Cinema Studies BA Handbook (CAS)

Advanced undergraduate cinema studies majors are permitted, with faculty approval, to take certain graduate courses listed in the graduate course descriptions section.

Any undergraduate cinema studies majors who are planning to pursue graduate work are encouraged to study two (2) years in a foreign language.

The Tisch Cinema Studies Advisor can only advise on Major requirements. All General Education requirement questions or academic procedures outside of the major (e.g. dropping/adding, leaves of absences, etc. ) must be discussed with a CAS Advisor.

All students are assessed a fee for all CINE-UT or CINE-GT courses. The fee is based on the number of points for which the student registers and is subject to a yearly increase. At the time of printing this handbook, the fee for 2026/2027 is $30 per point.

A student wishing to conduct independent research for credit must obtain approval from a full-time faculty member in the Department of Cinema Studies who will supervise an independent study for up to 4 credits. This semester-long study is a project of special interest to the student who, with the supervising faculty member, agrees on a course of study and requirements. The proposed topic for an Independent Study project should not duplicate topics taught in departmental courses. This is an opportunity to develop or work on a thesis project.

To register, you must submit an Independent Study Form. Once the information from your form is verified by your faculty supervisor, you will receive a permission code.

Many students in the department receive up to 4 points (per internship) for working at various film libraries, archives, museums, journals, production companies, and film research labs.

Looking For Internships
Students looking for internships should seek information from the NYU Wasserman Center for Career Development or emails sent from the department with internship opportunities. New internship postings usually coincide with registration for each term. Students are highly encouraged to initiate their own internships, as this may be the best method of matching specific student interests with particular companies or organizations. If there is an organization a student is interested in they should approach the organization and inquire about internship positions.

Registering For Internships
Once an internship has been secured, students must fill out an Internship Learning Contract with internship registration information, contact information, responsibilities, expectations, and goals. The form is available online and from Administrative Aide Gordon Leary (gordon.leary@nyu.edu.) The Internship Learning Contract will be reviewed by the Director of Undergraduate Studies to verify that the internship is relevant to the student’s coursework and/or academic interests. Once approved, students will receive a permission code to register for the internship.

Grading
Students and internship supervisors will be asked to complete both midterm and final reports. Students will also be required to submit two papers reflecting on their experiences in the internship as it relates to the goals outlined in the Internship Learning Contract. Grades will be assigned by the Director of Undergraduate Studies based upon these reports and papers. Internships will be graded on a pass/fail basis.

Grades are assigned the following "weights":

A   = 4.000
A-  = 3.667
B+ = 3.333
B   = 3.000
B-  = 2.667
C+ = 2.333
C   = 2.000
C-  = 1.667
D+ = 1.300
D   = 1.000
F    = 0.000

Except for W and P, all grades for courses taken for credit at any division of NYU are computed in your average, beginning with those earned during your first term of registration at New York University. Therefore, for students who transfer from another division of NYU into TSOA, the grade point average will carry over to the record as a Tisch student. If, while registered in another division of NYU, students completed SPS courses, those grades will not be computed in the TSOA grade point average or count toward a student’s degree unless they transferred from an SPS undergraduate degree program. Grades for courses taken at other colleges and universities are not computed in the NYU grade point average. If a student repeats a non-repeatable course, both grades will be computed in the grade point average. However, the student will only receive credit towards the overall credits once. Please note that a notation will appear on the transcript indicating that the course was repeated. 

Grades below C will not count towards the Cinema Studies Major.  If you receive a grade below a C for a Cinema Studies CORE requirement, you must retake the course.

The Undergraduate Incomplete Grade Policy applies only to undergraduate students enrolled in undergraduate courses. Graduate students/undergraduate students enrolled in graduate level courses should reach out to their school’s Dean’s office for guidance.

The grade of incomplete (I) is a temporary grade that indicates that a student has not yet completed all requirements for a course as outlined on the syllabus but could pass the course if they were to complete those outstanding requirements. The “I” grade is only appropriate where unexpected and/or unavoidable circumstances—in most cases occurring near the end of the semester/term—have prevented a student from completing a limited number of remaining course requirements that can reasonably be completed by an agreed-upon deadline. 

A student seeking an incomplete grade must first communicate this request to their instructor in writing before the end of the semester/term. The instructor should evaluate whether the request aligns with the purpose of an incomplete grade, as described above. If the instructor denies the request, then the student should be graded based on the work completed. If the instructor agrees to an incomplete grade, then the next step is for the student to submit the Incomplete Grade Agreement Form. The Incomplete Grade Form will become available in Albert beginning the day after your session withdrawal deadline.

