By the Numbers
Core Curriculum
NYU Shanghai’s curriculum provides students with the best of a liberal arts education experience. Undergraduates explore six major curriculum modules in their first two years. Foundational courses like Global Perspectives on Society (GPS) and Perspectives on the Humanities (PoH) require students to examine core questions from multiple perspectives and engage in dialogue across cultures and disciplines.
SOCIAL AND CULTURAL FOUNDATIONS
including Global Perspectives on Society (GPS) and Perspectives on the Humanities (PoH)
WRITING
including Writing as Inquiry (WAI) and Perspectives on the Humanities (PoH)
MATHEMATICS
one Math course or placing into Calculus
SCIENCE
including Experimental Discovery (ED) and Science, Technology, and Society (STS)
ALGORITHMIC THINKING
one Algorithmic Thinking (AT) class
LANGUAGE
Chinese or English for Academic Purposes (EAP)
From Our Students
I had in-depth conversations with professors, exploring and validating new ideas. These four years of exploration have been incredibly valuable. I’ve been able to freely navigate between computer science, humanities, and social sciences. My once uncertain but always interest-driven journey helped me find my direction through the fog.
NYU Shanghai was the perfect choice for me. I’ve been able to study social science, psychology, and interactive media arts all through the lens of China while taking Chinese classes. I heard many different perspectives that I wouldn’t have if I had stayed back in the US.
Design Your Major
NYU Shanghai expects its undergraduate students to spend their first two years building core competencies before selecting their major. Students can follow their own course of study, combining majors, pursuing double majors, or designing a unique course of study based on their academic and professional interests.
Make the World Your Major
Students at NYU Shanghai learn not only from books but also from their experience of the world. Students are required to study away for at least one semester within NYU’s global network, which includes the New York and Abu Dhabi campuses and 13 global academic centers. Study Away programs allow students to access globally integrated curriculums, faculty, research, and student services. NYU Shanghai also hosts students from NYU’s other two campuses, who come to Shanghai to anchor their studies or engage in volunteer activities to gain a deeper understanding of China.
Part of education is experiencing the city where you live and study. Studying away in Berlin, I really feel this. In our courses, we learn a lot about the city’s history, culture, and art to better understand the city’s past and present. We visit museums and exhibitions, and especially in our German language class, we learn about local culture. It makes me feel like I am really living here, not just a visitor.
My semester in Abu Dhabi was absolutely the highlight. There are multiple opportunities every week to explore and learn about the UAE and the fascinating culture of the Gulf region. There is just something special about the academic focus and drive of Abu Dhabi as a campus, which pushes you to not only work hard but also to appreciate the incredible people and opportunities that students are exposed to in the region. Even with an amazing year abroad at our global campuses, returning to Shanghai was so effortless. It truly felt like I was coming home.
While studying away in New York, I walked in front of the IMF (International Monetary Fund) in DC, and I could only imagine the decisions being made inside. I would like to see something like this in Nepal, like a physical building, where people are meeting to make decisions about [international] relations. Having experienced these types of cross-cultural and transnational connections at NYU Shanghai, I have aspirations to contribute to these relationships at a broader level.”
I do enjoy learning languages and had heard that Chinese was one of the hardest! If I was going to learn it eventually, it was best to build a foundation now. So I think these were prime motivators to study at NYU Shanghai. I feel like the community here has really made it a good experience. The study away trips, [learning] Chinese calligraphy, the events that they have here. I’m always trying to be involved, and I can always do them with others rather than by myself. I think if you take every day as a new blessing, a new opportunity to have new interactions, you can really make your study away time memorable.