Congratulations to all students on embarking on your new life at NYU!
From course selection and credit transfers to declaring majors, changing majors, and graduation requirements, there are many important matters you need to understand in advance after officially enrolling.
To help everyone adapt more quickly to academic life at NYU, CheersYou has compiled this NYU Freshman Handbook to clarify key academic planning issues upon enrollment.
NYU Course Selection
Preparation for Course Selection
NYU freshmen primarily complete course selection through Albert. Generally, after paying the deposit, students will receive an email with instructions to set up their Albert account.
Since registration times vary by school and major, once your account is set up, log in to Albert as soon as possible to check your Enrollment Dates and confirm when you can officially register for courses.
Before selecting courses, be sure to communicate with your advisor. Especially for freshmen, many courses are not open for immediate registration; some have prerequisites, while others require a Permission Code from the department or professor.
If you are unsure whether a course counts toward your major requirements, core curriculum, or graduation requirements, it is recommended to consult your advisor first to avoid discovering later that the credits do not apply.
Undergraduate students typically enroll in 12–18 credit hours per semester, while graduate students generally take 9–12 credit hours.
If undergraduate students drop below 12 credit hours, they will be considered part-time students. For international students, this can also affect their F-1 visa status, so avoid casually reducing your course load.
Course Selection Process
When selecting courses, first enter the Albert Student Center. In the Shopping Cart, click on Course Search. You can search for courses by course name, course number, professor, time, and other information.
Once you find suitable courses, add them to your Shopping Cart.
Adding courses to the shopping cart does not guarantee successful enrollment. After placing courses in the Shopping Cart, you must proceed to the Validate Classes stage to check whether you meet the course enrollment requirements.
If the course meets the requirements, the system will display a green checkmark; if it does not meet the requirements, a red warning will be shown.
Once Registration officially begins, return to Albert's Shopping Cart and click Validate / Enroll / Edit. Pay attention to the course status indicators: green means open, blue means closed, and yellow means waitlisted.
A closed status indicates that the course is full and no waitlist is available, so you will need to select other courses. After confirming the courses you wish to register for, select “yes” from the dropdown menu, click Enroll, and finally, be sure to click Finish Enrolling. Your registration is only considered successfully completed after this final step.
Adding/Dropping Courses and Withdrawal
If you wish to adjust your course schedule at the beginning of the semester, it is recommended to consult with your advisor first. Generally, you cannot freely add or drop courses after the first two weeks of the semester; some courses also require a Permission Code before enrollment.
If you drop a course within the first two weeks of the semester, it typically will not appear on your transcript. If you drop a course after the two-week period, a W (Withdrawal) may appear on your transcript. After a specific date, usually after the ninth week of the semester, you can no longer withdraw from courses.
Specific deadlines vary each semester, so please refer to the Academic Calendar and your school's policies.
NYU Transfer Credits
NYU has different transfer credit limits for students with different statuses: freshmen can transfer up to 32 credits, while transfer students can transfer up to 64 credits. High school-level courses such as AP, IB, and A-Levels can be used to exchange for partial credits if they meet the grade requirements.
For example, AP exams typically require a score of 4 or 5, IB Higher Level exams usually require a 6 or 7, and A-Level grades must be no lower than a B, with a maximum of 8 credits exchangeable.
If you have taken courses at other universities, NYU will review your transcripts to determine whether they will be accepted.
Generally, courses must have a grade of C or higher, cannot be pass/fail, must appear on your college transcript, and NYU must offer equivalent courses. Additionally, courses are typically required to have been completed within the past 10 years.
A reminder for new students: transferring credits does not necessarily mean a lighter workload. While AP, IB, and A-Level scores may exempt you from introductory courses, upper-level university courses move at a faster pace.
If you use transferred credits to skip foundational courses, it is recommended that you preview the material during the summer break; otherwise, you may find yourself struggling to keep up once the semester begins.
Declaring a Major at NYU
Students in certain schools at NYU are not required to declare a major immediately upon enrollment. Instead, they must formally declare a major later in accordance with their school's and program's requirements. The specific process varies by major: some require only a declaration form, while others consider prerequisites, GPA, portfolios, course capacity, or application timing. Therefore, freshmen should review the webpage of their target major well in advance.
Minors within the same school can typically be applied for via a declaration form; cross-school minors can be applied for through the Minor Application under Planning Tools on the Academics page in Albert.
It is also important to distinguish between a Double Major and a Dual Degree.
A Double Major involves completing two majors within the same school. While both majors are listed on the diploma, students typically receive only one degree.
A Dual Degree requires fulfilling the professional requirements separately in different schools, resulting in two distinct degrees. This path usually has higher requirements and involves a longer planning cycle.
Changing Majors at NYU
NYU does not have a university-wide uniform policy for changing majors; requirements primarily depend on the specific school and major.
For instance, if you wish to change majors within the same school, you typically need to contact the advising office of your current school or the target major. If you intend to transfer from one school to another, such as between Liberal Studies, CAS, Tandon, Steinhardt, etc., this may involve an Internal Transfer application, and success is not automatically guaranteed.
NYU officially states that if you are simply switching programs within the same school, you should contact the advising office of your current school.
Taking CAS as an example, if a student wishes to change their major from the one selected during the admission application to another, they need to contact both their current department and the target department to confirm the requirements.
NYU Graduation Requirements
Graduation requirements vary by school and major at NYU. Students must adhere to the specific requirements of their respective school and major.
Students must simultaneously fulfill the total credit requirements, school requirements, major requirements, and GPA requirements, and submit their graduation application on time.
Taking the College of Arts and Science (CAS) as an example:
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Complete 128 credits
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At least 64 points must be from College of Arts and Science coursework
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Cumulative GPA must be 2.0 or higher
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If choosing a double major, the GPA for the second major must also be 2.0 or higher
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Fulfill corresponding requirements such as the Core Curriculum, major requirements, and elective requirements
Before graduation, you need to complete the following items in Albert:
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Confirm Expected Graduation Term
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Check Degree Progress
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Submit Apply to Graduate on time
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Check Diploma Options
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View Graduation Status
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Confirm arrangements for Commencement and the school's graduation ceremony
Degree Progress can be used to view completed, in-progress, and pending graduation requirements, including total credits, major, minor, and degree requirements.
The graduation application periods typically open as follows:
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Spring Degree Conferral: Opens in November
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Summer Degree Conferral: Opens in March
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Fall Degree Conferral: Opens in July
After submitting your graduation application, you need to confirm the name on your diploma and your mailing address. Once all degree requirements are fulfilled, the university will notify you of the degree conferral result via email.
NYU Students Choose CheersYou
CheersYou (清柚教育) has extensive experience in serving NYU students and providing application guidance. We have long supported students from various schools and majors with course planning, major selection, and graduate school applications.
Whether it's academic planning right after enrollment or preparation for graduate school applications later on, CheersYou can provide more targeted advice based on each student's specific situation.
To get the complete version of the "NYU Freshman Handbook," or if you have questions about course selection, graduate school applications, or other related matters, please feel free to click below to contact CheersYou (清柚教育).
