Registration Guidelines

1. When can I register?
Registration for newly admitted students begins December 5th. A detailed registration schedule found here.

2. What courses are available?
A list of all open SMS courses can be found here. For graduate courses outside of the department, you must seek permission from the Program Director via a special electives form to confirm the course will apply to your degree and if the courses is closed to non-majors, you must seek permission from the outside department itself to enroll.

3. How do I register?
Enter registration through the my.newschool academics tab. You will need four digit Course Registration Numbers (CRN’S) to register. If you don’t know a CRN, you can use the class search feature. Web registration tutorials and guides can be found here.

4. How do I know what courses to take?
For information regarding degree requirements, please review your Degree Requirements here.
Your Degreeworks page will also track your progress.

5. What if a class is closed? Is there a waitlist?
WAITLISTING: If you are attempting to register into a closed section, you will be given the option to add yourself to a waitlist for the course. Once you are on a waitlist for a course section, you will receive notification via email if a seat becomes available in that section. You will have 24 hours to register so please be sure to check your email regularly through registration if you have placed yourself on a waitlist. Once the 24 hours is up, the spot is offered to the next person on the waitlist and you will have to re-add yourself. Please keep checking your email.

*NOTE: Waitlisting should be PLAN B – it is NOT registration or enrollment in the
course and it does not guarantee a spot in the course.  If you see an open space in a course but cannot register the spot, it is because the open space is being offered to the waitlist. Add yourself to the waitlist to see if you can get the space later!

6. When is the last day to change my schedule?
Students are able to make changes to their schedule through the first week of the Spring 2017 semester (Monday, January 23 – Sunday, January 29). A refund schedule can be found here.

7. I have an internship for next semester. How do I register?
The School of Media Studies will be using the Student Success- CareerSuccesslink for all Internship applications. These applications are known as Experience Learning Agreements (ELA’s). A student must have an approved ELA before they can be enrolled in the Internship course for either 0 to 3 credits. To submit a request for accredited or non-credit Internship please complete and submit the Experience Learning Agreement through the Career Successlink found here. For any questions concerning internships, please contact The Center for Student Success at experience@newschool.edu. Full-time students are only permitted to work up to 20 hours per week in an internship. Students who have completed 15 credits in the program are eligible to apply.

8. I need to enroll in Management Capstone or Thesis next semester. How do I register?
CAPSTONE – MS Students in their final semester should have access to CRN’s for Capstone. If you get an error, please email mediastudiesadvising@newschool.edu. Remember you must have 9 or less credits left to complete and be in your final semester. This course is only open to MS Media Management students. If you plan on taking 12 credits or more in your final semester, you must seek Program Director permission to take capstone.

*NOTE: THESIS – MA students must receive approval to register from their thesis faculty, for all sections.

9. I am an International student in my final semester, and I am planning on taking less than 9 credits?
In their last semester only, a student may request permission to take less than 9 credits. To do this, they must have the Director of Student Affairs complete a reduced courseload form.

10. I have a hold on my account what should I do?
It depends on the hold. If it is a Probation or New Student Advising hold, please email mediastudiesadvising@newschool.edu. All probation students must meet with the Director of Student Affairs to have their holds removed before they register. For Bursar holds related to unpaid balances, please contact student accounts. For registrar holds related to missing transcripts, please contact the registrar. For immunization holds, please contact the Student Health office. And for IT holds related to lost or damaged equipment, please email the University IT Equipment center.

11. Can I Transfer Credits into the MA or MS program?
Up to 6 related graduate level courses from an accredited institution besides The New School may be transferred in. Up to 9 graduate level credits may be transferred from a previous The New School degree. A student may not transfer in a combined total of more than 9 credits from any institution.

12. What is a Faculty Advisor?
A full-time Media Studies faculty member who is assigned as your advisor and available to speak, by appointment. They can be found in Degreeworks, Starfish, and on our website.

13. Can I take an Independent Study?
Students may request Independent Studies to explore areas and topics of coursework not currently offered in our seminar coursework. An Independent Study Contract must be completed and approved by the program director to be added to the transcript. Independent Studies may only be pursued after a student has earned 18 credits. Independent Study and production projects may only be done with SMS Full-time faculty members.

14. Can I waive coursework?
The department can waive some course requirements based on prior course or career experience. We encourage students with design experience to waive Media Design and for students with research methods coursework to waive the required Research requirement with the Course Waiver form.