Prospective Students' FAQs

Helpful Information for Draper Applicants

Contact draper.program@nyu.edu if your questions are not addressed on this page.

Notice:

In an effort to adopt a more environmentally responsible application process, the Graduate School of Arts and Science is only accepting applications through their online system. Paper applications have been discontinued. Draper strongly encourages applicants to submit all application materials--including transcripts and letters of recommendation--via the online application system. Doing so helps minimize processing delays and also allows you to track the receipt of your application materials more effectively.

General Frequently Asked Questions

Admissions Frequently Asked Questions

Many questions about the Draper Program's admissions procedures are addressed here, but additional information about the application process can be found on the Graduate School of Arts and Science Application Resource Center Web site.

Application
Visiting Draper

Helpful Resources

General FAQ

Why should I apply to the Draper Program?

There are several possible reasons.

Many students use the Draper Program as a transition between undergraduate and doctoral studies. While completing the requirements for the Draper master’s degree, students clarify and refine questions that will be at the heart of their PhD research. Some students want to pursue a doctorate in a field that has little connection to their undergraduate work; in the Draper Program, they can begin to acquire fluency in conversations relevant to their new interests. If their doctoral intentions build on their undergraduate focus, they use Draper to establish a graduate-level scholarly record that increases the likelihood of a successful PhD application.

Other Draper students use the Program to choose among several possible PhD concentrations. If you want to earn a PhD but aren't sure which discipline best suits your research interests, the Draper Program lets you consider different disciplinary possibilities. Many of our students arrive at Draper intent on a particular discipline only to realize that they are more excited by another field of study.

Draper also suits those whose undergraduate focus does not resemble their current interests. A biology major, for instance, now wants to study urban anthropology. Or a musician or a visual artist or an accounting major and now wants to immerse in Derridian literary analyses or the philosophy of science.

Finally, Draper is a good place for you if you have no desire to pursue a doctorate but want to participate in the intellectual excitement and academic challenge of graduate school.

 

What do students do once they finish the Draper degree?

Because Draper student interest is so eclectic, there is not a typical alumnus profile. Many students make a successful transition into PhD programs, usually with full funding, in a diverse array of disciplines.

Many other alumni use their master's degrees to help them find jobs, to further careers they are already building, or to change careers completely. Our students work closely with NYU’s Office of Career Services, where counselors guide students in writing effective resumes and cover letters, offer the chance to brush up on interview skills, and provide thousands of employment opportunities.

Draper students have found work in not-for-profit organizations, in banking and finance, in advertising and public relations, in government, in education, in arts organizations and museums and galleries, and at various media outlets, among many examples.

 

As a Draper student, where else within the University may I take classes?

You may take classes in most other departments within the Graduate School of Arts and Science. Comparative Literature, Anthropology, English, History, Sociology, Hebrew and Judaic Studies, Journalism, Latin American and Caribbean Studies, and Politics, among others, regularly list courses with the Draper Program. There are also many courses not listed within Draper that our students are welcome to take. Occasionally there are limitations on course choice within GSAS. Some classes are designated exclusively for upper-level PhD students. Some classes have limits on enrollment and give first priority to the host department's students. Science, mathematics, and economics courses require that you demonstrate adequate prerequisite training.

 

Who teaches in the Draper Program?

All Draper faculty hold a PhD or equivalent terminal degree; none of our courses are taught by graduate students.

 

When may I start my studies?

Students are admitted to the Program in the fall and spring. The deadline for fall admission is July 1; for spring admission, December 1. Admissions meetings take place frequently so if a candidate submits an application well ahead of the deadlines, notification is made in advance.

 

How many students are in the Draper Program?

At the start of the Fall 2009 semester, there were 112 students in the Draper Program.


How long does it take to complete the Draper master's degree?

Students may study full-time or part-time. Part-time study means one or two courses per semester; full-time study is three courses. Students often choose to take courses during the summer as well, in one or both of two summer sessions. The standard pace for full-time students is about 15 months -- two semesters plus the summer for course work and then one more semester for writing the thesis. The average time to degree is about two years, but the Graduate School allows up to five years from the first semester of enrollment.

 

May students take classes in more than one area of inquiry?

Certainly. Our six areas provide the intellectual organization for the Program but in no way restrict course choices or course access. Most Draper students take courses in several areas; some take courses in all six.

