Degree Requirements
The New School for Public Engagement (NSPE) offers three undergraduate degrees: Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts (BS), and, for transfer students from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA), the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre (BFA).
Students with 90 or more credits in the liberal arts earn a BA degree; BA degree students may not take more than 30 non-liberal arts credits. Students with at least 60 credits in the liberal arts earn a BS degree; BS degree students may take a maximum of 60 credits in non-liberal arts courses. AMDA transfer students completing the BFA degree must take a minimum of 48 credits in the liberal arts; BFA degree students may take a maximum of 12 additional non-liberal arts credits. Students are responsible for keeping an accurate count of the number of liberal arts and non-liberal arts credits they need to complete their degree requirements. Please note: Your transfer credits apply to the liberal arts and non-liberal arts totals listed above. For example, BA degree students who transfer nine non-liberal arts credits from another school must subtract those from the 30-credit maximum they are permitted to take in NSPE. That would leave them with 21 non-liberal arts credits they can take in their degree program at The New School. Students must meet with their academic advisors at least once each semester to make sure their credit counts are correct. Students with additional questions about credit requirements should contact their adviser.
To identify liberal arts and non-liberal arts courses in the bachelor's program curriculum, consult this list:
If you have trouble finding a particular course in the document, contact the School of Undergraduate Studies office for more information.
Graduation Requirements
- A total of at least 120 credits are required for all bachelor's degrees.
- A minimum of 36 credits must be earned in residence at NSPE.
- Up to 84 credits earned prior to matriculation at NSPE can be transferred provided that the courses were comparable to courses offered at The New School and in which a grade of "C" or better was awarded. Any courses taken at other institutions after matriculation must be approved for transfer credit in advance by the director of the School of Undergraduate Studies.
- A minimum 2.0 cumulative grade point average is required for graduation.
- At least 60 credits completed in residence and a 3.7 or better cumulative grade point average are required for graduation with honors.
- No grades of "incomplete" are allowed in the final semester of attendance. All transfer credits and other transcript issues must be resolved before the degree conferral deadline.
- To initiate the evaluation process leading up to the conferral of the degree, a student must submit a graduation petition during the final semester of study prior to the deadline set each semester by the university registrar.
- Degrees are conferred twice a year, in January and May. There is no January commencement ceremony; all graduates are invited to participate in the May ceremonies.
- Students with nine or fewer credits to complete who plan to finish during the summer term may participate in the May graduation ceremony by filing the graduation petition; however, the degree will not be conferred until all graduation requirements have been met.
- In order to get tickets to the university-wide commencement ceremony (maximum 3 per student), you must submit a graduation petition.
- A smaller individual recognition ceremony for NSPE undergraduate students, held during graduation week, is open to all.