Courseload and GPA
NYU Abu Dhabi awards the Bachelor of Arts and the Bachelor of Science degrees.
The NYUAD curriculum offers 19 majors, five multidisciplinary concentrations, seven pre-professional tracks, and capstone projects.
Students must complete a minimum of 36 courses in total in order to graduate and have a minimum, cumulative grade point average of 2.0. Engineering majors are required to complete 37 courses for graduation.
Courseload: The academic year is divided into a fall semester (14 weeks plus exam period), January Term (3 weeks), and spring semester (14 weeks plus exam period). Students typically take four courses each semester and one course in the January Term, or nine courses per year. The degree requirements fall into the following areas: Core Curriculum; Major; Writing; and Capstone Project. These requirements are described below.
Beyond these requirements, students are free to choose general electives across the curriculum, including courses in NYUAD's seven pre-professional tracks, disciplinary concentrations, and elective courses outside the NYUAD majors. Electives bring the full scope of NYU to the Abu Dhabi campus. These courses provide students significant opportunities to take courses outside their majors and are often taught by scholars from NYU New York who specialize in areas not offered as majors at NYUAD, such as anthropology, linguistics, and religion.
Credit System: NYU Abu Dhabi has three types of courses: 14-week courses; 7-week courses; and 3-week courses in January. Fourteen-week courses meet at least three hours per week, and courses with experimental or arts labs may meet up to six hours per week. Seven-week courses meet six hours per week. In January, students take one 3-week course, which is a full-time, immersive experience, and students focus solely on that one course. All courses are worth 4 credits. Although the length of course, the number of class hours, the assignments, and other requirements will vary depending on the discipline and the level of the course, nearly all courses are four credits. A minimum of 144 credits (148 credits for engineering) — roughly 36 (or 37) courses — is required for graduation.
