NYU Abu Dhabi Bulletin 2021-2022

Programsat a GlanceNYU Abu Dhabi offers a core curriculum, 25 majors (with anew major in Business, Organizations and Society awaitinggovernmental approval), numerous multidisciplinary anddisciplinary minors and specializations, pre-professionalcourses, and electives in a variety of fields. As the studentbody and faculty grow, new courses are developed toreflect student interests and expanding faculty expertise.The offerings at NYU Abu Dhabi are also enriched by thewide array of programs across NYU’s global network.During four years of undergraduate study, students havean extensive choice of courses in all disciplines and areable to fulfill all requirements.NYU Abu Dhabi also offers master’s degree programsin Economics and Art & Media. The one-year program inEconomics awards a Master of Science degree and thetwo-year Art program awards a Master of Fine Arts degree.2021–22 BASIC INFORMATION PROGR AMS AT A GL ANCE11

UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMCORE CURRICULUMColloquiaCore CompetenciesArts, Design, & TechnologyCultural Exploration and AnalysisData and DiscoveryStructures of Thought and SocietyWritingMAJORSArts and HumanitiesArt and Art HistoryArts Practice TrackArt History TrackFilm and New MediaMedia Practice TrackMedia Studies TrackHistoryLiterature and Creative WritingLiterary Studies TrackCreative Writing TrackMusicArtistic Practice TrackMusic Studies TrackPhilosophyTheaterSocial ScienceBusiness, Organizations & Society (pending)EconomicsGlobal Studies TrackPolitical ScienceSocial Research and Public PolicyScience and MathematicsBiologySpecialization:BiophysicsBrain and Cognitive ScienceChemistrySpecialization:BiophysicsComputer ScienceGlobal Studies physicsPsychologyEngineeringGeneral EngineeringBioengineeringCivil EngineeringComputer EngineeringElectrical EngineeringMechanical Engineering12Multidisciplinary ProgramsArab Crossroads StudiesInteractive MediaLegal StudiesMINORSMultidisciplinaryAfrican StudiesAncient World StudiesArab Crossroads StudiesArabic Music StudiesDesignEnvironmental StudiesHeritage StudiesInteractive MediaLegal StudiesPeace StudiesSound and Music ed MathematicsArabicArt HistoryArt PracticeChineseComputer ScienceCreative WritingEconomicsEngineeringFilm and New MediaHistoryLiteratureMusicNatural SciencesPhilosophyPolitical SciencePsychologySocial Research and Public PolicyTheaterPRE-PROFESSIONAL COURSESEducationLeadership and Social EntrepreneurshipMedia, Culture, and CommunicationMuseum and Curatorial StudiesPremedical and Health StudiesLANGUAGESArabicChineseFrenchSpanishGRADUATE PROGRAMMaster of Fine Arts in Art and MediaMaster of Science in Economics2021–22 BASIC INFORMATION PROGR AMS AT A GL ANCE

Academic Calendar2021–22FALL SEMESTER IAugust 29 (Sunday)September 2 (Thursday)September 9 (Thursday)October 11 (Monday)October 14 (Thursday)October 17–19 (Sunday–Tuesday)October 20 (Wednesday)October 21 (Thursday)Classes beginAdd/drop deadline for 7-week coursesAdd/drop deadline for 14-week coursesWithdrawal and change of grading basis deadlinefor 7-week coursesLast day of classes for 7-week coursesNo classes or midterms: Final exams for 7-week coursesNo classes or midtermsNo classes: Prophet Muhammad’s BirthdayFALL SEMESTER IIOctober 24 (Sunday)October 28 (Thu)November 28 (Sunday)November 29 (Monday)November 30–December 2 (Tuesday–Thursday)December 6 (Monday)December 14 (Tuesday)December 16-21 (Thursday–Tuesday)December 22 (Wednesday)Classes resumeAdd/drop deadline for 7-week coursesLegislative day: Classes meet on a Wednesday scheduleLegislative day: Classes meet on a Thursday scheduleNo Classes: Commemoration Day/National Day HolidayWithdrawal and change of grading basis deadlinefor 7-week and 14-week coursesLast day of classesFinal examsDeparture day/Winter break beginsWINTER BREAKDecember 22–January 3 (Wednesday–Monday)No ClassesJANUARY TERM IN ABU DHABIJanuary 4 (Tuesday)January 15 (Saturday)January 20 (Thursday)Classes beginLegislative Day: All Classes meetLast day of classes2021–22 BASIC INFORMATION ACADEMIC CALENDAR13

