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Majors and Minors

NYU's academic offerings are vast and offer students countless concentrations for study. Some schools have structured Majors; others afford you the opportunity to customize your academic plan. To complement your coursework, you can also choose to pursue a Minor. Minors require fewer credits than Majors and allow you to diversify your undergraduate studies, pursue other passions, and enhance your professional preparedness.

Due to the richness of its curricular offerings, NYU provides options for highly motivated students to pursue courses of study that exceed the standard eight-semester/128-credit requirement for the baccalaureate degree with a single major and possible minor. The ability to do so allows students to take additional courses and other elective academic work that extends or complements a particular intellectual interest or career goal beyond the primary degree. Accelerated programs can help qualified students to graduate more quickly or gain early or preferred admission to graduate or professional programs, for example by taking courses that satisfy requirements for both.

As with most other academic planning at NYU, rules for majors, double major/minor and other special programs vary by school and field of study. Cross-school majors/minors and combined degrees are not offered or applicable in all schools/divisions.

The decision to add a second major or minor may involve the need for prerequisite coursework, registration for additional terms of study, or other factors that should be considered carefully. Advisors can help students understand their options and make informed choices as part of an integrated overall plan.

Note: Since the General Studies Program is for freshmen and sophomores only, majors and minors are not offered. GSP students generally transfer to one of the other undergraduate divisions at NYU and declare a major and/or minor at that time in the school from which they will be receiving their bachelor's degree.

Cross-School Registration

Academic advisors can help students know about and understand available options for taking courses in other NYU programs and schools and to choose those that fit best with each student's particular circumstances, interests, and goals. As with other areas of academic advisement, the school in which you are enrolled is the best place to start.

The Office of the University Registrar's site allows you to search for courses based on key words in your area of interest. For example, if you type in 'communication,' you will see a list of all courses that have the word 'communication' in the title – everything from Data Communications to Community Relations & Advocacy Communications. Though you may not be eligible to take each of the courses that come up in a given search, this function allows you to get a sense of what's out there.

The course search function is also a fantastic asset in preparing for meetings with your advisor. By familiarizing yourself with what is available in your interest areas, you will be able to have a more knowledgeable discussion with your advisor - be prepared, know your options, check out your courses.

School Advisement Sites: