Global Center for Academic and Spiritual Life

NYU is a liberal arts institution so each student must complete NYU’s Core Curriculum in order to graduate. Core requirements vary by school and sometimes by concentration. For example, Tisch School of the Arts does not have a math requirement, but does have a creative studio requirement for many majors. On the other hand, the College of Arts and Science, Liberal Studies, and Gallatin have a strong liberal arts focus and require a few liberal arts classes across different areas of study. Some of the basic Core Curriculum includes Expository Writing, Foundations of Scientific Inquiry, Foundations of Contemporary Culture, and a Foreign Language.

NYU has two styles of classes – lectures and seminars. Lectures are typical college-style classes, often introductory classes, with 30 or more students. Seminars are discussion-based classes with roughly 15-25 students. Overall, the average class size at NYU is 30 students. NYU’s faculty is full of national and global award winners including – Nobel, Pulitzer, MacArther, Guggenheim, Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony award winners, to name a few.

If a class has more than 60 students, students are also scheduled for a recitation section. In a recitation,  the full class is split into groups of 10-20 to ensure everyone receives adequate support. Recitation sections are often taught by NYU graduate students or PhD candidates who are close to completing their degree. Typically, recitations focus on discussion or practice of material covered in the large lecture. Additionally, every professor offers office hours each week, where students are encourage to stop by for one on one support.

Every student is assigned an Academic Advisor when beginning their studies at NYU. Many also have a Faculty Advisor once they have declared a specific concentration or major. Students pursuing cross-school majors and minors are assisted by a Cross-School Advisor, who they can meet with at the Academic Resource Center (ARC).

NYU is committed to environmental sustainability. Through measures like LEED certification–a program for sustainable building construction and continued operations–NYU has reduced the carbon emissions equivalent of planting trees to cover all of Manhattan and Brooklyn! GCASL achieved the highest LEED rating at the time of certification (LEED Platinum) and it features a green roof.