Academics

Anchored in intensive reading and writing, learning at Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts involves investigating, developing, and challenging ideas and the status quo. Critical thinking is at our core. Here you’ll have the freedom to delve deep into theory and critically explore what is most relevant to you in this rapidly changing world.

Academics at Lang Majors and Minors Benefits offered by The New Sch oo l first -year Experience Lang: Where the classr oo m meets the world Internships and study abroad

newschool.edu/lang/academics

16 Average class size at Lang

An Academic Path Paved for You—by You

Your academic curiosity and passion should drive your education. At Lang, you’ll have both the resources and the intellectual space to chart a curriculum tailored to you.

Select from a number of course options to fulfill the few requirements outside of your major: first-year writing seminars, an advising seminar/workshop, and two university lecture courses. Take an array of liberal arts courses ranging from Avant-garde Poetry to Zone Infrastructure: Histories of Finance, Globalization, and Territory, as well as offerings at Parsons School of Design; The New School for Social Research; the Milano School of Policy, Management, and Environment; and more.

What Are Small Seminar-Style Courses?

Imagine a liberal arts course that is rarely a lecture and always a roundtable of creative intellectuals with bold, distinct voices as passionate as your own.

Small, intimate, and engaging, seminar courses at Lang will immerse you in an academic experience fueled by seminal texts and the deep discourse you need to not only retain them but expand upon them. Here you’ll use literature, theory, and discourse to analyze and address some of today’s most pressing and controversial issues. Academic and social interactions with both faculty mentors and fellow students create a space where critical theory and diverse viewpoints are cultivated, nurtured, and challenged.

THE BUDDHA’S REVOLUTION: EXPLORING THE IDEAS AND PRACTICES OF BUDDHISM PLATO & THE SOPHISTS EUGENE LANG COLLEGE LIB ARTS: PHILOSOPHY GABRIEL GARCIA MARQUEZ This course studies the narrative of Gabriel García Márquez (1927-2014). Winner of the 1982 Nobel Prize, he was arguably the most influential writer in the last third of the twentieth century. Among his myriad of unofficial disciples and followers, one can find such contemporary luminaries as Toni Morrison, Salman Rushdie, Peter Carey, and Ben Okri. In addition to One Hundred Years of Solitude (1967), the novel that popularized magical realism throughout the world, we will study his innovative crime story Chronicle of a Death Foretold (1982), the monumental romance Love in the Time of Cholera (1985), and his historical recreation of the life of the libertador Simón Bolívar, The General in his Labyrinth (1992), among other texts. College: Eugene Lang College Lib Arts (LC) Department: Literary Studies (LLST) Campus: New York City (GV) Course Format: Seminar (R) Max Enrollment: 18 BLIND SPOTS OF NYC: CAPITALISM AND EXCLUSION TAUGHT BY: BENOIT CHALLAND SECTION: AX CRN: 7065 Credits: 4 This course is an experiment in applied historical sociology, offering a journey through the history of racial and class exclusion in New York City, from the colonial era to the end of the Civil War. The course is co-taught by a leading artist and a professor of Sociology at NSSR. Having taught classes on the making of global capitalism through the history of sugar and cotton, Prof. Challand approached artist Kamau Ware, author of a graphic novel on the colonial period of NYC who also leads historical tours of the city, about locating the legacy of these commodities that played an important role in shaping the communitarian contours and the urban landscape of colonial New York. The class alternates walking tours in Lower Manhattan with classroom discussions, using a variety of historical sources and secondary literature on the period running between 1625 to 1880. This class, limited to 18 students, will confront the absence of slavery’s memory in the New York City landscape, architecture and monuments, and reflects on the connection between class and race politics in the making of a leading trading city such as New York. Students will be asked to write two essays as part of the requirements, an argumentative essay on a political issue of the these times, and a narrative essay, helping us to recreate the contours of social life in historical NYC.

To pursue a liberal arts education is to explore a spectrum of humanity’s greatest scholarly work and inquiry. At Lang, we believe that exploration requires academic freedom.

Choosing from a relevant and comprehensive list of majors and minors gives you the flexibility to rethink disciplines from unexpected angles. Once here, you’ll work together with academic and faculty advisors to design a course of study, either choosing one of our majors or designing your own. You have until the first semester of your junior year to declare a major, so the opportunities to discover new passions and explore new subjects are numerous, helping to create a more holistic and forward-thinking undergraduate path.

