Exploring Graduate Programs at Columbia University's GSAS

The Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS), established in 1880, stands as a cornerstone of graduate education within Columbia University. GSAS is responsible for most of Columbia's graduate degree programs in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. This article delves into the various aspects of GSAS, including its history, programs, and special opportunities like the BA/MA option.

A Historical Perspective

GSAS began to take shape in the late 19th century, when Columbia, until then a primarily undergraduate institution with a few professional attachments, began to establish graduate faculties in several fields: Political Science (1880), Philosophy (1890), and Pure Science (1892). The graduate faculties, notably, were open to women at a time when many other Columbia schools were not; Columbia College did not become a coeducational institution until 1983. In addition, before 1880, the Master of Arts degree was awarded in the style of Cambridge and Oxford, that is three years after graduation and without further examination. The Ph.D was first proposed as a degree in 1873 to be awarded under the auspices of the School of Mines. It was first awarded in 1877. The ability of granting the PhD later expanded to the Faculty of Political Science. The increasing professionalization of the university brought with it an emphasis on the graduate schools, as presidents such as Seth Low and Nicholas Murray Butler sought to emulate the success of German universities during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Indeed, in the effort to produce as many graduate degree-holders as possible, attempts were made to streamline undergraduate life and center academic life in the graduate-focused departments. Graduate research has flourished at Columbia as a result, and the university has been among the top producers of PhDs in the United States from the inception of the graduate disciplines.

Degree Programs

GSAS offers a wide array of graduate programs, including the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and Master of Arts (M.A.). Study in GSAS doctoral programs begins with several years of rigorous coursework and culminates in the writing of the dissertation, a substantial piece of independent research (or, in the case of DMA students, original compositions). Examples of specific programs include:

Russia, Eurasia and East Europe: Regional Studies M.A.
J.D./Ph.D.

The BA/MA Option: An Accelerated Pathway

One particularly attractive option for current Columbia undergraduates is the BA/MA program. This allows eligible students to begin graduate coursework while still completing their bachelor's degree, accelerating their path to a master's degree.

Eligibility and Application

The BA/MA option is available only to current Columbia undergraduates (Columbia College, the School of Engineering and Applied Science, the School of General Studies, and Barnard College). Applicants apply during their junior year or during the first semester of their senior year. Students in the final semester of their senior year are not eligible to apply via the BA/MA option. Applicants admitted via the BA/MA option receive permission to commence MA coursework for the program of their choice, with a promise of official admission to the MA program following the conferral of the undergraduate degree.

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Transfer Credit and Residence Units

Upon enrollment in GSAS, BA/MA students may be granted up to four courses (12-15 credits) of transfer credit and up to 1 Residence Unit (RU) for graduate courses (4000-level and above). Students transferring fewer than four courses will be granted a partial RU based on the number of courses. Transfer credit will be granted ONLY for courses taken in excess of the 124-credit requirement for the Columbia or Barnard bachelor's degree (i.e., courses that did not count toward undergraduate major, concentration, or general education requirements). Transfer credit courses must be taken for a letter grade, and the grade received must be B or better. Students will then complete the remaining RUs and coursework as GSAS students. Students who are offered admission under the BA/MA option will work with the DGS or program director to determine an appropriate selection of graduate courses during their remaining undergraduate semesters, and can be granted up to 1 Residence Unit (RU) of the 2 RUs required for a Master’s degree. For more information on completing Residence Units as part of fulfilling degree requirements, see Residence Unit and Other Registration Categories.

Application Process and Deadlines

Students who are interested in pursuing the BA/MA option must consult the director of graduate studies (DGS) or program director of their intended MA program before applying. This consultation is a required part of the application process and must take place before a BA/MA application may be submitted. Applicants interested in the BA/MA option should apply at least two months prior to the semester in which they intend to begin taking courses that will count toward the MA.

For example, Applicants who wish to begin taking courses for graduate credit during the Spring 2026 semester must submit the BA/MA application by November 13, 2025. Applicants who wish to begin taking courses for graduate credit during the Fall 2026 semester must submit the BA/MA application by April 23, 2026.

Exceptions: Applicants who wish to apply to the BA/MA programs listed below must submit the application before the following deadlines:

Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences: January 15, 2026
Sociology: February 5, 2026
Human Rights Studies: February 16, 2026

The 2026 BA/MA application is available online.

