The School of General Studies (GS) is a liberal arts college and one of the undergraduate colleges of Columbia University, situated on the university's main campus in Morningside Heights, New York City. GS is known primarily for its traditional B.A. program for non-traditional students (those who have had an academic break of at least one year or are pursuing dual degrees). GS students make up almost 30% of the Columbia undergraduate population.
GS offers dual-degree programs with several leading universities around the world. It offers dual degrees with List College of the Jewish Theological Seminary, Sciences Po in France, Trinity College Dublin in Ireland, Tel Aviv University in Israel, and City University of Hong Kong. It also offers the BA/MA Option with the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the Combined Plan and the MS Express program with the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and five-year joint degrees with the School of International and Public Affairs. GS offers the Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program, the oldest and largest program of its kind in the United States.
Notable alumni include Nobel Prize winners Simon Kuznets, Baruj Benacerraf, and Louise Glück, as well as J.D. Salinger, Amelia Earhart, Leonard Cohen, Pat Boone and Princess Firyal of Jordan.
Contents
History
Predecessor institutions
GS's evolutionary ancestor is the now-defunct, all-male Seth Low Junior College, named for former Brooklyn mayor and President of Columbia Seth Low. It was established in Downtown Brooklyn in 1928 to help alleviate the flood of Jewish applicants to Columbia College. The entrance requirements for Seth Low Junior College were reportedly the same as those enforced in Columbia College. Following completion of the two-year program, graduates could complete their undergraduate degrees at the university's professional schools, such as the School of Law, Business School, or School of Engineering and Applied Science (all of which conferred terminal bachelor's degrees at the time) or earn B.S. degrees in the liberal arts as University Undergraduates.
Seth Low Junior College was closed in 1936 due to the adverse economic effects of the Great Depression and concomitant popularity of the tuition-free Brooklyn College, which opened in 1930. Henceforth, its remaining students were absorbed into the Morningside Heights campus as students in the University Undergraduate program, which was established by Nicholas Murray Butler in 1904.
University Extension was responsible for the founding of the Columbia Business School, the School of General Studies and the School of Dental and Oral Surgery (now the College of Dental Medicine). The School of Continuing Education (now the School of Professional Studies), a separate school, was later established to reprise University Extension's former role.
The Establishment of the School of General Studies
With an influx of students attending the university on the GI Bill following the resolution of World War II, in December 1946, the University Undergraduate program was reorganized as an official undergraduate college for "qualified students who, because of employment or for other reasons, are unable to attend other schools of the University." Columbia University pioneered the use of the term "General Studies" when naming the college, adapting the medieval term for universities, "Studium Generale." Thus, the School of General Studies bears no semblance to general studies or extension studies programs at other universities in the United States. In December 1968, the University Council permitted GS to grant the B.A. degree instead of the B.S. degree (over the objections of some members of the Columbia College Faculty).
Merging of Columbia College and School of General Studies Faculties
In 1991, the Columbia College (CC), School of General Studies (GS), and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) faculties were merged into the Faculty of Arts & Sciences, which resulted in the complete academic integration between the School of General Studies and Columbia College. As a result, both GS and CC students receive B.A. degrees conferred by the Trustees of Columbia University through the Faculty of Art & Sciences, and GS is recognized as an official liberal arts college at Columbia University.
Academics
GS students make up almost 30% of the Columbia undergraduate population and in 2013 were reported as consistently collectively earning the highest average GPA among undergraduates at Columbia University. Approximately 20% of GS students are part-time students who have significant, full-time work commitments in addition to their academic responsibilities. Numerous GS students have gone on to win prestigious fellowships, including the Rhodes Scholarship, the Gates Cambridge Scholarship, and the Fulbright Scholarship.
The School of General Studies confers the degree of Bachelor of Arts in more than 70 majors. All GS students are required to complete the Core Curriculum, which includes University Writing, Literature/Humanities, Contemporary Civilization/Social Science, Art Humanities, Music Humanities, Global Core, Quantitative Reasoning, Science, and Foreign Language.
GS offers dual degree programs with Sciences Po, the City University of Hong Kong, Trinity College Dublin in Ireland, Tel Aviv University, and List College of the Jewish Theological Seminary. It also offers dual degree programs with the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the School of International and Public Affairs, and Columbia Business School. GS has a Post-baccalaureate Premedical Program, the oldest program of its kind.
