Internships

One defining characteristic of the New York University educational experience is the opportunity students have to apply their classroom learning to real-life experiences in a variety of professional and community service settings. New York City provides such opportunities in abundance, and the College of Arts and Science and the University take full advantage of our location in the financial, cultural, scientific, and media capital of the world. Our alumni base, for example, encompasses every conceivable profession, and alumni give generously of their time to undergraduate students seeking experiential learning.

A recent survey by the University's Office of Career Services showed that 83 percent of graduating seniors in the College held a job or internship related to their field of interest during their undergraduate years. Many different types of opportunities are available to students: some are paid, some involve voluntarism on the part of a student, and some carry academic credit—and all of these can be valuable. For the purpose of securing and making the most of such opportunities, students should consider the following criteria as a guide:

1. Paid Internships: These are the most common form of internship. Jobs related to a student's professional interests provide pay for the work that students are doing for the organization. Many companies and organizations provide part-time jobs that allow students to gain experience and to network in the field, while at the same time helping to alleviate the financial burden of being a college student. (Please note: some for-profit companies ask students to volunteer, but allow it only if the student can earn academic credit. Many of these so-called internships do not relate directly to a student's academic work and are not worthy of academic credit in a discipline. In these cases, the company should consider providing compensation for the work done by a student, thus making it a paid internship.)

2. Voluntary or Community Service: Certain organizations encourage students to work on a volunteer basis in order to gain experience and to provide needed assistance to the organization. This type of arrangement, for example, is common in government and not-for-profit organizations. Such internships are valued, sometimes even required, for admission to some professional schools. But the College awards no credit for them.

3. Credit-Bearing Internships: A few departments offer academic internships that directly advance a student's knowledge in the academic discipline and thus earn course credit. Such academic internships must be sponsored by an appropriate faculty member through an academic department and normally require close faculty supervision, significant research in addition to the practical work experience, a reporting of findings, and a formal assessment of the student's work. All such internships require permission of the department or program, and registration for them must be within the regular deadlines. Departments offering credit-bearing internships may restrict them to declared majors, since those students have the requisite background. Internship courses can be counted toward some majors but not toward others. Students should check relevant Web sites to learn more about the specific policies and procedures pertaining to credit-bearing internships in different departments and programs.

4. Independent Study: In some departments, independent study that somehow draws on the activity or environment of the internship may be a possibility. Like a credit-bearing internship, independent study would require a proposal by the student, careful guidance from a faculty member, and a body of work that can be evaluated for course credit.

For further information, see "The Career Assistance Program" under Student Activities, University Services, or make an appointment with a career counselor at the Preprofessional Advising Center, Silver Center, 100 Washington Square East, Room 901, 212-998-8160.

Prehealth Program

The prehealth program in the College of Arts and Science is designed for any student who wishes to undertake preprofessional preparation for application to medical, dental, veterinary, osteopathic medical, optometry, or podiatry school. The program of study for a student interested in any of these areas minimally requires completion of the following courses: Principles of Biology I and II, V23.0011, V23.0012; General Chemistry I, V25.0101, Introduction to General Chemistry I Laboratory, V25.0103; General Chemistry II, V25.0102, Introduction to General Chemistry II Laboratory, V25.0104; Organic Chemistry I, V25.0243, Organic Chemistry I Laboratory, V25.0245; Organic Chemistry II, V25.0244, Organic Chemistry II Laboratory, V25.0246; General Physics I and II, V85.0011, V85.0012; Writing the Essay, V40.0100, and one elective from the English Department; and Calculus I, V63.0121. Some professional schools may recommend or require additional courses, such as Biochemistry I, G25.1881.

While striving to earn the best grades possible, prehealth students must also keep in mind that schools of the health professions look at every aspect of a candidate's background when making admission decisions. Therefore, students are encouraged to pursue a major of heartfelt interest, to participate in extracurricular activities of their choosing, and to develop intellectual pursuits and hobbies outside their schoolwork. Additionally, all prehealth students are very strongly encouraged to get either paid or volunteer work experience in the area they would like to follow.

The reason for this experience is twofold: students will be able to make an intelligent decision about whether or not they should pursue this profession, and admissions committees can see that an applicant is dedicated enough to find out about a particular profession and that he or she has made an attempt to become aware of both its positive and its negative aspects.

The College's Preprofessional Center, Silver Center, Room 901, telephone: 212-998-8160, has an extensive evaluation process that enables the chair of the Committee on Recommendations to Schools of the Health Professions to write a letter of recommendation using information from as many sources as possible. Students fill out evaluation forms each semester. Additionally, students preparing for the admissions tests and subsequent application undergo an extensive interview process during the spring semester before application. Students are encouraged to keep in touch with the Preprofessional Center so that they are informed about deadlines for the evaluation procedures.

Any student considering a career in one of the health professions is strongly urged to discuss this with their academic adviser as early as possible. Being "premed" is not a major, does not affect earning one's degree, and is not an irrevocable commitment should the student change his or her mind. The Preprofessional Center will also help students from other NYU divisions who wish to follow a prehealth curriculum. Much more detailed information about the undergraduate experience as a prehealth student, about health schools, and about the application process is available in the Preprofessional Center. Advisers there can help students at every stage of their prehealth careers.

