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Non-NYU Study Abroad

Gallatin students who believe their concentrations would benefit from study outside of NYU’s global network may apply for approval to study at other institutions while matriculated at Gallatin. Approval is by no means guaranteed.

Through International External Study, students take classes at a university or program abroad. Programs may be found through search engines such as www.iiepassport.org.

Students seeking credit for non-NYU courses in New York City or other parts of the United States should consult the Domestic External Study website.


Course Guidelines & Limitations

All international external study courses must either be taken at an accredited four-year (or, for graduate students, graduate) degree-granting institution or must be recorded on a transcript issued by such an institution. The courses and/or program must relate to the student's Gallatin concentration.

Courses that will not be approved include some practical skills courses such as physical education, etc. Certain summer courses might not be approved. At this time, Gallatin does not grant credit for internships or online courses taken externally.

International external courses cannot duplicate courses already completed and passed on the student’s NYU transcript. Likewise, students who receive transfer credit for an international external course will lose the credit if they subsequently register for the equivalent course at NYU.

Fulfilling Requirements and Pre-requisites

Courses taken at another institution will not necessarily fulfill a pre-requisite for more advanced courses at NYU (e.g., language or science course sequence, etc.). Students seeking to use another university’s course to fulfill an NYU pre-requisite (for a minor or other reason) should confer with the NYU department requiring the pre-requisite.

International external courses might fulfill a Gallatin liberal arts or historical and cultural requirement; students may submit a petition before or after taking the course. However, external courses will not be eligible to fulfill other requirements (e.g., the First-Year Writing and Research Seminars, the Gallatin interdisciplinary seminar [IDSEM-UG] requirement, etc.).

Grade & Credit Guidelines

External study credits are considered transfer credits. Courses approved for transfer back to Gallatin must earn a letter grade equivalent to “C” or higher (undergraduates) or a "B" or higher (graduate students). No credit will be given for courses graded on a "Pass/Fail" basis. Grades for international external courses will not be computed into the student's NYU grade point average.

Generally, Gallatin students have a transfer and/or advanced standing (AP, IB, etc.) credit limit as follows: 64 for undergraduates; 6 for graduate students (included in the 12-credit maximum of transfer and course equivalency credit).

The amount of transfer credit awarded at NYU will be based on the number of credits or points earned at the external institution, as well as the length of that institution's academic term. For courses completed at institutions that do not use the US semester system, the credit amount will be recalculated according to US semester system credit values.

Student Eligibility

  • Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher and no active Incomplete grades.
  • Adviser approval is required. Before applying, undergraduates should consult with their faculty adviser about their study plans and graduate students should consult with their primary adviser and the Gallatin MA Program director.
  • Gallatin students on a leave of absence are generally not permitted to take courses for credit elsewhere. Should they desire to take a course for credit, they should contact their class adviser for information about the necessary pre-approval process.
  • Students who have been suspended for discipline reasons are ineligible.
  • Undergraduates must satisfy Gallatin's residency requirement (completing the final 32 credits in residence at NYU); students with extenuating circumstances may petition to be waived in the international external study application.
  • If international external study credits will cause students to exceed the transfer and/or advanced standing (AP, IB, etc.) credit limit indicated above, students might not be eligible to transfer additional credit; students must file a separate petition through Gallatin (contact Gallatin Global Programs for more information).

Financial Considerations

Students should be aware that they pay the external institution, not NYU, for courses taken externally. If you currently receive financial aid, please confer with NYU’s Office of Financial Aid to determine what portion of your aid package, if any, can be transferred to your program, but note that no NYU-specific aid can be transferred. Federal aid can sometimes be transferred to most programs sponsored by US colleges/universities and to some foreign institutions; if so, you will need to complete paperwork called a consortium agreement, available from the NYU Office of Financial Aid. Students may also research non-NYU financial aid opportunities that might help fund their studies.

Travel Preparation

Students should contact NYU's Office of Global Services well in advance of departure to determine immigration documentation that might be needed for their destination.

Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that travelers be up to date on routine vaccinations while traveling to any destination. Students are strongly advised to schedule a travel health consultation (offered at no cost) well in advance of departure with NYU’s Student Health Center to review vaccination and other important health recommendations for their destination.


Application

Students are strongly advised to contact Gallatin Global Programs well in advance of their intended international external study to ensure that their plans abide by Gallatin’s policies and procedures.

Students must complete the Gallatin international external study application, which is subject to approval by their adviser and Gallatin Global Programs. The application requires a 250-500-word statement in which the student explains the relevance of the external study to his/her concentration and how it will enhance his/her education.

Priority Deadlines

Students who meet the deadlines below will receive a decision within 10 business days of submission. Students who apply after these dates may experience a delay in obtaining a decision.

  • Fall: April 1
  • Spring: November 1
  • Summer: March 1

NOTE: Students must also apply separately to the external program (deadlines vary). Students may submit the Gallatin international external study application before or after applying to the external program.

Transferring Credit

International external courses are subject to the course, credit, and grade policies listed above. To receive transfer credit, the student must have the external institution send an official transcript directly to the following address:

Gallatin Office of Global Programs
411 Lafayette Street, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10003


Contact Info

NYU Gallatin Office of Global Programs
411 Lafayette St., 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10003
1 (212) 998-7133 phone
1 (212) 995-4265 fax
gallatin.global@nyu.edu


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