From the Vice Dean

Welcome to New College for Interdisciplinary Studies. At New College we offer a unique liberal arts education that emphasizes the value of individualized learning, study across disciplines, and hands-on experience in and outside of the classroom. As a New College student, you'll be part of a close-knit community with small classes, enriched advisement, and a curriculum that reflects your interests and goals.

On our innovative block schedule, first-year students take only one course at a time over a three-and-a-half-week period, for a total of four block courses in a row each semester. Block courses include extended field trips, usually one per week, within the New York City area. You'll therefore be able to draw on the diverse and abundant resources of a great urban center to gain direct experience with the topics you're studying in class.

As a first-year student, you may take block courses for a semester or one academic year. You can then continue your studies in New College or in any other unit of the University and apply credits that you've earned in block courses toward satisfying your degree requirements.

Beginning in your sophomore year, you'll go on the regular academic schedule. You’ll choose your courses (with help from your adviser) from the wide array of offerings available throughout the University.

New College allows you to earn an interdisciplinary B.A. degree in the fields you want to study. In close consultation with your adviser, you’ll create a individualized degree plan that reflects your academic goals and that prepares you for the career you want to pursue. In the fall semester of your senior year, you'll take an advanced seminar in your area of specialization. In the spring semester of that year, you'll complete a semester-long independent project. To give you additional practical experience in the fields that interest you most, New College also requires you to participate in internships and/or study abroad programs. And, as you earn your New College B.A. degree, you’ll be building additional skills that emphasize critical thinking, effective research techniques, solving problems across boundaries, and communicating your ideas clearly to others. All of this prepares you for the future you want.

Dr. Barry Nass