nyu shanghai honors thesis

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Business Honors

Business Honors Program Overview

In parallel with the Stern Undergraduate Honors Program, which has been in existence since 2001, the NYU Shanghai Business Honors Program shares the same mission of preparing academically motivated, rising seniors for an enriched research experience that extends beyond the classroom environment. Being a part of a select cohort of honors students, participants will have the opportunity to work closely with distinguished faculty members throughout a year-long development of a thesis and attend a customized series of honors seminar. The program aims to offer an individualized and comprehensive educational experience by connecting outstanding undergraduate students at NYU Shanghai with stimulating research ideas and scholars.

Eligibility Requirements

• Current NYU Shanghai junior students majoring in Business & Finance or Business & Marketing.
• Students who will be in Shanghai for their entire senior year. Students studying away from Shanghai in the fall semester of their senior year will not be eligible for the program.
• Cumulative GPA of 3.8 or higher by the end of their first five semesters of undergraduate study.
• Strong interest in research and the ability to handle an intense research and course schedule.

Program Components

• Honors Seminar – A required Honors Seminar will meet around three times per month in both the fall and spring semesters of the senior year. Some of these sessions will be conducted by instructors from New York, and other NYU campuses and portal sites via video. In a few instances, joint sessions will be held with students from the Stern Undergraduate Honors Program.
• Honors Thesis – The topic of the Honors Thesis is to be conceived of by the student with input from the Honors Program Coordinators (in New York and Shanghai) and the Faculty Thesis Advisor. The theses will be completed by the students in the program under the supervision of the Faculty Thesis Advisors, who will be assigned to the students, soon after they are accepted into the program. Theses of past program participants can be viewed  here . 
• Honors Seminar leaders and Faculty Thesis Advisors are chosen from resident faculty in Shanghai and New York, including visiting faculty at NYU Shanghai, and a few select adjuncts. If the Faculty Thesis Advisor is not based in Shanghai, communications between the student and advisor will be handled through online methods.

The NYU Shanghai Business Honors Program will count for 6 credits. If the research topic is China-related, it can be used as a substitute for the required China-related business course. If the topic is not China-related, it can be counted as a non-finance business elective for the Business & Finance major or a non-marketing business elective for the Business & Marketing major.

Selection Process

The detailed application instructions are scheduled to be sent out in early spring of the junior year to eligible students. The deadline for the application will be in mid-March. The selection process will be competitive, based on the academic performance until the students’ junior year. While it will be based on the GPA as a screen, it will also be based on an essay and interviews with faculty members. Applicants will be notified of their selection in late April/early May. Information sessions in New York and Shanghai, where applicants can learn more about this program, will be held at the beginning of the spring semester.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact the NYU Shanghai Academic Advising Office: [email protected]

Program Coordinators

Professor  Marti Subrahmanyam  serves as the primary Business Honors Program Coordinator. He is Global Network Professor of Finance and Economics at NYU Shanghai and the Charles E. Merrill Professor of Finance, Economics and International Business at NYU Stern.

Professor  Yiqing Lu  serves as the Co-Coordinator for the Business Honors Program Class of 2018 based at NYU Shanghai. She is Assistant Professor Faculty Fellow of Finance at NYU Shanghai.

External Links

NYU Stern Business Honors Program NYU Stern Business Honors Program – Honors Thesis Index

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Undergraduate Programs

Business and Finance

The business and finance major at NYU Shanghai helps students develop knowledge and skills in corporate finance, investment management, securities trading and accounting.  It is designed to provide students with the comprehensive knowledge needed in today’s globalized business world. It builds upon the liberal education that’s weaved into NYU Shanghai’s core curriculum. Before starting this major, students will have developed an essential set of skills in mathematics, critical thinking, and oral and written communication.  They will also have acquired familiarity with general cultural and scientific contexts in which businesses operate. Throughout their studies, students will obtain (a) a deeper understanding of the modern business environment and its economic structure (b) disciplinary skills in economics and statistics (c) a focused introduction to finance, management, operations and organizations. They will also have the opportunity to choose among advanced elective courses in those subjects.

