FAQ

For Current Students' Frequently Asked Questions, please see here.

New York University’s John W. Draper Interdisciplinary Master’s Program in Humanities and Social Thought, housed within the Graduate School of Arts and Science, serves students whose academic interests are best met by more than one disciplinary focus. We work closely with our students to help them craft a course of study that is thorough, rigorous, and that lets them explore their scholarly interests as fully as possible.

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 [http://www.nyu.edu/careerdevelopment/], 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 is taught by graduate students.

When may I start my studies?

Students are admitted to the Program in the fall, spring, and summer. The deadline for fall admission is July 1; for spring admission, December 1; for summer admission, April 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 Spring 2006 semester, there were 182 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?

For the 2008 - 2009 academic year, the per semester tuition is $5,491 for three to five credits; $9, 266 for six to eight credit; and $14,487 for nine to twelve credits. Students are required to have university-provided insurance unless they demonstrate that they have their own coverage; for details, see http://www.nyu.edu/shc/about/insurance.html. Housing costs vary considerably. There is housing available through the University, though it may be cheaper to live off-campus; we suggest that students consult listings at the Office of Off-Campus Housing. For more information about housing, call 212-998-4620 or visit the Housing Office website at http://nyu.edu/housing. Cost-of-living expenses in New York City are high, but can be mitigated by many factors.

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

Draper offers a few tuition remission grants at the beginning of each semester; these provide tuition relief for one class. All students, new and continuing, are considered for these grants at the beginning of each semester, but they are competitively awarded and we can not guarantee that you will receive one. Teaching and research assistantships are not available.

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://math.nyu.edu/financial_mathematics/content/05_prospectiveStudents/tip.pdf.

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

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.) What has influenced you as a thinker up to now and how might you want to build on or complement those influences? It will help if you visit our website to get an idea of our offerings.

Do international students have to meet any special requirements?

Students whose native language is not English and who did not attend an English-language university or college must demonstrate proficiency on the TOEFL; we require a 650 on the paper test or a 280 on the computer version. International applicants can refer to http://gsas.nyu.edu/page/grad.admissions.international for more information.

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.

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.