In recent years, many students who aspire to an international education but remain cautious about global affairs have been considering joint-venture master’s programs at Sino-foreign universities.
And NYU Shanghai has become the top choice for many graduate applicants.
NYU Shanghai is the first Sino-American research university in China jointly established by East China Normal University and New York University with the approval of the Ministry of Education. It is also one of the three degree-granting campuses within the NYU global system.
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CheersYou（清柚教育） will also systematically introduce the range of programs available at NYU Shanghai, the application process, and the differences from the New York campus, hoping this ultimate guide will open up more options for your further studies.
NYU Shanghai Master’s Programs
NYU Shanghai currently offers seven master’s programs covering fields such as business, computing, arts, and education.
Most program applications for Fall 2023 are nearing their deadlines. The specific deadlines are as follows:
MS in Data Analytics & Business Computing
MS in Data Analytics & Business Computing
This program is jointly offered by NYU Shanghai and the NYU Stern School of Business, with options for a 12-month or 20-month duration.
For students admitted to the 12-month track this year, they will study at NYU Stern in New York in the summer, and then at NYU Shanghai in the fall, winter, and spring semesters, graduating from NYU Shanghai.
Format: Full-time
Credits: 36
Entry: Summer enrollment only
Application deadlines: October 15, December 15, January 31
Curriculum:
New York - Summer (13.5 credits)
- Statistics & Data Analysis
- Introduction to Python Programming
- Stochastic Modeling and Simulation
- Data Visualization
- Business Communication
- Operations Management
Shanghai - Fall (9 credits)
- Advanced Machine Learning
- Marketing & Analytics
- Artificial Intelligence in Business and Finance
- Causal Inference
Shanghai - Winter (3 credits)
- Optimization Modeling
Shanghai - Spring (9 or 10.5 credits)
- Capstone Project
- Revenue Management and Pricing
- Foundations of FinTech
- Professional Responsibility and Leadership (for students completing the program in 12 months)
*Shanghai - Fall (1.5 credits)
- Professional Responsibility and Leadership (for students completing the program in 20 months)
Application Requirements:
- Personal information
- Prerequisite courses
- Transcripts
- GMAT or GRE
- TOEFL or IELTS (required for non-native English speakers or those whose undergraduate instruction was not in English. Minimum TOEFL 100, IELTS 7.0)
- Résumé
- 1 recommendation letter
- 2 essays (professional essay and personal description essay)
- Requires completion of a calculus course, and strongly recommended to have beginner to intermediate R programming skills before enrollment
Class Profile:
International student ratio: 100%
Average GPA: 3.7
Average GRE: 325 (Quant: 168)
Average work experience: 1.65 years
Interactive Media Arts Program
Interactive Media Arts Program
The one-year Interactive Media Arts Program is jointly offered by NYU Shanghai's Interactive Media Arts Program and NYU Tisch School of the Arts' Interactive Telecommunications Program.
During the program, students will study at three locations (Shanghai, New York, and Berlin) to design and create interactive works, combining the demands of new media in the digital age to create experiences that encourage critical thinking.
Format: Blended online and in-person instruction
Entry: Summer enrollment only
Application deadlines: December 15 (priority), January 16
Curriculum:
Summer - New York (July-August, 9 credits)
- Concepts, Culture & Critique
- Creative Coding
- Communications Design
- Interface Lab
- Conversations: New York
Fall - Online (September-December, 7 credits)
- Connections Lab
- Critical Experience
Winter - Berlin (January, 4 credits)
- Elective: Urban Ecology, Radical Networks, Virtual Worlds (choose one)
- Conversations: Berlin
Spring - Online (February-May, 9 credits)
- Thesis Development
- Design for Change
- Local Data – Collection, Creation, Emotion
- 50 Days of Making
Summer - Shanghai (May-July, 6 credits)
- Thesis
- Electives: Thesis++, Worlding, Future Selves, Tech Futures, Believe, AI Art Creation, NIME (choose two)
- Conversations: Shanghai
Application Requirements:
- Personal statement
- Video essay
- Résumé/CV
- Bachelor’s degree or higher transcript
- TOEFL or IELTS (required for non-native English speakers)
- 2 recommendation letters
- Portfolio (optional but strongly recommended)
MS in Marketing and Retail Science
MS in Marketing and Retail Science
The MS in Marketing and Retail Science, jointly offered by NYU Shanghai and NYU Stern School of Business, is designed to prepare students for the future marketing and retail landscape, integrating China- and Asia-specific market elements to ready graduates for careers in China and globally.
Admitted students will study at NYU Stern in New York in the summer; then at NYU Shanghai in the fall, winter, and spring semesters, graduating from NYU Shanghai.