Business and Marketing 

The business and marketing major at NYU Shanghai is designed to help students develop knowledge and skills in marketing management, customer insights, brand management, pricing etc. It will provide students with the comprehensive knowledge needed in today’s globalized business world.  It builds upon the liberal education that’s weaved into NYU Shanghai’s core curriculum. Before starting this major, students will have developed an essential set of skills in mathematics, critical thinking, and oral and written communication. They will also have acquired familiarity with general cultural and scientific contexts in which businesses operate. Throughout their studies, students will obtain (a) a deeper understanding of the modern business environment and its economic structure (b) disciplinary skills in economics and statistics (c) a focused introduction to finance, management, marketing and operations.

Business Honors Program

Program Overview

In parallel with the Stern Undergraduate Honors Program, which has been in existence since 2001, the NYU Shanghai Business Honors Program shares the same mission of preparing academically motivated, rising seniors for an enriched research experience that extends beyond the classroom environment. Being a part of a select cohort of honors students, participants will have the opportunity to work closely with distinguished faculty members throughout a year-long development of a thesis and attend a customized series of honors seminar. The program aims to offer an individualized and comprehensive educational experience by connecting outstanding undergraduate students at NYU Shanghai with stimulating research ideas and scholars.  

Eligibility Requirements

• Current NYU Shanghai junior students majoring in Business & Finance or Business & Marketing.
• Students who will be in Shanghai for their entire senior year. Students studying away from Shanghai in the fall semester of their senior year will not be eligible for the program.
• Cumulative GPA of 3.8 or higher by the end of their first three years of undergraduate study.
• Strong interest in research and the ability to handle an intense research and course schedule.

Program Components

• Honors Seminar – A required Honors Seminar will meet around three times per month in both the fall and spring semesters of the senior year. Some of these sessions will be conducted by instructors from New York, and other NYU campuses and portal sites via video. In a few instances, joint sessions will be held with students from the Stern Undergraduate Honors Program.
• Honors Thesis – The topic of the Honors Thesis is to be conceived of by the student with input from the Honors Program Coordinators (in New York and Shanghai) and the Faculty Thesis Advisor. The theses will be completed by the students in the program under the supervision of the Faculty Thesis Advisors, who will be assigned to the students, soon after they are accepted into the program.
• Honors Seminar leaders and Faculty Thesis Advisors are chosen from resident faculty in Shanghai and New York, including visiting faculty at NYU Shanghai, and a few select adjuncts. If the Faculty Thesis Advisor is not based in Shanghai, communications between the student and advisor will be handled through online methods.  

The NYU Shanghai Business Honors Program will count for 6 credits. If the research topic is China related, it can be used as a substitute for the required China related business course. If the topic is not China related, it can be counted as a non-finance business elective for the Business & Finance major or a non-marketing business elective for the Business & Marketing major.

Selection Process

The detailed application instructions are scheduled to be sent out in early spring of the junior year to eligible students. The deadline for the application will be in mid-March. The selection process will be competitive, based on the academic performance until the students’ junior year. While it will be based on the GPA as a screen, it will also be based on an essay and interviews with faculty members. Applicants will be notified of their selection in late April/early May. Information sessions in New York and Shanghai, where applicants can learn more about this program, will be held at the beginning of the spring semester.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact the NYU Shanghai Academic Advising Office at  [email protected] .

Program Coordinators

Professor Marti Subrahmanyam* serves as the primary Business Honors Program Coordinator. He is Global Network Professor of Finance and Economics at NYU Shanghai and the Charles E. Merrill Professor of Finance, Economics and International Business at NYU Stern.

Professor Jiawei Zhang* serves as the first Business Honors Program Co-Coordinator based at NYU Shanghai. He is Professor of Operations Management at NYU Shanghai and Professor of Information, Operations and Management Sciences at NYU Stern.

External Links

NYU Stern Business Honors Program

http://www.stern.nyu.edu/portal-partners/current-students/undergraduate/academics/research-practitioner-learning/spur

NYU Stern Business Honors Program – Honors Thesis Index

http://www.stern.nyu.edu/portal-partners/current-students/undergraduate/academics/research-practitioner-learning/spur/honors-program-theses

Graduation Honors

If you maintain a record of exceptional achievement during the duration of your degree program, you may be recognized with an honors designation upon graduation.

Whether you meet the criteria to graduate with honors is established by your school.