Important Policies

All application materials become the property of Columbia University and are not returnable. Additionally, materials will not be shared with or forwarded to third parties. All materials submitted to Columbia GSAS as part of your application must be your own work. Artificial intelligence programs may not be used to produce any application materials or responses. Applicants may not submit more than one application under the BA/MA option. If your BA/MA application is successful, you will be contacted prior to the completion of your undergraduate degree and asked to confirm that you have completed the university's requirements for your degree conferral. You must promptly respond to this inquiry. Your intended program may also contact you to request a copy of your most recent transcript so they may confirm that your academic progress has been satisfactory before GSAS can release a formal offer of admission to the MA program. To enroll at GSAS, you are required to submit the Acceptance Attestation Form and a tuition deposit. The tuition deposit is nonrefundable and not transferable.

Notable Alumni

GSAS boasts a distinguished alumni network, with graduates making significant contributions across various fields. Some notable alumni include:

Jacques Barzun - Ph.D.
Charles A. Beard - Ph.D.
Lawrence Cremin - M.A. 1947, Ph.D.
Richard Hofstadter - Ph.D.
Bruce Cumings - Ph.D.
Stanley Payne - Ph.D.
Howard Zinn - Ph.D.
Jacob M. Isaac Asimov - science fiction writer, M.A.
Randolph Bourne - antiwar essayist, M.A.
Rachel Blau DuPlessis - literary critic, M.A. 1964, Ph.D.
Teju Cole - novelist and critic, M.Phil.
John Eisenhower - military historian and son of Dwight D.
John Erskine - literary scholar, Ph.D.
David G. Hartwell - critic and editor, Ph.D.
Carolyn Heilbrun - writer, M.A. 1951, Ph.D.
Kenneth Koch - poet, M.A. 1953, Ph.D.
Joseph Wood Krutch - writer, M.A. 1916, Ph.D.
David Lehman - poet, Ph.D.
Lionel Trilling - literary critic, M.A. 1926, Ph.D.
Mark Van Doren - writer, Ph.D.
Mortimer Adler - Ph.D.
Arthur Danto - M.A. 1949, Ph.D.
Irwin Edman - Ph.D.
Hu Shih - public intellectual in China, Ph.D.
Niles Eldredge - paleontologist, Ph.D.
Stephen Jay Gould - paleontologist, Ph.D.
John Diederich Haseman - zoologist, geologist and explorer, Ph.D.
Neil deGrasse Tyson - astrophysicist, author, science communicator, Ph.D.
Ruth Benedict - anthropologist, Ph.D.
Theos Casimir Bernard - explorer and religionist, M.A. 1936, Ph.D.
Kenneth B. Clark - educational psychologist, Ph.D.
Mamie Phipps Clark - educational psychologist, Ph.D.
Gilberto Freyre - Brazilian sociologist, cultural anthropologist and historian, M.A.
Robert A. Leonard - linguist, M.A. and M. Phil.
Margaret Mead - anthropologist, Ph.D.
Lorine Livingston Pruette - psychologist, Ph.D.
B. R. Ambedkar - a founding father of India, M.A. 1915, Ph.D.
Nicholas Murray Butler - diplomat and President of Columbia University, Ph.D.
Benjamin Cardozo - jurist, M.A.
Wellington Koo - Chinese diplomat, Ph.D.
Robert Moses urban planner, Ph.D.
Frances Perkins - US Secretary of Labor, M.A.
Brent Scowcroft - US National Security Advisor, M.A. and Ph.D.
Mark Wyland - California State Senator, M.A.
Madeleine Albright - Secretary of State, Ph.D.
Agnes Martin - painter, M.A.
Jerome J. Pollitt - art historian, Ph.D.
Meyer Schapiro - art historian, Ph.D.
Wm. Theodore de Bary - American Sinologist and scholar of East Asian philosophy, Ph.D.
Herman Hollerith - inventor, Ph.D.
Ge Li - Chinese American billionaire, co-founder of WuXi AppTec, Ph.D.
Richard P. Mills - former Commissioner of Education for both Vermont and New York States, M.A.
Madeleine B. Stern - rare book expert, M.A.
Judith Rodin - 7th president of the University of Pennsylvania and president of the Rockefeller Foundation, Ph.D.
Sol M. Stroock - lawyer, M.A.
Leonard Tow - Chairman and CEO of Citizens Communications, Ph.D.

GSAS Today

Responsible for overseeing the education of graduate students in the departments of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences is central to the larger Columbia University mission of advancing knowledge through research while providing a distinctive and distinguished learning environment. The Graduate School’s support in academic matters includes facilitating the integration of graduate students into the research and educational enterprises of the university, establishing standards and policies for best practices among graduate programs, and fostering an environment for collegial, fruitful interaction and collaboration across a range of disciplines. The current Dean of GSAS is Carlos J. Alonso.

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