The NYU School of Professional Studies (NYU SPS) offers a broad range of educational options from single continuing education courses to certificate programs that are governed by the policies below.  While these policies apply to all continuing education courses, certificate programs have additional criteria which are indicated below. Students are responsible for adhering to these policies. 

NYU SPS offers a variety of continuing education discounts. Please note that discounts cannot be combined. However, if you are actively pursuing an NYU SPS continuing education certificate, you’ll receive a 10% discount on courses. This 10% can be combined with the alumni and military-affiliated discount. Learn more about declaring certificate candidacy [anchor link to “certificate candidacy” section below] 

• NYU alumni who have earned a degree are eligible for a 20% discount on courses.
• Individuals over the age of 65 can receive 25% off on courses.
• Military-affiliated students qualify for a 20% discount on courses.
• Current NYU undergraduate students should review the University’s Professional Edge program page for eligibility and policy information. 

NYU employees may be eligible for tuition remission for continuing education courses. Learn more on the University’s tuition remission webpage or review the NYU Tuition Remission Benefit Plan Employees enrolled in Undergraduate Degree and Non-Degree Programs For NYU-NY Union* Employees and Non-Union Service Staff

ID Cards

Students who enroll in continuing education courses as well as certificate programs are eligible for an NYU issued photo ID. Online students do not need an ID to access course materials. IDs are only active for the term of course enrollment. This photo ID grants users access to the following buildings:

• SPS Midtown Center: 20 West 43rd Street
• 7 East 12th Street
• NYU Bobst Library: 70 Washington Square South
• Paulson A. Paulson Center: 181 Mercer Street
• StudentLink Center: 383 Lafayette Street

Students can upload their photos by selecting the “Submit your photo online” option via this page. 

NYU ID Card Information
 

Library

All active continuing education students have access to NYU Bobst Library with an active University ID but do not have borrowing privileges. Students enrolled in a certificate program will have additional access to library e-resources. 
 

Digital Badging

Starting in the fall of 2023 NYU SPS began offering digital badges for individual courses taken for a letter grade. Upon completion of a certificate, students will also receive a digital badge for the certificate. This digital credential is in addition to the paper certificate issued by NYU. Badges are issued through Accredible. 

The University reserves the right to deny registration and withhold information regarding the record of any student who is in arrears in the payment of tuition, fees, loans, or other charges (including charges for housing, dining, or other activities or services) for as long as any arrears remain.

Grades are issued to students by the faculty of record to provide a measurement of:

• How much the student has learned of the delivered body of knowledge
• How effectively the student is able to use that knowledge, and
• Other optional standards, such as class participation and, if essential to course work, actual class attendance/lateness record (such attendance requirements are established by the faculty).

All grading criteria should be completely explained by the instructor in the course syllabus at the beginning of the course.
 

Grades

Letter grades are issued for some continuing education courses. Students can opt to take a course for the letter grade, pass/fail or as non-evaluative. Only courses taken for letter grades can be used to earn a digital badge and complete a certificate. Conferral of certificate requires a B average in the courses used to complete that certificate. In order to choose to take a course as non-evalutive please complete the Non-Evaluative Grade Form.
 

Pass/Fail Option

Students have the option to take courses on a Pass/Fail basis.

• The Pass/Fail form must be submitted to your academic department within the first week of the start date of your class.
• All Pass/Fail decisions are irrevocable. No grade other than P or F will be recorded on the student’s transcript. 
• Students considering the Pass/Fail option for a degree credential at another school should first consult with that institution.
• Prior to selecting this option, students who are to be reimbursed by their employers should confirm that a weighted grade is not required. 

*Courses used to fulfill the requirements for a certificate may not be taken as Pass/Fail.

Course and assignment grades will be made according to the following NYU SPS guidelines.

Letter

• %
• GPA
• Meaning
   

A

• 93-100
• 4.000
• Excellent: Earned by work whose excellent quality indicates a full mastery of the subject and is of extraordinary distinction.
   

