ma thesis nyu

Term: Fall (independent/seminar) and Spring (independent)

Credits: 0 - 4 (no more than 4 credits total for both terms)

FTE : Fall and Spring

The master’s thesis constitutes an analysis of a specific topic that engages with the existing literature and which makes an argument supported by evidence and using the methodologies of the discipline.  

Students interested in pursuing the thesis option must secure a faculty advisor (must be full-time MCC faculty ) to complete the thesis. Your thesis advisor is extremely important throughout every stage: meet with them frequently to discuss project scope, research inquiries, methods, findings, and progress of your writing.

Additionally, every fall semester, the department offers the class MCC-GE 2900: Thesis in Media, Culture, and Communication in order to guide students through the process of writing a thesis. The thesis course is an optional but recommended component of completing a thesis. Students not interested in the course are welcome to work directly and independently with their thesis advisor. 

Students considering the thesis should carefully read through the Thesis Guide, Sample Abstracts, and become familiar with the Thesis Planning Checklist below to understand the scope of work required for the thesis. 

Thesis credits may be taken as pass/fail.

NOTE: Thesis enrollment is determined via an application process, with the main requirement being a faculty advisor who is willing to advise your project .  If you are unable to secure an advisor, you may still apply for the Writing course, the Project course, the Synthesis course, or take the exam.

Thesis Application Process

January-February:   Create a list of potential faculty advisors and develop your thesis ideas, including research questions, methods, reading lists, etc. 

March - April : It is the student’s responsibility to approach faculty for one-on-one meetings. Students should come prepared to the meetings with their research topic and a proposal draft.

May 1 : Students submit the Thesis Application with their faculty advisor’s approval. 

May or June : Students receive access codes to register for the thesis from the department. No need to email us!

Master Thesis Guide Read this guide carefully to understand the thesis structure and writing process. Refer back to this document often  even as you're writing the thesis. 

Sample Thesis Abstracts

Review previous abstracts to get an idea of what the thesis consists of . You can also email Winnie to read sample theses from former students.

Thesis Application

Step 4: Submit the thesis application by May 1

Final Thesis Approval Form (u pon completion)

Final Step for completion: Complete when submitting your thesis (first week of May before graduation)

For Students Completing the Thesis Spring 202 4

These are the absolute latest deadlines for graduation. 

If you submit a complete draft of your thesis to your advisor after this deadline without making arrangements with them in advance, it is possible you may not be able to graduate in your desired term. 

This email and timeline will be shared with your advisor, but please check in with them as they may recommend earlier deadlines.

Dates to make note of: 

February 1 5,2024 : Deadline to Apply for Graduation  

April 1,2024 :  Submit the first draft to your advisor for feedback (You should submit sections to your advisor in advance for continuous feedback).

April 22,2024 :  Final final draft to advisor for grading/approval

May 1, 2024 : Email a copy of your complete thesis + Master's Thesis Approval Form to [email protected] . 

Frequently Asked Questions

Undergraduate

Degree Requirements

Master's Thesis

Preparing for the Thesis

Thesis Proposal

Types of Theses

Thesis Submission and Defense Process

Thesis Archive

Full-Time/Half-Time Equivalency

Degree Requirements for Students Who Started in Spring 2013 and Earlier

MA Candidates

Writing Support

Financial Resources

Incoming Students

Program Faculty and Administration

Global Study

Science Technology Arts + Creativity

Awards, Honors, + Fellowships

Policies and Procedures

Registration

Calendars and Deadlines

Scholarly Communities

Lecture Series

How do I let Gallatin know that my adviser has approved the Thesis Proposal?

When the student submits the online Thesis Proposal submission form , Gallatin contacts the adviser to confirm his or her approval of the proposal.

The thesis proposal form mentions a methods course. What is this?

The methods course will likely not have the word "methods" in the title, but it is a course or independent study in which the student has studied the analytic approach taken in the thesis. Examples of methods courses include: oral history; community studies, media analysis, techniques in art history, qualitative methods in sociology, statistics, discourse analysis, etc.

Do I submit the thesis proposal that I completed in the Thesis Proposal Seminar?

Yes. Gallatin strongly encourages students to submit the thesis proposal to Gallatin soon after completing Thesis Proposal Seminar. Keep in mind that even if you receive a passing grade in the course, you must submit your adviser-approved proposal to Gallatin using the online Thesis Proposal Submission form . Note that students who complete Thesis Proposal Seminar in the spring term are required to submit the thesis proposal to Gallatin by September 16.

After I submit my thesis proposal to Gallatin, what is the turn-around time for receiving feedback and approval?

