Ever since Cicero, the Roman statesman, invented the phrase “artes liberales,” the liberal arts and sciences have been the touchstone of excellence in education for all individuals, regardless of their professional aspirations. This is because these studies liberate an individual from narrowly vocational concerns and have been shown to free the mind to be creative. Today, this educational approach focuses on direct and critical engagement with the great ideas of the past and the present, on the development of the essential skills of analysis and communication, and on in-depth knowledge of one or more disciplines. A shared background in the liberal arts and sciences also has the power to transform a diverse group of students into a real community organized around the life of the mind.
Our aim is to give NYU Shanghai students a strong, globally-oriented foundation in the liberal arts and sciences. This curriculum will help students develop the ability to think analytically, read critically, and write effectively. It will also cultivate their creativity in solving problems, their tolerance for ambiguity, and their respect for diversity of opinion and the exchange of ideas. Finally, through the core curriculum, the majors, and international experiences in the NYU Global Network, students will learn to recognize themselves as part of a global community. The crucial role that China plays in that global community will be emphasized throughout the curriculum.
Three unique features define the NYU Shanghai approach and set it apart from most other undergraduate programs:
- A core (or general education) curriculum for the 21st century, one that is truly innovative—since its social and cultural courses are global in their scope, since writing is fully integrated into the curriculum rather than delivered in separate courses unrelated to students’ other studies, and since mathematics and science are taught in a creative way that integrates these disciplines
- A carefully selected set of majors (or specializations) that capitalize on the worldclass strengths of NYU’s research faculty, departments, and programs, as well as on the limitless opportunities that Shanghai presents
- Access to the NYU Global Network through an unparalleled array of studyabroad opportunities, which are available at NYU sites around the world and which are easily integrated into students’ programs of study.
NYU Shanghai students will take 128 points of coursework to graduate; these courses will be distributed among core general education requirements, major requirements, and electives. Students will typically complete the core curriculum during their first two years and the bulk of their major requirements during their second two years. Students considering some of the STEM majors (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), however, may take longer to complete the core courses since they must begin taking required courses in their intended major as early as the first semester.
Orientation will be held in Shanghai in August for two weeks prior to the start of the fall semester. The primary goals of this program will be to introduce students to the inquirybased approach to learning of NYU Shanghai’s liberal arts and sciences curriculum, to make students feel more at home both within the classroom and within the larger Shanghai community, and to foster a sense of community among students from diverse places and backgrounds. In addition to informal, non-credit instruction in language and writing, students will benefit from a robust program of complementary activities.
Students are expected to spend one semester studying at one of the other campuses in the NYU Global Network. Many of the courses they need for their major are also offered at these other campuses, so that while away from Shanghai students can continue to fulfill many of their major requirements. Students may petition the Academic Standards Committee with a study plan for an additional semester and in rare cases two.
While they are not required, three-week January Term intensive courses will be available to students, as will summer session courses at NYU Shanghai or elsewhere within the Global Network. J-Term, Summer, and course overloads classes incur additional tuition costs for the students that take those classes. Cost of attendance varies between the Global Academic Centers.
NYU Shanghai will offer its students an array of majors and minors/concentrations, which will be phased in over time. Those that will be offered initially are in subject areas where we anticipate the greatest demand, and also in which New York University has world-class faculty, major research strength, and international distinction. These include:
Majors
- Humanities
- Humanities
- Global China Studies
- Interactive Media Arts
- Science
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Neural Science
- Physics
- Mathematics
- Honors Mathematics
- Mathematics
- Computer Science and Engineering
- Computer Science
- Computer Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Social Sciences
- Business and Finance
- Business and Marketing
- Economics
- Self-Designed Honors Major
Minors
- Molecular and Cell Biology
- Genomics and Bioinformatics
- Business
- Chemistry
- Chinese
- Computer Science
- Economics
- Global China Studies
- Humanities
- History
- Literature
- Philosophy
- Interactive Media Arts
- Mathematics
- Natural Science
- Neural Science
- Physics
- Global Network University Minors
- Portal Campus Minor