Liberal Arts (BA/BS)

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science (BS) programs in Liberal Arts in the Adult Bachelor's Program are based on the same New School curriculum. Both require completion of 120 credits, including a minimum of 60 credits for courses designated by The New School as Liberal Arts courses. Students who take 90 or more credits in designated Liberal Arts courses receive the BA degree. Students who take fewer than 90 credits in Liberal Arts courses receive the BS degree.

Each student in the Adult Bachelor's Program designs an individualized program of study in consultation with a faculty advisor. There are no required courses, although students admitted with fewer than 30 transfer credits may be required to take academic writing and some other designated first-year courses.

Liberal Arts Requirements in the Adult Bachelor's Program

Students should consult with their academic advisors at least once a semester to be certain they are taking the right balance of courses. They are responsible for keeping track of the number of Liberal Arts and non–Liberal Arts credits they need to meet their BA or BS degree requirements. 

The Liberal Arts and non–Liberal Arts distribution described above applies to transfer credits. For example, if a student seeking a BA transfers nine performing arts credits from another school, those credits will be counted toward the 30-credit maximum of non–Liberal Arts credits permitted for the BA. The student would be limited to taking 21 additional non–Liberal Arts credits at The New School.

Additional Degree Requirements

Apart from the Liberal Arts requirements, the following policies apply to all students in the Bachelor's Program for Adults and Transfer Students:

• A minimum of 36 credits must be earned in residence at The New School.
• Up to 84 credits can be transferred for courses completed at another college or university (but not more than 60 credits for lower-level courses). To be accepted for transfer, credits must have been earned in courses consistent with courses offered at The New School and for which grades of C or better were awarded. The New School usually accepts credits from other regionally accredited institutions. Courses taken at institutions without regional accreditation will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and students may be asked to provide course syllabuses, portfolios, and other pertinent documentation for review.
• Up to 30 credits can be awarded for prior learning, as distinct from credits transferred from other colleges or universities. However, the number of credits for prior learning and transferred classes combined cannot exceed 84 credits.
• A cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or better is required to graduate.

Questions about New School courses, study options, and degree requirements can be answered by an admission counselor or by a core faculty advisor in the Adult Bachelor's Program.