Academic Calendar2021–22SPRING SEMESTER IJanuary 24 (Monday)January 30 (Sunday)February 6 (Sunday)February 19 (Saturday)February 23 (Wednesday)March 10 (Thursday)March 12–14 (Saturday–Monday)Classes beginAdd/drop deadline for 7-week coursesAdd/drop deadline for 14-week coursesLegislative Day: Classes meet on a Sunday scheduleWithdrawal and change of grading basis deadlinefor 7-week coursesLast day of classes for 7-week coursesNo Classes: Final exams for 7-week coursesSPRING BREAKMarch 15–22 (Tuesday–Tuesday)No classesSPRING SEMESTER IIMarch 23 (Wednesday)March 29 (Tuesday)April 6 (Wednesday)April 25 (Monday)May 17 (Tuesday)May 19–24 (Thursday–Tuesday)May 30 (Monday)7-week classes beginAdd/drop deadline for 7-week coursesWithdrawal and change of grading basis deadlinefor 14-week coursesWithdrawal and change of grading basis deadlinefor 7-week coursesLast day of classesFinal ExamsCommencementSUMMER TERMMay 29 (Sunday)June 1 (Wednesday)June 12 (Sunday)June 23 (Thursday)June 25 (Saturday)14Classes beginAdd/drop deadline for Summer coursesWithdrawal and change of grading basis Summer coursesLast day of classesFour-week courses Ffinal exams2021–22 BASIC INFORMATION ACADEMIC CALENDAR

LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTIONEnglish is the language of instructionat NYU Abu Dhabi, and mastery of Englishis required for admission. NYU Abu Dhabioffers various non-credit individualizedinstruction experiences designed to enhancestudents’ spoken and written English.ACCREDITATIONNew York University is accredited by theMiddle States Commission on Higher Education,3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104(267-284-5000). The Middle States Commissionon Higher Education is an institutionalaccreditation agency recognized by the USSecretary of Education and the Councilfor Higher Education Accreditation. NYUAbu Dhabi is approved by the MiddleStates Commission as an additional locationof NYU, and is included within the scopeof its accreditation.NYU Abu Dhabi, located in the Emirate of AbuDhabi, is officially licensed by the Ministry ofEducation of the United Arab Emirates to awarddegrees/qualifications in higher education,and has been awarded the status of “HighConfidence Institution”. All degree programs atNYU Abu Dhabi are also individually accreditedby the Ministry’s Commission for AcademicAccreditation, https://caa.ae/Pages/Institutes/Details.aspx?GUID 131In addition to the above, five of the engineeringmajors offered by NYU Abu Dhabi (GeneralEngineering, Civil Engineering, ComputerEngineering, Electrical Engineering, andMechanical Engineering) are accredited bythe Engineering Accreditation Commission ofABET, http://www.abet.org. The BioEngineeringprogram will undergo an ABET accreditationreview following the first graduating class.Once the ABETaccreditation is granted,it is retrospectively applied from the firstgraduating class.DEGREES AND GRADUATIONREQUIREMENTSGraduates of NYUAD’s undergraduateprograms receive either a Bachelor of Arts(BA) or a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree.Masters graduates receive either a Master ofScience (MSc) or a Master of Fine Arts (MFA).The degrees are conferred by New YorkUniversity and are identical to the degreesawarded at the New York campus. Thegeneral degree requirements are the same forthe BA and the BS and are described below.The degree requirements for the mastersprograms vary and are detailed in theirrespective Bulletin sections.Students who major in the Arts, Humanities,Social Sciences, and Psychology, and whocomplete all the degree requirements earnthe Bachelor of Arts degree. The Bachelor ofScience degree is awarded to students whomajor in Engineering or the Sciences (otherthan Psychology) and who complete all thedegree requirements. Students who completedouble majors earn the degree associatedwith their primary major, the one in whichthey complete their capstone project.The academic year is divided into 15-weekfall and spring semesters, January term(3 weeks), and an optional summer term(4 weeks). During regular semestersstudents typically take four courses; duringJanuary or summer terms students takea single course. NYU Abu Dhabi has severaltypes of courses: while most course offeringsare full courses counting for four academiccredits; Engineering, Science, and Music dooffer a variety of two-credit or half courses.Most of the half courses last only seven weeks,* As this Bulletin went to press, final accreditationapproval for the major in Business, Organizationsand Society was pending. Please refer to the NYUADwebsite (www.nyuad.nyu.edu) for a final decisionand/or any alterations to the program requirements.2021–22 BASIC INFORMATION L ANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION15