A Well-Chosen Minor Gives You an Edge

Pursuing a minor gives you the opportunity to investigate another subject you’re passionate about, gain specialized knowledge that can help you advance toward your career goals, and show the breadth of your interests if you apply to graduate school. Many majors at Lang are also available as minors, and students can choose from a list of universitywide minors. Minors enable you to explore a range of topics and enrich your studies for your major.

ANTHROPOLOGY

Apply multifaceted interdisciplinary approaches to the study of anthropology with in-depth explorations of key contemporary issues. Gain fresh insight from courses that reflect the diverse interests of an international faculty.

Major (BA), Minor

THE ARTS

Study visual and performing arts in a liberal arts context. Connect academic inquiry and research to creative practice and use the arts as a powerful tool for self-discovery and advocacy. Students choose one of two concentrations: Visual Studies and Arts in Context.

Major (BA)

CAPITALISM STUDIES

Investigate capitalism in its historical context and from the perspectives of economics, policy, ethics, culture, media, and the visual arts. Students apply interdisciplinary and analytical approaches to evolving socioeconomic phenomena, from postcolonial Africa to the politics of food systems, and examine how capitalism informs political, technological, and creative activity in the modern world.

Minor

code as a liberal art

Develop skills in code and computational thinking as part of your liberal arts education, and use them as tools for critical and creative inquiry and for better understanding how computational systems affect different aspects of society. Students in this minor explore algorithmic thinking and consider questions of access, equity, and social justice in relation to technological systems.

Minor contemporary DANCE

Combine practice and performance opportunities in New York City with a rigorous liberal arts education. Learn from some of the nation’s top choreographers, dancers, and scholars and view dance in its social, cultural, and historical contexts while developing a sense of social responsibility.

Major (BA), Minor

CONTEMPORARY MUSIC

Examine the cultural and social significance of music in today’s world and explore the diversity of contemporary music; music history, theory, and criticism; and the evolving technologies used in composing, performing, and listening.

Major (BA), Minor

Culture and media

Analyze media—print, film, radio, television, and the Internet—from the standpoints of history, politics, technology, sociology, textual analysis, and ethnography. Learn to use media as a tool for social change and gain the research and production skills necessary to put your ideas into action.

Major (BA), Minor

Economics

Evaluate the history of economic ideas, contemporary markets and institutions, and global economic development along with the influence of class, gender, race, and ethnicity on economic outcomes. The curriculum emphasizes quantitative methods.

Major (BA), Minor

Environmental studies

Confront the critical environmental issues facing the world’s cities in the 21st century. Bringing together the natural sciences, the social sciences, and design, this curriculum prepares students for policy planning and service careers in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.

Major (BA, BS), Minor

GENDER STUDIES

Question the culturally constructed idea of sex difference and the way gender and sexuality are renegotiated over time. Research the history of feminist thought and action; men’s studies; gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender studies; and queer theory.

Minor

Global Studies

Delve into the challenges of globalization, with a view to developing equitable outcomes through research, foreign language study, internships, and fieldwork.

Major (BA), Minor

History

Understand contemporary events by researching the past. Benefit from the partnership between Lang and The New School for Social Research, whose graduate faculty are renowned for their multidisciplinary approach to social theory. Develop critical thinking, research, and writing skills and engage with New York City’s scholarly institutions and museums.

Major (BA), Minor

Interdisciplinary Science

Investigate the dynamic interplay between health and environmental change by integrating laboratory work, scientific thinking, and quantitative reasoning with critical perspectives from the social sciences, humanities, and arts. Using a planetary health framework, students address climate change, the development and use of emerging biotechnologies, and the acquisition, management, and interpretation of large sets of data—real-world challenges that benefit from scientific innovation that is sustainable and socially just.

Major (BA), Minor

JEWISH CULTURE

Study Jewish art, history, and literature and consider Jews and Judaism as rich case studies for questioning the meaning and origin of concepts like nation, state, religion, ethnicity, exile, and diaspora.

Minor Journalism + Design

Merge the rigorous critical thinking fostered by Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts with the creative design thinking nurtured at Parsons School of Design. Acquire the skills needed to address the complex media ecosystem of the 21st century and develop the creative capacity and confidence to thrive in any field that values imagination, agility, and know-how.

Major (BA), Minor

Liberal Arts

Work closely with a faculty advisor to design your own course of study. Select courses from the broad range of subjects offered at The New School and bring together themes and methods that interest you.

Major (BA, BS)

Literary Studies

View the written word from both critical and creative perspectives as you develop skills beyond effective writing, such as collaboration, research, and analysis. All students take two Introduction to Literature courses, which provide a common language and academic experience, then move on to a concentration in either Literature or Writing.

