NYU Shanghai and Go Local Graduate Students - Fall 2021

Welcome to NYU Shanghai’s Fall 2021 resource page for graduate students!

You are one of more than 700 master’s and PhD students who will pursue in-person coursework or research at NYU Shanghai. These opportunities have been made possible through close collaboration with the following NYU schools:

  • Center for Data Science 
  • Center for Urban Science and Progress
  • Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences
  • School of Global Public Health
  • School of Professional Studies
  • Silver School of Social Work
  • Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development
  • Stern School of Business
  • Tandon School of Engineering
  • The Graduate School of Arts and Science 

At NYU Shanghai, the Office of Graduate and Advanced Education (OGAE) will support your educational experience. You may contact OGAE at shanghai.ogae-golocal@nyu.edu. We are currently receiving a high volume, but we will endeavor to respond to inquiries within 48 hours during the business week.

On this page, you will find FAQs and an archive of messages from NYU Shanghai Associate Dean of Graduate and Advanced Education Eric Mao. Please bookmark and return regularly for updates.

Key FAQs

When will my campus access begin?

Campus access will begin following Fall 2021 graduate student orientation. Students may not access NYU Shanghai prior to orientation.

Who is eligible for NYU Shanghai campus access?

Campus access is only open to students who:

  • are enrolled in NYU Shanghai graduate programs or the Fall 2021 go local program;
  • complete all required pre-orientation protocols, including COVID nucleic acid tests, if necessary (see below); and
  • attend orientation.

Go local students must be registered for at least one in-person Shanghai course or section. If you drop a course or section, which results in your no longer having any in-person Shanghai courses or sections, your go local status will be canceled.

When will Fall 2021 graduate student orientation take place?

Fall 2021 graduate student orientation will take place on Sunday, August 29, at the NYU Shanghai Academic Building (1555 Century Avenue in Pudong). Please understand that parents are restricted from attending orientation.

Is orientation mandatory?

Yes. Students who do not attend orientation will not gain campus access. If you cannot attend due to a mandatory quarantine, please contact shanghai.ogae-golocal@nyu.edu to make alternative arrangements.

Will I be subject to COVID testing? Are there any travel and/or self-monitoring requirements?

This depends on your location and your arrival date in Shanghai.

You are subject to COVID testing if you travel from any other city besides Shanghai and arrive in Shanghai on or after August 15. This is also true if you arrive in Shanghai before August 15, but subsequently leave the city on or after August 15, even for a short trip.

If you are subject to COVID testing, you will need two COVID tests. You must do one test within 48 hours of your first campus entry. If you are not subject to travel or self-monitoring restrictions described below, then your first campus entry will be on August 29 for orientation. Your first test may be done in your home city or in Shanghai. 

Following your first campus entry, you must then do a second test within 7 days to preserve your campus access. Your second test must be done in Shanghai. The university will explore the possibility of arranging tests on campus for this second test.

You will submit your test results via a NYU Shanghai WeChat app, for which instructions will be sent through email.

If you arrive in Shanghai before August 15 and do not leave Shanghai before August 29, you are not subject to COVID testing.

If you are located in districts or neighborhoods that contain medium-/high-risk zones of COVID infection (来自或途径国内中高风险地区，以及中高风险地区所在县/区/县级市或当地政府宣布全域封闭管理地区的人员), you should not travel to Shanghai at all until further guidance is issued or until your district returns to 100% "low-risk" status. After your district is downgraded to low-risk, you will require another 7 days of self-monitoring before coming to campus for the first time.

Also, if you came to Shanghai from an area that was previously low-risk but is now upgraded to medium-risk or high-risk, you will require 14 days of self-monitoring before coming to campus for the first time.

Finally, at any time, if you are the close contact of a confirmed case of infection, you will also require 14 days of self-monitoring and two COVID tests.

Please refer to the messages archived below sent by NYU Shanghai Associate Dean of Graduate and Advanced Education Eric Mao for further instruction.  

Miscellaneous FAQs

When and where will my courses be taught?

Graduate student courses begin the week of August 30 and are scheduled at the NYU Shanghai Academic Building or the NYU Shanghai WeWork Shinmay campus. Classroom times and locations will be updated in Albert.

What is NYU Shanghai’s Academic Calendar?

Unless your program or course has an alternative schedule, Fall 2021 classes will begin the week of August 30 by default and end with a final exam period from December 13 to 17.

