IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR CONTINUING STUDENTS ABOUT THE REVISED DEGREE REQUIREMENTS: If you entered the M.A. program in Spring 2013 or earlier, please consult with a program director about how the revised requirements and curriculum may affect you.
Students are bound by the degree requirements in effect during the first semester in which they matriculate at Gallatin, but please note that all of the classes listed below were phased out by Spring 2015.
A more extensive explanation of each degree requirement can be found below the chart, or by clicking on each topic.
| Total Required Units | 40 units*† |
|---|---|
Graduate Core (through Spring 2014) Distributed as follows: Proseminar Review of the Literature Master’s Thesis Seminar Master’s Thesis and Defense | 14 units
4 units 3 units 4 units 3 units |
|
Courses offered by Gallatin or other NYU schools, or Gallatin individualized projects (see limitations below) | 26 units |
| OTHER REQUIREMENTS | |
|
Completion of a research, artistic, or project thesis | |
|
A final minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 | |
|
Must be earned at NYU while enrolled in Gallatin | 28 units |
|
| 14 units minimum (excluding graduate core) |
| OPTIONS and LIMITATIONS | |
|
Independent Studies, Tutorials, Internships, and Private Lessons (maximum of 6 units in Private Lessons) | 12 units Maximum permitted (not required) |
Transfer Credit/Course Equivalency Credits
| 12 units Maximum accepted (not required) |
| Time Limit for Completion of the Master’s Degree | 6 years |
*Students may not exceed the required number of units for the degree.
†No undergraduate courses will be counted for credit toward the master’s degree.
All students wo started in Spring 2013 and earlier were required to take four Gallatin courses: one of the proseminars; Review of the Literature; Master’s Thesis Seminar; and Master’s Thesis and Defense. New classes have replaced these, so individuals with outstanding core requirements should consult with the program directors for guidance on how to fulfill the core requirements.
Students complete 26 units in elective 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, with the exception of certain courses in the department of Undergraduate Film and Television (for more information, please see the Cross-School Study Guide).
Students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 (B) to remain in academic good standing, and a final minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 is required for graduation.
Please note: Academic good standing is not the same as satisfactory academic progress. Satisfactory academic progress refers to the number of units a student must complete in a given time period to maintain eligibility for financial aid.
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. Transfer credit and a portion of course equivalency credit generally count toward this requirement, but the graduate core courses (the proseminar and thesis-related courses), independent studies, tutorials, internships and private lessons do not.
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. The Review of the Literature, a required independent study, is not counted toward these 12 units. 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. To request transfer credits, students should complete the form Request for Transfer Credit for Graduate Students.
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.
Degree requirements in the Gallatin School are subject to change. Students should bear in mind that they are bound by the degree requirements in effect during the first semester in which they matriculate at Gallatin. 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. Students who are readmitted must fulfill the degree requirements that are in effect when they are readmitted.
Gallatin students are required to meet the prerequisites for any courses they take in other schools of the University. These units may not necessarily be accepted as contributing to the 40-unit graduation requirement.
The Gallatin School will accept the lowest passing grade determined by each NYU graduate school. Students must abide by the policies of each school for the completion of course work.
Students who do not complete the thesis and defend it successfully during the semester in which they register for Master’s Thesis and Defense are required to register for Thesis Advisement each fall and spring until the thesis has been completed and defended. Students who plan to graduate in September must also register for Thesis Advisement during the summer prior to their graduation. Units earned through Thesis Advisement are not included in the 40-unit requirement for the master’s degree.