During the freshman year, students take most of their courses in LS, but during the sophomore year, students combine required courses with elective courses taken at another NYU school or college. With assistance from their advisers, sophomores select their electives with a view toward the future. For example, students who plan to major in English or politics or another area at the College of Arts and Science are encouraged to sample courses in those departments during their sophomore year. Likewise, students who will enroll in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development, the Silver School of Social Work, or the Gallatin School of Individualized Study are encouraged to sample introductory courses leading to the eventual major or concentration in those schools that the student has in mind.
Natural Sciences *
The following natural sciences courses are part of the elective offerings of the Liberal Studies Program and can be taken to fulfill the science requirements of the other undergraduate colleges of the University. For more information about the LS science curriculum, please click here.
Environmental Studies
Through the application of fundamental physical and chemical processes, humans attempt to harness the environment for their particular needs. In examining this most significant dimension of modern life, this course emphasizes both its harmful and beneficial aspects and deals with such topics as air and water pollution, transportation, energy resources, and waste control. The political context in which these problems occur is also examined.
History of the Universe
This course deals with the history of events in the cosmos leading up to the formation of the solar system and the appearance of life on Earth. Topics include the origin of the universe; the birth and death of stars; the formation of the solar system; terrestrial and giant planets; properties of the Earth, the Moon, Mars, and Venus as seen from earthbound and spacecraft observations; the origin and history of life on Earth; the impact of astronomical and geological changes on biological evolution; life and intelligence in the cosmos; and philosophical implications in the synthesis of astronomy, earth sciences, and the history of life.
Life Science
This course examines the fundamental principles and processes of biological science. Topics include the structure and physiology of the cell; energy transformations; the major systems of the body (digestive, respiratory, circulatory, excretory, endocrine, nervous, skeletal, muscular, and reproductive); the synthesis of materials; genetics; and the heredity of selected organisms, with special emphasis on the human species.
* Students pursuing a prehealth track do not take the science courses listed here but will be advised to take appropriate required courses at the College of Arts and Science.
Social Sciences
Economics I*
This is the first part of a two-semester introductory sequence dealing with economic principles. The course introduces basic concepts of macroeconomic theory. Topics include unemployment; inflation; aggregate demand; income determination and stabilization policies; fiscal and monetary policies; and the Keynesian monetarist debate over stabilization policy.
Economics II*
This is the second part of a two-semester introductory sequence dealing with economic principles. The course introduces basic concepts of microeconomic theory by examining price theory and its applications. Topics include consumer demand and choice; indifference curve analysis; big business and public policy; and factor markets and the distribution of income.
* Economics I and Economics II may meet some of the equivalent course requirements for the College of Arts and Science.
Contemporary Arts
Creative Writing I
This course is designed for students who have mastered basic writing skills but seek guidance in the fine points of literary craftsmanship. While students are free to work in any medium, they are encouraged to experiment with professional creative writing techniques such as exposition, narration, description, characterization, monologue, stream of consciousness, dialogue, and dramatization.
Creative Writing II
This course focuses on in-class discussion of student manuscripts. Attention is given to point of view; structure as a means of arousing and satisfying curiosity; and effective use of analogy, irony, metaphor, and symbol. In individual conferences, students discuss their personal writing problems and learn how to edit their own work for syntactical precision underlying all work—at home, in class, and in conference—is concern for individual style.
