Student Handbook - Registration
Registration
Registration Basics
The academic year consists of two semesters, fall and spring, and a summer session. All students must properly register for courses each term in order for them to count towards the degree. The current academic calendar can be found at http://www.newschool.edu/admin/registrar/calendar/
Current information on registration can be found at the Registrar's Office website.
Continuing Student Registration
Continuing students receive advisement and register online each mid-semester for the following semester. Exact dates vary and will be announced. Check the current academic calendar. Students must register during the designated registration period.
New Student Registration
New student registration is held the week prior to the start of the semester. Exact dates vary. Please check the current academic calendar.
Registering for the Fall or Spring Semester
1. Continuing students must meet with an advisor during the set registration period. Information on advsiing hours and sign up is distributed by the GPIA office in advance of registration. Courses and descriptions are available on the GPIA website (see Courses).
2. Students meet with the advisor during the registration period. Advisors provide students with PIN numbers to be used for online registration. PIN numbers change each registration period.
3. Students log onto ALVIN to check for registration holds and visit the appropriate university offices if they need to clear your account. Students who have outstanding registration holds will not be allowed to register. (See Registration Holds, below)
4. If there are no registration holds, students follow the instructions in ALVIN for online registration, and proceed to register. NOTE: See the Registration Information and Procedures guide for current information.
Registering for the Summer Session
Summer registration occurs during registration for the fall semester and follows the same procedure. You may take up to 6 credits during the summer session.
Late Registration & Course Drops - Very Important!
If a student misses the designated registration period, it may be possible to register late during the add/drop period (see below). However, there is a financial penalty for late registration, students may not receive advisement, and courses may be closed.
In addition, if a course is dropped once the semester has begun (even if the class doesn't meet until later that week or even the following week), and if it is not replaced with another course of equivalent credit value, A LATE DROP FEE WILL BE CHARGED: 10% of the course tuition in week one, 20% in week two, 30% in week three, 40% in week four, and 100% thereafter.
Please see The New School's Add, Drops, and Withdrawals guide for current information.
Registration Holds
A registration hold prevents students from registering for a number of reasons. Holds may be related to failure to be to be properly immunized or to academic performance or financial issues. Be sure to check your ALVIN account for registration holds and visit the appropriate University offices to clear your record of any outstanding holds. Students who have outstanding holds will not be allowed to register.
Add/Drop Procedures
Students may add courses to their schedule during the first two weeks of the semester. Students may drop classes through the third week of the term. Please refer to the current add/drop schedule published by the Registration Office. (Late drop fees may apply - see Late Registration and Course Drops, above)
All schedule changes require approval of an academic advisor. To add or drop a class students must fill out an add/drop form available from the GPIA office. This form must be signed by an advisor and the signed form must be taken to the Registration Office on the lower level of 72 Fifth Ave.
Course Withdrawals
New School graduate students may withdraw from a course with a grade of W after the add/drop period. A grade of W is not calculated in a student's GPA. Students fill out add/drop forms and obtain an advisor's approval and signature. There is no refund for withdrawing from a course after the add/drop period has ended.
Auditing Language Courses
Current GPIA students may audit language courses offered by The New School, without charge. These courses do not carry academic credit and are not graded, but do appear on student transcripts as audits. You may register for language courses after you have registered for GPIA courses.
You can find the upcoming language courses listed at: http://www.gpia.info/languages. If you need to determine the correct language level, report to the Foreign Language Dept. of The New School for General Studies, 64 West 11th St./1st floor, phone (212) 229-5676.
To register for a language course, please contact Chrissy Roden, the Assistant Director of Academic Student Services, Office of Academic Services, The New School for Public Engagement, 66 W 12th/Rm. 307, phone (212) 229-5615 x2150, email rodenc@newschool.edu.
(Note: if you register for a language course during the summer session and you are not also registered for a GPIA course, you will need to pay the student fees associated with registration.)
Dropping a language course: fill out a DROP form available in the GPIA office, have an advisor sign it, and take it to the Registrar's Office.
Courses in other Graduate Divisions of The New School
Students may take as electives any relevant graduate class for credit within the New School's other programs or divisions with approval of their academic advisor. Credits for classes taken in other schools within the New School are not considered transfer credits, and students who take them pay GPIA tuition rates. Students should examine the course offerings within the Milano School of International Affairs, Management, and Urban Policy; The New School for Social Research; the School of Media Studies; or other programs within The New School each semester for relevant courses.
Students who wish to take classes within The New School should always check with the course instructor or respective program office to make sure the course is available and open and to check whether there are any prerequisites. Registration then follows the standard procedures. Students taking courses in another school of the university should be aware of that school's grading policy, particularly the policy on Incompletes.
Courses taken outside The New School
Master of Arts (MA) students may apply for transfer of up to nine (9) graduate credits to be used toward the elective requirements from other universities while matriculated in the GPIA degree program.
Master of Science (MS) students may apply for transfer of up to six (6) graduate credits to be used toward the elective requirements from other universities while matriculated in the GPIA degree program.
