New Students

Newly admitted students will complete an online academic advising module early in the summer to prepare for upcoming registration and course selections. A few weeks before registration, students will be assigned an academic advisor, with whom they can meet individually to discuss their class schedule, course planning, and any academic questions they may have. Additional summer advising programs will be hosted to support new students' academic transition to college. 

Continuing Students

Students currently enrolled in NYU Shanghai register in November for the spring term and in April for the fall term. Before registering, students should plan a provisional schedule and put it in the “shopping cart” function of Albert. They should also discuss their program and courses with their advisor, who then clears them for registration. Students may use the “validate” function in Albert to validate all of the courses they would like to enroll in before their appointed registration time. At the appointed time or thereafter, students access Albert to finalize the course enrollment process. Students should complete registration by paying their tuition and fees. Online tuition statements and payment options are available through the Office of the Bursar. Students are also responsible for clearing other registration holds such as library holds.

Health Insurance and Immunization Policy

All full-time students must be in compliance with NYU Shanghai’s health insurance and immunization requirements. For pre-registration immunization requirements, please see Shanghai Students. If a student fails to comply, the student will not be allowed to register for classes until he or she is in full compliance. If the student does not receive clearance to register before the registration deadline for the semester, he or she will not be able to register and take classes until the next semester that they are in compliance. This policy includes first semester freshmen entering NYU Shanghai. The health insurance and immunization requirements of some study away sites and portal campuses may vary from those at NYU Shanghai. Students must be in compliance with those requirements during their semester abroad in order to be eligible for studying away at that site or campus.

Academic Advising

Academic advising is the process through which NYU Shanghai provides the necessary resources for students to make thoughtful choices in their academic studies. The primary purpose of academic advising is to assist students as they develop meaningful educational plans compatible with their life goals. Although the NYU Shanghai curriculum is well-defined, there will be opportunities, both within and beyond curricular constraints, for students to participate in courses and activities that support their academic and personal development.

While the ultimate responsibility for making decisions about life and educational plans rests with each individual student, academic advisors and faculty mentors assist students by suggesting options and by discussing possible outcomes of the choices they make. Students can expect that their academic advisors and faculty mentors in the majors will help them:

  • Define academic goals and evaluate progress towards those goals;
  • Understand academic policies and requirements, provide guidance during course selection, and provide help with identifying other meaningful educational experiences;
  • Identify institutional and community support services for assistance if necessary;
  • Monitor progress as they move through the undergraduate program.

Each semester, students are required to communicate with their academic advisor (and first and second year students to meet with their advisor) to review their registration plan for the following semester and ensure that they are making normal progress towards their degree. It is the individual student’s responsibility to make certain that he or she fulfills the requirements for graduation.
 
A first year advising program provides individual advising for new students entering in August. Each student is assigned an advisor who can provide information and support during the transition to college. The advisors serve as a liaison with other offices and can make referrals when appropriate. Advisors are therefore the best source for students to visit when they are unsure of where to go for help. Throughout the year, students needing additional assistance may also make an individual appointment with the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs.

The Academic Resource Center

The Academic Resource Center (ARC) provides tutoring services to students looking to reach their highest academic potential. Students can schedule a meeting through WCOnline, or drop by the ARC, for the following:

  • Individual and small-group tutoring in over 30 Math, Computer Science, Sciences, Business, Economics, Interactive Media Arts, and Chinese Language courses
  • Individual writing, speaking, reading, and listening consultations at any stage of the learning process
  • Academic skills coaching in areas such as critical reading, note-taking strategies, goals setting and time management
  • Workshops on writing, close reading, presentation, time management, etc.

Students are also welcome to study on their own in the comfortable, supportive atmosphere of the Academic Resource Center.

Center for Career Development

The NYU Shanghai Center for Career Development (CCD) offers innovative and personalized career education and guidance to all undergraduate and graduate students. Guided by NYU's educational philosophy of liberal arts, commitment to research, and objective to nurture global citizens, the center encourages students to actively explore their career interests and enhance their global employability. Additionally, the center works closely with employers, alumni, and professors, connecting students with a wealth of resources and opportunities to support their career development goals.

Individual Appointment

Students may sign up for individualized appointments with a career coach throughout the year on Handshake. An appointment with a career coach can help students with any of the following topics:

  • Identifying and exploring career interests;
  • Setting professional goals and developing an individual timeline;
  • Effectively searching for internships and jobs in a particular field;
  • Editing resumes and cover letters;
  • Participating in a mock interview;
  • Performing assessments to identify strengths, skills and interests;
  • Exploring preprofessional and graduate school options.

