Registering for Courses
Registering for Study Away
Students register for courses through NYU's Student Information System (Albert), and receive NYU credit for all courses taken. Course offerings organized by location can be found on the courses page for each Global Academic Center. You can use the Global Study Planner to explore course options based on a subject area. Before registering for classes all students should review important information about academic requirements and other policies for study away students on the academic policies and procedures page.
Prepare for Registration
Before your appointment time, use the "Shopping Cart" & "Validate" tools to start planning your schedule. You can review Albert registration guides for step-by-step instructions on how to validate, add, drop, swap, and more!
Viewing Study Away Courses with Days, Times, and Instructors on Albert
To view study away courses in the Albert course search for all locations except Abu Dhabi and Shanghai, select the site from the drop down to the right under Study Away Programs as shown in the diagram below.
More detailed instructions on viewing study away courses in Albert
All students register for courses using Albert (NYU’s Student Information System). Albert can be accessed through NYU Home, or by going directly to albert.nyu.edu. When using the Albert course search – accessed via the student center on Albert or by clicking on the public course search button at the Albert log in - find a global center’s courses by selecting the appropriate term and site from the drop down to the right under Course Location/Study Away Site. (For courses at the academic centers select the appropriate city from the list at the top of the menu, eg. Madrid, Spain.) Note that Study Away courses cannot be found using the search fields. You must navigate to individual courses by clicking on the appropriate subject heading. NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU Shanghai courses are found under the school headings in the general search. NOT using the study away drop down menu.
Please note that while many courses currently do not show a course description in Albert, descriptions and syllabi can be found on the courses pages of the Study Away website. The courses in the Albert course search for a designated site should match the courses page on the Study Away site. If you have questions about study away course offerings please contact global.academics@nyu.edu
- Fall courses are available in the Albert Course Search in mid March. Spring courses are available in mid October.
When do I register for classes?
Students register for study away courses during registration week at NYU. This is typically in mid-late November for the spring term and mid-late April for the fall. Students will be able to view their exact registration appointment time in Albert Student Center when the Course Search for the term becomes visible.
- NYU students that have been admitted to a Study Away site register at their regularly assigned registration time. Students should get advisor approval and clearance as usual.
- Visiting students register in the morning on Wednesday of registration week.
- Students can view their appointment time in the “Home” section of their Albert account under the banner with the heading “Enrollment Dates.”
- Students can begin using the shopping cart feature to plan their schedule in advance of registration.
- Students currently studying away at an NYU site are assigned an adjusted registration time on the same day of their regularly appointed time based on their earned credits. Times are adjusted earlier to compensate for time differences, connectivity issues, and the inability to visit NY based advisors in person. Students should be able to view their appointment time in Albert as usual. If you have questions about your adjusted time or think an error has been made please email global.academics@nyu.edu
How do I register for classes?
All confirmed students register for classes using Albert, NYU's Student Information System. For additional assistance using Albert please view the NYU Registrar's Student Registration Guide.
How do I plan my classes before registration?
You can use the "Shopping Cart" in Albert to plan your schedule before the registration period. Please refer to the Registrar's guide on Planning and Validating your classes.
A class I want to take has prerequisites. What should I do?
- Classes with Prerequisites - language courses beyond elementary I, courses taught in a language other than English, and many courses in the disciplines of business, economics, or the sciences have prerequisites hard-coded into the system. Albert will allow you to register automatically if you have taken the specific prerequisite course however if you are satisfying the prerequisite via an equivalent course, course from another university, or placement test you will need a permission number in order to register. All students should attempt to validate classes prior to your registration appointment time to verify that Albert properly recognizes that you have satisfied the prerequisites. Visiting students and NYU students unable to validate courses with prerequisites should email global.academics@nyu.edu prior to registration week. The Global office will review your transcript to determine whether or not you have satisfied the prerequisite and issue you a permission number if appropriate so that you can register.
- Requesting prerequisite exemption or special permission: If you would like to request permission to take a course without having satisfied a prerequisite or have a related question please email global.academics@nyu.edu. Decisions for special permission are typically governed by the academic department which sponsors the course. Instructors do not have the ability to waive prerequisites.
A class I really want to take is full. What should I do?
Unfortunately we cannot guarantee a spot in any course for any student. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you have some flexibility in your schedule and that no ONE course is absolutely necessary for your degree progress. Some courses abroad, can fill and do run waitlists. If you want to take a course that is closed, we recommend that you add yourself to the waitlist if possible. (When waitlisting, make sure to use the Swap function so that Albert knows which class to drop you from should a space open up in the course. If you already waitlisted but did not use the Swap function, use Edit Swap to set up a swap after the fact.) Many courses have a waitlist limit of five students. When this waitlist limit is reached, waitlisting for the course is no longer possible.
Waitlists do NOT guarantee you a spot in a class, but students do occasionally get in off of the waitlist when enrolled students drop the course. After initial registration, this movement is most likely to happen during the drop/add period once you arrive at your site, so occasionally students are able to get the courses they want on site even if they weren’t able to do so at registration. Since the likelihood of getting into a course off of a waitlist can be difficult to predict, you should always be enrolled in a back up course. Additionally, for some courses, we monitor waitlists, occasionally adding seats or opening additional sections if demand is high enough and enough classroom space and instructors can be found.
