General Questions
- Where is the Department of Social & Cultural Analysis (SCA) office located? Who should I contact if I have questions?
- What major/minor programs are there in the Department of Social and Cultural Analysis (SCA)?
- What careers do SCA majors pursue?
Declaring a Major or Minor
- How do I declare a major or a minor?
- If I have a double major, how many courses can I double count for SCA?
- How many courses are required for the SCA minors?
- Can I double count any courses for my minor?
Advising
- Who is my advisor?
- How do I get cleared to register for next semester?
- My Degree Progress report on ALBERT is not correct. It says I need to take courses I have already taken. What should I do?
- How do I get a course counted that I took at another university?
Courses
- How do I know which courses count toward my major, minor, or area of concentration? Can I take any SCA-UA course?
- How often are introductory courses offered?
- I need to take an intro course in American Studies. Which courses count?
- Do I need to do an SCA internship?
- Where can I find a course syllabus?
Language Courses
- What languages are offered in SCA?
- How many semesters of an SCA language course can count towards my SCA major or minor?
- How do I take a placement exam for an SCA language?
- Can languages, outside of SCA, such as Spanish or Mandarin, count towards my SCA major or minor?
- How do I register for an SCA language course if I'm a student at Columbia University?
- Which SCA language course will fulfill my CAS language requirement?
Honors
Study Abroad
- Which Study Abroad sites offer American Studies courses?
- I would like to study abroad. What courses will be offered next semester that will count for my major or minor?
Combined Undergraduate/Graduate Programs
GENERAL QUESTIONS
Where is the Department of Social & Cultural Analysis (SCA) office located? Who should I contact if I have questions?20 Cooper Square, 4th Floor Map. Contact us here.
Students may choose from seven (7) different majors/minors: Africana Studies, American Studies, Asian/Pacific/American Studies, Gender & Sexuality Studies, Latino Studies, Metropolitan Studies, and students also have the opportunity to major/minor in Social and Cultural Analysis itself.
What careers do SCA majors pursue?Undergraduates who major in the various programs within SCA go on to a wide range of careers. They work in the for-profit and nonprofit sectors as well as at government agencies at the city, state, and federal level. Many go on to graduate study. They become:
- Arts Administrators
- Artists
- Activists
- Doctors
- Editors
- Environmentalists
- Health Administrators
- Journalists (print/broadcast)
- Lawyers (public interest/private)
- Market Researcher
- Professors
- Teachers (elementary/secondary school)
- Museum Educators
- Policy Analysts
- Public Administrators
- Social Workers
- Urban Planners/Designers
Can I major in one SCA program and minor in another SCA program?
Yes.
If I have a double major, how many courses can I double count for SCA?Double majors can double count a maximum of TWO course towards the second major if both departments approve double counting.
Can I double count any courses for my minor?One course may be double counted towards a second major or minor if both departments approve double counting.
ADVISING
Who is my advisor?All students are welcome, at any time, to seek advice from Betts Brown (Assistant Director of Internships), or the SCA Director of Undergraduate Studies, or the SCA Program Directors, or any SCA faculty member. See this page for office hours and e-mails. Only declared majors are "assigned" advisors twice a year, just prior to registration for spring and fall, to get cleared to register (see next question).
How do I get cleared to register for next semester?
Just prior to registration, all declared SCA majors are assigned an advisor to contact and meet with in order to get cleared for registration. You'll need to fill out a new Course Planning Worksheet and bring it to your advising meeting to discuss your plans. Once you submit a Worksheet that has been approved by your advisor, you will be cleared to register. Majors who are studying abroad must contact Betts Brown, Assistant Director of Internships (betts.brown@nyu.edu), to be advised and cleared via email.
My Degree Progress report on ALBERT is not correct. It says I need to take courses I have already taken. What should I do?The report is not perfect. It sometimes misses courses that count and occasionally picks up courses that don’t count. If you have taken a course for a major or minor, AND it is listed on the SCA “Courses by Semester” link under that program the semester you enrolled, email krystal.roberts@nyu.edu with your name, N number and the exact name and number of the missing course as shown on your transcript of semester taken.
How do I get a course counted that I took at another university?See the email from Betts Brown for the answer.
COURSES
How do I know which courses count toward my major or minor? Can I take any SCA-UA course?On the SCA undergraduate website, click on the link for courses by semester and look at the list for your program. Please note that not all SCA-UA courses count towards every major or minor.
How often are introductory courses offered?Only Social and Cultural Analysis 101 (SCA-UA-101) is offered every semester. Most of the major-specific intro classes are only offered in the fall. All introductory courses (SCA-UA-101 and the intro-specific to your major) must be completed before your senior year.
I need to take an intro course in American Studies. Which courses count?SCA-UA 201 Approaches to American Studies or SCA-UA 230 Intersections: Race, Gender, & Sexuality in US History.)
Do I need to do an SCA internship?No. Internships are highly recommended. It is no longer required. If you've already taken Strategies, you can take an additional major elective. Here's the Internship Program information link.
Email krystal.roberts@nyu.edu. Note that not all syllabi are available, and you may contact the professors via email.
LANGUAGE CLASSES
What languages are offered in SCA?Swahili, Yoruba, Cantonese, and Filipino.
How many semesters of an SCA language course can count towards my SCA major or minor?Only one.
How do I take a placement exam for an SCA language?Cantonese, Filipino-Tagalog: See the CAS Placement Examinations.
Africana Studies languages: Email the undergraduate program coordinator, Krystal Roberts, at krystal.roberts@nyu.edu.
Can languages, outside of SCA, such as Spanish or Mandarin, count towards my SCA major or minor?
No. SCA has designed the language courses to engage the relationship between the language and the culture.
HONORS
Does the department have an honors program?Yes, see the SCA Honors page.
Are any awards, scholarships or grants available?STUDY ABROAD
I would like to study abroad. What courses will be offered next semester that will count for my major or minor?A list of courses that count for each major is available on the SCA website.
COMBINED UNDERGRADUATE/GRADUATE PROGRAMS
Where can I find more info about earning the five-year BA and Masters in Public Administration or Urban Planning?Go to this Wagner School of Public Service “dual degree” website. SCA majors should discuss their plans with Betts Brown in SCA (betts.brown@nyu.edu, 212.998-8092). To enroll, they need to meet with the CAS/Wagner Administrator, 212-998-8130).
What other BA/MA programs are available to SCA majors?CAS offers a number of BA/MA programs that can be completed in an accelerated manner. Africana Studies and Social and Cultural Studies are among these. See the CAS BA/MA website for details.
What masters or PhD programs are in SCA?The graduate programs in the Department of Social and Cultural Analysis include Master of Arts degrees in Africana Studies and in Social and Cultural Analysis, and a Ph.D. in American Studies. For more information, you may contact the SCA Program Directors, the Director of Graduate Studies, or the Director of Undergraduate Studies.