Q: What do I need to complete for graduation?
A: Generally, you need to do four things to graduate from CAS: (1) complete the College Core Curriculum, (2) complete the requirements for a major, (3) earn 128 credits, and (4) earn a 2.0 GPA overall and in your major.
Q: When should I declare my major?
A: Students are expected to declare a major upon completing 64 credits, or by the end of their sophomore year. If you have decided on a course of study before reaching 64 credits, you may declare your major early and receive specialized departmental advising.
Q: How do I declare a major or minor?
A: Majors and minors are declared in the academic departments. Once the major is declared, students must have their registration each semester approved by a departmental advisor. However, students may continue to seek additional advisement and support at the College Advising Center throughout their academic career.
Q: Will a particular course count towards my major/minor?
A: Academic departments decide whether a course taken outside of their department or outside of NYU will fulfill any part of their major/minor curriculum.
Q: May I take a course pass/fail?
A: Any elective course may be graded pass/fail. You are limited to one pass/fail course every semester, which is a maximum of 32 credits over four years. In practice, it is inadvisable to take too many pass/fail courses. You may request pass/fail for a course before the completion of the ninth week of the term; after that time, the decision cannot be initiated or changed. No grade other than P or F will be recorded for those students choosing this option. P includes the grades of A, B, C, and D and is not counted towards the grade point average. F, however, is counted towards the average. The pass/fail option is not accepted for courses in your major or minor or in the Morse Academic Plan.
The form for declaring a pass/fail may be found at the the attached link.
Q: May I repeat a course?
A: A student admitted (or re-admitted) to CAS fall 2012 or later who has taken a course for credit or who has obtained a W in a course is permitted to repeat that course once. Students may not repeat more than two courses during their undergraduate careers. Students may not repeat courses in a designated sequence after taking more advanced courses. The departments determine the sequencing of courses. Students with questions regarding the repetition of courses or course sequences must consult with the particular department offering the course. When a student repeats a course, no additional credit will be awarded. Both grades will be recorded and computed in the grade point average.
A student admitted (or re-admitted) to CAS prior to fall 2012 who has earned credit for a course may repeat it once. When a student repeats a course, no additional credit will be awarded. Both grades will be recorded on the transcript, but only the latter will be computed in the grade point average and have credit awarded. Students should be aware that certain graduate schools, including dental, medical and law schools, will count both grades for a repeated course in the average. It is often preferable to succeed in a more advanced course than to repeat an elementary course.
Q: What does a “W” mean?
A: The grade of “W” indicates a student’s official withdrawal from a course after the first two weeks of classes, after the official drop deadline has passed. Students may not withdraw from classes after the ninth week. A course from which a student has officially withdrawn will appear on the transcript with the grade of W. However, no credit will be received for the course, and the grade of W will not be computed in the GPA. Students who are considering withdrawing from a course should meet with an advisor to discuss this option in greater detail.
Q: May I take courses in the other divisions of NYU and count them towards my degree?
A: Yes. Every CAS student is allowed to take a total of 16 credits in the other divisions of NYU. This limit may only be raised by petitioning the Committee on Academic Standards in the Office of the Associate Dean for Students (726 Broadway, 7th Floor, 212-998-8140). Keep in mind that you must meet the pre-requisites (if any) of the non-CAS courses you take, and that some courses are restricted to majors in the other schools of NYU. Finally, remember that non-CAS internships and independent studies and courses in the School of Continuing and Professional Studies may not count towards the CAS degree. In addition, Liberal Studies courses taken following matriculation into CAS may not be counted towards the CAS degree.
Q: I’m a transfer student. What is the maximum number of credits that I can transfer in to count towards the 128-credit CAS degree?
A: No more than 64 credits may be transferred towards the degree, whether you are an internal or external transfer. In addition, please note that every transfer student must complete 64 credits of CAS coursework in order to earn the degree (courses with the -UA suffix in the course code).