Undergraduate Academics

Source: https://gallatin.nyu.edu/academics/undergraduate.html Parent: https://gallatin.nyu.edu/admissions.html?challenge=d06e90d7-4d8f-4b88-9d8c-10b73beb60f1

A Gallatin degree brings together academic rigor and flexibility for creative and self-driven students.

NYU Gallatin is a small, interdisciplinary college within New York University. Grounded in the belief that students are the best stewards of their own intellectual journeys, Gallatin offers a distinctive liberal arts education that challenges them to create their own unique programs of study.

Each Gallatin student works with a faculty adviser to build a curriculum and create a concentration that fits their intellectual interests and career goals. Gallatin students take core courses within Gallatin, as well as classes in other schools of NYU. Throughout their time at Gallatin, undergraduate students learn to conduct thoughtful research, become highly effective communicators, and strengthen their ability to think critically and from multiple perspectives. The research, writing, and communication skills that students develop at Gallatin provide a tremendous foundation for success in their academic and professional pursuits. They expand their knowledge by pursuing global study opportunities, cultivating experiential and self-directed educational opportunities such as internships outside of the classroom, and engaging with civic life on campus and in greater New York City.

Gallatin undergraduates fulfill a set of flexible degree requirements during their years of study; each student’s experience culminates in organizing and sharing what they have learned in the Senior Colloquium, a final oral examination.

Undergraduate Degree Requirements

The Concentration

At Gallatin, each student develops an individualized program of study, which is known as the concentration. As a liberal arts college within NYU, Gallatin emphasizes interdisciplinary learning and critical thinking. Students’ concentrations are individually designed and organized around a generative idea. They are grounded in each student’s academic and professional goals and interests, so no two Gallatin concentrations look exactly alike. Students have a great deal of freedom in constructing their concentrations. They can combine disciplines, classes, and other learning experiences, including independent studies, tutorials, internships and private lessons.

Some examples of concentrations from past Gallatin students include:

• Affective Engineering
• Creative Writing, Renaissance Literature, and Jazz Music
• Ecology and Economics
• Nonfiction Media and Storytelling
• Poetry as a Tool in Therapy
• Medical Ethics, Public Policy, & Biotechnology
• Race, Politics, and Education
• Sustainable Architecture & Real Estate Development
• The Sociology and Politics of Urban Agriculture
• Space and Social Meaning: Photography, Performance, and Design
• Theatre Studies and the Historicization of Dramatic Literature

[Learn more about the concentration

Designed by students in consultation with their adviser, a Gallatin concentration is based on a student’s academic and professional goals. Learn more about what makes for a strong concentration.](https://gallatin.nyu.edu/academics/undergraduate/concentration.html)

Although every Gallatin concentration is different, all Gallatin students follow a similar process throughout their four years to earn their Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree.

The First Year

[First-Year Experience Overview

Learn more about academics during the first year at Gallatin.](https://gallatin.nyu.edu/academics/undergraduate/firstyear.html)

The First-Year Experience, with academic advising at its core, is made up of courses and activities designed to enrich students’ classroom learning and foster connections between their academic and extracurricular worlds. All first-year students enroll in an Advising Section — attached to their First-Year Interdisciplinary Seminar in the fall and a standalone non-credit course in the spring — which meets biweekly to provide support, guidance, and community at the beginning stages of developing an individualized, interdisciplinary concentration.

First-year students also participate in first-year-specific Gallatin courses that prepare them for the rest of their academic journey at Gallatin. These courses include a First-Year Interdisciplinary Seminar, a First-Year Writing Seminar, and a First-Year Research Seminar, which are all designed to help first-year students develop a stronger understanding of how an individualized education works. In addition to those Gallatin courses, first-year students are encouraged to explore their interests by taking courses at other NYU schools and colleges.

The Second and Third Years

[Second and Third Year Overview

Learn more about academics during the second and third year at Gallatin.](https://gallatin.nyu.edu/academics/undergraduate/fouryearprogram.html)

During their second and third years, Gallatin students solidify their program of study and continue taking interdisciplinary seminars at Gallatin. They also continue working with their faculty adviser on identifying courses that help them build a concentration and satisfy Gallatin requirements, and explore experiential learning and civic engagement opportunities.

At the end of their second year, students write an Intellectual Autobiography and Plan for Concentration (IAPC), a short essay reflecting on their educational journey and articulating a plan for their concentration. In their third year, students deepen their knowledge in their chosen fields of study through courses in other schools at NYU. This is also when students begin preparing for their Senior Colloquium.

In addition to taking courses at other NYU schools, many third-year students undertake internships related to their fields of study. Students may also do some of their academic work through individualized projects, including independent studies, tutorials, or private lessons in the arts. Many Gallatin students study abroad in the NYU global network. These global experiences range from short individual travel courses and summer programs to full-semester or year-long study away programs.

Students in their second and third year are also encouraged to begin thinking about post-graduation job opportunities that could be of interest to them. Resources are available to all Gallatin students through the NYU Wasserman Center for Career Development.

The Fourth Year

[Fourth Year Overview

Learn more about academics during the final year as a Gallatin undergraduate.](https://gallatin.nyu.edu/academics/undergraduate/fouryearprogram.html)

By their final year as Gallatin undergraduates, students have developed significant expertise in their chosen areas of study. To demonstrate their knowledge and competencies, they work with their adviser on writing the Rationale and List of Works. The Rationale is a brief paper that explores some key connections between the texts featured on the student’s List of Works and the primary themes that have emerged as central to their program of study. Both the Rationale and the List of Works serve as the basis for what the student will discuss in their Senior Colloquium.

The Senior Colloquium typically occurs during the penultimate semester of the senior year. This two-hour oral exam and intellectual conversation is the capstone event of every Gallatin degree. It provides an opportunity for students to reflect on their Gallatin concentrations and synthesize various learning experiences in dialogue with faculty who have been central to their academic growth and journey.

In the spring, students also have the option to undertake a senior project, an optional independent research and/or creative project that students complete under the guidance of a faculty mentor. The goal for students completing a senior project is to make a new scholarly contribution to their field(s) of interest.\

Students in their final year continue exploring post-graduation job opportunities through the NYU Wasserman Center for Career Development, finalize their graduation timeline, and apply for graduation.

Accelerated Bachelor’s-Master’s Tracks

Gallatin also offers students the possibility of completing the bachelor's degree and specific master's degrees in five years by taking graduate-level courses while enrolled in the undergraduate program. These accelerated programs are designed for academically strong students with an equally strong commitment to specific areas of study.

Learn more about Accelerated Bachelor’s-Master’s Tracks.

[Course Catalog

Browse courses offered at Gallatin.](https://gallatin.nyu.edu/academics/courses/catalog.html)

[Academic Advising

Academic advising is central to the life of a Gallatin student. Learn more about how advising works at Gallatin.](https://gallatin.nyu.edu/academics/advising.html)