Major (BA)

LITERATURE

Study literary texts over time and across linguistic and geographical borders to develop finely honed skills as a critical reader, writer, and analytical thinker. Students are guided by faculty members who bring scholarly and aesthetic expertise to the subjects of both English writing and world literature in translation. Literature can be taken as a concentration (BA, Literary Studies) or as a minor.

Minor

Philosophy

Debate and interrogate the great intellectual traditions while exploring the history of ideas, particularly those that have played a central role in shaping the modern world.

Major (BA), Minor

Politics

Consider politics—the exercise of power in society—on many scales, from the micropolitics of the family to geopolitics, and use New York City as a laboratory to explore issues like immigration and economic inequality.

Major (BA), Minor

Psychology

Analyze the scope and evolution of psychological inquiry. Study the application of the scientific method to psychological research and learn how to evaluate the literature of psychology with a critical eye.

Major (BA), Minor

RACE and ethnicity

Address the role of race and ethnicity in academic, artistic, and political discourse in the United States and around the world while developing the skills and knowledge needed to bring about social change. This curriculum draws on humanities and social science courses offered across the university that explore how the categories of ethnicity and race are constructed, maintained, and challenged.

Minor

RELIGIOUS STUDIES

Study the intersections and intimate connections between systems of belief and practices, ethical codes, rituals, narratives, philosophies, and social and political structures across many cultures and centuries.

Minor

Screen Studies

Immerse yourself in the rich history of motion pictures and trace their transformation into today’s rapidly changing screen industries and cultures. Students can choose from courses in subjects including screenwriting, directing, editing, and cinematography.

Major (BA) Sociology

Delve into the complexities of human behavior and explore the forces of social change. This distinctive curriculum introduces students to key texts, concepts, and research methods as well as design strategies for responding to social problems.

Major (BA), Minor

Theater

Explore acting, directing, and playwriting, from the classics to contemporary work. This interdisciplinary program both grounds students in practice and examines experimental innovations in theater in the context of liberal arts.

Major (BA), Minor

Urban Studies

Examine the complex cultural, governmental, physical, and social ecosystems of the modern city. Students can focus their studies on geography, history, culture, public policy, or planning and development.

Major (BA), Minor

VISUAL STUDIES

Establish a foundation in visual culture, ranging from classic works of art in museums to contemporary and experimental artworks. Through visual art, students gain deeper insight into social issues such as race, class, gender, and sexuality; nationality and citizenship; and science, technology, and global economic and environmental issues. Visual Studies can be taken as a concentration (BA, The Arts) or as a minor.

Minor

WRITING

Choose a genre (fiction, nonfiction, or poetry) and progress through writing workshops to develop a unique authorial voice. Courses emphasize literary analysis, essential communication skills, and a profound understanding of craft. Writing can be taken as a concentration (BA, Literary Studies) or a minor.

Minor

BENEFITS offered by THE NEW SCHOOL

Our integrated approach to learning allows you to stretch yourself beyond traditional academic paths, grow intellectually and creatively, and expand your problem-solving capabilities. Being part of The New School means you are free to declare a minor at any of our four other schools and colleges, take courses across the university to satisfy non-major requirements, enroll in our BA/BFA dual-degree program, or simultaneously pursue bachelor’s and master’s degrees through one of our renowned graduate schools.

MINORS AT THE NEW SCHOOL

You can choose from more than 50 minors at The New School. These highly creative and enriching series of courses give you endless ways to broaden your skills, interests, and career options. Artists can gain a global perspective; historians can learn music composition; performers can study sociology. Every time you cross into a new discipline, you increase your relevance in a world market that is quickly evolving.

Parsons School of Design

Art and Design History Comics and Graphic Narrative Communication Design Creative Coding Creative Entrepreneurship Data Visualization Design Studies Fashion Communication Fashion Studies Fine Arts Immersive Storytelling Photography Printmaking Social Practice Sustainable Cities Temporary Environments

College of Performing Arts Mannes School of Music

Music Composition Post-Genre Music: Performance and Creation Techniques of Music (Theory,

Ear Training, Dictation)

School of Drama

Creative Technologies for

Performative Practice Dramatic Arts

Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts

Anthropology Capitalism Studies Code as a Liberal Art Contemporary Dance Contemporary Music Culture and Media Economics Environmental Studies Gender Studies Global Studies History Interdisciplinary Science Jewish Culture Journalism + Design Literature Philosophy Politics Psychology Race and Ethnicity Religious Studies Sociology Theater Urban Studies Visual Studies Writing