Format: Full-time
Credits: 36
Entry: Summer enrollment only
Application deadlines: October 31, December 31, January 31
Curriculum:
Summer - New York (13.5 credits)
- Business Communication
- Statistics & Data Analysis
- Marketing Management
- Introduction to Python Programming
- Data-Driven Decision Making
Fall - Shanghai (9 credits)
- Market Pricing
- Marketing Science & Channel Management
- Brand Strategy
- Consumer Behavior
Winter - Shanghai (3 credits)
- Customer Insights Research
- Advertising Strategy
Spring - Shanghai (9 or 10.5 credits)
- Capstone Project
- Marketing Analytics
- Digital Marketing
- Professional Responsibility and Leadership (for students completing the program in 12 months)
*Shanghai - Fall (1.5 credits)
- Professional Responsibility and Leadership (for students completing the program in 20 months)
Application Requirements:
- Personal information
- Transcripts (bachelor’s degree or higher)
- GMAT or GRE
- TOEFL or IELTS (required for non-native English speakers or those whose undergraduate instruction was not in English. TOEFL 100+, IELTS 7.0+)
- Résumé
- 1 recommendation letter
- 2 essays (professional essay and personal description essay)
Class Profile:
International student ratio: 88%
Average GPA: 3.6
Average GRE: 326 (Quant: 167)
Percentage with work experience: 73%
MS in Organization Management and Strategy
MS in Organization Management and Strategy
The MS in Organization Management and Strategy, jointly offered by NYU Shanghai and NYU Stern, is designed to prepare students to better address the increasingly interconnected, dynamic, and global business environment through in-depth, multi-dimensional study of complex management and strategy concepts and practices.
Admitted students will study at NYU Stern in New York in the summer; then at NYU Shanghai in the fall, winter, and spring semesters, graduating from NYU Shanghai.
Format: Full-time
Credits: 36
Entry: Summer enrollment only
Application deadlines: October 31, December 31, January 31
Curriculum:
Summer - New York (13.5 credits)
- Business Communication
- Organizational Leadership
- Strategic Landscapes
- Managing Money Flows
- Entrepreneurial Management
Fall - Shanghai (9 credits)
- Strategic Planning
- Mergers & Acquisitions
- Advanced Strategy Analysis
- Dynamics of Innovation
Winter - Shanghai (3 credits)
- Analyzing Organizational Structures
- Leading Family Businesses
Spring - Shanghai (9 or 10.5 credits)
- Capstone Project
- New Forms of Entrepreneurship in China
- Working in Teams
- Professional Responsibility and Leadership (for students completing the program in 12 months)
*Shanghai - Fall (1.5 credits)
- Professional Responsibility and Leadership (for students completing the program in 20 months)
Application Requirements:
- Personal information
- Transcripts
- GMAT or GRE
- TOEFL or IELTS (required for non-native English speakers or those whose undergraduate instruction was not in English. TOEFL 100+, IELTS 7.0+)
- Résumé
- 1 recommendation letter
- 2 essays (professional essay and personal description essay)
Class Profile:
International student ratio: 100%
Average GPA: 3.5
Average GRE: 331 (Quant: 169)
Average work experience: 1.5 years
MS in Quantitative Finance
MS in Quantitative Finance
The MS in Quantitative Finance, jointly offered by NYU Shanghai and NYU Stern, aims to develop strong skills in mathematics, engineering, science, technology, finance, and business to meet the rapidly evolving financial market landscape.
Students admitted this year will study at NYU Stern in New York in summer 2022; then at NYU Shanghai in the fall, winter, and spring semesters, graduating from NYU Shanghai.
Format: Full-time
Credits: 36
Entry: Summer enrollment only
Application deadlines: October 15, December 15, January 31
Curriculum:
Summer - New York (13.5 credits)
- Business Communication
- Statistics & Data Analysis
- Foundations of Finance
- Corporate Finance
- Modeling Volatility
Fall - Shanghai (9 credits)
- China's Financial Markets
- Debt Instruments and Markets
- Futures and Options
Winter - Shanghai (3 credits)
- Credit Risk
Spring - Shanghai (9 or 10.5 credits)
- Capstone Project
- Modeling Volatility
- Foundations of FinTech
- Professional Responsibility and Leadership (for students completing the program in 12 months)
*Shanghai - Fall (1.5 credits)
- Professional Responsibility and Leadership (for students completing the program in 20 months)
Application Requirements:
- Personal information
- Prerequisite courses (calculus, statistics or econometrics, accounting)
- Transcripts of a full-time bachelor’s degree or higher
- GRE or GMAT
- TOEFL or IELTS (required for non-native English speakers or those whose undergraduate instruction was not in English. TOEFL 100+, IELTS 7.0+)
- Résumé
- 1 recommendation letter
- 2 essays (professional essay and personal description essay)
Class Profile:
International student ratio: 100%
Average GPA: 3.6
Average GRE: 328 (Quant: 168)
Percentage with work experience: 18%
Master of Social Work (MSW)
Master of Social Work (MSW)
The MSW program, offered in partnership with NYU Silver School of Social Work, provides an innovative global social work education experience and is the only MSW program offered by an American university in China.
Full-time students spend their first year at NYU Shanghai and their second year in New York City completing coursework and internships. Part-time students can choose a mode with the first two years in Shanghai and the third year in New York, with the Shanghai courses being part-time only.