During the fall and spring semester, the review takes approximately 2-3 weeks; during the summer, approximately 5-6 weeks.

If I am doing an artistic thesis, are there any funds to help defray costs of mounting a performance?

Yes, once your thesis proposal has been approved by Gallatin, you may apply for a SIFF Grant. Please see the online application for the SIFF Grant for more information.

Is there funding available for students who plan to conduct research related to a research or project thesis?

Yes, you may apply for the Graduate Thesis Support Fund . These awards provide up to $1,500 to support the purchase of equipment, travel, or any other reasonable expenses required to complete the thesis.

When do I submit the thesis to the second and third readers?

After your adviser has approved your thesis, you must submit it to your second and third readers at least four weeks before your defense date. Please consult the page on the thesis submission and defense process for more information.

Who is responsible for scheduling the defense—the student, adviser, or Gallatin staff?

The student is responsible for the scheduling process. You should consult with your adviser and the second and third readers about possible dates and times. After you have finalized arrangements for your defense, you will need to submit this information—the date and time, as well as the names and contact information of committee members—to Gallatin on the Thesis Defense Registration form at least three weeks prior to your defense.

Can my third reader be a non-NYU person?

We prefer that the third reader be a NYU faculty person who knows your work; under rare circumstances, we will allow an outside third reader whose CV has been reviewed and approved by the MA program directors. If you would like to request permission to include a committee member who is not an NYU faculty member, please contact the Administrative Director of the MA program.

Where do I submit the final thesis?

You should submit the thesis using the online Final Thesis Submission form .

How much time after the defense do I have to make revisions on the final thesis?

You have 30 days from the date of the defense to changes recommended by your thesis committee.

Whom do I contact if I have a procedural question?

If you have procedural questions about the thesis proposal submission process, the thesis submission process, or the thesis defense, you may write to [email protected] . You may also contact the MA program directors with questions.  

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Thesis Capstone Project

Ma, learning technology and experience design.

Your thesis capstone, developed over a two-semester period, is where your creativity and newfound knowledge of the learning and cognitive sciences meet to inspire a project of personal and professional interest. You'll present your thesis at our celebratory culminating ECT Design Expo thesis showcase. 

More about the Thesis Capstone

The thesis capstone project enables you to integrate and apply what you've learned in your coursework, internships, and prior experiences, with faculty guidance and support.

As a thesis capstone student, you will meet regularly as a group, reporting on progress, discussing your research and prototypes, and critiquing each other's work through collaborative peer and faculty feedback.

Examples of recent thesis projects:

• Science in Serious Play, Aybuke Gul Turker : This project reveals the imaginative side of science learning through a serious action physics game that teaches geometrical optics to middle and high school students.
• LanguageBug, Guilherme Bueno : Learn as you speak – a novel approach to language learning.
• Skyward, Wayland Guo : Skyward provides a better ornithology learning experience through a combination of bird identification and game-based learning.
• Know Your Globe, Emily Nevitt : This project is a best practices website designed to help study abroad educators construct meaningful and transformative learning experiences.
• Monkey-Mind, Heena Gulati : Monkey-Mind is a creative, action-oriented, web and mobile-based platform designed to educate children about mental health using interactive multimedia technology and digital games.
• Eat Well Squad, Sang Nong : Eat Well Squad motivates preteens to enhance their literacy of nutrition fact labels using both printed comics and augmented reality.
• VR Magic Bongos, Aniol Maso : This virtual reality game aims to help adolescents improve their inhibitory skills.
• Distant Faces, Shared Spaces: Trent Hoy . This project investigates the impact of immersive mobile technologies on language and intercultural learning in classroom telecollaboration partnerships.
• Three Worlds, Alison Bosworth : An application that pays attention to bigger frameworks around early childhood education for children to learn about art, draw and interact.
• MindMint, Sarah Azhar : A mobile app that helps users strengthen their cognitive function, working memory and prevent Alzheimer’s.

History of Art and Archaeology (MA)

Program description.

Situated in the capital of the American art world, the MA Program in the History of Art and Archaeology at the Institute of Fine Arts is designed for the student who wants to study the history and role of the visual arts in culture and society through detailed, object-based examination, historical analysis and critical interpretation. This degree program is constituted as a broad learning experience supported by numerous opportunities for intellectual inquiry, guided by leading scholars and enhanced by access to New York area museums, curators and conservators, archaeological sites and NYU's global network.

The Institute’s MA in the History of Art and Archaeology is intended for students with a developed interest in the visual arts who wish to earn an advanced degree without the commitment to a multi-year doctoral program. The MA degree will prove useful for students interested in careers in art museums, galleries, auction houses cultural centers, arts foundations, archaeological site management and development, art conservation, or eventual doctoral work in art history or archaeology.