Schools of Public Engagement

Chinese Studies Film Production Food Studies French Studies Hispanic Studies Japanese Studies Literary Translation Management and Leadership Migration Studies Moving Image Arts Museum and Curatorial Studies Screenwriting

48 Percentage of Lang students who take courses at Parsons

BA/BFA DUAL DEGREE

Lang is the centerpiece of The New School’s BA/BFA dual degree (called BAFA), a course of study providing an immersion in both the liberal arts and either jazz or art and design. Students interested in BAFA apply to the five-year program (168–180 credits, depending on the chosen majors), which awards a BA from Eugene Lang College and a BFA from either Parsons School of Design or the School of Jazz and Contemporary Music at the College of Performing Arts. To pursue the BAFA dual degree, you must be admitted to both colleges. Advisement ensures that you meet the requirements of both degrees.

newschool.edu/lang/babfa

Begin earning a master’s while still an undergrad

Go further faster. The New School’s Bachelor’s-Master’s program allows students across the university to save time and money by earning graduate credits that apply to both their New School undergraduate degree and a graduate degree from The New School for Social Research or the Milano School of Policy, Management, and Environment. Starting in their junior year, students admitted to the program can earn up to 18 credits in master’s courses (depending on the program) and apply those graduate credits to both their undergraduate degree and an MA or MS degree.

newschool.edu/bachelors-masters

Current Bachelor’s-Master’s Program Pairings

Anthropology BA

Anthropology MA

Liberal Studies MA

The Arts BA

Liberal Studies MA

Culture and Media BA

Creative Publishing and Critical

Journalism MA

Liberal Studies MA

Media Studies MA

Economics BA

Economics MA

Environmental Studies BA or BS

Environmental Policy and

Sustainability Management MS

Global Studies BA

Anthropology MA

Historical Studies MA

International Affairs MA

Media Studies MA

Politics MA History BA

Historical Studies MA

Journalism + Design BA

Creative Publishing and Critical

Journalism MA

Liberal Arts BA

Creative Publishing and Critical

Journalism MA

Fashion Studies MA

Liberal Arts BA or BS

Anthropology MA

Environmental Policy and

Sustainability Management MS

Historical Studies MA

History of Design and

Curatorial Studies MA

International Affairs MA

Liberal Studies MA

Media Studies MA

Philosophy MA

Politics MA

Psychology MA

Public and Urban Policy MS

Sociology MA Literary Studies BA

Creative Publishing and Critical

Journalism MA

Liberal Studies MA

Philosophy BA

Liberal Studies MA

Philosophy MA

Politics BA

Politics MA

Psychology BA

Psychology MA

Sociology BA

Liberal Studies MA

Sociology MA

Urban Studies BA

Environmental Policy and

Sustainability Management MS

Public and Urban Policy MS

HANDS-ON TECHNIQUES FOR CRITIQUING AND EMPHASIS WILL BE ON DYNAMIC ENGAGEMENT

problem and prepare related environmental research a food systemproject, students will resilient. For the course more sustainable and making the food system identify strategies for analysis, help us to assessment to lifecycle methods, from risk and different analytical environmental justice, from urban ecology to different frameworks, course will explore how on urban foodsheds. The consumption patterns and the pressures of impacts of food on cities the environmental We will learn about urban environment. and disposal) and the distribution, consumption food system (production,

Lang’s first-year seminar and writing courses provide you with the academic foundation, support, and guidance vital to your overall success. Academic advisors, faculty advisors, and first-year fellows are available to help you navigate the opportunities and challenges of transitioning to college life and studies. We encourage you to explore new intellectual realms by taking a broad range of liberal arts courses during your first year at Lang. Try leaving your comfort zone and choose topics you wouldn’t ordinarily decide to study.

The First-Year Writing Program

Lang’s First-Year Writing Program introduces you to the debate and dynamism at the heart of seminar learning. Course offerings vary as widely as the faculty teaching them: from environmentalism, travel writing, and artificial intelligence to feminism, existentialism, and activism (and beyond). Students typically take Writing the Essay I and II in consecutive semesters in the first year. These courses, organized on the workshop model, help students develop confidence and conviction as writers. Assignments include personal writing, cultural and literary criticism, argumentative essays, and experimental writing, emphasizing how to write convincing and compelling work and setting a foundation for the production of research.

