The TL;DR
- NYU offers more than 100 cross-school minors across its 12 undergraduate schools.
- Cross-school minors allow you the freedom to dive into fields of study outside your home college.
- Whether following a passion or boosting your professional resume, cross-school minors are an accessible way to expand your horizon.
From dance to data science, game design to gender and sexuality studies—the opportunities at NYU to explore interests outside of your major are almost endless. Without a doubt, cross-school minors allow students the freedom to dive into fields of study outside of their home school. What’s more? The University offers more than 100 cross-school minors across its 12 undergraduate schools. And with strong support from faculty and advisers, cross-school minors help students intersect their passions and future career goals.
“I’m able to balance my interests and my professional goals,” says Anand Kumar, a sophomore at the College of Arts and Science majoring in Public Policy. Concurrently, his minor, Translation Studies, is housed within NYU Global Liberal Studies. “A cross-school minor opens up new resources, new professors, new people. You get to make connections with and learn from people who have the same interests.”
Become an Advocate for Others
Anand plans to use his Public Policy major to create policies that impact the world. But he’s also passionate about languages—he knows eight! Among them are English, Hindi, Sanskrit, and Urdu. By pursuing a cross-school minor, he can merge his passion for languages with his career aspirations.
“One of the courses I’m exploring is related to legal translation as well as literary translation,” explains Anand. In particular, he’s focusing on Indian folk languages: “It’s about colonization and politics. It gives me opportunities to know that, as a policy maker, if I say something, how someone translates it might not carry the same weight.”
Anand grew up in Bihar, India, where the language Bhojpuri is commonly used. There, he witnessed how those who used the language were often discriminated against. Following his time at NYU, he hopes to take his background in both policy and translation to fight against stigmas surrounding Indian languages like Bhojpuri.
“With the Translation minor, I have the opportunity to bring these folk languages into the mainstream,” he concludes. “Translation gives more room for how different cultures, ethnic backgrounds, and geographies are portrayed. And through translation and policy, I have the tools to be a voice in this space.”
Why Not Go for It?
Similar to Anand, senior Emily Kim is making the most of cross-school minors at NYU. Emily originally planned to major in Biology, but then she took medical ethics and medical history classes. As a result, she declared a Global Liberal Studies major with a concentration in cultural and social identities. She hopes to make a difference in the public health space—and that’s where her cross-school minors come into play. Emily is minoring in both Bioethics and Public Health through the School of Global Public Health.
“I realized I wasn’t interested in the technical side of the medical field. Instead, I wanted to help people, communities, and how they work. That’s what interests me most,” explains Emily. Following her time at NYU, Emily plans to pursue a master’s in Bioethics. “Thankfully, because of my interests and cross-school minors, I can focus on communities and cultural identities while also looking at how they affect public health. I’m interested in what we can do to help people in that space.”
Emily says it wasn’t until her junior year that she declared her Bioethics minor. In truth, she realized she only needed a few more classes to complete the requirement. So she thought—“Why not go for it?”
“If you’re interested in something, a cross-school minor is an accessible way to dip your toe in other studies,” Emily advises. “If you have an interest, take the classes. Minors are a great way to buff up your experience and your knowledge of a subject.”
Interested in learning more about NYU’s cross-school minors? Browse the university’s A to Z list of minors available to undergraduate students.
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How NYU Cross-School Minors Can Help Shape Your Future
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