The program is two years of full-time study or three years of part-time study for those with established professional careers who wish to continue working while attending the Institute. For part-time study, each student devises a course of study together with the Director of Masters Studies; a typical course load for part-time students would be two courses per semester for the first two years, and one course per semester in the final year of study.

All applicants to the Graduate School of Arts and Science (GSAS) are required to submit the  general application requirements , which include:

• Academic Transcripts
• Test Scores  (if required)
• Applicant Statements
• Résumé or Curriculum Vitae
• Letters of Recommendation , and
• A non-refundable  application fee .

See Fine Arts for admission requirements and instructions specific to this program.

Program Requirements

Distribution areas, language requirement, master's thesis.

The program requires the completion of 40 credits, comprised of the following:

Regarding the technical study of works of art through the Conservation Center.

Complete four courses in different major areas. Two courses must be classroom seminars. See Distribution Areas are listed below.

• Pre-modern Asia;
• Pre-modern Africa and the Middle East;
• The Ancient Mediterranean and Middle East, including Egypt;
• Pre-modern Europe and the Americas;
• Post-1750 Global;
• Museum and Curatorial Studies;
• Material Studies of Works of Art;
• Architectural History

Additional Program Requirements

Students are required to pass a language examination in French, German, or Italian. Other languages will be considered on a case-by-case basis with the Academic Office. The examination can be taken in the beginning and end of the Fall semester as well as at the end of the Spring semester. Full-time students must pass the examination by the end of their third semester; part-time MA students and Conservation Program students must pass the examination by the end of their fourth semester.

A master’s thesis is required. The thesis will be of substantial length (9,000 words) and should provide a comprehensive treatment of a problem in scholarship, competently written, and may be of publishable quality. The topic may be developed from papers written for a lecture course, seminar or colloquium, or from independent research. Students in the conservation program are encouraged to include technical studies in the Master’s Thesis, provided the paper retains its focus on art history or archaeology. The Master’s Thesis must be read and approved by two faculty members. Readers are normally members of the permanent faculty.

Sample Plan of Study

Learning outcomes.

Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will:

• Critically investigate the role of the visual arts in culture through object-based examination as well as historical and theoretical interpretation.
• Effectively communicate original, independent research and interpretations of secondary material through written and oral presentation.  
• Demonstrate an advanced understanding of critical issues in the field of art history or archaeology through the composition of an essay on a single topic.

NYU Policies

Graduate school of arts and science policies.

University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages .

Academic Policies for the Graduate School of Arts and Science can be found on the Academic Policies page . 

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NYU Game Center Spring Showcase 2024

Poster art by Sajan Rai

Join us for the annual NYU Game Center Spring Showcase! Students will be showing playable demos of their work made over the course of this past year. Check out dozens of digital, tabletop, and experimental projects from a wide range of Game Center students. You are encouraged to meet and chat with students about their game making process at this huge end of year celebration!

WHO IS SHOWING?

The Showcase will feature projects from all graduating Capstone and Thesis students, as well as a selection of digital and non-digital games made in a range of design, studio, and development courses at the NYU Game Center.

WHAT CAN I EXPECT TO SEE?

At least 44 games will be present at this showcase! A map will be provided to you, and you are free to roam the 2nd floor of 370 Jay Street where students from various Game Center courses will have their games set up to play. This event is free and open to the public!

Poster art by Sajan Rai.  Find more of their work here.

Related Events

• International

April 22, 2024 - Protests at Columbia and other schools escalate

Matt Egan, Alicia Wallace and Chandelis Duster

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology says it is 'determining next steps'

From CNN's Jillian Sykes

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology issued a statement Monday regarding tents on its campus.

"MIT officials are aware of the tents, and are determining next steps with a focus on ensuring campus is physically safe and fully functioning. MIT Police were on scene throughout the night and will continue to be present."

Robert Kraft says he is willing to support The Kraft Center at the university

From CNN's Chandelis Duster

Robert Kraft, billionaire owner of the NFL’s New England Patriots and backer of Columbia University, on Monday said he is still willing to support The Kraft Center at the school that supports Jewish students, calling it “a haven of safety.”

Kraft, an alumnus of the university, told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “The Lead” that he loves the school and “we have to have accountability.”

“There are both professors and students within the university who say things that I think cross the line and there should be accountability. I believe in free speech. Say whatever you want but pay the consequences. And don't have your face covered. I don't think that should be allowed,” he said.  

“I can’t believe in New York City at Columbia University Jewish students are afraid to go to classes in the United States of America in 2024. It’s amazing to me and horrible,” Kraft also said.