The National Day holiday will be observed from October 1 through 7. The full Fall semester calendar, including additional holidays and legislative days, can be accessed at https://shanghai.nyu.edu/academics/calendar.

Please note NYU Shanghai’s Academic Calendar is independent from NYU New York’s Academic Calendar. If you are taking NYU New York courses remotely, those courses will be on NYU New York’s Academic Calendar. Note that on November 7, daylight saving time ends, meaning that clocks are turned backward by one hour in the United States.

Please tell me about the WeWork Shinmay campus.

Wework Shinmay is located at 999 Pudong South Road in Pudong. The closest subway stop is Shangcheng Road on Line 9. NYU Shanghai will occupy the 25th, 26th, 28th, 29th, 31st, and 33rd floors with abundant classroom space, study areas, lounges, faculty / administration offices, a library, and a health & wellness station. WeWork Shinmay will also have NYU services such as networked Internet, printing, and public safety.

WeWork Shinmay will be open Monday through Friday and on any legislative make-up day from 7:45 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Floors 26, 28, 29, and 31. Floors 25 and 33 will be open from 7:45 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. No access is permitted after these hours.

Fall 2021 is my first semester as a NYU student. How can I receive an ID card?

If you have not done so, upload your photo to photoid.nyu.edu. Your ID card will be distributed by NYU Shanghai during orientation.

NYU Shanghai Textbook Policy

It is the policy of NYU Shanghai to purchase required textbooks in bulk in advance with the cost applied to students' bursar bills. This is done as a service to students for a number of reasons, including to ensure that textbooks are available in a timely manner and to ensure compliance with applicable copyright laws. NYU Shanghai works with approved vendors, prioritizes e-textbooks, and strives to minimize cost. Students are charged at cost, and therefore no profit is made by NYU Shanghai.

If you are taking a course for which every student must have an individual copy of a required textbook, you will be notified of the related charges prior to the course. If the textbook is provided as an e-version and you have a non-pirated hard copy, you may contact us about verifying the hard copy and avoiding the e-version charge.

Health Insurance Information for Go Local Students

Go Local students will be automatically enrolled in the NYU-sponsored GeoBlue insurance plan from August 21, 2021 through December 21, 2021. The charge for this plan will be posted as <Shanghai Go Local Health Insurance> on your Bursar bill. It is not possible to waive GeoBlue, as NYU Shanghai must be able to confidently and accurately report that all Go Local students will have coverage as provided for in our Fall 2021 plan to the Pudong New District Government and Shanghai Municipal Education Commission. In the event of an emergency, NYU Shanghai must also be able to activate our protocols without having to question the coverage. The following brochure provides an overview of your coverage.

Can I use the GeoBlue plan to waive out of Wellfleet?

You will be automatically waived out of the Wellfleet Plan for the Fall semester and your bursar account will be credited. No action is needed by you. You may not waive out of the GeoBlue Plan.

What if I already paid for Wellfleet Insurance for the Fall Semester?

Your bursar account will be adjusted accordingly to reflect the appropriate charges.

What if I return to the United States in the Fall and would like to enroll in the Wellfleet plan?

You should contact health.insurance@nyu.edu and they will assist you to enroll.

[Go Local] #4 Final Pre-Orientation Message at NYU Shanghai
To: Fall 2021 Go Local Graduate Students
From: Eric Mao, Associate Dean of Graduate and Advanced Education
Date sent: Friday, August 27, 8:45 am CST

This is your final message before Orientation at NYU Shanghai this Sunday.

(1) If not already, please do the following to ensure you are not subject to delays this weekend -

Also, if you are subject to COVID testing, you should be getting your first test either today or tomorrow. If you are missing a required COVID test report on Sunday, you will not be able to enter campus.

(2) Codes of Conduct - Please read and understand your responsibilities under NYU Shanghai’s Codes of Conduct, and under our COVID-19 Code of Conduct. I will review these on Sunday.

(3) NYU ID Photo - If you have not already uploaded your photo on the NYU Card website or emailed your photo to shanghai.publicsafety@nyu.edu, you should email it now to that address. Use a white background and face straight to the camera. You cannot be wearing a hat nor sunglasses. Emailing your photo will expedite printing your ID card for pick-up.

(4) Shanghai Address Collection - As required by the Shanghai government, in order to study at NYU Shanghai this Fall, students must relocate and live in Shanghai during the semester, and restrict their travels beyond Shanghai.

