Am I eligible to be a visiting student?

If you belong to any of the following categories of students you are eligible to apply as a visiting student:

  • High school graduates who have earned a high school diploma or equivalent
  • Current undergraduates at a college/university who would like to study away in New York City for a semester
  • Post-graduate students who already hold a Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university and wish to take undergraduate courses
  • Returning visiting students must apply for each term they wish to attend and may re-apply for up to three semesters.

If any of the following apply to you, you should not apply as a visiting student:

If you wish to receive a degree from NYU, you should apply as a first-year, transfer, or graduate student. You are not eligible to apply to be a visiting student.

If you were denied admission as a first-year or transfer applicant to NYU, you must wait until the following term in order to apply as a visiting student. For example:

- If you were denied admission as a degree-seeking applicant for the Fall term, the earliest term you would be able to apply for as a visiting student is Spring.

 - If you were denied admission as a degree-seeking applicant for the Spring term, the earliest term you would be able to apply for as a visiting student is Summer.

Please note, that admitted first-year Spring admitted students are ineligible to apply and study as visiting students in the Fall term preceding their Spring semester.

Recent NYU applicants are not permitted to apply as a visiting student for the same term of admission as their degree-seeking application. Your visiting student application will be automatically withdrawn.

If you are interested in earning graduate credit you must apply through the Graduate Admissions Office of the school that offers the course of interest. 

Visiting students interested in taking courses at one of NYU’s many sites around the U.S. and the world are welcome to apply to study abroad via NYU Global Programs. Visiting students are not eligible to take courses at NYU’s global sites.

Students currently on academic and/or disciplinary leave or probation at their current institution are not eligible to study at NYU. In certain cases, appeals to this policy may be reviewed when indicated on the application with appropriate documentation.

Students may take a personal leave for the semester(s) they are studying at NYU if such a leave is required by their home institution to maintain matriculation. 

Please note: Visiting students may only apply to one NYU program at a time and cannot also apply to our undergraduate degree program.

How do I apply to be a visiting student?

Step 1: Complete the application
Once available for your term of interest, fill out and submit the online application. Note that this is a two part process, as submission of the initial form will create login instructions to continue. Provide a valid e-mail address on the form, as all communication regarding your application will be sent via e-mail. Please note that there is a $50 non-refundable application fee.

Step 2: Submit your transcript
Applicants must submit an official or unofficial transcript to complete their application.

Transcripts can be uploaded directly to the application on the Academic History page, uploaded after submission through the applicant portal, or emailed to admissions.docs@nyu.edu.

Please note that you must include an official English translation if any of the documents you are submitting are not in English.

Step 3: Submit Proof of English Language Proficiency [International Students Only]
If you have not completed at least 3 years of study where English is the sole language of instruction and English is not your native language you will be required to submit proof of English language proficiency. Please review NYU's English language testing options and exemption requirements.

When do I apply?

The application for each term becomes available according to the table below. We require all domestic students to apply by the listed deadline to ensure adequate time to enroll in courses and prepare for your arrival to NYU. International students must submit by the international student deadline in order to ensure ample time for visa processing.

Semester
or Term		 Application
Available		 International Student
Deadline		 Domestic U.S. Student Deadline
Fall 2025  May 1

May 15 (if taking in person classes)

OR

Aug 15 (if taking only online classes)

 Aug 15
January 2026   Oct 1

Oct 20 (if taking in person classes)

OR

Dec 12 (if taking only online classes)

 Dec 12
Spring 2026   Nov 1

Nov 17 (if taking in person classes)

OR

Jan 5 (if taking only online classes)

 Jan 5
Summer 2026   Feb 1

 

March 13

 May 1
(Session I);
June 15
(Session II)

How are admission decisions made?

Visiting student admission decisions are based on the strength of an individual's academic work and life experiences. Our most competitive visiting student applicants have a cumulative 3.0 GPA or higher, but each year, candidates with more modest academic records may be admitted if they have compelling circumstances to share in the "Additional Information" section of our application.

Please be aware that admission as a visiting student is for one term only and admission is not guaranteed for consecutive terms. Additionally, an admissions offer cannot be deferred. If an admitted visiting student wishes to also attend in a future term, they must submit a new application for that term.

Students Affected by Natural Disasters, Political, and/or Governmental Decisions

We recognize that there are a myriad of circumstances that can affect a student’s ability to successfully complete the application process. For students and families affected by natural disasters, circumstances imposed by national governments, or any extreme extenuating circumstances, we want to be as accommodating as possible to avoid additional stress. We encourage any student in these situations to reach out to our office (university.programs@nyu.edu) to inform us of the situation so that we can provide you with a recommended course of action. Depending on your situation, you may also follow these recommendations if you intend on applying to NYU.