A-

• 90-92
• 3.667
• Excellent: Earned by work whose excellent quality indicates a full mastery of the subject.
   

B+

• 87-89
• 3.333
• Good: Earned by work that indicates a very good comprehension of the course material, very good command of the skills needed to work with the course material, and indicates the student’s full engagement with the course requirements and activities.
   

B

• 83-86
• 3.000
• Good: Earned by work that indicates a good comprehension of the course material, good command of the skills needed to work with the course material, and indicates the student’s full engagement with the course requirements and activities. 
   

B-

• 80-82
• 2.667
• Good: Earned by work that indicates comprehension of the course material, command of the skills needed to work with the course material, and indicates the student’s engagement with the course requirements and activities.
   

C+ 

• 77-79
• 2.333
• Satisfactory: Earned by work that indicates an adequate and satisfactory comprehension of the course material and the skills needed to work with the course material, and indicates the student has met the requirements for completing assigned work and participating in class activities. 
   

C

• 73-76
• 2.000
• Satisfactory: Earned by work that indicates a satisfactory comprehension of the course material and the skills needed to work with the course material, and indicates the student has met the basic requirements for completing assigned work and participating in class activities.
   

C-

• 70-72 
• 1.667
• Satisfactory: Earned by work that indicates a minimally satisfactory comprehension of the course material and the skills needed to work with the course material, and indicates the student has met the minimum requirements for completing assigned work and participating in class activities.
   

D+

• 65-69
• 1.333
• Passing: Earned by work that is unsatisfactory, but that indicates some minimal command of the course materials and some minimal participation in class activities.
   

D

• 60-64
• 1.000
• Minimum passing grade: Earned by work that is unsatisfactory, but that indicates some minimal command of the course materials and some minimal participation in class activities. 
   

F

• Below 60
• Fail: Demonstrates minimal to no understanding of all key learning outcomes and core concepts. 
   

P

• 60+
• Pass: (When taken as a Pass/Fail option)
   

I

• Incomplete: (see Incomplete Grades definition above)
   

NE

• Non-evaluative: No grade is issued.
   

Incomplete Grades

The grade of Incomplete is reserved for extenuating and unavoidable circumstances such as illness or other emergencies which prevent a student from finishing a course in a given term. Incompletes are given at the discretion of the instructor, in consultation with the department, when the nature of the course permits the faculty member to allow late completion.

The assigning of an Incomplete is thus subject to approval and is never automatic. Students are able to request the grade of Incomplete by contacting the program director, filling out a form and providing supporting documentation. The grade of Incomplete can only be issued to students who have completed at least 50% of the coursework. The faculty member will determine what constitutes 50% of the coursework.

Coursework must be completed by the end of the following semester. A grade of Incomplete (I)  that is not resolved by the end of the following semester becomes a terminal grade of “F”.

The University Registrar posts grades to student records by their student identification number within four weeks of course completion. (The student ID number begins with “N” and is printed on the student’s course schedule.) Final grades should be submitted by the faculty member for all students registered in continuing education courses within 72 hours of the last session of class.

Certificate candidacy entitles students to important benefits. To apply for certificate candidacy, use the application for Certificate Candidacy Form. Certificate candidates must remain actively enrolled to maintain their benefits. Failure to enroll in a certificate course for two consecutive semesters will result in deactivation of your account.
 

Benefits

Certificate students receive all of the continuing education student benefits. Additionally, if you are actively pursuing an NYU SPS continuing education certificate, you’ll receive a 10% discount on courses. Students enrolled in a certificate program will also have access to library e-resources. Upon completion of the certificate students are issued a digital certificate through Accredible and a printed certificate from NYU. 
 

Certificate requirements

To earn an official certificate, students are encouraged to declare their candidacy at the start of the certificate in which they enroll. Certificate candidacy entitles students to important benefits detailed on this page.

