Degree Requirements

Students are bound by the degree requirements in effect during the first semester in which they matriculate at Gallatin.  The Office of the University Registrar calculates each student’s progress toward the Bachelor of Arts degree and generates a degree progress report, which students can access through Albert, NYU’s online student record and registration system.

Note: If you matriculated prior to Summer 2011, please reference the Degree Requirements Archive.

Degree Requirements, Effective Summer 2011

A more extensive explanation of each degree requirement can be found below the chart, or by clicking on each topic.

Understanding Your Degree Requirements

Total Units

To be eligible for the Bachelor of Arts degree, students must complete 128 units within 10 years of matriculating at Gallatin. A minimum of 64 units must be completed after matriculation at Gallatin.

Academic Good Standing

Students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 to remain in academic good standing. A final minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 is required for graduation. For more information about academic standing, see Academic Standing.
Please note: Academic good standing is not the same as satisfactory academic progress. Satisfactory academic progress refers to the number of credits a student must complete in a given year to maintain eligibility for financial aid. Please see the Web site of the Office of Financial aid for more information on satisfactory academic progress. 

Undergraduate Core (UG) Requirement

Students must complete 32 units in Gallatin School courses, all of which contain the letters “UG” in the course subject area. In fulfilling this requirement, entering first-year students and transfer students with fewer than 32 credits must earn 4 units in the First-Year Interdisciplinary Seminar, 4 units in First-Year Writing Seminar, 4 units in First-Year or New Student Research Seminar, and 16 units in interdisciplinary seminars. 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 units in Interdisciplinary Seminars. Student may not take the First-Year Interdisciplinary Seminar, First-Year Research Seminar, or the New Student Research Seminar on a pass/fail basis.

Any remaining units may be taken in other Gallatin curricular offerings, including additional interdisciplinary seminars, advanced writing courses; arts workshops; community learning courses; travel courses, and individualized projects (independent studies, tutorials, internships, and private lessons).

Students transitioning to Gallatin from The Liberal Studies Core Program of the Faculty of Arts and Science prior to summer 2013 are required to complete a minimum of 24 units in Gallatin, 16 of which must be earned in interdisciplinary seminars. Students transitioning to Gallatin from The Liberal Studies Core Program of the Faculty of Arts and Science in or after summer 2013 are required to complete a minimum of 32 units in Gallatin, 16 of which must be earned in interdisciplinary seminars.

Foundation Requirement

All students must complete a foundation requirement, which is comprised of two areas: the liberal arts foundation and the historical and cultural foundation. The liberal arts foundation must be distributed as follows: 8 units in the humanities; 8 units in the social sciences; and 4 units in either mathematics or science. The historical and cultural foundation must be distributed as follows: 4 units in the pre-modern period, 4 units in the early modern period, and 4 units in global cultures.  Courses taken to fulfill the foundation requirement may not be taken on a pass/fail basis. 

Please note some courses may satisfy more than one requirement (for example, a course may satisfy the humanities area of the liberal arts requirement, as well as the pre-modern area of the historical and cultural foundation). In this example, both requirements would be satisfied by the completion of the one course. However, please note that students are expected to complete one course in each of the areas of historical and cultural requirement for a total of 12 units. Thus while some courses may satisfy multiple areas of the historical and cultural foundation (i.e. global cultures and pre-modern), only one of these areas will be counted toward the requirement (in this example, either global cultures or pre-modern, but not both).

Transfer students will have their transcripts reviewed on admission to determine which, if any, of the foundation requirements they have fulfilled. AP course credit and credit earned from other similar programs may not be used to fulfill the foundation requirement.

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 unit toward the B.A. degree. Students who enter with 64 transfer credits are required to complete the Intellectual Autobiography and Plan for Concentration by the end of theirfirst semester at Gallatin. 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. 

Classroom Credit Requirement

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

Residency Requirement

Students must complete their last 32 units at NYU, either by taking courses at NYU in New York City or in an NYU program abroad. Students who wish to study abroad through a school other than NYU or who wish to take courses outside of NYU should therefore do so before they complete 96 units. Such arrangements require prior permission, which may be requested by submitting a Petition form to the Office of Academic Advising.

Senior Colloquium

Students must successfully complete a two-hour presentation and discussion with the student’s adviser and two other faculty members on a list of 20 to 25 books chosen by the student.

For more information about this topic, see Colloquium.

Transfer Credits

In general, students may apply a maximum of 64 transfer credits toward their Gallatin degree. Included in this maximum are all credits earned prior to admission, as well as any non-NYU credits a student may be approved to take after matriculation to Gallatin. Please note all degree candidates in Gallatin must complete a minimum of 64 units after matriculation to Gallatin, and must satisfy all other degree requirements.

Course Equivalency

Undergraduate students may earn a maximum of 32 course equivalency credits for professional experiences they have had before matriculating in Gallatin. Please note: Course equivalency credits will be applied toward the transfer credit limit. The number of course equivalency and transfer credits may not exceed 64 units.

The process of receiving credit begins with the compilation of an extensive portfolio documenting the student’s learning experiences prior to Gallatin matriculation and ends with a rigorous evaluation process by NYU faculty. Students must demonstrate through the portfolio that they have mastered the material they would have learned in comparable NYU courses.

Course equivalency credit does not count toward the undergraduate residency requirement and should therefore be submitted in time to be evaluated before the senior year. Credits will not be evaluated for undergraduate students who intend to graduate with more than 128 units.

To begin the process of applying for course equivalency credit, students should consult the director of external programs about the rules and regulations governing the course equivalency process.

For more information on course equivalency and procedures and guidelines, please visit the Colloquium page.