Students must first get approval from their advisor for any course taken outside The New School that they wish to count towards their degree. Students then register on a non-matriculated basis at the respective university and apply to transfer the course credit (See Transfer Credit). Students are responsible for becoming acquainted with the procedures, rules and regulations of the respective university. Students bear the tuition costs of the credits and payment is made directly to the respective institution.
Internship
Students in good standing who have completed their first semester may register for up to three credits through an approved internship. To qualify for credit, a student must work a minimum of 150 hours (10 hours/week during the regular semester or 20 hours/week during the summer session). Students may undertake non-credit internships at any time.
Students who wish to register for a credit-bearing internship should take the following steps:
1. Identify the organization, secure the internship, and obtain written confirmation of the internship from the organization in the form of a letter.
2. Choose a faculty supervisor and write a proposal that includes a) The name and contact information for the organization, b) The name and contact information for the on-site internship supervisor, c) The period of internship, including number of hours, d) The proposed tasks the intern will undertake, e) The nature of a written report that the student will submit to the faculty supervisor at the completion of the internship.
3. Submit the proposal to the faculty supervisor for approval. Include with this proposal the form, Contract for Internship (pdf), also available in the GPIA office. Applications must be submitted with enough time for full evaluation prior to registration.
4. Upon approval, students register following the standard procedure using an Internship course number (CRN). Students must consult with the Assistant Director in order to receive permission to register.
During the internship, the student keeps the faculty supervisor regularly informed of the student's progress. Upon successful completion of the internship, faculty advisors assign grades of P (pass) or F (fail), based jointly on the student's final report and the internship supervisor's written evaluation of the student's performance.
Most internships are unpaid. If an internship is paid, please note that international students usually face restrictions on the type of work they can accept. International students should, therefore, consult with the Office of International Student Services before accepting a paid internship.
Thesis Supervision
Students who are writing a thesis must register for Thesis Supervision, NINT 5951, a three-credit course, under the name of their thesis supervisor. In the same semester, they also register to maintain status if all other course work has been completed. (See Thesis Option).
Summer International Field Program
Each year GPIA offers a number of programs abroad where students do an internship and explore a problem or issue through a research paper. The programs are announced early in Fall semester, and students are notified of admission in November. During Spring semester participants are required to take a) any connected academic courses; b) language classes in order to possess reasonable fluency in the respective language of the internship site; and c) Spring preparation seminar and workshops.
Students confirm participation in February with a non-refundable deposit of $1,000. Students participating in the IFP register for 6 summer credits. Airfare, local travel, tuition, and living expenses are covered by students themselves. The cost of airfare, travel and living expenses vary according to location. In most programs the cost of accommodations is included in the program fee; in other cases students find their own housing. Students may be able to use their financial aid to cover tuition costs. Be sure to check early with the Financial Aid office about this option.
Independent Study
After their first semester, students in good academic standing may register for one course of Independent Study. Students start with a problem or specific area of interest to investigate in detail, and then design a project with the approval of an interested faculty member who serves as the course advisor. Permission of the course advisor is required before a student can register for Independent Study.
Students planning to register for Independent Study must submit an application in the form of a proposal that contains:
1) The specific subject or problem that they would like to investigate.
2) The proposed method for investigating the topic.
3) A preliminary bibliography.
These materials must be submitted to and approved by the course advisor prior to registration. Include with this proposal the form, Contract for Independent Study (pdf), also available in the GPIA office. Applications must be submitted with enough time for full evaluation no later than two weeks prior to the start of the term registration period.
Upon approval, the student registers following the standard procedure using an Independent Study course number (CRN) provided by the GPIA Program. Upon successful completion of the Independent Study project, the faculty supervisor assigns a letter grade.
Maintaining Status
This is a registration category for students who have completed all course credits except for the Master's Project or other activities that are an integral part of their degree program.
Because they do not need to register for any courses, this is the only means to remain in good academic standing. Students who maintain status are considered active students. They retain access to academic advising, library resources, University email, and they are eligible for health insurance. Maintaining Status is a low fee registration category and it is not credit-bearing.
Master's students are normally allowed to maintain status for no more than four consecutive semesters, after which time they are withdrawn from the program in good standing (see Administrative Withdrawal). A semester of maintaining status is considered an active semester and deducts time from the five year limitation for earning the master's degree. Students who maintain status for more than four consecutive semesters and wish to return must re-apply for admission.
NOTE: Students who do not wish to register for either maintaining status or for classes must use the Student Exit Form to apply for a leave of absence or to withdraw from the program (see Student Exit Procedures). International students should check with International Student Services before registering for Maintaining Status.
Equivalency Credit
In some cases, students may need to maintain the minimum number of credits necessary for full- or part-time status while enrolled in Maintaining Status. These students should register for Equivalency credit that permits the choice of three to nine credits. Equivalency credits allow a student to achieve full-time status (defined as enrollment for nine credits per semester) or half-time status (enrollment for six credits per semester). There is no tuition charge associated with Equivalency credit and no grade is given. Equivalency credit must be verified by an appropriate advisor or faculty member as approval is not automatic.