The First-Year Seminar

The first-year seminar is taught by a professor who serves as your faculty advisor during your freshman year at Lang. First-year seminars draw upon professors’ expertise in particular areas and offer opportunities to engage in intense discussions with your classmates and develop the skills to grapple with challenging material and diverse perspectives. 350+ Number of Lang courses offered per semester

big thoughts, then Lang is the place to be.

want to learn from you. If you care about the big picture and enjoy thinking chance to understand each other’s ideologies. People are curious and they In the ideal seminar course, everyone contributes. Everyone gets a schools, where lectures can have 100 or 200 kids in a classroom.

lecture class at Lang had only 50 students, as opposed to the bigger It feels good for a professor to actually know your name. Even my one

What did you like about Lang’s seminar-style courses?

year writing program and first-year seminar, it’s very flexible. you get to create your own. Everything is in your hands. Aside from the firstand those credits transferred to Lang. But at Lang, there is no set path— I enrolled in city college and state college while I was still in high school,

How is that possible?

this, so I am graduating in three and a half years with a master’s degree. all of your time at Lang is about discovery. I want to go to law school after and accountability and find out what they’re passionate about, but I think The first-year seminar gives students time to develop independence financial literacy and safety in the city. understands what you’re going through and who teaches you things like from a personal perspective. It’s supposed to be someone who completely a student mentor who went through Lang and can speak about the school Well, through the seminar, you get connected with a peer fellow—

How did the first-year seminar help you do that?

seminar course to help ease you into the city. small town—you’re in New York! And as a freshman, you take a first-year collaborate with people in different fields or programs. You’re not stuck in a Lang allows you the opportunity to work on amazing projects and my favorite classes.

to do a math class called Making Math and Art, and it was one of It all comes down to how you want to spend your time. For example, I chose all the prerequisites—but there is no handbook of right and wrong at Lang. I feel like a lot of people are crushed by their undergrad experience, with

What stood out to you about going to college at Lang?

all in three and a half years. in Psychology from The New School for Social Research— Lang with a BA in Psychology and will soon receive an MA course load. She completed her undergraduate studies at Lily Yonglin Chen is a Bachelor’s-Master’s student with a full

Lily Yonglin chen

what it means to define space, time, relationship, gender in softer, broader terms?” Lang Dance faculty, Rebecca Stenn on her collaborative performance “Elusive Birds” premiering July 12-15th. Read more “Can we explore COMPUTING, DATA, AND DESIGN WITH PYTHON EUGENE LANG COLLEGE LIB ARTS: NATURAL SCIENCES & MATHEMATICS DATA AND DESIGN WITH PYTHON “Can we explore 12-15th. Read more premiering July “Elusive Birds” performance collaborative Stenn on her faculty, Rebecca Lang Dance broader terms?” gender in softer, time, relationship, to define space, TAUGHT BY: JACOB KOEHLER

This mini course is a project based introduction to computing and the Python computer language. The course assumes no prior experience with computing and is meant to introduce students from a variety of disciplines to important tools and techniques in computing and Python. Each week will be a self contained project focusing on a variety of computing tasks solved using Python. These projects will cover webscraping and webcrawling, data analysis and visualization, Natural Language Processing, machine learning, video game design, and web application design. Students will leave this series with a solid grounding in computing fundamentals, prepared for more advanced work.

College: Eugene Lang College Lib Arts (LC)

Department: Natural Sciences & Mathematics (LSTS)

Lang: Where the classroo m meets the world

At Lang, the classroom is in constant dialogue with the outside world. Lang courses connect what students are learning to the big questions and problems of our time. You can study directly with activists, artists, policymakers, and community leaders who co-teach courses with Lang faculty through our Civic Liberal Arts program. Lang’s Office of Civic Engagement and Social Justice offers civic participation opportunities in which students can combine their passion for social justice with academic work and build community with other similarly dedicated minds. And in addition to offering traditional internship and study abroad opportunities, Lang provides a range of fellowships, grants, and student conferences that support our students’ engagement with the world by combining research, theory, and practice. These include:

Mohn Family Science and Social Justice Fellowships Eugene Lang Opportunity Awards Civic Engagement and Social Justice Mini-Grants Social Science Fellowships Dean’s Honor Symposia Civic Liberal Arts Fellowships Tishman Environmental Merit Scholarships Jeff Gural Academic Achievement and Opportunity Scholars Program Lang Academic Fellowships

to bring in their own passions and perspectives. great about studying science here is that students are always encouraged have to bring that social justice perspective to science yourself, and what’s from your genes; your environment is also so important. Sometimes you around human health and the fact that who you are is not entirely made how it can actually be put into policy. The genetics courses are all centered throughout the entire semester, we had to apply it to the greater idea of best energy portfolio for New York City. After learning all this information “the now.” Our final project for chemistry was studying what would be the For example, the chemistry courses are completely contextualized in really amazing way. so intertwined—but social justice is ingrained into Lang’s IS program in this Before I came to Lang, I never even considered science and activism to be

interests?