Students are welcome to take as many individual courses from a certificate program as they wish, but they will not receive an official certificate or be eligible for the benefits detailed below unless they declare certificate candidacy.

• Certificate declaration is recommended before the start of the certificate program. Please click here to declare your candidacy.
• Students have up to three years to complete a certificate from the initial date of registration, unless otherwise noted on the certificate webpage (under FAQs).
• An official certificate is available upon completion of all courses if an overall average grade of B or higher is maintained and candidacy has been declared. All courses must be taken for a grade.
• If a student fails a course or does not receive a grade that would allow them to earn a certificate they can retake the course for a new grade. 
• Certificate candidacy may be revoked if academic performance is not maintained.
• Certificate candidacy may be revoked if student conduct policies are not adhered to.
• Regular class attendance is required in order for a course to be applied toward a certificate program.
• Students may complete courses affiliated with more than one certificate in a given term, however, only one certificate will be issued and conferred in a term.
• Courses taken at NYU SPS may be applied to fulfilling the requirements of only one certificate program—no transfer work or waiver of the total number of courses required is permitted.
• The name printed on the certificate will match the name on the student’s NYU transcript.

There is no financial obligation to complete the certificate. You can drop the program at any time.

Time to complete a certificate is typically three years but varies by program. Please check requirements with your program of study.

Students are welcome to take as many individual courses from a certificate program as they wish, but they will not receive a certificate or be eligible for the benefits detailed unless they declare candidacy and complete all requirements. Undeclared students may request a transcript showing course completion and grades, but that transcript will not indicate certificate completion.

Note: Departments may establish more stringent requirements for their programs. Check individual listings for details.

Grades are posted throughout the semester as courses end. Students can access their grades online through ALBERT, NYU's web-based, university-wide student information system. To access ALBERT, you must have an activated NYU NetID. To access your NYUHome account for the first time visit the NYU Start Page. After logging into NYU Home click on the "Academics" tab and then click on "Albert Login." Once in ALBERT, click on "Student Center," and in the drop-down menu on the left, select "Grades." If you encounter a problem, contact the ITS Client Services Helpline at 212-998-3333 or email askits@nyu.edu.

The Office of the University Registrar maintains individual records of students enrolled in the School's continuing education courses and is the only department authorized to record an official grade.

Please note: Final grades are not mailed to students.

NYU Start Page 

Request a transcript

Once recorded, grades cannot be changed unless some omission or error occurred in the grading process.

A student may petition for a grade review only after making an objective review of their performance in the course. The grade review should be initiated and completed no later than ten (10) days after the grade is issued.

The student asks the faculty for an evaluation of the grade who verifies that no calculation error has been made.

If the student is not satisfied and wishes to pursue the grade review process, the student submits a letter to the program director detailing objections to the grade along with supporting documentation. 

The program director will investigate and submit a written response to the student generally within twenty (20) days of receiving the appeal with a final response. There is no further avenue of appeal. Please call Continuing Education Registration at 212-998-7200 if you need to know the contact information for your program.

Continuing education courses do not carry credit that can be applied toward an NYU degree. Exceptions may exist for certificates that are specifically designated as eligible for credit conversion on the certificate webpage.If you are unsure whether or not a course carries credit, please contact the appropriate department.

Continuing Education (CEUs) Units are the national measure for recording participation in structured non-credit continuing education programs.  A CEU is generally equal to 10 class hours (50-minute hours).

CEUs are awarded in accordance with SPS guidelines and recorded on the student’s noncredit transcript for a course where grades are issued. To earn CEUs, the grade must be A, B, C, D, or Pass.

Continuing Professional Education (CPEs): The NYU School of Professional Studies is an approved -sponsor with the New York State Board for Public Accounting, which authorizes the granting of continuing professional education credit (CPE) in the following subject areas: accounting, auditing, taxation, and specialized knowledge and applications related to specialized industries. Courses outside of these areas will not be recognized for credit under this agreement. 