Asked where he drew the line at Columbia University regarding both pro-Palestine and pro-Israel protests and what he finds objectionable, he said “there is a lack of education on the situation” happening in the Middle East. 

“I’m concerned about America and what’s going on in this country. And to keep it open and free for all people of all backgrounds to do as they wish,” he said.

Asked if he has confidence in Columbia University’s president, Minouche Shafik, he said he thinks she is “very well intentioned” and said “we have to look at what goes on with faculty.”

Columbia faculty stage walk-out in solidarity with students

From CNN's John Towfighi

Hundreds of people gathered on Low Plaza Monday afternoon as Columbia University faculty delivered speeches in support of the student protesters who were suspended and arrested Thursday.

Faculty who spoke denounced university president Minouche Shafik’s decision to authorize the New York Police Department to remove protesters from campus and demanded all legal and disciplinary charges be dismissed and expunged from students' records.

Faculty held signs that read, “Hands off our students,” and “End student suspensions now.” Some faculty donned their academic regalia and wore sashes that read, “We support students.”

Speeches were met with cheers and claps from the crowd, as well as chants for Shafik to resign.

Christopher Brown, a professor of history, said, “I’m here because I am so concerned about what is happening at this university, with where we are now and with where we are going. Thursday April 18, 2024, will be remembered as a shameful day in Columbia history.”

“The president’s decision to send riot police to pick up peaceful protesters on our campus was unprecedented, unjustified, disproportionate, divisive and dangerous,” Brown said.

US Rep. Ilhan Omar, whose daughter Isra Hirsi was among the protesters arrested Thursday , posted on X that while she’s glad to see faculty demonstrate in solidarity with students, she wants the protests to focus on Gaza.

"On Thursday, Columbia arrested and suspended its students who were peacefully protesting and have now ignited a nationwide Gaza Solidarity movement. This is more than the students hoped for and I am glad to see this type of solidarity. But to be clear, this about the genocide in Gaza and the attention has to remain on that," Omar wrote.

NYC Mayor condemns "vile" and "disgusting" rhetoric at college campuses

From CNN's Alicia Wallace

New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Monday condemned “vile” and “disgusting” rhetoric being used at campuses such as Columbia University, where students are holding protests over the Israel-Hamas War.

Adams told CNN’s Jake Tapper that he supports First Amendment rights but said law enforcement officials are on the ready if any of that speech goes too far or if there’s an imminent threat to people or property.

"That is one of the fundamental rights we hold dear as Americans: The right to protest," Adams said on CNN's "The Lead." "What we have seen playing out on many of our college campuses, and particularly Columbia University, is hate. We’re seeing vile language being used."

Adams noted that he can feel the "duality of this moment" and how the events of the past six months are weighing heavily on Jewish and Palestinian New Yorkers. He added that the police escorts of Jewish students through campus were reminiscent of the Army soldiers who escorted nine Black students into a high school in Little Rock, Arkansas, nearly 67 years ago.

"There is no place for hate in this city," he said.

New York Police Department officers have a “large presence” surrounding Columbia but have remained off the campus grounds at the request of the school’s administration, NYPD deputy commissioners said earlier on Monday.

Adams told Tapper that the NYPD’s commissioner of legal matter is monitoring the protests for any speech that violates law. Additionally, police officers will take "appropriate action" and go on private property if there’s an "imminent threat."

Protesters gather at The New School in New York City

From CNN's Elisabeth Buchwald

Protesters have gathered at The New School, located near the Chelsea area of the New York City borough of Manhattan.

An encampment of four tents was set up in the lobby of the building that houses auditoriums, a cafeteria and a library. Roughly 75 students, and other people who have The New School IDs, gathered inside the building.

"Disclose, divest, we will not stop, we will not stop, we will not rest," was repeatedly chanted. 

Outside the building, protesters from the school, as well as outsiders, joined in chants from the sidewalk.

There is a stark difference between the inside and outside of Columbia University's campus

From CNN's Ramishah Maruf

There’s a stark difference between the inside of Columbia University's campus and the outside, where there are protesters gathered on the street. 

The encampment is only open to those affiliated with campus. Only those with a Columbia ID can enter the campus gates. Inside the encampment, programs include teach-ins, poetry readings and film screenings. Some students are quietly finishing assignments, while others are painting posters.

Elsewhere around campus, students are eating and completing assignments. Many students take graduation pictures at this time, and some are in graduation gowns walking down Broadway. Risers are set up for an upcoming commencement ceremony.

Other students are holding large American flags underneath Butler Library.