What was it like to be able to explore the intersections of all your

of those scientific roots. science out of the vacuum by putting it into poetry while also keeping a lot caused by cultures outside of the Mapuche. My project was trying to bring they might combat climate change, a problem that was essentially being interest from the scientists in speaking with the Mapuche and seeing how science is traditionally taught in a vacuum. There was a huge lack of Argentina, the Mapuche perspective was completely ignored, because In many traditional science labs that I visited during my time in the Mapuche. in poetry, I wrote about the connections between climate change and go of my writing, so I continued to take poetry classes. For my senior thesis Even after I decided I wanted to be an IS major, I definitely didn’t want to let

Were you able to continue pursuing your interest in writing?

and how they’re affected by the loss of the tree.

a lot more about the Mapuche, an Indigenous group who live there in the area, in Argentina, fully funded. It was incredible. My work ended up becoming I applied, was granted it, and went on to do the entire six-week experience which is like the Lang Opportunity Awards but focused on the sciences. create a program, the Mohn Family Science and Social Justice Fellowship, a low-income student. Thankfully, one of Katayoun’s former students helped But I knew I wouldn’t be able to do it without extra funding, because I am study a tree that’s endangered because of climate change. internships. I discovered this opportunity in my home country, Argentina, to I was applying to a lot of science fellowships and looking at different science

Justice Fellowship? What was your experience with the Mohn Family Science and Social

I had never experienced before.

memorization. But this was actual critical thinking in science—something contextualized way. I went to public school, where science was mostly Science [IS] program, I fell in love with the idea of learning science in a taking a class with Katayoun Chamany, the head of Lang’s Interdisciplinary again. I really wanted to focus on literary studies and writing. But after When I started at Lang, I never wanted to take another science or math course

How did you first get involved with Lang’s Interdisciplinary Science program?

on the ecosystem and local Indigenous communities. Fellowship . There she investigated the effects of climate change Argentina on the Mohn Family Science and Social Justice and a minor in Literary Studies, focusing on poetry. She traveled to Marina Delgado graduated with a major in Interdisciplinary Science

Marina Delgado

Julian Apter

Julian Apter is a BA/BFA student studying both anthropology at Lang and jazz guitar at the College of Performing Arts. A recipient of the Lang Opportunity Award , he conducted ethnomusicology research in Ghana that enabled him to explore the connection between music and anthropology in Africa.

What first brought you to Lang?

The interdisciplinary aspect is pretty much what drew me to The New School. The New School not only has a great jazz school at the College of Performing Arts, it has a stellar faculty for anthropology and liberal arts. Another great part is Lang’s Bachelor’s-Master’s program, where you begin taking graduate-level classes during the senior year of your undergrad.

A lot of people tell me, “I could never do school for five years in a row, let alone six.” I could. Not a problem for me. I think that whatever you do, if you want to do it well, you really have to focus and get nerdy about it. And with the BA/BFA, it’s difficult, because in some ways I have to compromise. I can never practice as much as a jazz student who isn’t doing anthropology. But they end up informing each other.

How does Lang help you balance your interdisciplinary interests?

The project I got funded through the Lang Opportunity Award program is an intersection of both of my majors in a lot of ways. The project is in Ghana, and I think I’m going to title it The Work of Art in the Age of Digital Reproduction in Ghana. It’s basically looking at ethnomusicological scholarship. There’s so much happening in Ghana and West Africa in general—all of Africa, really—but there isn’t much scholarship on it.

So I’ll be in Ghana this summer for a month, recording musicians and publicizing them. I’ll be working with a label called Akwaaba, whose mission is to bring these amazing musicians that are not on the Internet online to diversify their revenue streams and enable them to gain agency by entering global markets. The Lang Opportunity Award, which is like a grant, will help me get there.

That’s fantastic. Is there anything else that stands out to you about Lang’s education style?

