Students are bound by the degree requirements in effect during the first semester in which they matriculate at Gallatin. The requirements listed below are effective for students matriculating in Summer 2013 and later. Students who matriculated in Spring 2013 or earlier should consult the Degree Requirements For Students Who Started in Spring 2013 and Earlier.
For more in-depth information about the Gallatin Curriculum (including descriptions of the core courses), please visit this page.
A more extensive explanation of each degree requirement can be found by selecting the relevant hyperlink.
• Proseminar, 4 units (Must be completed before earning 12 units.)
• Additional Gallatin Graduate Course, 4 units
• Thesis Proposal Seminar, 2 units (Must be completed after earning at least 12 units and before earning 24 units.)
• Master’s Thesis I, 2 units
• Master's Thesis II, 2 units
Elective graduate-level courses are offered at Gallatin or other NYU schools, or Gallatin individualized projects (see Individualized Projects limitations below)
Approved thesis proposal and successful completion and defense of a research, artistic, or project thesis.
14 units minimum required (excluding Graduate Core)
1) The program is offered in person.
2) While enrolled in Gallatin, 28 units must be earned at NYU.
A final minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0
Graduate-Level Courses - Students will not receive credit toward the master’s degree for undergraduate courses
Individualized Projects - 12 units maximum permitted (not required) in the combined total of the following courses:
• Independent Studies
• Tutorials
• Internships
• Private Lessons (maximum of 6 units in Private Lessons may be applied to the MA)
Transfer Credit/Course Equivalency Credits - 12 units maximum accepted (not required) in the combined total of transfer and course equivalency credits
Time Limit for Completion of the Master’s Degree – 6 years from the semester of admission
To be eligible for the Master of Arts degree, students must complete 40 units within six years of matriculating in Gallatin. Graduate students will not receive credit toward the master’s degree for undergraduate courses. While students are generally not permitted to exceed the required number of units for the degree, if there are unusual circumstances requiring additional course work in excess of 40 units, the student may petition the MA Program Committee to take the extra units.
All students are required to take 14 units in the five Gallatin Core courses:
1. Gallatin Proseminar (CORE-GG 2001-2099), 4 units - (Students are required to complete the Proseminar before earning 12 units. Students who have not completed the Proseminar within the first 12 units may be prevented from registering for future courses until this course has been completed.)
2. Additional Gallatin Graduate Course, 4 units - can be fulfilled by one of the following:
• A Gallatin graduate elective course (ELEC-GG)
• A second Proseminar (CORE-GG 2001-2099) - (This course cannot also be used to fulfill the Proseminar requirement. To fulfill this area with a Proseminar, the student must have completed two different proseminars.)
• A Gallatin Indep.endent Study (INDIV-GG 2901) or Tutorial (INDIV-GG 2925) - (internships and private lessons will not fulfill this requirement)
• A graduate-level class offered by a Gallatin instructor at, or in conjunction with, another NYU department or program.
3. Thesis Proposal Seminar (CORE-GG 2401), 2 units - (Students are required to complete the Thesis Proposal Seminar after earning at least 12 units and before earning 24 units. Students who have not completed the Thesis Proposal Seminar within the first 24 units may be prevented from registering for future courses until this course has been completed.)
4. Master’s Thesis I (CORE-GG 2402), 2 units
5. Master’s Thesis II (CORE-GG 2403), 2 units
Students complete 26 units in elective graduate-level courses offered by Gallatin or other NYU schools, or Gallatin individualized projects. Gallatin students may take courses throughout the graduate degree-granting programs of NYU. It should be noted that some courses have prerequisites, and others may be limited to students in their respective departments. Graduate students will not receive credit for undergraduate course work.
The culmination of the student’s work at Gallatin is the master’s thesis. To fulfill this requirement, students must have an approved thesis proposal and must complete and successfully defend a research, artistic, or project thesis.
Classroom learning is an essential component of the program, giving graduate students the opportunity for intellectual exchange with their peers. All Gallatin graduate students are required to earn a minimum of 14 units in classroom courses. The Graduate Core courses do not count towards the classroom unit requirement as they form a separate requirement. Transfer credit and a portion of course equivalency credit generally count toward this requirement. Individualized projects (independent studies, tutorials, internships and private lessons) do not count toward this requirement.
1) In the first semester of enrollment, students are required to be in attendance on campus in New York. Students are not permitted to begin the program remotely.
2) A minimum of 28 units must be earned at NYU while the student is enrolled in the Gallatin School.
Graduate students are considered to be in academic good standing when their current and cumulative grade point averages are above 3.0 (B average) and if they have not accumulated an excessive number of incomplete grades. Students should also maintain satisfactory progress toward their degree by completing, with satisfactory grades, more than half of the courses and units for which they register in any semester. Students newly admitted are presumed to be in academic good standing, unless they were admitted on a probationary status.
Students whose grade point average or accumulation of incomplete grades suggests potential problems may receive an informal letter cautioning them about their situation and advising them to speak with their adviser; this notification does not appear on the students’ academic record. Students who are not in good standing may be placed on academic probation. To learn more about probation, please consult the Gallatin Academic Standing, Graduate web page.
Students will not receive credit toward the master’s degree for undergraduate courses. Courses that contain -G* in the subject area (e.g. CORE-GG, COLIT-GA, MCC-GE, etc.) are graduate-level courses. Courses with a -U* in the subject code are undergraduate courses (e.g., JOUR-UA, IDSEM-UG, MCC-UE, etc.).
At Gallatin, students have the option to pursue individualized projects, which are learning experiences that are not available in the traditional classroom. The types of individualized projects include independent studies, tutorials, internships and private lessons. A maximum of 12 units may be earned in individualized projects. Master’s Thesis I and Master’s Thesis II, which are required independent studies, are not counted toward these 12 units. If a student chooses to complete the Additional Gallatin Graduate Course requirement through independent study, these units will count toward the 12-unit maximum for individualized projects. Students are permitted to earn a maximum of 6 units in private lessons.
To recognize prior professional or academic accomplishments, Gallatin may grant up to a combined total of 12 transfer and course equivalency units. These units must be related to the student’s area of concentration. Graduate students may earn course equivalency credit for professional experiences they have had before matriculating in Gallatin. Students may apply for a maximum of 12 course equivalency units (in combination with transfer units). Students must submit an extensive portfolio soon after they have completed 12 units in the M.A. program and before they have completed 20 units. Course equivalency units are applied half to the classroom requirement and half to the individualized projects option. The process of receiving credit begins with the compilation of an extensive portfolio documenting the student’s learning experiences prior to matriculation at Gallatin 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. To begin the process of applying for course equivalency units, students should consult the director of external programs about the rules and regulations governing the course equivalency process. See Course Equivalency for more information regarding policies, procedures and guidelines.
The master’s degree must be completed within six years. If there are unusual circumstances warranting a formal extension, the student may request one from the MA Program Committee. Degree requirements may be completed in no fewer than three semesters.
Transfer Students
Degree requirements for students transferring from a school or college within the University are those that are in effect when they first matriculate at Gallatin.
Readmitted Students
Students who are readmitted must fulfill the degree requirements that are in effect when they are readmitted, unless their offer of readmission states otherwise.