Liberal Studies at NYU was founded in 1972, and is the home of two distinctive academic programs: the two-year Liberal Studies Core, which provides an interdisciplinary foundation for nearly 100 NYU majors, and the Global Liberal Studies B.A. degree, which includes a full junior year abroad and thematic concentrations. The curriculum emphasizes conceptual and spatial frameworks to trace the movement of ideas and the interconnectivity of material culture, through the study of different texts, histories, exchanges, structures, and systems, languages, arts, and writing from early antiquity through contemporary times. Small, seminar-style classes and close faculty-student interaction ensure the benefits of a small liberal arts college within our large, urban research university. Liberal Studies also offers students the chance to pursue community engagement and research opportunities guided by accomplished faculty dedicated to undergraduate education. Liberal Studies students are among the most engaged students in NYU’s global network, with many participating in unique First Year Away programs in Florence, London, Madrid, and Washington, DC, and other study away programs in the sophomore and junior years. Combining global study with a rigorous interdisciplinary curriculum, Liberal Studies develops leaders equipped to affect change in any field and around the world.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who should I speak to about financial aid questions?
We recommend that you contact Financial Aid directly. You can reach them by either visiting the Financial Aid website, sending an email to financial.aid@nyu.edu or calling (212) 998-4444.
Who should I speak with for questions about Admissions or Application Review?
Please contact Admissions directly. The admissions counselors can be reached either by email at admissions@nyu.edu, or calling (212) 998-4500. Please remember to have your NetID and University ID number (begins with N, followed by 8 digits) when you reach out.
What happens if I elect to spend my first year at an NYU global academic center in Florence, London, Madrid or Washington, DC?
NYU encourages every undergraduate to participate in our extensive global network that boasts 13 global sites on five continents. Most NYU students must achieve sophomore standing before studying away from New York, but Liberal Studies students have the unique opportunity to begin their academic careers at one of NYU’s global academic centers in Florence, London, Madrid or Washington, DC. Many students benefit from a full year of international study before they have chosen their major or minor, in a setting where they are completing general education classes that meet requirements in all NYU bachelor’s degrees. If you complete your first year at NYU Florence, NYU London, NYU Madrid or NYU Washington, DC, you will join your LS peers at NYU’s New York City campus for the sophomore year. By the end of the sophomore year at NYU, you will have completed 64 credits, one-half of the 128 credits required for an NYU bachelor’s degree.
What classes will I take in Florence, London, Madrid or Washington, DC?
All LS first-year students at the global academic centers take the same core curriculum classes as LS students who are enrolled at NYU’s New York City campus. Students at Florence and Madrid also will study the language spoken at the site.
I have AP/IB credit—will it count toward my core curriculum requirements?
All core curriculum classes count toward completion of NYU’s general education requirements. In general, AP and IB credits, or other advanced standing credits (like college courses at another school) will count toward the 128 credits required for graduation. For the most part, however, advanced standing will not substitute for any classes in the LS core curriculum, though may satisfy other degree requirements (for example, in science or math), and/or may place you in a higher-level class (for example, in foreign language). During orientation, your academic advisor will discuss how advanced standing credits may be applied.
Is Liberal Studies a bachelor’s degree program?
The Liberal Studies Core provides a dynamic, creative, and intersectional approach to the liberal arts and an interdisciplinary global foundation for nearly 100 majors at NYU. While the Global Liberal Studies major is a bachelor’s degree, the LS Core is a distinctive way to begin other bachelor’s degree programs at NYU, designed to allow for a seamless transition to these programs in your junior year. As noted before, the curriculum emphasizes conceptual and spatial frameworks to trace the movement of ideas and the interconnectivity of material culture, through the study of different texts, histories, exchanges, structures and systems, languages, arts, and writing from early antiquity through contemporary times. Small, seminar-style classes and close faculty-student interaction ensure the benefits of a liberal arts college within our large urban research university. Learning takes a global focus in the core curriculum; and all Liberal Studies students have significant opportunities to study away at NYU’s global sites. The Liberal Studies Core is a distinctive beginning to your NYU education and will position you for success today and in the future.
What happens at the end of my sophomore year?
All Liberal Studies Core students are expected to continue in a bachelor’s degree program at NYU for their junior and senior years. Your LS academic advisor will guide you as you consider transition and major options. As a sophomore, you will declare a major during the spring semester and prepare for the transition to your baccalaureate (bachelor’s) program. As a junior, you will continue your studies in your baccalaureate program.
Which degree-granting programs may I transition to following completion of the Liberal Studies Core curriculum?
NYU is characterized by its diversity of majors and programs. As an LS Core student, you will have access to the university’s varied academic programs, from the College of Arts and Science’s 60+ majors, to select bachelor’s degrees at the Tandon School of Engineering.
As is required of all NYU students, LS Core students who maintain good academic standing, who have completed a minimum of 64 credits, and who meet any specialized program requirements in their prospective major or school transition directly to degree programs in these NYU schools, including Global Liberal Studies:
- Arts and Science (College of Arts and Science; Global Liberal Studies)
- College of Global Public Health
- Gallatin School of Individualized Study
- Rory Meyers School of Nursing
- School of Professional Studies (specific programs)
- Silver School of Social Work
- Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development (specific liberal arts programs)
- Tandon School of Engineering (specific liberal arts programs)
LS Core students who meet the above requirements may also apply for internal transfer to the following colleges and degree programs at NYU. Application and/or additional materials (e.g. audition, portfolio) will be reviewed for admission to:
- Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development (Music and Performing Arts; Art and Art Professions)
- Stern School of Business
- Tandon School of Engineering
- Tisch School of the Arts
How will I determine which degree program to select?