 

How much does the Draper master's degree cost?

Draper's tuition is determined each year by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Students are billed per point. (The Draper degree is composed of 32 points; most courses are four points each.) The Draper tuition rate for 2011 - 2012 academic year can be found on the Bursar's website, here: http://www.nyu.edu/bursar/tuition.fees/rates11/gradgsas.html

 

Is there financial aid? Are there teaching or research assistantships?

Beginning in fall 2009, all applicants for admission will be considered for a Draper Tuition Scholarship. These scholarships will be awarded on a competitive basis and will cover 50% of the costs for up to 32 points of tuition. Teaching and research assistantships are not available through the Program.

The Graduate School of Arts and Science and Draper also offer a financial aid program to assist New York City elementary and secondary school teachers with their graduate school tuition. Under this program, GSAS will provide a financial award of 50% of tuition to qualified full-time classroom teachers. For more information on the criteria to qualify for this award, please refer to the Tuition Assistance Program for Schoolteachers Application form.

Students (including international students) who obtain external awards from recognized academic sources of funding outside of NYU (e.g., a foundation, private agency, government) can apply for an award toward tuition through the Graduate School's Tuition Incentive Program (TIP). An application and specific details about TIP eligibility criteria can be obtained on the web at http://gsas.nyu.edu/object/grad.pdf.tipapp.

Applicants should also consult http://gsas.nyu.edu/page/grad.financialaid.html for more information about Financial Aid and a list of URLs about scholarships and other awards.

 

How many students apply to the Draper Program and how many are admitted?

Last year we received 412 applications. Slightly fewer than 40 percent of them were accepted, making Draper one the most competitive master’s programs in the country. A successful applicant writes well and clearly, has an undergraduate transcript that demonstrates ability and intelligence, and can articulate a goal (or goals) for graduate study.

 

Admission FAQ

Application

Since the John W. Draper Interdisciplinary Master's Program in Humanities and Social Thought is part of NYU's Graduate School of Arts and Science, all applicants must apply to the program via GSAS' general online application.

What are the basic requirements of the Draper application?

All students applying to the Draper Program must submit the following materials with their general GSAS application:

  • Official Academic transcripts from the applicant's undergraduate institution, as well as any other colleges at which he/she completed coursework.
  • GRE (and TOEFL, if applicable) test scores. General test scores for the GRE (rather than subject test scores) are sufficient.
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • A resume or Curriculum Vitae
  • A Draper-specific statement of purpose

Please note: In addition to the materials above, all applicants to Draper must submit an application fee.

The above information can also be found on GSAS' downloadable "Application Requirements and Deadlines".pdf at the NYU GSAS Application Resource Center. (Please note: On this .pdf, the Draper Program is alphabetized under "Humanities and Social Thought.")

 

What is the minimum GRE score required for admittance into the program? How heavily does the admissions committee weigh GRE scores?

Draper does not keep records on the range of our students' GRE scores, nor do we have a minimum score for acceptance to the program. Our admissions committee looks at applications as a whole, primarily considering an applicant's statement of purpose, as well as letters of recommendation and previous academic work. A strong GRE score is more likely to help an application that may have weaknesses, than a weak GRE score is likely to hurt an otherwise strong application.

If you are still concerned about your GRE scores, you can include a brief statement in the application to put the score into some context for the admissions committee. There is a special section in the application which allows applicants to include any pertinent information that they were not able to provide elsewhere.

 

Who is required to take the TOEFL? Is there a recommended score for admission?

Students whose native language is not English or who did not receive an undergraduate or advanced degree from an English-language institution must demonstrate proficiency on the TOEFL. We recommend a minimum score of 650 on the paper test, 280 on the computer version, or 114 on the Internet version.

International applicants can refer here for more information on the TOEFL and other FAQs.

 

What should be in my statement of purpose?

Write about why you think an interdisciplinary program will help you meet your academic goals. What are you longer-term scholarly plans? If you could imagine a master's thesis topic, what might that be? (Don't worry, if you're admitted you can change your mind many times between the start of your degree and its completion.) It may help if you refer to our current course listings to get an idea of our offerings.

 

Should I include a writing sample?