Accelerated and Joint Programs 

EARLY DECISION PROGRAM FOR ADMISSION TO NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

Premedical students in the College of Arts and Science may make formal application to the School of Medicine before the regular opening date for applications. They will be notified of the School of Medicine's decision by mid-July.

This program is open only to highly qualified, full-time NYU undergraduate students whose first choice is the New York University School of Medicine. To be eligible, students must have completed approximately 90 points as well as both the sophomore and junior years in the College, and, at the time of application, they must be making progress toward the satisfactory completion of their degree requirements. Those who apply under the early decision plan must commit themselves to attend the New York University School of Medicine if they are accepted. All applications will be handled through the Committee on Recommendations to Schools of the Health Professions, with which students should register.

B.A./D.D.S. PROGRAM

The B.A./D.D.S. program is a seven-year joint program between the College of Arts and Science and the College of Dentistry at New York University. It is designed for students who are certain that they would like to pursue a career in dentistry. Admission requirements include a minimum high school grade point average of 3.5 and combined SAT scores of at least 1370. Students with a wide variety of intellectual pursuits and curiosity are encouraged to apply.

Students are admitted to the program as incoming freshmen and engage in academic studies and cocurricular activities that will prepare them for the dental school curriculum. They spend the first three years of the program at the College of Arts and Science, where they complete the Morse Academic Plan, the prehealth requirements, and an abbreviated biology major, for a total of 104 points. Students must maintain a minimum overall grade point average of 3.2, as well as a major GPA of at least 3.4; in addition, grades of B or higher must be earned in all courses required for the abbreviated biology major. Students are also expected to participate in the program’s cocurricular activities, which are designed to enhance their understanding of the dental profession; these activities include special lectures, field trips, and cultural functions.

During fall of the third year, students in the B.A./D.D.S. program take the Dental Admission Test and make formal application to the College of Dentistry. Students enter the College of Dentistry in fall of the fourth year and must maintain matriculation in the College of Arts and Science during their first year of dental school. For the B.A. degree to be awarded, an official copy of the first-year dental school transcript and a statement from the College of Dentistry indicating promotion to the second year of dental studies is forwarded to the associate dean for advising and student services in the College of Arts and Science Office of the Dean.

ACCELERATED THREE-YEAR PROGRAM IN DENTISTRY

The College of Arts and Science offers a combined program with AADS-approved colleges of dentistry in the United States whereby a student who completes the required work in predental science, the requirements of a major, and the requirements of the Morse Academic Plan in three years may receive the Bachelor of Arts degree on completion of the first year and promotion to the second year of dental school. Such students must have completed at least 104 points of work in the College of Arts and Science. In order to qualify for the Bachelor of Arts degree under this program, students must maintain matriculation in the College while taking the first year of dental work, and they must submit an official copy of the first-year dental school transcript to the chair of the Committee on Recommendations to Schools of the Health Professions. In addition, they must submit a statement from the dental school indicating that they have been promoted to the second year of dental studies.

Barbara and Evan Chesler Prelaw Program

Prospective law students are free to choose from the wide variety of courses offered at the College of Arts and Science. The College endorses the position of the Association of American Law Schools that a single "best" preparation for law school cannot be recommended. As a result, there is no prescribed prelaw curriculum.

PURPOSE OF PRELAW STUDY

While the College considers the prescription of particular courses unwise, it recognizes an essence of undergraduate instruction it believes fundamental to the attainment of legal profession. Courses that require extensive reading, research, and writing should therefore be undertaken. The College’s core curriculum is an excellent beginning for prelaw students since it offers a rigorous and multidisciplinary foundation for advanced study in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. The honors programs offered by several departments provide opportunities to do extensive written work during the junior and senior years. Second, the precision of methodology and thought required of students in mathematics, computer science, logic, and the natural sciences will aid in the development of analytic skills. Finally, a background in the behavioral sciences and the humanities (politics, economics, history, literature, philosophy, anthropology, and sociology) is suggested since each will offer a critical understanding of the human institutions and values with which the law deals.

ADVISING

The services of the Preprofessional Center, Silver Center, Room 901, telephone: 212-998-8160, are available to students seeking consultation on general course selection, law school applications, and related issues. The office serves as a clearinghouse for the dean's certification, required by a number of law schools as part of their admissions process. The Lawyer Alumni Mentoring Program (LAMP) offers CAS students an opportunity to apply for one-on-one mentoring with experienced attorneys who are alumni from the College.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

The New York University School of Law, conveniently located across the square from the College, sponsors many events open to the University community. The school’s proximity allows prelaw students to sit in on first-year law school classes and to meet and talk informally with students actively pursuing legal studies. The College and the Prelaw Society also sponsor talks by guest speakers on law-related topics and field trips to courts and schools of law; arrange for representatives from various law schools to visit the College and describe their programs; and administer sample Law School Admissions Tests (LSAT) in the fall and spring of each year. For further information, please contact the prelaw adviser.