but 14-week half courses do exist as do intensive7-week full, four-credit courses. Students mustcomplete a minimum of 140 credits (35 fullcourses) and have a minimum cumulative gradepoint average of 2.00 to graduate.A credit hour is a unit of measure that givesvalue to the level of instruction, academicrigor, and time requirements for a coursetaken at an educational institution. At itsmost basic, a credit hour is a proxy measureof a quantity of student learning. At NYUAbu Dhabi a credit hour generally reflects aminimum of .625 hours of seminar or lectureper week for 14 weeks (or the equivalent)generally with additional recitation and/or laboratory or studio hours. Augmentingthis is the expectation for substantial workoutside of the classroom typically reflectingat least 1.25 hours of independent workper week for each credit hour.Students must take a writing seminar in thefirst year, complete the Core Curriculum,fulfill the requirements for an academic major,and complete a two-semester CapstoneExperience. Students are also required tocomplete two physical education activities.These requirements are described in greaterdetail below.Beyond these requirements, students arefree to choose general electives from acrossthe curriculum. These general electivecourses can include foreign language courses,extra courses from within their major, coursesfrom other programs, and pre-professionalcourses. Between study abroad, Januaryterm, and courses offered by the many visitingfaculty from NYU New York and otherprestigious universities, significant opportunitiesexist for students to sample from an almostlimitless set of courses. Pre-professionalcourses, in particular, allow students to beginexploring careers through an investigationof the academic preparation expected invarious fields.16Core Curriculum: The Core Curriculum(the Core) forms the heart of NYUAD’smission to provide an international studentbody with an outstanding, expansiveeducation. The Core draws on the diversityand cultural wealth of the world’s traditionsand spans the content and methodologiesof 21st-century disciplines across the Artsand Humanities, Engineering, Science, andSocial Science. It offers Core Competenciesthat will help graduates address major globalchallenges, including the pursuit of equality,justice, peace, health, sustainability, anda rich understanding of humanity. It fostersmodes of thinking and habits of mind centralto well-rounded intellectual developmentand to global citizenship and leadership.The Core requires students to complete twoCore Colloquia as well as one course in eachof four broad areas of inquiry: Arts, Design,and Technology; Cultural Exploration andAnalysis; Data and Discovery; and Structuresof Thought and Society. Through these sixcourses or through courses in their major orgeneral elective selections, students are alsorequired to fill requirements in quantitativereasoning, experimental inquiry, andIslamic studies.The development of strong writing skillsthroughout a student’s academic career isan important objective of an NYUAD education.This work begins with a semester-longwriting seminar in the first year whichintroduces students to the reading, writing,oral expression, and critical thinking skillsessential to a liberal arts education.The First-Year Writing Seminar lays thefoundation for the continued practice inuniversity-level thinking and writing thatstudents will experience at NYU AbuDhabi. In addition to the First-Year WritingSeminar, students receive extensive writingand communication practice in all Corecourses and come to learn through writtenassignments in disciplinary courses that2021–22 BASIC INFORMATION DEGREES AND GR ADUATION REQUIREMENTS