Admission
Admission to Columbia GS requires an online application, official high school (or GED) transcripts, an essay of 1,500-2,000 words, and two recommendation letters. Interviews are conducted in person and over phone.
Dual degree programs
Joint Program with the Jewish Theological Seminary – Albert A. List College
Since 1954, the Jewish Theological Seminary of America (JTS) and the School of General Studies have offered a joint degree program leading to a B.A. from Columbia University and a B.A. from List College. Professor Lisa Rosen-Metsch, Dean of the School of General Studies, is an alumna of the Joint Program.
Dual BA with Sciences Po Paris
The Dual BA Program is a unique program in which undergraduate students earn two Bachelor of Arts degrees in four years from both Columbia University and Sciences Po, one of the most prestigious universities in France and Europe. This program is geared towards traditionally-aged applicants in high school, and is one of the most selective undergraduate programs in the nation.
Students spend two years at one of four Sciences Po campuses in France (Le Havre, Menton, Poitiers, or Reims), each of which is devoted to a particular region of the world. At Sciences Po, undergraduates can pursue majors in political science, economics, law, finance, history, among others. After two years at Sciences Po, students matriculate at Columbia University, where they complete the Core Curriculum and one of over 70 majors offered at Columbia. Graduates of the program are guaranteed admission to a Sciences Po graduate program.
Joint Bachelor's Degree with City University of Hong Kong
This program is open to top-ranked undergraduates enrolled at the City University of Hong Kong and allows graduates to receive two bachelor's degrees from the City University and Columbia in four years. Undergraduates spend their first two years at the City University and their final two years at Columbia, where they complete the Core Curriculum and choose one of 70 majors offered at Columbia.
Dual BA Program with Trinity College Dublin
The Dual bachelor's degree Program with Trinity College Dublin is a unique program in which undergraduate students earn two Bachelor of Arts degrees in four years from both Columbia University and Trinity College Dublin. Trinity College Dublin is the oldest university in Ireland and is widely considered to be its most prestigious institution. This program is geared towards traditionally-aged applicants in high school.
Tel Aviv University and Columbia University Dual Degree Program
The Tel Aviv Columbia Dual Degree Program allows undergraduates to earn two bachelor's degrees over the course of four years. Students spend the first two years of their undergraduate careers at Tel Aviv and then spend their final two years at Columbia while completing the Core Curriculum and major. Tel Aviv University is considered to be one of Israel's leading and most prestigious institutions. This program is geared towards traditionally-aged applicants in high school.
Combined Plan with the School of Engineering and Applied Science
GS students are eligible for competitive admission to the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) through the Columbia Combined Plan program, under the condition that they complete the necessary pre-engineering courses with a high GPA and obtain recommendations from 3 instructors. Students in the program receive a B.A. in a liberal arts discipline from GS and a B.S. in an engineering discipline from SEAS. Students may apply for the Combined Plan program in their junior (3-2 program) or senior (4–2) year of undergraduate study.
Notable alumni
An asterisk (*) indicates a former student who did not graduate.
Academia
Herbert Aptheker (1933), American Marxist historian and political activist
Simon Kuznets (1923), Nobel Prize-winning economist.
Alex B. Novikoff (1931), professor of Albert Einstein College of Medicine, recipient of the E.B. Wilson Medal
Emil L. Smith (1931), American biochemist, professor at University of California, Los Angeles
Isaac Asimov (1939), science fiction writer and biochemist, professor of biochemistry
Baruj Benacerraf (1942), Nobel Prize-winning immunologist.
Eric McKitrick (1949), professor at Columbia University, winner of the 1994 Bancroft Prize
Allen Forte (1950), professor at Yale University, music theorist and musicologist
Karl Katz (1952), art historian, former director of the Israel Museum and the Jewish Museum in New York City
Alfred Appel (1959), scholar on Vladimir Nabokov.
Jehuda Reinharz (1964), President of Brandeis University
Edward Cecil Harris (1971), Creator of the Harris matrix
Roger Pilon (1971), Constitutional scholar and legal theorist.
George M. von Furstenberg (1963), professor at Indiana University Bloomington
Politics
Philippe Reines (2000), Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs and Senior Advisor to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Patrick Gaspard* (1994–1997), United States Ambassador to South Africa (2013–2016), White House Political Affairs Director for U.S. President Barack Obama, former executive director of the Democratic National Committee
Mike Gravel (1956), Former United States Senator from Alaska and candidate for the 2008 Democratic nomination for President of the United States. Released full Pentagon Papers.
