New York University College of Arts & Science
The New York University College of Arts & Science (CAS) is the primary liberal arts college of New York University (NYU). The school is located near Gould Plaza next to the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences and the Stern School of Business, adjoining Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village.[2] As the oldest and largest college within NYU, the College of Arts & Science currently enrolls 7,660 undergraduate students (as of 2017). CAS enrolls the largest number of undergraduate students for a private liberal arts college in the United States; its size and complexity owe to NYU's overall profile of enrolling the largest number of students in the country for a private, nonprofit, residential, and nonsectarian institution of higher education.[3] The College of Arts & Science offers Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degrees.
Type
In the 2020 QS World University Rankings, NYU was ranked 1st in philosophy, 10th in mathematics, and 15th in English language and literature.[4]
Admission to the College of Arts & Science is highly competitive, with an acceptance rate of 4% for the class of 2027.[5]
History[edit]
see: History of New York University
In 1914, Washington Square College was established, downtown, to serve commuter students.[6][7]
Academics[edit]
The college provides an undergraduate liberal arts education through its Core Curriculum. Undergraduate students may select from 66 majors as well as a host of accelerated Bachelor's-Master's and pre-professional programs offered through 30 departments, many of which also offer courses at NYU's 13 study away sites. Additionally, students may select from over 60 minors offered within the College as well as 40 cross-school minors at other colleges within NYU.
Student life[edit]
Clubs and traditions[edit]
The school also hosts multiple student organizations, including greek life, political, religious, ethnic, and music performance groups (often alongside the Tisch School of Arts).
The university also sponsors some traditions for undergraduates including Apple Fest, the Violet Ball, Strawberry Festival, and the semi-annual midnight breakfast where Student Affairs administrators serve free breakfast to students before finals.
Publications and journalism clubs[edit]
The College of Arts and Science runs several student journalism clubs and publication with the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute, including Washington Square News, NYU Local, Washington Square Local, and the literary journals Washington Square Review and The Minetta Review.[8] The university also associated (though not officially affiliated) with the campus comedy magazine, The Plague, which started to poke fun at popular culture as well as campus life and the idiosyncrasies of NYU in 1978.
The university also runs a radio station WNYU-FM 89.1, which broadcasts to the entire New York metropolitan area.
Secret societies[edit]
Several undergraduate secret societies have existed at the College of Arts & Science. Starting in 1832, the Philomathean Society and the Eucleian Society were formed, making rivals of each other. When the Philomathean Society died out, its remnants formed the Andiron Club in 1904.[9] The most selective and famous club on campus is the Red Dragon Society, founded in 1898, which continues to exist to this day.[10] Many notable NYU alumni have been members of these secret societies, including Elmer Ellsworth Brown, Howard Cann, John Harvey Kellogg, Walter Reed, and Frederic Tuten.[11] Edgar Allan Poe was an occasional guest at the Eucleian Society.[11]