The graduation honors gathered on this page will be noted on your record and/or diploma if you are eligible.

You may be eligible for other honors and awards through the university or individual school when you graduate. However, those will not be posted on your record or diploma. You can find out more about those awards through the school bulletin.

Learn more about:

University Honors Scholars

Latin honors, residency requirements, other departmental honors.

If you reach graduation as a top-ranking Baccalaureate candidate or Baccalaureate graduate, you will be named a University Honors Scholar and awarded the NYU Founders’ Day Award. You will be notified by email on April 21, Founders’ Day.

Recipients of this honor receive a gold tassel to wear during Commencement and a personalized certificate. You can collect your gold tassel and your personalized certificate along with your Commencement attire.

If you qualify with the minimum GPA based on your spring semester grades, you will be awarded this honor retroactively and will receive your tassel and certificate following Commencement. The items will be mailed in mid-summer to your permanent address listed in NYU Albert.

Please note: The University Honors Scholar and Founders’ Day Award are separate and distinct from Latin Honors with different criteria. Qualifying for one does not mean you will qualify for the other.

If you have achieved a high cumulative grade point average (GPA) and completed your school’s minimum number of credits as a Baccalaureate graduate, you will be awarded latin honors.

For all students except those attending NYU Abu Dhabi, the GPA cutoffs are determined by the combined GPA distribution from the preceding academic year.

For example, if you are graduating during the academic year from September 2021 to May 2022, the GPA cutoff for summa cum laude will be based on the top 5% of GPAs from combined graduates from September 2020, January 2021, and May 2021.

NYU Abu Dhabi students’ Latin honors are determined by a different set of cumulative GPA cutoffs. 

Summa cum laude

You will qualify for this honor if your GPA falls within the top 5% of the previous year’s graduating class.

NYU Abu Dhabi students are awarded this honor according to the top 5% of the graduating class in each division. 

Magna cum laude

You will qualify for this honor if your GPA falls within the next 10% of the previous year’s graduating class.

NYU Abu Dhabi students are awarded this honor according to the next 10% of the graduating class in each division. 

You will qualify for this honor if your GPA falls within the next 15% of the previous year’s graduating class.

NYU Abu Dhabi students are awarded this honor according to the next 15% of the graduating class in each division.

GPA cutoffs: September 2024 to May 2025

Please note:

• Only courses applicable to the degree are used in calculating GPA.
• Grades received in courses taken at other institutions are not included.
• Courses taken at other schools and colleges at NYU may be excluded from the GPA calculation per the policy of the program.

Each school or college at New York University has its own set of credit requirements for you to be considered for latin honors within their programs.

Reference your school or college to find out what your requirements include.

At least 64 credits earned in courses from CAS, GSAS, and selected Tisch departments.

At least 58 credits earned while enrolled in the College in which the letter grades A through D were received (effective September 2012).

At least 64 credits earned at NYU for which the letter grades A through D were received.

At least 60 credits earned while enrolled in the School in which the letter grades A through D were received.

At least 64 credits earned while enrolled in the School.

At least 56 credits earned at NYU for which the letter grades A through D were received (effective July 2023).

At least 64 credits earned at NYU for which the letter grades A through D were received (effective November 2019).

At least 64 credits earned in courses from Tandon (effective July 2023).

Some departments at New York University award additional honors to eligible undergraduate and graduate students. Requirements vary by school and program.

Undergraduate candidates for departmental honors are nominated by the department and must have a cumulative and major GPA of at least 3.65. Your honors major average is taken from all courses related to your major course listings. 

Your department will require the completion of either a special honors track or of honors sections in particular courses, in addition to the submission of an honors thesis or project. 

Some departments may have more stringent GPA requirements than the minimums listed above. Specific departmental honors requirements are available in the school bulletin.

A Dental Hygiene Associates degree student graduating with a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher will receive a degree with honors.

The McGhee Division Bachelor programs nominate undergraduate students for departmental honors based on scholarship demonstrated in Senior Projects.

SPS also awards M.S. degrees "with distinction" to students in the top 10 percent of their graduating class and who have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.8

If you are an undergraduate student in the departments of Media, Culture and Communication, Teaching and Learning, Applied Psychology, or Communicative Sciences and Disorders you may be nominated for additional departmental honors if you meet the criteria. 