Certain programs may have separate industry related approvals. For the acceptability of courses, contact the relevant program division for clarification. 

Students can make changes to their registration by completing the Request Form and emailing it to sps.drop.course@nyu.edu.

Merely ceasing to attend a class does not constitute official withdrawal, nor does notification to the instructor. Cancellation of payment does not constitute withdrawal, nor does it reduce indebtedness to the University; students may be charged a penalty by the Bursar for stop payments

Request Form
 

Refund Policy

Refunds are computed based on the date and time the request is received by the Office of Continuing Education Student Services. For continuing education courses,containing the designation "CE", and are open enrollment courses. This does not apply to High School programs.

Students are eligible for a 100% tuition refund if they withdraw from the course before the official start date. The registration fee is nonrefundable. 

If the class in-person or online synchronous and has already started, the refund schedule is as follows:

• For courses with six or more sessions—75% refund if the student withdraws before the third scheduled session. No refund thereafter.
• For courses with four or five sessions—60% refund if the student withdraws before the third scheduled session. No refund thereafter.
• For courses with one to three sessions—no refund is given after the first scheduled session.

Refunds for Asynchronous Self-Paced Online Courses

• Refunds for asynchronous online courses are calculated differently from synchronous courses.
• Students are eligible for a 100% tuition refund if they withdraw from the course before the official start date. There are not refunds issued after the posted start date of the course.
   

Course Cancellation

NYU SPS reserves the right, in our sole discretion, to cancel or reschedule courses up to 24 hours prior to the start date.  In the event a course is cancelled, students will be notified by email.
 

Arrears Policy

The University reserves the right to deny registration and withhold information regarding the record of any student who is in arrears with the University for as long as any arrears remain. 

All NYU School of Professional Studies students are expected to familiarize themselves with, and to comply with, the rules of conduct, academic regulations, and the established policies and practices of the School.
 

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism Policy

All students are expected to be honest and ethical in all academic work. This trust is shared among all members of the University community and is a core principle of American higher education. Any breaches of this trust will be taken seriously. A hallmark of the educated student and good scholarship is the ability to acknowledge information derived from others. Students are expected to be scrupulous in crediting those sources that have contributed to the development of their ideas.

In the process of learning, students acquire ideas from many sources and exchange ideas and opinions with classmates, professors, and others. This development occurs in reading, writing, and discussion. Students are expected—often required—to build their own work on that of other people, just as professional researchers and writers do, and they must give credit for ideas, suggestions, and information that come from other sources.  Since the standard of good academic, creative, and scholarly work is to incorporate one's own ideas, analysis, and synthesis along with the proper recognition of the work of others, students are expected to practice the skill of attribution in their writing. Students are expected to quote accurately and identify the origin of citations from others, as well as to acknowledge when ideas are dependent upon concepts developed from other sources. This process of attribution and referencing allows each individual to demonstrate how their understanding and ideas relate to an existing body of knowledge—and add to them. It demonstrates the values of academic integrity and systematic reflection and intellectual development. To do otherwise and not reveal sources constitutes plagiarism. And plagiarism is a form of academic dishonesty.

Plagiarism involves borrowing or using information from other sources without proper and full credit.  Students are expected to demonstrate how what they have learned incorporates an understanding of the research and expertise of scholars and other appropriate experts; thus recognizing others' published work or teachings—whether that of authors, lecturers, or one's peers—is a required practice in all academic projects.  Students' own scholarly and creative work is strengthened when full and appropriate acknowledgement becomes routine.

Students must master the standard procedures for citations and using footnotes, endnotes, parenthetical references and/or bibliographies, as determined by the character of their assignments. It is an expectation that faculty members impress upon students that whenever their work is dependent upon the ideas, suggestions, phrasing, and data found in sources, a failure to acknowledge them and reference their influence—whether intentional or not—may be considered evidence of academic dishonesty and/or plagiarism. The NYU School of Professional Studies does not tolerate such behavior; and substantiated cases of plagiarism will result in serious sanctions.