Who should I contact if I'm stuck on a waitlist? Can the instructor give me permission?
If you would like to inquire about your position on the waitlist, please email global.academics@nyu.edu. As there are many factors to consider in overriding a course cap, including classroom space and departmental guidelines we ask that you not contact instructors directly to request permission to enroll in a class. Our staff will be in contact with professors and put you in touch with them directly as necessary.
How long will waitlists be active?
Waitlists remain active until the end of the "drop/add" period during the first two weeks of the semester. This means that you may roll into a course off of a waitlist even after classes have begun. Be sure to check your final schedule at the conclusion of the second week to make sure your registration matches your final course schedule. Remember, waitlists are not a guarantee. While seats do occasionally open up during the first two weeks of the term, many students do not get into their desired courses off of the waitlist. Be sure to attend the classes for which you are registered.
I need to get in touch with an instructor. How do I contact them?
Please keep in mind that instructors cannot grant enrollment into a closed course and in many cases do not determine whether or not students satisfy prerequisites. At the Global centers these cases are handled by our academics team with consultation of the instructors as necessary.
For most inquiries please contact global.academics@nyu.edu for assistance. We will be happy to put you in touch with either local site staff or an instructor if needed based on your specific inquiry.
Albert is asking for a Class Number. Which one is that?
Class numbers are found under in Albert under the "Click here to learn more:" class details for each class. Class numbers change each semester so make sure you are looking at courses under the correct term. Class numbers are not available on the Study Away website course listings. For an example of where to find the class number in the Albert course search see this course search screenshot (PDF).
How many classes do I have to take?
Students must register for full time status (12-18 credits) at the NYU Study Away site. This DOES NOT include enrollment in local university courses and/or remote-taught/online/independent study courses (if available at the site). At most sites this means registering for three to four courses. Visiting students should also check with their home school for minimum requirements as some schools require students to take a minimum amount of courses.
If you are interested in taking over 18 points or less than 12 points please visit the Policies and Procedures page and consult the relevant section.
What courses do I have to take?
Students studying at: Berlin, Buenos Aires, Florence, Madrid, Paris, Shanghai, and Tel Aviv must take either a language course for a letter grade or (if they have already achieved advanced proficiency) a content course taught in the language of the host country.
More information on Academic Requirements for Study Away students can be found on the Policies and Procedures page.
Why is a class day and time missing? What should I do?
While we make every effort to post days, times, and instructors as far in advance as possible, days and times are sometimes left TBA when faculty or class room availability has not yet been determined. We recommend that if you are interested in a course that is currently listed as TBA you add the course to your shopping cart, or if registration is open that you register for the course. The academics team will announce the day and time to all enrolled students as soon as a day & time have been confirmed. Please also be sure to read course notes to see if there is any additional information regarding the class schedule. At smaller sites or with courses in which we expect to have low enrollment days and times will be scheduled after registration to take into account student interest and availability. Still have questions about a course's day and time? Email global.academics@nyu.edu.
Waitlisting? Don't Forget to SWAP!
Some study away sites enable students to wait-list for courses that have reached capacity. Please be aware that being on the wait list for a class does not guarantee you a spot in the class. Students can’t attend wait listed classes. It’s your responsibility to check your status via Albert.
Albert allows you to wait list for several classes at a time, including those that meet at the same time as a course you are currently enrolled in. However, in order to be enrolled off a wait list you MUST use the SWAP function. For more information on using the SWAP function, please view the NYU Registrar’s Albert Registration Help Guide.
Please note that Albert WILL NOT enroll you in more than 18 units without prior approval. This means that unless you told the system to swap your wait listed course for an enrolled course (by using the SWAP function), you will not be enrolled in the wait listed class despite it being your turn to roll in off of the wait list.
Even if you have space in your schedule (e.g. you are enrolled in 14 units and on the wait list for a 4 units course), the system will not enroll you in a course if you have a time conflict. The system will move further down the wait list until it finds a wait listed student that it can enroll in the open spot in the class.
If you already waitlisted but did not use the Swap function, use Edit Swap to set up a swap after the fact.
Do I need clearance from my Academic Advisor?
Yes - All NYU students that would normally require clearance from their academic advisor must get advisor clearance as usual before registering for study away classes. (If your program does not require advisor clearance for registration then you will not need clearance.)
I have to take a certain course while I'm abroad to complete my degree on time. How can I guarantee I'll get in?
Unfortunately we cannot guarantee a spot in any course for any student. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you have some flexibility in your schedule and that no ONE course is absolutely necessary for your degree progress. For further information please see A class I really want to take is full. What should I do? above.
How do I request to take a course pass/fail?
For Pass/Fail Declaration: Forms and Procedures please visit the Academic Policies and Procedures page.
How do I get my NYU transcript?
You must request your transcript from the NYU Registrar. Instructions can be found on our Policies and Procedures page.