We are in an interesting time. I think that generally the New School style of education really makes a difference, in terms of critical thinking and seminar-style classes. In thinking about what an education should do, Lang is a lot closer than most institutions. Even if you go to one of those

so-called star schools, you’ll still wind up taking all these giant lecture classes. It’s different at Lang—the seminar style works really well for me. And I think in this modern society, it’s superimportant to be a critical thinker and be informed by multiple frameworks of thought. I took an Intro to Film class at Lang and did a music analysis of the score of Godard’s . I argued that there’s all this feeling that you’ll Breathless 1960 film actually miss out on if you don’t pay attention to the music—the composer was really drawing upon very hip innovations of the day in terms of harmony and melody. It’s background music, which can be lost. The way Lang and The New School allow for that interdisciplinary work never ceases to amaze me.

Sabrina Wu

Sabrina Wu graduated with a double major in Theater and in Culture and Media. She was a student fellow in one of Lang’s Civic Liberal Arts courses, which allow students to learn outside of the classroom and work with nonfaculty professionals around New York City.

How did you decide on your focus of study?

My first few years as a student, I didn’t know what I wanted to study. I don’t think anyone really has a plan going into college—I didn’t. Lang helped me explore different areas and home in on my interests. My year living on campus was definitely part of that experience. My classes also incorporated a lot of New York City into them, both historical aspects and

current events happening around the city. I was able to meet people who were involved in organizations outside of school and network like that. That was really helpful.

What kind of organizations were you involved with?

I was a student fellow in one of Lang’s Civic Liberal Arts courses, called Scene Study: Prison Plays. The class was done in partnership with The Fortune Society, an amazing

organization based in Long Island City, Queens. They offer arts, theater, and writing programs for formerly incarcerated individuals. The course was part acting class, part discussion about prison conditions. We talked to guest speakers about prison life and, using that information and knowledge, harnessed it for our acting scenes.

It’s really great that Lang is partnering with these programs and also giving exposure to organizations and using resources in a way that promotes discussion, not only in class but outside of class, of questions like, How can we change the school-to-prison pipeline? I don’t hear about many of these opportunities being offered anywhere else.

What is the Lang community like?

Lang gave me the space to really express myself. Even the faculty are supportive of this—you develop great relationships with faculty members and communities with whom you have similar interests. The community at Lang

is really powerful.

Internships and Study abroad

3258 Number of countries in Number of countries in which Lang students which Lang students studied this yearstudied this year One of the many advantages of studying at Lang is being immersed in New York City—and the world. Many Lang students spend a semester, academic year, or summer abroad taking courses, working at internships across the city, or pursuing volunteer projects. With proper research and planning, you can study, work, or volunteer almost anywhere in the world while at Lang.

Lang offers options to study abroad both through the college and through other institutions, including:

»Short-term programs led by Lang faculty during academic breaks » Domestic exchange and pre-approved study abroad programs with partner institutions

Past foreign study programs have taken students to:

»Costa Rica, where they combined classroom learning with practical experience through research on and analysis of Central American social and economic issues » Paris, where they considered the life, work, and legacy of novelist, essayist, playwright, and poet

James Baldwin » Tokyo, where they immersed themselves in liberal arts, Japanese language study, and culture at the research-focused Sophia University

Recent Lang student internships included:

»HarperCollins—prepared children’s book manuscripts for publication » Interview Magazine—edited online content » AFROPUNK—created editorial content to tie in with the popular music festival » Museum at Eldridge Street—marketed a historic synagogue and its cultural programs » Warner Music Group—created Spotify playlist concepts to highlight label artists » Roc Nation—assisted with artist management and marketing campaigns for tours and releases » Paley Center for Media—researched and responded to inquiries from filmmakers, TV networks, producers, and directors » Scholastic—researched content for a children’s news magazine » New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist

Hospital—conducted public health research focusing on hepatitis B vaccinations for newborns » Metropolitan Museum of Art—digitally archived materials from excavations at Qasr-i Abu Nasr, Iran » Full Frontal with Samantha Bee—researched topics for satirical coverage on the program » Brooklyn Hospital Center—facilitated therapeutic sessions through play, art, and music for children and families through the hospital’s child life program » Rock Shrimp Productions—served as a production assistant for celebrity chef Bobby Flay’s production company » Stand Beside Them—coached military veterans and their spouses/caregivers on the transition back to civilian life » Diane von Furstenberg—created content for a luxury fashion brand’s social media channels » Rockefeller & Co.—worked with the sustainable investing unit » NYC Central Labor Council—researched policy positions of City Council members » NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs—helped plan and execute community events

what happens. opportunities are everywhere at Lang—you just have to try them and see international travel to doing funded research, all came from the school. The and resources. Every opportunity I participated in, from internships to felt completely inaccessible. But Lang offered me so many opportunities Before Lang, the idea of living in New York City and finding a career systems and the environment and social systems. private investment and the interplay between the private sector and private it, I interned at Rockefeller & Company and then focused my research on social and environmental justice implications of that. The next time I did as an extension of the sharing economy and wanted to understand the with an environmentally focused start-up and then I looked into Citi Bike I was lucky enough to do it twice, actually. The first year, I interned paper. It is a really amazing program. own research project in the style of a graduate or upper-level research transfer into theory. You go from practice into theory and then create your

internship over the summer, giving you hands-on learning which you then The fellowship provides funds for undergraduate students to do an