Consequently, it is essential for every student to develop the habits of identifying sources and to learn and use the proper forms of citation.

Any of the following acts constitutes an offense of plagiarism:

• Using a phrase, sentence, or passage from another person's work without quotation marks and attribution of the source.
• Paraphrasing words or ideas from another person's work without attribution.
• Reporting as your own research or knowledge of any data or facts gathered or reported by another person.
• Submitting in your own name papers, tests, examinations, or reports completed by another person.
• Submitting creative works, including images or reproduction of the creative works, of another person without proper attribution.
• Submitting oral or recorded reports of another person without proper attribution.
• Downloading documents in whole or part from the Internet and presenting them as one's own.
• Citing a source that does not exist.

Other offenses against academic integrity include the following:

• Collaborating with other students on assignments without the express permission of the instructor.
• Giving one's work to another student who then submits it as their own.
• Sharing or copying answers from other students.
• Copying material from any digital resource/website during examinations (unless expressly authorized).
• Using notes or other sources to answer exam questions without the instructor's permission.
• Destroying library or reference materials.
• Submitting as one's own work a paper or results of research purchased or acquired from a commercial firm or another person.
• Submitting original work toward requirements in more than one class without the prior permission of the instructor/s.

Students can assure the integrity of their work by:

• Using quotation marks to set off words not their own.
• Learning to use proper forms of attribution for source materials.
• Doing one’s own original work in each course, without collaboration, unless otherwise instructed.
• Crediting use of published sources, the work of others, or material from the Web.
• Asking instructors if you have questions about an assignment or the use of sources.
   

Academic Integrity Disciplinary Procedures

Students are subject to disciplinary actions for the following offenses which include but are not limited to:

• Cheating
• Plagiarism
• Forgery or unauthorized use of documents
• False form of identification
   

Academic Integrity Sanctions

When a violation of the policy is detected, the faculty member will not issue a grade on the assignment or for the course until the case has been resolved.

Once plagiarism is detected or suspected, the faculty member will immediately discuss the matter with the student. If, after this discussion the faculty member determines there is no violation, no further action is taken. If the violation is minor, a written warning is issued by the faculty member, and no further action is taken.

If it is determined there is a serious violation of policy, the faculty member informs the Program Director, and provides a written, detailed account.

The Program Director reviews the case and makes a final determination as to whether or not a violation has occurred.  If the Program Director concludes there has been no violation, the matter is closed.  If the Program Director concludes that a violation has occurred, the Program Director, in consultation with the faculty, determines a sanction and then notifies the student.

One or more of the following sanctions can be issued:

• Requirement that the student redo the assignment
• Issue the grade of "0" for the assignment/student cannot redo the assignment
• Issue the grade of "F" for the assignment/student cannot redo the assignment
• Issue the grade of "F" for the course
• Issue the grade of "F" for the course; student cannot drop the course and the grade of "F" cannot be eliminated by retaking the course

Statement of Policy

The following procedures are those by which alleged violations of the NYU University Student Conduct Policy by SPS continuing education students will be reviewed and resolved.
 

Policy and Procedures

NYU Student Conduct Policy

These procedures do not apply to allegations of sexual misconduct, relationship violence, or stalking. Such allegations are administered under the University’s Sexual Misconduct, Relationship Violence, and Stalking Policy. Allegations of conduct that could constitute a violation of both the University Sexual Misconduct, Relationship Violence, and Stalking Policy and the University Student Conduct Policy  will be administered according to the Sexual Misconduct, Relationship Violence, and Stalking Policy.

The New York University Bias Response Line provides a mechanism through which members of our community can share or report experiences and concerns of bias, discrimination, or harassing behavior that may occur within our community.