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THE NEW SCHOOL FOR GENERAL STUDIES
www.generalstudies.newschool.edu
66 West 12th Street, Room 401, New York, NY 10011
Contact: Cory Meyers, Assistant Director, Office of Admission, (212) 229-5630, M-F 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. EST, or e-mail meyersc@newschool.edu.
Type of Institution: Private Comprehensive.
Degrees Available: Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts offered on campus and online. The New School’s unique self-designed program is specifically designed for adults. There are no required courses that all students must take, no distribution requirements, and no core curriculum. Rather, each student works closely with a faculty advisor to create an individualized curriculum via coursework in a wide range of areas. The New School offers courses in areas including Social Sciences (history, politics, anthropology, sociology, psychology), Humanities (cultural studies, art appreciation, literature, philosophy, religion), Media Studies and Film (media theory, practices, film studies, film production, digital media, screenwriting), Writing (writing workshops, literary forums, journalism, fiction, non-fiction, poetry, fundamentals), Foreign Languages, Visual and Performing Arts (photography, acting, dance, visual arts), Food Studies and Business Management. This is not an all-encompassing list; for more information please visit www.adultba.newschool.edu.

Additionally, students can apply for “bachelor’s/master’s status” – a program option allowing students to take up to 12 graduate-level credits as part of the bachelor’s degree requirements. Upon graduation from the Bachelor’s Program, bachelor’s/master’s students who enroll in the graduate program can also have those previously-completed 12 credits applied towards the master’s degree requirements.
Forms of Credit Recognized: The New School will award credit from a combination of traditional and non-traditional sources.  Traditional transfer credit from fully-accredited colleges and universities (with a grade of C or better) can be applied towards the degree requirements – up to a maximum of 84 credits.  Additionally, The New School offers a comprehensive “Credit for Prior Learning” program to award credit from non-traditional sources.  Many adults have acquired knowledge outside the classroom – through jobs, independent study, or volunteer work. Credit sometimes can be awarded for this learning provided that it meets certain criteria: it can be demonstrated, it is comparable to learning obtained in courses offered on the college level, and it is appropriate to the student’s course of study. Foreign language credits can be awarded through an examination, and other prior learning can be awarded through portfolio assessment.  Both options, however, must be done through The New School only after matriculation into the Bachelor’s Program.  A maximum of 30 credits is possible from prior learning.
Additional Information: The New School for General Studies is one of eight schools that make up The New School. The New School is a fully-accredited university located in the exciting Greenwich Village area of New York City that offers some of the nation’s most respected programs in design, liberal arts, the performing arts, and social and political thought visit www.newschool.edu. Most of the courses in the university’s adult bachelors program are conveniently offered in the afternoons and evenings with each course meeting once per week--and online. Additionally, The New School offers weekend classes. Students can complete the bachelor’s degree through any combination of on-campus and online courses, or even complete the program entirely online. Central to this program is the advising process. Every student is assigned a faculty advisor that they will work with throughout their time in the program to create the most appropriate program for their particular goals.

Artists, scholars, and students from all 50 states and around the world attend The New School’s diverse programs to earn bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degrees, complete certificate programs, or take continuing education classes. The 9,000 matriculated students and 15,000 continuing education students who study on campus in Greenwich Village or online enjoy a disciplined education supported by small class sizes, superior resources, and renowned working faculty who practice what they teach.

The New School was founded in New York City nearly a century ago as a bastion of intellectual and artistic freedom. Some of the finest minds of the 20th century, including Martha Graham, Frank Lloyd Wright, Aaron Copland, and W.H. Auden, taught classes at the university. To this day, accomplished teachers and professionals choose The New School as a place to introduce new courses and explore new ideas. In this way, the university remains on the cutting edge of the intellectual and creative life of New York City.  

Updated February 21, 2008