Draper does not require a writing sample, and as such, if you submit one as part of your application, we cannot guarantee that all members of the admissions committee will read it. You are welcome to include supplementary materials that you think will be helpful to your application, but we encourage applicants to consider Draper's statement of purpose to be the primary--and most important--written element of the application. The committee will look to this statement for evidence of your writing ability and a well-defined research project that fits well in our program's interdisciplinary structure.

 

Whom should I ask for recommendation letters? What sort of recommendation letters are most effective/useful?

Academic recommendations from professors or advisors with whom an applicant has studied are most useful to the admissions committee and are preferred. If you are unable to obtain three letters from professors or academic advisors, try to get as many as you can. (We suggest that when approaching faculty about recommendations, you provide as much information as possible about yourself—a recent transcript, CV, and/or copies of academic papers are very useful, as well as information about your plans for future study.)

If you are unable to provide letters from three academic references, professional references from people who can discuss your abilities as a researcher or writer are acceptable. Character references from friends, family, or religious advisors are less useful to our admissions committee.

For more information about submitting letters of recommendation, please see GSAS' "Letters of Recommendation FAQs" .pdf, under "Frequently Asked Questions," here.

 

I've submitted my application--when will I receive my admissions decision?

Our admissions committee does its best to return admissions decisions to applicants within a month of receiving their completed applications from Graduate Enrollment Services (GES). It does take time for applications to be processed through GES, so this time frame may vary slightly. If you are facing a specific deadline and would like us to expedite your application's review, please email us at draper.program@nyu.edu after you have submitted your application and our admissions committee will do its best to honor your request.

 

How are admissions decisions made?

The Draper Admissions Committee is made up of Draper faculty as well as the director and the associate director of the Program. We look for an undergraduate record that demonstrates strong academic training, letters of recommendation that speak to the candidate's specific strengths as a student and potential as a scholar, and a statement of purpose that elaborates an intellectual goal attainable through interdisciplinary study. Admissions meetings take place approximately every two to three weeks starting in late April and continuing through mid-July. Applicants are notified of admissions decisions as soon as possible after the meeting in which their material is considered.

 

I've been accepted to Draper; May I defer my admission? What is the deferral process?

GSAS Policy allows all admitted students to defer their enrollment for up to one academic year. You need to send three things to Graduate Enrollment Services (GES) to finalize your deferral:

  • Your candidate reply form, indicating that you are accepting our offer of admission.
  • The non-refundable $250 tuition deposit.
  • A brief written request to defer, indicating the semester that you plan to enroll.

Once these three things have been received, GES will send you a letter confirming your new start date. It will then be your responsibility to keep track of registration dates and deadlines for the semester you begin. We generally suggest that students keep track of these by signing up for Draper's listserv and checking announcements on our 'News and Events' page.

Please note: GES only permits students to defer for one academic year. Requests to extend a deferral will not be approved. If you are unable to enroll in the semester that you deferred to, you will need to submit a new application.

 

Visiting NYU and Draper

May I sit in on a class session?

Attending a class session as a prospective student can be arranged at the discretion of our faculty. If you are interested in sitting in on a class, please review our current semester's schedule (located on our Academic Program page); if there are any Draper courses that you are particuarly interested in, please email us at draper.program@nyu.edu and we will see if you might be able to attend a session. Draper will not be able to arrange for students to sit in on crosslisted courses.

 

I'm unfamiliar with the NYU campus. Are tours available?

The Office of Graduate Life offers tours for prospective and newly admitted graduate students each Friday. For more information, please see their Web site.

The Student Resource Center's "Graduate Life" website also has information on other resources that might be useful to you during your visit.

 

May I meet with someone at Draper?

If you are interested in scheduling a meeting to discuss your potential course of study, the program, or the application process in more detail, please contact Draper's administrator, Larissa Kyzer, directly at larissa.kyzer@nyu.edu.

Please Note: These informal meetings are intended to address prospective students' questions and concerns. They are not application interviews. Draper does not formally interview applicants, nor will meetings with the program administrator have any bearing on a prospective student's application.

 

Where can I learn more about financial aid?

NYU's Financial Aid Office has counselors who will meet with prospective students to discuss potential aid and financing options. Please see the Financial Aid Web site for more information. International students may find useful financial aid information on the Office of International Students and Scholars Web site.