Accelerated Programs Leading to Graduate and Professional Degrees

ACCELERATED B.A./M.P.A. PROGRAM

The College of Arts and Science and the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service offer selected students the opportunity to earn the B.A. along with either a master's in public administration (M.P.A.) or a master's in urban planning (M.U.P.) in a shortened period of study. These programs combine the benefits of a broad liberal arts education at the undergraduate level with professional training at the graduate level.

Admission to these programs is open to students who have completed 75 points toward the B.A., with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher and who have finished at least 32 of those points at the College. Formal application to the program is made in part through its College coordinator in the Preprofessional Center, Silver Center, Room 901; 212-998-8160.

In order to gain the greatest benefit from the combined degree program, the student should complete, while still an undergraduate, 28 of the 60 points required for the M.P.A. or the M.U.P. This advanced standing can be earned by enrolling in approved courses at Wagner or by taking undergraduate equivalents, a list of which may be obtained from the program coordinator. The courses are selected in consultation with the College coordinator or with the Wagner coordinator. Metropolitan studies majors follow a course of study that allows them to take full advantage of the joint degree program. Interested students should speak with the associate director of the Program in Metropolitan Studies.

ACCELERATED BACHELOR'S/MASTER'S PROGRAM

The College of Arts and Science and the Graduate School of Arts and Science offer students in many departments or programs the opportunity to earn both the bachelor's degree and the master's degree in a shorter period of time and at less cost than is normally the case.

The master's option is available in the Departments of Biology, Chemistry, Comparative Literature, Computer Science, East Asian Studies, Economics, English, French, German, History, Mathematics, Psychology, and Sociology, as well as in the Center for European Studies, the Program in Africana Studies, the Program in French Studies, and the Draper Interdisciplinary Program in Humanities and Social Thought.

Students may apply to the program once they have completed a minimum of 48 credits toward the bachelor’s degree but not more than 96 credits or six semesters, whichever comes first. Participating departments set minimum GPA requirements for admission to and continuation in the program; neither may be below 3.5. The undergraduate courses required for the master’s program are determined by the graduate department. In their remaining undergraduate semesters, students can accelerate by taking some graduate courses during regular terms and/or during the summer. In the graduate portion of the program, they can qualify for a scholarship covering up to 50 percent of the tuition for the master’s degree.

Students in the program must satisfy all of the requirements of both the bachelor’s degree and the master’s degree; there is no double-counting of courses. In order to complete the program in five years, students are advised to finish at least a fourth of the master’s requirements before the beginning of the fifth year.

Interested students should consult the relevant department or program or the Preprofessional Center, Silver Center, Room 901; 212-998-8160.

JOINT B.S./B.E. PROGRAM IN ENGINEERING

The College of Arts and Science offers a combined B.S./B.E. program with Stevens Institute of Technology. See under Dual Degree Program in Engineering (with Stevens Institute of Technology) for details. For more information, please call the academic adviser for the B.S./B.E. program at 212-998-8130.

Minor in Social Work

The College of Arts and Science and the School of Social Work offer a minor in social work for selected students. This minor is designed for students who (1) wish to explore the field of social work as a possible career choice, (2) wish to complement their current career interests with relevant social work content, or (3) having decided on a social work career, wish to have an early exposure in order to accelerate at the graduate level or to be eligible to take a greater number of graduate electives.

The minor consists of 15-16 points in courses taken at the School of Social Work. Required courses include Introduction to Social Work, S03.0001, and Skills in Interpersonal Communication, S03.0002. The remaining courses are planned with and approved by the undergraduate program coordinator at the School of Social Work.

For further information, see an adviser in the College Advising Center, Silver Center, Room 901; 212-998-8160.

Minor in Producing

The College of Arts and Science and the Tisch School of the Arts offer a minor in producing. Housed inTischSchool of the Arts's Open Arts Curriculum, this minor is designed for students interested in a career in or associated with media and entertainment. It is ideal for students who wish to organize creative projects and are willing to see them through from their beginning stage to the final, finished product.

The minor requires 18 points, as follows: (1) 8 points in Producing Essentials, H95.1006, and Media Moguls of the 20th Century, H95.0562 (with prior approval, CAS students may substitute a CAS course on the media or on the history of the media in America); (2) 9 points from among Producing for Television, H56.1028; Producing Off-Broadway Theater, H28.0185; Legal Issues in Recorded Music, H85.1115; Prime Time: The Game of Television, H56.1086; Legal Aspects of the Entertainment Industry, H56.1195; Producing for Film, H56.1095; Script Analysis, H56.1084; Film Marketing and Distribution, H56.1093; and Introduction to Internet Design, H56.1123 (for the last, CAS students may substitute the CAS course Applied Internet Technology, V22.0476); and (3) 1 point in either Internship, H95.1008, or Production, H95.1009.

The "H" courses completed in the minor count toward the maximum of 16 points in non-liberal arts courses that CAS students can count toward their B.A. degree.

Other Interschool Minors

For descriptions of the minors in education, prebusiness studies, and public policy, see the separate entries in the Departments and Programs section.