Format: Full-time or part-time
Credits: 65
Entry: Fall enrollment only
Application deadlines: January 6, February 10, March 10
Full-time Curriculum:
Fall - Shanghai (17 credits)
- Social Work Practice I
- Social Welfare Policy I
- Human Behavior & Social Environment I
- Diversity, Racism, Oppression, and Privilege
- Chinese*
- Field Placement I
Spring - Shanghai (16 credits)
- Social Work Practice II
- Human Behavior & Social Environment II
- Group Work Practice
- Social Work Research I
- Field Placement II
Fall - New York (16 credits*)
- Social Work Practice III
- Human Behavior & Social Environment III
- Social Work Research II
- Elective*
- Field Placement III
Spring - New York (16 credits)
- Social Work Practice IV
- Advanced Social Policy
- Elective
- Elective
- Field Placement IV
Application Requirements:
- Personal statement
- Transcripts
- TOEFL or IELTS (required for non-native English speakers or those whose undergraduate instruction was not in English)
- 3 recommendation letters
- Résumé
TESOL
TESOL
This TESOL master’s program is jointly offered by NYU Shanghai and the NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.
The program is designed for in-service English teachers in China, providing them with the opportunity to study in both Shanghai and New York to further enhance their English teaching and research skills. The total program length is two years, with all courses taught in English.
Format: Part-time
Credits: 30
Entry: Summer enrollment only
Application deadlines: February 1, rolling admission if space available thereafter
Curriculum:
Application Requirements:
- Personal statement
- Transcripts
- TOEFL or IELTS (required for non-native English speakers or those whose undergraduate instruction was not in English)
- Résumé
- 2 recommendation letters
- Interview*
NYU Shanghai Online Application Process
Using the joint programs between NYU Shanghai and Stern as an example:
- Enter the application portal through the program website: stern.shanghai.nyu.edu
- Submit application materials and pay the application fee as prompted by the system
- The admissions office will send results within eight weeks after each round’s deadline
Application start page
Application guide interface
After selecting the applicable program and creating an account on the official website, you can submit application materials as prompted.
Program selection interface
Essay section
Besides the standard application materials, it is worth noting that some programs have prerequisite course requirements.
For instance, the MS in Data Analytics & Business Computing requires applicants to have successfully completed a calculus course with a grade of at least "B" before enrollment.
Prerequisite course requirement interface
Prerequisite courses must be completed at a degree-granting (or government-recognized) college or university, and can be completed online. Courses taken at community colleges cannot fulfill the prerequisite requirement.
If the course you have taken does not conform to the U.S. standard semester credit system, you should email the admissions office for clarification.
For this program, the school also strongly recommends that students achieve beginner to intermediate proficiency in R before enrollment. While not a mandatory admission requirement, if you have no prior programming experience, you will need to provide a self-study plan in your application.
Signature interface
Note that the online application interface content varies by program. Applicants must carefully read the requirements for each program and complete the forms carefully.
Comparison of NYU Shanghai and NYU New York Programs
Admission Requirements: Mixed Leniency
NYU Shanghai maintains the same high standards as NYU in terms of curriculum, faculty, alumni resources, and scholarships.
However, there are differences in admission requirements. For example, compared with Stern's New York campus, which strictly requires strong work experience, the joint master’s programs do not emphasize work experience as much.
But for hard background, NYU Shanghai does not loosen its requirements. A GPA of 3.6+ is standard; and GRE, which many students now overlook, is basically a necessity for NYU Shanghai applications, with average scores above 325 or even 330+. GPA needless to mention, 3.6+ is the norm, and actual admitted scores may be even higher.
Study Abroad Experience Reduced, but Tuition Still High
Because these are joint programs, time spent on the New York campus is limited, and the campus environment and surrounding atmosphere may not be as "international," so the study-abroad experience may be significantly diminished.
Nevertheless, the high tuition is almost the same as at NYU New York, and it increases every year, which is clearly a downside.
2023-2024 Tuition
2022-2023 Tuition
No OPT or STEM OPT
Additionally, graduates of NYU Shanghai programs are generally unable to apply for OPT, and the programs are not classified as STEM. This is re-emphasized when signing the application.
For students who want to work in the U.S. in the future, this may not be very favorable.
At the same time, NYU Shanghai programs generally do not allow OPT applications, nor are they STEM-designated. This may not be friendly for students hoping to work in the U.S. after graduation.
Overall, NYU Shanghai programs are more suitable for students who wish to study in multiple locations and plan to return to China for career development.
Under the influence of various factors, competition for NYU Shanghai applications is becoming increasingly fierce. CheersYou（清柚教育） also reminds all applicants: if you have made up your mind, please prepare your materials and submit your application as early as possible.
There is no absolute answer to whether a program at any university is worth it. You should carefully analyze your own situation, seriously consider school choices, and ultimately find the one that suits you best.
The new application season has quietly begun. We hope every student can plan early and successfully receive an offer from their dream school!