But the students can still hear the tension that is taking place yards away at the university gates. There is a gathering of pro-Palestinian protesters, who in the early afternoon were chanting “I believe that we will win” and “Long Live the Intifada.” There was a smaller group of pro-Israeli protesters, who chanted back “Down with Hamas” and “Victory to Israel.” A line of New York Police officers were monitoring the street.

What it's like inside the Columbia University encampment

The inside of the encampment is quiet – most of the noise comes from protestors outside the gates of Columbia University's campus, who are chanting “I believe that we will win” and “Long live the Intifada."

It was a sunny day on campus, and in one corner, students were painting posters. One person strummed a stringed instrument, and other students are reading books or on their laptops finishing assignments. Others have donated provisions, ranging from a table of snacks to hygiene products. There was also a pile of blankets.

“We’ve just been trying to keep students mobilized and keep pushing for divestment,” Dalia, a first-year student at Columbia College, told CNN. “We are a very mobilized student body and a very unified student body. Hundreds of people have been in and out of the encampment.”

CNN agreed not to publish her surname due to safety concerns.

She said the students at the campus “refuse to be complicit in the genocide, the apartheid, and the occupation of Palestine.”

There are strict community guidelines for the encampment. One rule says not to share names or details of anyone met in camp, and asking for permission before photographing or taking video.

The encampment is filled with dozens and dozens of tents, from students to neighboring Barnard College staff. Today’s encampment program included an Earth Day performance, poetry reading and a Dabka lesson, a traditional dance from the Arab region. Prior program events included dance performances from different cultures.

Democratic House members tour Columbia campus

Democratic Reps. Jared Moskowitz of Florida, Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, Dan Goldman of New York and Kathy Manning of North Carolina, who are all Jewish, spoke at a news conference Monday after touring Columbia University’s campus. 

"We saw it firsthand as we walked past the encampments on the university's main lawn full of protesters spewing incendiary antisemitic hate and vitriol. Many aren't even Columbia students I've been told. Their campaign of intimidation is sickening and shocking and as the White House said yesterday, ‘echoes the rhetoric of Hamas terrorists,'" Gottheimer said. 

He also criticized Columbia University leadership, saying, “toothless combinations from administrators aren't going to stop the anarchy we’re seeing.”

“The only way to do it is with deeds, not words,” Gottheimer said. “Colleges have a legal obligation under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to provide students, including Jews and Muslims, a school environment free from discrimination and harassment based on race color or national origin. Yet just feet from here, Jewish students are being verbally and even physically assaulted.”

Gottheimer continued, “To the administrators of Columbia and beyond, here are our demands: Stop the double talk and start acting now. Discipline harassers, restore civility on this campus, encourage peaceful constructive dialogue.”

He also gave a message for students: “While the leadership of Columbia may be failing you, we will not. We will do everything in our power to keep you safe and do everything in Washington we can to make sure that you feel welcome at this university or any university across the United States of America. And Columbia University, if they don't follow through, will pay the price.”

Goldman said he was "encouraged" the Columbia University president issued guidelines about additional security, calling it a "very important first step" and criticized what is happening on campus.

"That is unacceptable for a university, that is unacceptable for an academic institution. There is no question that everyone has a First Amendment right to speak out in this country and that must be preserved," Goldman said. "But a university and all universities have an obligation to maintain the safety and security of their students from all backgrounds."

Manning said university leadership should "do more to keep Jewish students safe and to re-establish an atmosphere in which all students can learn, study and participate safely in campus life."

"Columbia must also move forward with its promised efforts to teach its students and its faculty about the nature and history and dangers of antisemitism. It must ensure that Columbia professors are not encouraging and spreading antisemitism," Manning said.

"I call on the US Department of Education and the US Department of Justice to work with the White House to ensure that all universities take steps necessary to keep Jewish students and faculty safe. I also call on Congress to enact legislation to implement the steps outlined in the US national strategy to counter antisemitism, to address the scourge of antisemitism which is a threat to the foundations of our democracy," she said.

President Joe Biden condemns antisemitism on campus

From CNN's Kevin Liptak

President Joe Biden decried antisemitic protests around college campuses Monday and said his administration was working to combat anti-Jewish hatred.

"I condemn the antisemitic protests, that’s why I’ve set up a program to deal with that," Biden said when questioned about the events at Columbia University in New York.

"I also condemn those who don’t understand what’s going on with the Palestinians," he said, without expanding upon what he meant.

Biden was speaking after an Earth Day event in Prince William Forest Park in Triangle, Virginia.

When asked whether Columbia's president should resign, Biden appeared to mishear: "I didn’t know that. I'll have to find out more," he said.

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