Juniors

    Welcome to junior year at Gallatin!

During the junior year, Gallatin students focus on developing a unique concentration, which they first articulate in their IAPC (Intellectual Autobiography and Plan for Concentration). A Gallatin concentration is based on a student’s academic and professional goals and is not simply a substitute for a traditional undergraduate major. On the one hand, students have a great deal of freedom in constructing their individualized concentrations. On the other hand, Gallatin expects that a concentration be an interdisciplinary exploration based on a generative idea. This theme or idea should be manageable in scope—neither too broad nor too narrow—and should be anchored by a central, substantial, inventive question or series of questions. In short, a successful Gallatin concentration is integrated, dynamic, and placed in a historical and cultural context. 

Some juniors also work toward completing cross-school minors such as “Media, Culture, and Communication” or “Computer Science,” just two of the many minors available at NYU. Other students may choose to study away at NYU programs in locations like LA, Prague, Ghana, and Tel Aviv. And many more take junior year to explore post-Gallatin possibilities by engaging in internships at recording studios, print publications, and financial firms, or by working on applications for summer research grants and national prestigious scholarships.

Another component of junior year is preparing for the Colloquium, Gallatin’s senior year capstone event. The Colloquium is an intellectual conversation among four people—the student and three members of the faculty—about a selection of texts representing several academic disciplines and historical and cultural periods. The Colloquium provides an opportunity for students to reflect on their concentrations and to synthesize their experiences at NYU both inside and outside the classroom. 

As a junior, how do I best prepare for senior year? 

In order to prepare for the Colloquium, juniors are encouraged to begin the work of compiling a list of twenty to twenty-five books, articles, or works of art that will serve as points of departure for their Colloquium conversation. The student gives context to this "List of Works” by writing a brief document called the “Rationale,” which describes the themes, concepts, and questions to be discussed in the Colloquium.

In addition, rising seniors will be required to register for COLLQ-UG during the semester in which they complete their Colloquium. This two-credit degree requirement formalizes the time and effort needed to successfully prepare for the Colloquium. As juniors, students should work closely with their Primary Adviser to assemble the List of Works, begin the Rationale, and plan to register for COLLQ-UG.

What's a Primary Adviser? 

A Primary Adviser is a faculty member who works with students to plan their schedule and ensure that their program of study has depth, breadth, coherence, and those additional elements that will help them reach their career and educational goals. Relatedly, Class Advisers provide a secondary layer of academic support by specializing in matters of policy and proceduree at Gallatin. Come meet with us!

Contact your Class Adviser

Irene Morrison-Moncure, PhD (imm270@nyu.edu)

For information on the Rationale/Colloquium process, please visit the Colloquium page.

Colloquium Preparation Podcast Series

Missed a workshop? Studying away? Listen below to stay in the loop about this important senior year requirement.