Howard Dean (1975), Former Governor of Vermont and Chairman of the Democratic National Committee.
Peter H. Kostmayer (1971), United States Congressman from Pennsylvania.
Seymour Halpern (1934), United States Congressman from New York
Gale Brewer (1997), 27th Borough president of Manhattan
Stewart Rawlings Mott (1959), American lobbyist and philanthropist, son of General Motors co-founder Charles Stewart Mott
Patricia Robinson (1955), First Lady of Trinidad and Tobago from 1997 to 2003
Perezi Kamunanwire (1969), former ambassador of the Republic of Uganda to the United States and Germany; permanent representative at the United Nations
John Paton Davies Jr. (1931), American diplomat, Medal of Freedom recipient, and one of the recognized China Hands who took part in the Dixie Mission
Zoltan Istvan (1998), American transhumanist who ran for President of the United States in 2016
Literature and arts
Ashley Bryan (1950), writer and illustrator of children's books and recipient of the Children's Literature Legacy Award in 2009
Ina Caro (1962), American travel writer, wife of Robert Caro
J. D. Salinger* (1939), Writer, The Catcher in the Rye. Salinger is also a WWII combat veteran, having served in the U.S. Army's 12th Infantry Regiment. He stormed Utah Beach on D-Day during the Normandy landings.
Federico García Lorca* (1929), Spanish poet and dramatist; influential member of the Generation of '27
Barbara Probst Solomon (1960), American author, essayist and journalist
Louis Simpson (1948), Pulitzer Prize-winning American poet
Ingrid Bengis (1996), American writer
Sasha Frere-Jones (1993), American writer, music critic, and musician
Alicia Graf Mack (2000s), American dancer
Ted Rall (1991), Syndicated cartoonist, president of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists from 2008 to 2009
Simi Linton (1977), author, consultant, public speaker who focuses on disability studies
Menachem Kaiser (2009), author, winner of the 2022 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature
Edward Klein (1960), Author.
Kevin Brown* (1990), biographer, essayist, translator
Technology and entrepreneurship
Thomas Reardon (2008), creator of Internet Explorer
John W. Backus (1949), Developer of Fortran, the first true computer language, winner of the 1977 Turing Award
Scott Brinker (2005), programmer and entrepreneur, VP of HubSpot
Chris Dixon (1996), angel investor, partner of venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, co-founder of Hunch and SiteAdvisor
Lovens Gjed (2019), Founder of MEnvesti.com
Arthur Kantrowitz (1934), American engineer, professor at Dartmouth College
N. Robert Hammer (1965), former chairman, President, and CEO of Commvault
Activism
Jane Jacobs* (1940s), author The Death and Life of Great American Cities, urban theorist and activist.
Florynce Kennedy (1949), Feminist, Civil Rights advocate, Social activist
Susan Mesinai (1965), activist, founder of the Ark Project that aimed to find out information on non-Russians taken prisoner by the former Soviet Union
Matthew Lipman (1948), founder of the Philosophy for Children movement
Irwin Kula (1978), co-president of CLAL, National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership.
Cameron Kasky (2023), student activist who founded Never Again MSD and organizer of March for Our Lives
Music
Ira Gershwin* (1918), Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer.
Heather D'Angelo (2012), member of the pop band Au Revoir Simone.
Leonard Cohen* (1957), Musician and poet
Jason Everman (2013), former member of Nirvana, Soundgarden, other side projects. Everman also served in the U.S. Army as both a Ranger and Green Beret. He completed tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Yonatan Gat (2014), Musician, producer, founder of Monotonix and solo artist
Gil Shaham (1990), Violinist.
Lena Park (2010), Korean-American singer
Robin Pecknold (2016), American musician and frontman of Seattle indie folk band Fleet Foxes
Pat Boone (1957), Singer and actor.
Tamar Kaprelian (2016), Singer.
Ben Platt* (2016), Broadway actor and singer, Pitch Perfect, The Book of Mormon, Dear Evan Hansen, transferred from Columbia College
Lipa Schmeltzer* (2018), singer, "the Lady Gaga of Hasidic music"
Film and entertainment
Joseph Gordon-Levitt* (2000–2004), American actor and director
Robert Sean Leonard*, American actor
Jonathan Taylor Thomas (2010), Actor
Kristi Zea (1974), American production designer, costume designer, art director, and director
David O. Selznick* (1923), Hollywood producer, King Kong, Gone with the Wind
Telly Savalas (1946), Actor, Emmy Award winner and Oscar nominee.
