The department has constructed a flexible curriculum that encourages interdisciplinary inquiry. There are a wide variety of courses available, both in and outside the department, designed specifically for doctoral students and other upper-level graduate students.
Some graduate-level courses will be at least partially populated with master’s students. Depending on your background and interest, these courses may or may not be appropriate. You should discuss your proposed coursework with your advisors before registration each semester.
To find a current list of classes in any department, we recommend the following:
Talk with professors
Check Albert or the Registrar’s Office
Course descriptions are available on NYU’s website and on department pages, but you may want to contact the instructor the course in which you are interested, as the focus and content of a course often vary from listed titles and descriptions.
Descriptions for courses are provided on the Steinhardt Courses Website in a list alphabetized by course title.
Instructions for how to search for courses on Albert and how to register are posted in the Class Registration webpage.
Each department handles registration for non-majors differently. The course notes in Albert for any given class will typically give instructions for how to request access as a non-major; sometimes this involves confirming pre-requisites or filling out an access form. If you attempt to register for a course on Albert and receive an error message related to your major code, but there are no further instructions in the coures notes, you should e-mail the professor and explain your reasons for taking the class. If your request is approved, the department may add you or staff may email you an access code.
The Inter-University Doctoral Consortium (IUDC) offers eligible students the opportunity to take graduate courses at distinguished universities throughout the greater New York area.
Generally, students must complete one year of Doctoral study to be eligible to participate in Consortium courses. Please remember applications do not ensure enrollment, so you should have alternative courses in mind.
Please note, effective August 2025, continuing DMA students will be permitted to apply for IUDC courses on a case-by-case basis for the 2025-2026 academic year; This year will serve as a trial period to determine if the IUDC will be fully opened to DMAs moving forward.
Participating schools are: Columbia University, GSAS
Princeton University - The Graduate School
CUNY Graduate Center
Rutgers University, New Brunswick
Fordham University, GSAS
Stony Brook University
Graduate Faculty, New School University
Teachers College, Columbia University
New York University, GSAS, Steinhardt
Visit the NYU IUDC Website for registration instructions. As of this writing, there are two forms (NYU/GSAS Form and NYU/Steinhardt Form) that need to be completed and signed by you and your advisor. Both forms must be sent to Nancy Hall, who will sign the Steinhardt form and deliver both forms to the GSAS IUDC Coordinator after double-checking eligibility.
NYU Tandon School of Engineering (formerly NYU Poly) courses are also available to NYU students. Contact the individual departments for class permissions.