At this website, login with your NYU ID and submit your Shanghai residential address.

(5) Please see again my previous Messages 1, 2, and 3 below and archived here to remind yourself of NYU Shanghai's policies on travel, testing requirements, and what to expect during Orientation.

(6) On behalf of Courant, CUSP, GPH, SPS, and Tandon, we are collecting information on students who have recently been denied a visa to enter the United States. If you are in this category, please reply to this email with your name, school, program, and any details you have about your visa denial.

Concluding Message

Many people have been involved in planning this weekend's orientation. We are all looking forward with anticipation to your first day at NYU Shanghai. We have faith that with the same spirit that has carried us through the last year, we will together again achieve a successful and rewarding Fall semester of graduate study.

[Go Local] #3 Preparing for Orientation Day at NYU Shanghai
To: Fall 2021 Go Local Graduate Students
From: Eric Mao, Associate Dean of Graduate and Advanced Education
Date sent: Tuesday, August 24, 3:45 pm CST

Dear NYU Graduate Student,

This message describes what you should do before and what you can expect during Go Local Orientation at NYU Shanghai. Remember that regardless of whether you participated in Go Local before, you must attend Orientation on Sunday, August 29.

(1) As soon as you receive this email, follow the instructions in this 1-minute video tutorial (via Google drive) to register for the NYU Shanghai Enterprise WeChat account. Do not wait until Sunday to do this.

In addition, if you have not already uploaded your photo on the NYU Card website, please email your photo to shanghai.publicsafety@nyu.edu. This will expedite printing your ID card for pick-up during orientation.

(2) Here is your August 29 orientation schedule:

Courant / CUSP / Tandon

    8:00 - 9:15 A.M. - Check-In
        Arrive EARLY. Open this Google document that describes the check-in flow.

        Before August 29, if applicable, you should save a picture or screenshot on your phone of your first COVID-19 test result taken within 48 hours and your vaccination record.

    9:30 - 11:15 A.M. - Orientation Program in NYU Shanghai Auditorium (3rd Floor)

    11:15 - 12:00 P.M. - Lunch at NYU Shanghai Cafeteria

    12:00 - 1 P.M. - Take Your Second COVID-19 Test at the NYU Shanghai Welcome Center (if applicable)

        As explained in my prior message, if you are subject to COVID testing, you will require 2 tests. For your convenience, NYU Shanghai has arranged for your second test to be done on campus during orientation day.


GPH / SPS

    11:15 A.M. - 12:15 P.M. - Take Your Second COVID-19 Test at the NYU Shanghai Welcome Center (if applicable)

        Arrive EARLY. As explained in my prior message, if you are subject to COVID testing, you will require 2 tests. For your convenience, NYU Shanghai has arranged for your second test to be done on campus during orientation day.

    12:15 - 1:45 P.M. - Check-In and Lunch at NYU Shanghai Cafeteria

        Open this Google document that describes the check-in flow.

        Before August 29, if applicable, you should save a picture or screenshot on your phone of your first COVID-19 test result taken within 48 hours and your vaccination record.

        Arrive at the Auditorium (3rd Floor) by 1:45 p.m.

    2:00 - 3:45 P.M. - Orientation Program in NYU Shanghai Auditorium (3rd Floor)

    3:45 P.M. - End


Concluding Message

We look forward to welcoming you, along with more than 500 of your peers over the next several days. With such a large group of people, please know that we are counting on everyone to do their part to make this onboarding smooth. By responsibly following the instructions above and preparing in advance, you will be able to minimize stress and processing times for yourself and others. University officers will be making phone calls this week to make sure of your understanding and answer any questions you may have. Please answer when they call.

Thanks again for your cooperation.

[Go Local] #2 New Requirements about Fall 2021 at NYU Shanghai
To: Fall 2021 Go Local Graduate Students
From: Eric Mao, Associate Dean of Graduate and Advanced Education
Date sent: Monday, August 16, 3:53 pm CST

Dear NYU Graduate Student,

This is the second in our series of Fall 2021 welcome messages for Go Local graduate students at NYU Shanghai. Please read carefully as there are new policies from the Shanghai government.

Remember to check your NYU email regularly to stay updated. You will be required to complete several protocols before gaining access to campus.

(1) If you have not done so already, using your VPN, complete this short survey (1-minute Google form) collecting required personal information as soon as possible.