Sarah Ramos (2013-), American actress, American Dreams, Parenthood
Michelle Rejwan (2008), Senior vice president of Lucasfilm, producer of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Eric Shaw (2003), Emmy Award-winning writer for SpongeBob SquarePants
Ossie Davis (1948), Actor and social activist, Emmy- and Golden Globe-award nominee
Eric Drath (1994), Sports Emmy Award-winning director and producer
Julia Bacha (2003), Brazilian documentary maker, director of Budrus
Larysa Kondracki (2001), Canadian film director, The Whistleblower
Donald Richie (1953), Film Critic
Anthony Perkins* (1954), Actor and writer known for his portrayal of Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho
Media
R. W. Apple (1961), The New York Times associate editor.
James S. Vlasto (1950s), American editor, public relations consultant for Franklin Delano Roosevelt Jr. and Herman Badillo; press secretary for Governor of New York Hugh Carey; father of Chris Vlasto, executive producer of Good Morning America
Jacques Pepin (1970), internationally recognized French chef, TV personality, dean at the International Culinary Center
Mary Helen Bowers (2008), celebrity fitness guru, entrepreneur, former New York City Ballet dancer
Ray William Johnson* (2008), YouTube celebrity best known for his show "Equals Three"
Trish Regan (2000), Fox Business Network anchor
Steve Hofstetter (2002), comedian, host, and executive producer of "Laughs" on Fox television stations
Erik Courtney (2000) Bravo TV personality Newlyweds: The First Year
Mark Rotella (1992), senior editor at Publishers Weekly
John Horgan (1982), American science journalist, known for his 1996 book, The End of Science
Howard G. Chua-Eoan (1983), News Director, Time
Jamal Dajani (1988), Palestinian-American journalist, Peabody Award winner, and former aide to Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority Rami Hamdallah
Eytan Schwartz (2001), Israeli Reality television personality
Athletics
Red Auerbach* (1937–39), legendary basketball coach of the Washington Capitols, Tri-Cities Blackhawks, and general manager of the Boston Celtics
Kimberly Navarro (2004), ice dancer, 2008 & 2009 U.S. bronze medalist and 2008 Four Continents bronze medalist.
Trent Dimas (2002), Olympic champion gymnast
Gillian Wachsman (1994), former skater; 1985 NHK Trophy champion and 1986 U.S. national champion
Sandy Koufax* (1955), Hall of Fame pitcher for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers
Courtney King-Dye (2004), Olympic equestrian
Troy Murphy (2015), former NBA player
Sasha Cohen (2016), Olympic Silver medalist in figure skating
Reed Kessler (2018 - attending), Olympic show jumping competitor
Silvia Hugec (2023), figure skater and Slovak national champion
Fashion
Gerard W. Ford (1957), Founder of the Ford Modeling Agency.
Mary McFadden (1959), Fashion Designer
Rachel Williams (1994), American model, landscape designer, daughter of architect Tod Williams and sister of filmmaker Tod Williams
Kelly Killoren Bensimon (1998), model, author, socialite, The Real Housewives of New York City
Sara Ziff (2011), American supermodel, president and founder of Model Alliance
Cameron Russell (2013), model and activist, daughter of Zipcar founder Robin Chase
Abby Stein (2014 - attending), model and activist, direct descendant of the Hasidic Savran dynasty
Alexandra Waterbury (2021), ballet dancer and fashion model
Miscellaneous
Amelia Earhart* (1920), American aviator and early female pilot
Steve Brozak (1982), investment banker, retired marine
Jim Dunnigan (1970), author, military-political analyst, wargame designer
Princess Firyal of Jordan (1999) Jordanian princess, socialite, and philanthropist
Yitzhak Aharon Korff (1969), Rebbe of the Mezhbizh and Zvhil dynasties, and ex-husband of ViacomCBS heiress Shari Redstone
Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1962), Rebbe of the Chabad-Lubavitch Dynasty
John Tauranac (1963), Chief designer of the New York City Subway map of 1979
Josh Waitzkin* (1999), Child chess prodigy and author, whose life inspired the movie Searching for Bobby Fischer
Gabby Gabreski (1949), American flying ace during World War II and the Korean War; headed the Long Island Rail Road
Farahnaz Pahlavi (1986), eldest daughter of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, last Shah of Iran