Starting from your first semester, your LS academic advisor will address questions that are most important as you consider major options. LS Core students generally have one free elective each semester in the first year and three free electives each semester in the sophomore year. These elective spaces are used to fill requirements in your intended transition school, to explore potential majors, to begin introductory classes in a major, or to begin a minor. Cross School Advising is available through the Academic Resource Center.
Can I begin a major or a minor while at Liberal Studies?
Elective credits may be used to begin to fill requirements in your transition school, to begin introductory classes in a major, or to begin a minor. In addition to minors available within schools, you also may pursue any of NYU’s cross-school minors that are available to undergraduates.The Global Liberal Studies minor is also a great opportunity for all students across the university and, especially, for LS Core students.
Which applicants are selected?
The admissions committee selects applicants for Liberal Studies who would thrive in an interdisciplinary curriculum with small, seminar-style classes where students are actively expected to engage in classroom discussion. Selected students may or may not have expressed an interest in a specific major or another school or college on their application for admission. The admissions committee, however, believes selected students would benefit from exploring the liberal arts at NYU and completing their general education requirements at Liberal Studies before committing to a major, minor, double-major, etc.
What is my major in GLS?
Global Liberal Studies (GLS) is an interdisciplinary bachelor’s degree grounded in spatial, temporal, and conceptual understandings of a highly interconnected world. It explores the critical and creative study of texts and contexts, the movement of ideas and peoples, the confluence of material cultures, cities, crossroads, and changing media of communication. This framing, drawing on philosophy, history, politics, literature, and the arts helps to uncover the historical legacies in which so many of our current crises are rooted and the dynamics of our shifting social imaginaries and geopolitical realities. It encourages intellectual curiosity and agility, the ability to think critically and expansively, make connections across disciplinary boundaries, embrace new perspectives, and transcend barriers.
All GLS classes are discussion-based seminars, enhanced by experiential learning with visits to museums, theaters, and landmarks in multiple locations, engaging with the city as a laboratory of global learning. As they move through the sophomore year, students select one of our six concentrations to define the intellectual framework for their further global study. Senior year, GLS students complete their major with a capstone independent research project. GLS students study away for at least one academic year (and up to two or more), undertake advanced language study, pursue internships, and conduct independent research as part of their academic program.
Can I earn a B.A. in GLS and study another language?
Language learning is an essential part of the GLS degree program, and every student will study a language other than English to an advanced level of proficiency. Students are expected to continue developing their language skills during the junior year of study at one of NYU’s global academic centers. GLS students may pursue language minors and double major in a language as well.
Can I study subjects outside my major?
Students may take elective classes in any of NYU’s undergraduate schools and programs. If interested, students are also encouraged to pursue a cross-school minor or double major. Many students will want to consider a minor in the language spoken at their junior-year study site, but there are many opportunities to complement or supplement your studies in GLS through academic programs across NYU based on your interests.
Can I spend my first year away from New York?
Every year, groups of GLS first-year students elect to begin their studies at NYU's global academic centers in Florence, London, Madrid or Washington, DC. The academic program is structured so that students complete required core courses and progress in their studies at the same pace as first-year students in New York. Note: Students who begin at a global academic center must study for their entire first year at the same global center. In addition, to ensure compliance with student visa requirements and local law, students who wish to enroll in the first-year program at an NYU global academic center must be 18 years of age on or before the date of travel to the site for the purposes of study.
I’ve decided to spend my GLS first year at a global study site. What happens in my junior year?
All GLS students, including those who begin their first year at an NYU global academic center, spend their junior year at a selected location within NYU’s global network. The junior year experience is the keystone of the GLS degree—students are immersed in the history, contemporary culture, and language of their host city through coursework, advanced language study, global research and experiential learning. If you have attended an NYU global academic center in your first year, you may return to the same city, or you may choose a new location, depending on your concentration and academic goals.
Which global academic centers are options for my junior year in NYU’s global network?
Students currently have the options to spend their junior year at NYU Abu Dhabi, NYU Accra, NYU Berlin, NYU Buenos Aires, NYU Florence, NYU Madrid, NYU Paris, NYU Shanghai, and NYU Tel Aviv. The sites are carefully selected to ensure that required GLS classes are available and that students have a range of diverse experiential learning opportunities. New locations may be added from time to time.
Can I pursue pre-health/pre-med concentration while in GLS?
The pre-health concentration is available to all NYU undergraduates. Because there are limited opportunities for elective courses in GLS, and because students must spend the junior year away from the New York campus, it often is difficult for students to complete the pre-health curriculum in four years. Students who want to earn the GLS B.A. and also apply to medical school might need to consider additional time at NYU or, after graduation, pursue a post-baccalaureate pre-medical program. However, GLS students may pursue a double major in Global Public Health, as many Global Health courses are taught across NYU’s Global Network.
I would like to apply to law school or graduate school to earn a master’s degree; will GLS prepare me for this?
Many GLS students are preparing for a career in law. Indeed, GLS provides students with the close reading, critical thinking ,analytic, and communication skills that law school admission committees seek. GLS provides an excellent preparation for application to professional schools and master’s programs in law, public administration, international relations, and master’s or PhD degrees in many humanities and social science disciplines. GLS graduates have gone on to further study at institutions such as Harvard Law School, the London School of Economics, Columbia Law School, University of Cambridge, and New York University. For those entering the workplace after graduation, the degree prepares students for any field. For more about GLS graduates' career, see the GLS Graduate Placement Statistics page. GLS students also participate in the University’s NYU-by-NYU pathways to professional schools and many distinct combined BA/MA degree programs. Please see the website or ask your advisors for more information about these great opportunities.