(2) The number of medium-risk and high-risk neighborhoods continues to increase across China. Our university officers are monitoring these areas daily. You should monitor them as well at this website.

Remember that if you are outside Shanghai and currently located in a district that contains a medium-risk or high-risk neighborhood (来自或途径国内中高风险地区，以及中高风险地区所在县/区/县级市或当地政府宣布全域封闭管理地区的人员), you must remain at home until further guidance is issued or until your district returns to 100% "low-risk" status. After your district is downgraded to low-risk, you will require another 7 days of self-monitoring before coming to campus for the first time.

Also, if you came to Shanghai from an area that was previously low-risk but is now upgraded to medium-risk or high-risk, you will require 14 days of self-monitoring before coming to campus for the first time.

(3) COVID testing requirements have been increased. Remember that if you travel from any other city besides Shanghai and arrive in Shanghai on or after August 15, you are subject to COVID testing. This is also true if you arrive in Shanghai before August 15, but subsequently leave the city on or after August 15, even for a short trip.

If you are subject to COVID testing, you will now need 2 COVID tests. You must do one test within 48 hours of your first campus entry. If you are not subject to travel or self-monitoring restrictions as described above, then your first campus entry will be on August 29 for orientation. Your first test may be done in your home city or in Shanghai.

Following your first campus entry, you must then do a second test within 7 days to preserve your campus access. Your second test must be done in Shanghai. The university will explore the possibility of arranging tests on campus for this second test.

If you have already arrived in Shanghai before August 15 and do not leave Shanghai before August 29, you are not subject to COVID testing.

Concluding Message

Our requirements are tightening in response to the very real threat posed by the continued spread of the Delta variant, and we know that they are stricter than what you may experience going in and out of other places, but this is by design. From the very beginning of the pandemic, we have let the following principle be our guidepost - that NYU Shanghai, as an educational institution, is unique and we must work hard to protect the health of our community.

Please be responsible in understanding and complying with our protocols to ensure a smooth and safe start to the Fall semester.

[Go Local] #1 Important Update about Fall 2021 at NYU Shanghai
To: Fall 2021 Go Local Graduate Students
From: Eric Mao, Associate Dean of Graduate and Advanced Education
Date sent: Tuesday, August 10, 4:44 pm CST

Greetings from NYU Shanghai! You are receiving this message because you are registered for the Fall 2021 go local program.

This is the first in a series of messages that will prepare you for orientation and your go local experience as one of more than 700 graduate students who will pursue coursework or research at the university. Please check your NYU email regularly to stay updated. You will be required to complete several protocols before gaining access to campus. The first protocol is described below. The protocols are required even if you participated in the go local program before.

(1) Using your VPN, complete this short survey (1-minute Google form) collecting required personal information. All students should complete the survey by August 13.

***Please note the survey will ask for your current location. Pursuant to new regulations of the Shanghai government, students outside Shanghai who are currently located in districts that contain medium-risk or high-risk neighborhoods (来自或途径国内中高风险地区，以及中高风险地区所在县/区/县级市或当地政府宣布全域封闭管理地区的人员) must remain at home until further guidance is issued or until their district returns to 100% "low-risk" status. To determine whether you are in a district that includes a medium-risk or high-risk neighborhood, please reference this website.

If you are in this special category, answer the relevant question in the survey accurately so that we can arrange temporary academic accommodations with your faculty in case your situation continues through August and into the start of classes.

(2) Visit our Fall 2021 Resource Page. The Resource Page includes essential FAQs about orientation, building access, pre-arrival COVID testing, the Go Local WeWork campus, textbooks, and health insurance policy.

(3) Orientation will take place on Sunday, August 29, at NYU Shanghai’s main academic building on Century Avenue. Your campus access will not begin until after you attend orientation. More specific information about orientation will come in a future message.


(4) At NYU Shanghai, the Office of Graduate and Advanced Education will support your experience. You can contact the OGAE at shanghai.ogae-golocal@nyu.edu.

Know that NYU Shanghai has been working very closely with schools at NYU New York to ensure you a complete and fulfilling experience in the coming semester. Vast teams of faculty and administration across both campuses have committed to making this possible.

While the Fall will undoubtedly be unconventional and different from what one might have expected, we have confidence the qualities that define a NYU education, no matter in New York City or Shanghai, will continue to thrive.