If you have a suggestion for a question to add to this page, e-mail us at advisingbafa@newschool.edu!
All students at The New School are assigned an Academic Advisor; these advisors are responsible for providing students with advising and mentorship throughout their time at The New School in such areas as academic success, career ideation and exploration, goal-setting, and personal well being. Your Advisor should be the first person you reach out to when you have a question that you aren't sure where to start. These advisors might be called your "student success advisor" in some documents; they support your class registration, approve abroad applications, and complete other specific transactional needs. They can also provide support in accessing and understanding resources provided by the University, interpreting policies and procedures, listening when you need to talk, and celebrating your successes.
All BAFA students are assigned one primary Academic Advisor, who will advise them for both of their programs; students will not be assigned a separate advisor for their BA and BFA programs.
Your Academic Advisor should be your first go-to person with questions, concerns, and needs. Your advisor is meant to provide holistic support and mentorship and assist you with course planning, registration, career ideation, and overall success during your time at The New School. They can link you to a number of of resources across the University.
Faculty advisors are specifically assigned members of the faculty who will advise you on more subject and content specific issues depending on your academic standing and include Lang First Year Advisors (i.e. the instructors of your first year seminar who help you get settled), Departmental Faculty Advisors (i.e. assigned or self-selected faculty associated with your declared major in any of your degree programs), and Senior Capstone Advisors (i.e. faculty who help you the producing of a program specific senior project and also help you think about life after college). Your faculty advisor(s) are meant to provide specific curricular support around the discipline you have chosen; for example, they might be able to recommend specific classes based on an area of interest; connect you with professionals working in your chosen industry; and more.
As often as you'd like! Some students find having a regular standing meeting with their Academic Advisor is useful, and will meet with their advisor weekly or bi-weekly. Other students may only drop in when they have specific questions or needs. You are required to meet with your Advisor at least once per semester to discuss registration, but you are encouraged to connect more frequently as needed.
Connect with your advisor via e-mail to start! You can also find your advisor's contact information and link to sign up for a meeting on Starfish. Advisors will host meetings in person or remotely on Zoom, depending on their (and your!) preference.
BAFA is designed as a five year (ten semester) pathway, and students should not anticipate being able to complete it in less time, due to the credit minimum (168 for Parsons, 180 for Jazz) as well as the specificity of requirements across both degrees.
First-time college students with a significant number (35+) of transfer credits, or transfer students, should discuss with their advisor.
The New School divides courses into two broad categories: Liberal Arts courses and Non-Liberal Arts courses (sometimes called studio courses). Very generally speaking, the difference is as follows:
Liberal Arts (LIBL): Theory based - a broad term that can be used to encompass humanities, natural and social sciences, and other areas. Think oral/written communication, critical thinking, teamwork and collaboration, "academic" and theoretical approach.
Non-Liberal Arts (NLIB): Experiential and applied courses. Many BFA courses will be NLIB, as will most of your program electives. Think internships, studio art courses, music ensembles, material working, etc. Develop technical skills, work ethic, and other hands-on approaches.
A course's listing on the course catalog will list "Liberal Arts" or "Non-Liberal Arts" in the top right hand corner. You can also use the Course Catalog to filter courses - click "Show Additional Filters" and scroll to the bottom of the filters.
It is essential you plan to take the correct number of LIBL credits (90) - LIBL credits cannot substitute for NLIB credits, and vice versa.
Lang/Parsons BAFA students are not required to take the three specific Art & Design History (ADHT) courses listed on their program's curriculum page (History of..., Intro to..., and Advanced Research Seminar. ) Instead, BAFA students are required to take three ADHT courses, one at the 2000 level, one at the 3000 level, and one at the 4000 level. ADHT courses are any course with a course code beginning with "PL"
Courses at a higher level can fulfill lower level requirements, i.e. a 4000 level ADHT course can meet the 3000 level or 2000 level ADHT requirement.
YES -- this means you are not required to take Intro to, History of, or Advanced Research Seminar!
You can search on the course catalog by "subject code" and "course level." Select all subject codes that begin with "PL" to begin your search.
Students may apply ONE Lang course in the LVIS or LINA subject area, pending advisor approval; not all LVIS/LINA courses fulfill this requirement. Students wishing to determing if an LVIS or LINA course can meet the ADHT requirement should submit the course description and syllabus to their advisor.
BA MAJOR: At Lang, you are encouraged to wait until your sophomore year to declare your major; you may fill out the student declaration form (available on your MyNewSchool or the BAFA Bridge forms page) at any time after you have earned 30 credits total. For BAFA students this means anytime after the first year!
BFA MAJOR - PARSONS: Each spring semester, the Parsons academics team releases the Parsons major application and sends it to all first year students. Students who are Undeclared or wish to change their declared major use this application form to submit their first choice of major - be sure to fill it out by the deadline!
BFA MAJOR - JCM: Generally, major changes are not permitted within Performing Arts and JCM. Contact your advisor to discuss.
Generally speaking, yes, though it requires additional planning. Students in the BA/BFA program are already balancing the requirements of two degree programs, so the feasibility of completing a minor is largely dependent on course availability and scheduling.
Certain minors are also prohibited based on your major. See this page for more details: https://www.newschool.edu/undergrad-minors/
Note that students must successfully complete a minimum of 14 credits of coursework in the minor at The New School. These credits must be distinct and may not also be applied to other program requirements, including the major, a second minor, and ULEC requirements. So that means only one course on average can be shared between your minor and major. (Exceptions may be made for foreign language minors).
Overall, we encourage you to be ambitious but realistic. Consult your advisor with any questions!
LANG: If the class is a Lang or SPE class (course codes beginning with L or U), e-mail the instructor directly with a cc to your advisor.
PARSONS: Students should fill out the Parsons Permission Form for any course they would like to request permission for that they do not meet prerequisites or major code for. Faculty approval will not suffice for permission to enroll.
PERFORMING ARTS: Students should fill out the College of Performing Arts Permission Form for any course they would like to request permission for that they do not meet prerequisites or major code for. Faculty approval will not suffice for permission to enroll.
Students wishing to drop BA/BFA status and remain either a BA or a BFA student should discuss their plans with their Advisor, then fill out the BAFA Degree Change Request Form.
Change in status will impact your degree requirements; you will be responsible for completion of all degree requirements for your "new" non-BAFA degree.
Students are strongly encouraged to contact a Financial Aid Advisor, finaid@newschool.edu, before making any final decisions about their change in degree status.
Students who do not make progress towards both degrees for two subsequent semesters will be required to meet with their advisor to discuss options and whether they intend to drop the dual degree. Students who do not do so may have an advising hold placed on their account prior to registration for the following semester.
Because you are completing two degrees, you will need to apply to graduate for both programs. Administratively speaking, BAFA students do not graduate or receive their diplomas from The New School until they have completed the requirements for both degrees, typically at the end of their fifth year. They can then participate in University Commencement.
Please see the Graduating with Two Degrees guide in the BAFA Resources Folder for step-by-step instructions to apply to graduate successfully.
Students are also eligible to participate in their school or program specific recognition ceremonies, including the Lang College ceremony, the College of Performing Arts ceremony, and/or one of the the Parsons School of Design ceremonies.
Lang/Parsons students who are completing their capstone experience in year 4 can typically participate in their program's recognition ceremony at that time. They should be in contact with their advisor and their Program Director for details and to confirm participation.