CareerLab

Students have access to a series of career online courses, a variety of useful digital platforms and resources in the CareerLab, which support their career development at different stages.

Besides coaching appointments, students may find many other ways to gain professional skills and build connections to expand their network. The CCD offers robust career-related programming during the academic year including; career speakers, industry panels, skills workshops, alumni mentor matching, internship grants, and much more. Some of the highlighted programmes include: Career Fairs, Career Kick Start Workshops, Distinguished Industry Speaker Series, NYU Executive Alumni Mentor Program, I AM LIMITLESS Conference, Industry Interest Groups, Diversity and Inclusion Career Hub, and Social Impact Internship Grant.

Experiential Learning

One defining characteristic of the NYU educational experience is the opportunity students have to apply their classroom learning to real-life experiences in a variety of professional and community service settings. Shanghai provides such opportunities in abundance, and NYU Shanghai takes full advantage of its location in one of the financial, cultural, scientific, and media capitals of the world.

Many different types of opportunities are available to students; some involve volunteerism on the part of a student and some may be paid positions. Depending on their professional goals, students may choose to pursue off-campus internships, community service positions, research projects, competitions, conferences, and many other opportunities. For the purpose of securing and making the most of such opportunities, students should consider the following guidance.

Internship Regulations

The visa requirements of the People’s Republic of China do not allow international students to hold off-campus part-time jobs or paid internships. International students who wish to participate in off-campus internships must follow the Internship Registration Process to ensure that the position meets legal criteria and is registered with the Chinese government. There are currently no restrictions on Chinese national students participating in paid positions.

Voluntary or Community Service

Certain organizations encourage students to work on a volunteer basis to gain experience and to provide needed assistance to the organization. This type of arrangement is common, for example, in government and not-for-profit organizations. Such internships are valued, sometimes even required, for admission to some professional schools, but NYU Shanghai awards no credit for them.

Community Engagement

NYU Shanghai supports community-engaged learning components in academic courses and facilitates academic service learning experiences. We encourage students to seek out opportunities during their college career to apply their academic learning to understanding real world needs and interacting with local communities in the city of Shanghai and beyond. These include faculty-led immersive learning trips and experiential learning opportunities that enhance academic study and research.

Preprofessional, Accelerated and Specialized Programs

Premedical and Health Studies Program

It is important to understand that health-related preprofessional training does not require students to major in science or math. Students may elect to major in any discipline and complete the courses needed to apply for health-related professional schools in parallel. They should choose a disciplinary major that they will enjoy and in which they will excel. If they enjoy the sciences, choosing a major in those areas may be the right decision for them. If, however, they have other interests or talents, they will demonstrate their versatility and increase their chances of excelling by pursuing a major in their area of interest along with completing the premedical and health curriculum.

NYU Shanghai, like many American colleges and universities, does not offer premedical, predental, or other prehealth majors. In fact, the best professional schools want, above all, students with a broad education who can think clearly, read critically, and write well.

Academic advisors and faculty mentors help students to explore their options, advise them about programs and appropriate course selection, and help them to present the best possible application to professional schools. Students should be aware that it is extremely difficult for applicants who are not U.S. citizens or permanent U.S. residents to gain admission to medical school in the U.S. Other health professional schools in the U.S. have more hospitable admissions policies, such as schools of dentistry and MD/PhD programs.

The following NYU courses are equivalent to the basic set of requirements most medical schools in the U.S. request. In general, most medical schools will expect applicants to have completed one year of biology, one year of  physics, and two years of chemistry (through organic chemistry). However, specific medical schools may have additional requirements or modifications to those listed here. Students should carefully research the schools they are interested in for more information.

Suggested Courses for Application to Medical School:

  • Foundations of Physics I & II Honors/General Physics I & II
  • Foundations of Physics Lab I & Physics Lab II
  • Foundations of Chemistry I & II
  • Foundations of Chemistry I Lab & Chemistry II Lab
  • Foundations of Biology I & II
  • Foundations of Biology Lab
  • Organic Chemistry I & II
  • Biochemistry I

In addition, many schools expect students to have taken the following courses:

  • Calculus
  • One Statistics Course (e.g., Probability and Statistics, Biostatistics)
  • Introduction to Psychology
  • Introductory sociology course (e.g., Introduction to Sociology, Sociology of Medicine, Health & Society in a Global Context)
  • Two writing courses. These courses cannot include Creative Writing and need to focus on writing or interpreting advanced texts. They may be a combination of one or two Humanities or Global China Studies courses focused on writing.