Can you tell me more about the Social Science Fellowship?

mentoring that completely changed my education. especially with the Social Science Fellowship, which gave me peer-to-peer They’re eager to help and willing to go outside the classroom with you, think some of the closest connections I made at Lang were with professors. I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of intimacy in the classes. Also, I idea of moving to New York was really overwhelming, but when I got here, They were a huge draw for me, actually. I’m from a small town and the

Speaking of classes, how did you like the small seminar-style courses?

Rockefeller Center. The city really becomes your classroom. early on. I’ve had 12 different jobs, from cleaning floors to working at you to develop your personal attributes as well as your career path very Plus, in terms of applicable, real-life skills, New York City really pushes part of the environment. that interplay and study the urban systems, since an urban system is still the environment while being in an urban center. I wanted to understand Obviously, being in New York City seemed kind of like a contrast—studying

city like New York? What was it like pursuing environmental studies in a big

because I really liked the foundations of science that Lang offered. I was also drawn to the Environmental Studies program from the beginning,

Lang’s study abroad program offered experiential, in-the-field education. was made. to apply to both of them. When I found out they were the same, my decision Program] and Lang itself, not even realizing they were connected until I went

I was interested in the first-year immersion program [now the Global Immersion

What first drew you to Lang?

adopt a dachshund puppy. during her time in college. Somehow she also found time to completed two internships, and conducted funded research Social Science Fellowship , she traveled to Argentina, and a minor in Economics. A two-time recipient of Lang’s Irie Ewers graduated with a major in Environmental Studies

Irie Ewers

That sounds so cheesy, but as Zishan says, “Why not be cheesy?” and patience, and that’s how I was able to create my performance. The people at Lang and in my community gave me a lot of love messiness. a constant unlearning, but I think Lang allows room for that kind of identity and my own internalized racism, sexism, and my biases. It’s think. I had a really hard time unlearning things about my own the measure of knowledge. But Lang judges you based on how you

Before I got to Lang, I was used to quizzes and tests every day as

In what ways did your experiences at Lang change you?

even directed my solo show. like “I’m this first, and then I’m a teacher”—they care so much. Zishan experience, teaching isn’t secondary on their list of priorities. It’s not outside of teaching. They may have their own practices, but in my are building relationships with artists who have their own careers professors is so intimate. I love all my professors; I really do. You What’s so special about Lang is that your relationship with worked together for the next few months to put together the show. She became my independent study senior thesis advisor, and we to do this solo performance.” She said, “Great, let’s build it together!” When I came back to New York, I went to Zishan and said, “I want

When did you start thinking about developing your own solo show?

was so supportive. I saw a show every day, all thanks to Lang grants and scholarships. Lang Later I studied abroad in Berlin and fell in love with the theater there. our role in so many countries, but it was a valuable experience I will never forget. and Colombia. It was a difficult trip, looking at politics outside of the U.S. and our professor said there were many parallels between the Bronx in New York to be in an international context, so we took a look at Colombia, because civic engagement in a different context every year. The junior year is supposed which students work together in a cohort and learn about social justice and I also went to Colombia with the Gural Scholars, a scholarship program in

That’s great. What other programs did you discover at Lang?

on a full ride. Through Lang, I applied for a Lang Opportunity Award, and was able to go

really cool way to experience a huge theater festival in a different context. a two-week study abroad program at the Fringe Festival. It sounded like a Before my junior year, I decided I wanted to go to Edinburgh to take part in

Tell us a bit about your study abroad experience.

the 2018 New School Commencement student speaker. Dad & the Holy Spirit , as her senior work. Yu Ling was also on to write and perform the finished product, The Mom, the in Berlin with Lang theater professor Zishan Ugurlu and went program. Yu Ling began developing her own solo show while Scotland, Colombia, and Berlin through Lang’s Study Abroad Lang and Integrated Design at Parsons. She traveled to Yu Ling Wu was a BA/BFA student majoring in Theater at

Yu ling wu