Media, Culture and Communication requirements include:

Grade of A in MCC-UE 1210 and MCC-UE 1000

Minimum GPA, cumulative & major, of 3.75

Teaching and Learning requirements include:

Grade of P in TCHL-UE 1090 and TCHL-UE 1091

Minimum GPA, cumulative & major, of 3.5

Applied Psychology requirements include:

Grade of A- in APSY-UE 1124 and APSY-UE 1125

Grade of A in APSY-UE 1995 and APSY-UE 1996

Minimum GPA, cumulative & major, of 3.65

Communicative Sciences and Disorders requirements include:

Grade of A- in CSCD-UE 1000 (Independent Study)

Grade of A- in CSCD-UE 1990 (Honors Research Seminar)

Departmental honors are awarded to undergraduate degree recipients who have taken at least 60 points at NYU in which the letter grades A through D were received and meet the following criteria:

Department of Film and TV: 3.65 cumulative GPA

Dance Program: Top 10% of graduating class with a minimum GPA of 3.5

All Other Departments: 3.5 cumulative GPA

Stern awards the M.B.A. degree "with distinction" to students in the top 10 percent of their graduating class.

Please refer to the Academic Policies Guide available from the school's Academic Services .

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SENIOR HONORS THESIS and GRADUATION WITH HONORS

Students wishing to graduate with departmental honors in Art History or Urban Design and Architecture Studies must complete a Senior Honors Thesis. The process of writing a thesis requires students to engage with a body of existing scholarship, to conduct in-depth, original research, and to write a substantial text (approximately  10,000 words, or 40 pages) presenting an original analysis of a topic. The thesis should present new information and ideas of interest to specialists, written in clear language accessible to non-specialists. It is a challenging yet richly rewarding process, serving as a capstone to students’ undergraduate studies and as a first independent project of the rigor required in graduate or professional school. 

Admission to the Senior Honors Thesis program requires a minimum GPA of 3.65 or higher in Art History/Urban Design courses and also a minimum cumulative CAS grade point average of 3.65. Students must also have completed a minimum of five (5) courses in their major by the end of their antepenultimate semester (usually the spring semester of Junior year), or they must request a waiver of this requirement from the DUS during the application process.

The application materials and submission link are listed below. Applicants must meet with potential advisers while preparing applications. We understand that thesis ideas and arguments will change over the course of this work; research is a dynamic process which thesis writers navigate across the year. The application forms a basis from which to work with the adviser, with whom thesis students will meet regularly during both semesters. 

The Spring 2024 deadline for proposals is March 29, 2024. Applicants should submit all materials at this link . 

Applications must include the following materials:

Unofficial NYU transcript from Albert, highlighting relevant coursework

One page proposal, including a title; research questions, scope, and goals; and possible methods and approaches.

Preliminary bibliography, including possible archives, source materials, objects, and/or sites to investigate, and 5-10 promising books and/or articles related to the topic. 

Writing sample demonstrating the ability to write clearly, to sustain an argument, and to document sources of research. 

Confirmation of meeting with proposed adviser

Minimum course completion confirmation  

The Directors of Undergraduate Studies will review all applications in their majors, consulting with proposed advisers, the department chair, and the full faculty to admit applicants to the honors program. Applications will be approved if the adviser and the faculty believe the student has proposed a significant topic and that they are capable of completing the thesis with distinction.

Students accepted into the Senior Honors Thesis program will register for two-4 credit Independent Studies in successive semesters with their adviser. Students will receive letter grades for each Independent Study, and these 8 credits will count toward the total 36 credits required for the major.

The awarding of honors is separate from the grading process. Students must submit their completed thesis to their adviser at least three weeks before the last day of classes in their final semester. The adviser will invite two other faculty members to read and comment on the thesis. Students will then meet with all three readers to conduct a Review, or Thesis Defense. This should be scheduled, in consultation with the faculty adviser, to take place before the last day of spring classes. It is only at the conclusion of the Review that the committee will decide what honors, if any, to award. The committee may award High Honors, Honors, or no honors, in which case the student receives credit and grades earned in the independent study courses. To graduate with honors, students must maintain a GPA of 3.65 through the end of their undergraduate career.