each discipline has its own conventions foradvanced writing in their fields.Students complete writing assessmentsduring their Admissions Candidate Weekendthat guide initial placement in the program’scourses. These assessments help the WritingProgram faculty advise students abouthow to maximize the impact of the courseon their learning. For instance, studentswho are identified as needing more time topractice college-level writing are stronglyadvised to take the Writing Seminar in thefall of their first year. Students identified asbeing more fully prepared often delay takingare advised their First-Year Writing Seminaruntil the following spring.Major: An academic major is a coherentgroup of courses including of a setof required courses, a varying number ofelective courses related to the discipline,and culminating with a senior capstoneproject. The individual courses within eachmajor contribute to the development ofprogram learning outcomes specific to eachacademic major. The number of coursesand credits vary depending on the natureof the academic major - from a minimum ofcourses totaling 44 credits to a maximumof courses totaling 93 credits. Requirementsand program learning outcomes associatedwith each major are detailed under thesections dedicated to each major.Students must complete the requirements fora major, which vary. NYU Abu Dhabi offers25 majors across the Arts, Humanities,Social Sciences, Sciences and Engineering.Students declare a major by the end of theirsecond year. However, many majors do haverequirements beginning in the first year.Although all courses successfully completedmay count toward the 140-credit graduationrequirement, only those courses in whichgrades of C or higher are earned count towardmajor, minor, or Core requirements.Capstone Experience: Every NYUADstudent completes a Capstone Project in theirmajor field. Depending on academic discipline,this may be either an individual or teamproject. The Capstone Project is a demanding,two- or three-semester-long endeavor aimingat a significant piece of research or creativework; an historical narrative, musical composition,performance, invention, documentedexperiment, scholarly thesis, or other formappropriate to the student’s goals and major.Unlike other courses in which facultyestablish the structure and set assignments,the Capstone Project puts the student incharge. The fundamental challenge is to enterunmapped terrain and to extend oneself inmaking knowledge, reframing conventionalapproaches to an issue or creatingsomething new.No matter what form the Capstone Projecttakes, each student has a faculty mentor andparticipates in a Capstone Seminar or otherpreparatory course(s) that serves as a forumto discuss the research process and presentwork in progress. These seminars offer a modelof intellectual community and collaborativelearning in which participants offer theirthoughts across fields of study and engagein active critique and revision. Studentspublicly present their Capstone Project incelebration of their creative achievements.January Term: Students are required tocomplete three January term courses,including one in the first year. In the absenceof an approved, compelling reason, suchas a study away calendar conflicts, studentscomplete their two remaining Januaryterms during their second and third yearof enrollment. For further information onJanuary term, see pp. 517–522.Minors: Academic Minors document a smallbut coordinated of courses related to a specifictopic. While minors do not typically havewell-defined program learning outcomes,2021–22 BASIC INFORMATION DEGREES AND GR ADUATION REQUIREMENTS17

they allow students to readily documenthaving studied a designated area of inquiryat a level more deeply than would besuggested by a single independent course.Most NYUAD academic programs offeroptional minors for non-majors. Additionalmultidisciplinary minors support workacross disciplines and require students tothink about complex subjects frommultiple perspectives. NYUAD minorsallow students to focus on a second field ofstudy, in addition to their major, without theextensive commitment required of a secondmajor. Most minors require four or fivecourses that complement the major area ofstudy or are of personal interest to a student.Students are encouraged to explore theoption of completing a minor rather thana full second major.Physical Education: The Physical Educationrequirement includes the completion of twoseven-week sessions of monitored athleticactivity. Students can choose from a varietyof classes or participate as a member of acompetitive team (depending on skill level).Physical Education classes are participatoryin nature, requiring participation ratherthan athletic excellence to receive credit.These activities are not graded.Minors in the NYU global network:Where comparable NYUAD minors do notalready exist, NYUAD students may beable to complete one of the many academicminors offered elsewhere in the NYUglobal network. Students interested incompleting one of these minors ordinarilytake most or all of the required courses inNew York, Shanghai, and/or one of the otherglobal sites. However, appropriate NYUADcourses. may also be used toward completionof an NYU minor. Directed Study coursesgenerally cannot be used to meet globalnetwork minor requirements.182021–22 BASIC INFORMATION ADMISSIONSGraduate ProgramsGraduates of the M.F.A. in Art & Mediaprogram receive the Master of Fine Artsdegree. Graduates of the M.Sc. in Economicsprogram receive the Master of Sciencedegree. Students should review the graduationrequirements detailed on pages 226 forthe M.F.A., and pages 310 for the M.Sc. inEconomics. Further detailed policies andprocedures relating to graduate programscan be found in the Graduate Manual,published online .UNDERGRADUATE

561 ABOUT NEW YORK UNIVERSITY 564 NYU’s Global Network 564 NYU Global Academic Centers 570 New York University Board of Trustees 571 New York University Leadership 573 ABOUT NYU ABU DHABI 574 NYUAD Organizational Chart 575 NYUAD Leadership 577 NYUAD Facul