When the instructor receives the Incomplete Grade Agreement Form, they will be asked to provide the following required information: (a) what specific work needs to be completed, (b) the deadline by which it needs to be completed [as early as possible in the subsequent semester/term but no later than two weeks before the incomplete grade lapse deadline (see below)], and (c) a contingency grade, i.e., the grade the student would receive if they were not to complete the agreed-upon work. (Students will not see the contingency grade until after the end of the semester/term.) 

It is strongly recommended that the deadline for resolving outstanding course requirements be set as early as possible, to avoid overloading students with academic work in the subsequent semester. The instructor is not obliged to consider work submitted after the deadline indicated in the Incomplete Grade Agreement Form. 

If the student does not submit the required work and the final grade is not submitted by the applicable incomplete grade lapse deadline, then the “I” grade will lapse to the contingency grade noted on the Incomplete Agreement Form, as follows: 

• Incompletes earned in Fall semester and January term:  “I” grade lapses on the last day of final exams at the end of the Spring term [NYUAD does not permit incomplete grades in the January term]

• Incompletes earned in Spring semester and Summer term:  “I” grade lapses on the last day of finals in the Fall term [NYUAD does not permit incomplete grades in the Summer term]

As noted above, it is strongly recommended that the deadline for resolving outstanding course requirements be set early in the subsequent semester. If, however, the student and instructor agree that more time is needed, then this deadline should be set for no later than two weeks before the incomplete grade lapse deadline, to allow time for evaluating and grading submitted work. 

Full information can be found here: https://bulletins.nyu.edu/nyu/policies/undergraduate-incomplete/

The letter W represents official withdrawal from the course. A grade of "W" will be issued beginning the 1st calendar day of the start of the 3rd week of classes.  Any tuition refund will be in accordance with the refund schedule for that semester. Check with the Bursar’s website for tuition refund deadlines.

Withdrawal schedules differ for January and Summer sessions.

Once the grades for a course have been reported to the Registrar’s Office, the only grade that can be changed is the grade of I. The instructor will initiate a change of grade which will require the approval of both the departmental chair and the Associate Dean for Student Affairs. Approved changes of grade are sent to the University Registrar’s Office where the transcript is changed accordingly. Permanent grades may not be changed. Additional work completed after a final grade has been entered does not constitute a valid reason for a grade change. Completion of work can result in a change of grade only when the grade initially given was “Incomplete.” Grade changes for courses taken in other divisions of the University must be approved by the appropriate officers of the division involved. The policies and procedures of those divisions can be found in the appropriate bulletin or by contacting that division’s academic affairs office. Transcripts are never changed for any reason after the student has graduated.

Registrar Services at StudentLink, 383 Lafayette Street, issues all official transcripts and records address or name changes.

Students should always notify both the Cinema Studies department and Registrar Services of any change in your mailing address and telephone number. A student should also update their address and telephone number on ALBERT; yet, in this case, still should contact the department with this change.

Official copies of the transcript can be requested on ALBERT.  While there is no charge for paper transcripts, there is a fee for eTranscripts.

Students can check on ALBERT for final grades at the conclusion of each semester. Due to University procedure, final grades are usually posted within 3 days from the conclusion of the semester.

Students are not automatically graduated upon completion of degree requirements.  At the beginning of the semester in which they plan to graduate, it is their responsibility to log onto ALBERT to apply for graduation.  Application periods are listed on the University Registrar’s website. If a student does not apply within the scheduled period, they can apply for the next semester’s graduation list.

In March of each academic year, information will be sent regarding NYU Commencement and University-wide graduation festivities to: A) students who have had their degrees conferred the previous January B) students who have applied for May graduation, and C) students who will complete their degree by August and have applied to graduate by the Registrar’s noted deadline.  These ceremonies take place at the conclusion of each Spring semester throughout the University.

PLEASE NOTE: All require the strict application of deadlines for tickets, academic attire and other graduation materials.  It is the student’s responsibility to meet these deadlines because extensions are rarely given.

All materials are sent to the student’s local address on file with the Registrar.  Students who have not received this information may not have: A) changed their address with Student Services; or B) applied for graduation within the application period. These students should contact CAS advising for more information as soon as possible.

If the Registrar finds that you have not met all criteria for graduation, you will be sent an email stating that you have been deleted from graduation and the reason for your deletion.  The email is sent after the actual day of graduation because of the strict schedule that the registrar must adhere to; grades are submitted only days before graduation, and the final evaluation of the completion of all degree requirements occurs at the same time as graduation.  All correspondence regarding your degree requirements are sent to your NYU email address. If you are deleted from graduation, you must reapply for the next graduation cycle. You must also contact the Registrar if you change your address at any point during the graduation process.

Students should contact Melanie Daly-Castilla regarding all questions/problems concerning graduation that relate to the Cinema Studies major.  All other graduation questions/problems should be directed to your CAS adviser.

Students are responsible for contacting the Registrar of any change of address during the graduation process.