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Curriculum (For Liberal Studies Freshmen Entering in Fall 2008)
The Goal
Our aim is to give our students the best possible foundation in the liberal arts and sciences and to help them develop the ability to think analytically, read critically, and write effectively. These are the skills that every student needs to complete a bachelor’s degree at NYU and, beyond that, to become successful in his or her chosen profession or with graduate studies. The curriculum covers the development of civilization from ancient times to the present. The subject matter is organized to concentrate on one historical period at a time, with interrelated courses that deal with materials from all of the humanities. Students read many original historical texts from around the world and throughout history, rather than textbooks.
Freshmen Curriculum Requirements
All freshmen are required to complete a two-semester freshman writing course focusing on expository writing, the presentation of argument, and the elements of research. The freshman core courses Cultural Foundations I and II and Social Foundations I and II are based on the study of great texts from antiquity to the Enlightenment. In the Cultural Foundations sequence, students study literature, the visual and performing arts, and music. In the Social Foundations sequence, students focus on philosophy, religion, political and social theory, and history. Taken together, the two sequences can be seen as a large-scale cultural history. The sequences also provide an introduction to skills in critical analysis and synthetic thinking that students need for successful study in all academic disciplines. In addition to the core curriculum, freshman students usually take a course in Global Cultures that introduces the history and culture of Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, South Asia, or East Asia and a course in mathematics or the natural sciences.
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Sophomore Curriculum Requirements
During the sophomore year, students are required to complete two sophomore seminars, one from each category, in Topics in Modern Culture and Topics in Modern Society. Each semester, nearly 40 seminars are offered from which students may choose, and students are expected to take one seminar per term. Typically, sophomore seminars explore in depth the critical issues of the modern experience (1800 to the present).
Many of these topical seminars grow from themes that are introduced in a general way in the freshman foundation sequences, but here the emphasis is on exploring a single issue in greater detail. The sophomore seminars explicitly draw on the skills developed in the freshman year. These skills in writing and in textual analysis are used by students to develop research projects and to critique contributions of other seminar members.
In the sophomore year, each student with the aid of his or her adviser chooses elective courses from NYU’s extensive offerings. These electives are designed to help students select a major or begin work in a particular field. By the end of the sophomore year, a student should be able to confidently declare a major.
Guidelines for Liberal Studies Pre-Health Students
Please read the PDF document containing the Curriculum Guidelines for LS Pre-Health Students.*
Please read the PDF document containing the Curriculum Guidelines for LS Tisch School of the Arts Students.*
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