Pre-law Program

Prospective law students are free to choose from the wide variety of courses offered at NYU Shanghai. NYU endorses the position of the Association of American Law Schools that a single “best” preparation for law school cannot be recommended. As a result, there is no prescribed pre-law curriculum.

Purpose of Pre-law Study: While NYU Shanghai considers the prescription of particular courses unwise, it does advise taking courses that require extensive reading, research, and writing. The Core Curriculum is an excellent beginning for pre-law students as it offers a rigorous and multidisciplinary foundation for advanced study in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. No matter what one majors in, law schools value a well-rounded liberal arts education, so students should choose their electives wisely. For example, the precision of methodology and thought required of students in mathematics, computer science, logic, and the natural sciences will aid in the development of analytic skills, while a background in the behavioral sciences and the humanities (such as politics, economics, history, literature, philosophy, anthropology, and sociology) will offer a deeper understanding of human institutions and values, as well as opportunities for critical thinking and writing.

Counseling

Student Health Center

The Student Health Center is available for all students and no appointment is necessary. Counseling services are free on a voluntary basis for any student enrolled in NYU Shanghai. When necessary, medication and outside referrals are available. All conversations are kept strictly confidential. The Student Health Center wellness counselors provide health-related advice and assistance in workshops, as well as in group and individual counseling.

The social and emotional conflicts that occur in a person’s life occasionally prevents an individual from functioning optimally. Concerns about interpersonal relationships, poor grades or other academic problems, feelings of inadequacy, anxiety, loneliness, sexual problems, eating disorders, substance abuse, and family and/or marriage conflicts are difficulties any individual might encounter. Wellness counselors provide an atmosphere where personal concerns can be examined and discussed freely and confidentially.

The Student Health Center at NYU Shanghai is committed to promoting a safe, informed, healthy and happy university community, by providing an array of professional services tailored to support our student’s needs during their university life at NYU Shanghai. The Student Health Center is located on the 6th floor of the academic building and is open Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. The Center is staffed by highly trained professionals who are focused on supporting the needs of students.

The Student Health Center’s programs address the issues impacting students from a physical, emotional and health knowledge perspective and provide activities and resources that empower the students to achieve their academic potential.

The transition to adulthood and the navigation of college life presents wonderful opportunities, but can sometimes cause stress and varying emotions. We are also mindful of the great opportunities and added challenges of being a student in a mega city like Shanghai.
 
The Student Health Center provides medical and counseling support and promotes health knowledge through skills focused training and learning workshops in a warm and welcoming environment. All health services are confidential and offered to students free of charge. Walking-in hours and professional counseling appointments are offered to all students.

The Wellness Exchange is a 24 hour counseling hotline - all students can call for support. Tel: 021 2059 9999

Students with Disabilities

NYU is committed to providing equal educational opportunity and participation for students with disabilities. It is NYU Shanghai’s policy that no qualified student with a qualified disability be excluded from participating in any NYU Shanghai program or activity, denied the benefits of any NYU Shanghai program or activity, or otherwise subjected to discrimination with regard to any NYU Shanghai program or activity.

The Moses Center for Student Accessibility in New York determines qualified disability status and assists students in obtaining appropriate accommodations and services. The Moses Center operates according to an Independent Living Philosophy and strives in its policies and practices to empower each student to become as independent as possible. Their services are designed to encourage independence, backed by a strong system of support.

Students who need a reasonable accommodation based on a qualified disability are required to register with the Moses Center for assistance. They should contact shanghai.academicaccommodations@nyu.edu with any questions about registering.

Orientation 

Orientation will be held in Shanghai in the week  prior to the start of the fall semester. The primary goals of this program are: to help new students smoothly transition to college life by introducing students to NYU Shanghai’s liberal arts and sciences curriculum; provide information and resources to help students settle down in a new living and learning environment; help students get to know their peers; and foster an understanding and appreciation of the diverse community at NYU Shanghai. In addition to lectures and panels on academic and university resources, students will also benefit from a series of fun events, dialogues  and tours during the orientation week.