phd in philosophy nyu

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Degrees and Fields of Study

• Ph.D.  in Philosophy
• Ph.D.-J.D.  in Philosophy/Law (Dual Degree)

Application Deadlines

Applications and all supporting materials must be  submitted online by 5PM  Eastern Time. If a listed deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or U.S. federal holiday, then the next business day will be the actual deadline.

• January 7 : Fall admission

Dual Degree applicants must submit  two separate applications  — one to GSAS, and another to NYU Law. Please consult  NYU Law Admissions  for the J.D. application deadline.

Requirements

In addition to the general application requirements, the department specifically requires:

Test Scores

• The GRE general test is  optional.  We will consider GRE test scores if they are submitted.

TOEFL/IELTS

Applicants must submit official TOEFL or IELTS scores (TOEFL preferred)  unless they:

Are a native English speaker; OR

Are a US citizen or permanent resident; OR

Have completed (or will complete) a baccalaureate or master's degree at an institution where the language of instruction is English.

Statement of Academic Purpose

In a concisely written statement, please describe your past and present work as it relates to your intended field of study, your educational objectives, and your career goals. In addition, please include your intellectual and professional reasons for choosing your field of study and why your studies/research can best be done at the Graduate School of Arts and Science at NYU. The statement should not exceed two double-spaced pages amd should be written in English.

Writing Sample

A sample of philosophical writing is required. Writing samples should be 20-25 double-spaced pages. To enable anonymous review, the author's name and other identifying information should not be included in the writing sample.

Special Instructions

Please see our FAQs for  Prospective Ph.D. Applicants .

Useful Links

• GSAS Bulletin
• Department Website
• Email [email protected]
• Application Portal
• Back to Programs, Requirements and Deadlines

The Graduate School of Arts and Science reserves the right to change this information at any time. This page supersedes all previous versions.

Last updated August 2023.

Doctor of Philosophy

The Institute of Fine Arts is dedicated to graduate teaching and advanced research in the history of art and archeology and in the conservation and technology of works of art. The Institute strives to give its students not only a sound knowledge in the history of art, but also a foundation in research, connoisseurship, and theory as a basis for independent critical judgment and research. The student following the PhD course of study gains a deeper understanding of a subject area, beyond what is normally acquired at the master’s level and develops a capacity for independent scholarship. The PhD Program at the Institute of Fine Arts is a course of study designed for the person who wants to investigate the role of the visual arts in culture through detailed, object-based examination as well as historical and theoretical interpretation. The degree program provides a focused and rigorous experience supported by interaction with the leading scholars of the Institute, and access to New York area museums, curators, conservators, archaeological sites and NYU’s global network. The program is designed for up to six years of full-time funded study. A total of 18 courses (72 points) are required for the PhD degree. Each student registers for three courses per semester for the first five semesters. One course in the fifth semester is dedicated to developing the dissertation proposal. In the sixth semester students register for 12 points devoted preparing for the oral exam and beginning work on the dissertation. Exceptions to full-time study are made only for urgent financial or medical reasons and must have the approval from the Director of Graduate Studies.

Distribution Requirements

Students must take at least one seminar in four fields outside of their area of specialization. The Proseminar may count as one of these seminars. Students are required to take one course in technical studies of works of art. The minimum total seminars for PhD students is six. Students may take courses in other relevant disciplines in consultation with their advisor, and subject to the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies.

Distribution requirements are met by choosing courses in the following fields:

• Pre-modern Asia
• Pre-modern Africa and the Middle East
• The Ancient Mediterranean and Middle East, including
• Pre-modern Europe and the Americas
• Post-1750 Global
• Museum and Curatorial Studies
• Technical Studies of Works of Art
• Architectural History

Course Definitions and Requirements

Proseminar : The purpose of the Proseminar is to introduce students in the doctoral program to advanced research methods in the history of art. Because it is a dedicated course for the entering PhD student, it will serve to consolidate the cohort. It is taken during the first semester and is taught by a rotation of the Institute faculty, with a different faculty member chosen each year. Emphasis is placed on the specific practices of art-historical analysis in relation to visual and textual interpretation. The contents of the seminar vary each year according to the research interests of the chosen instructor. The class is structured around specific problems in the history of art rather than broad conceptual paradigms, with an emphasis on historical interpretation. Colloquium: A colloquium provides an analysis or overview of the state of the literature on a given art historical topic or problem, with extensive reading, discussion, and presentations. There may be a final paper.

Seminar: A seminar is a focused advanced course that explores a topic in depth. Seminars are often based on an exhibition in the New York area. Students are expected to produce a substantive paper that demonstrates original research. Lecture: Lecture courses explore topics or historical periods, giving overviews of major issues as well as detailed analysis of specific problems and works of art. Students are responsible for assigned and recommended reading, and may produce short papers and/or take an exam.

Curatorial Track

This doctoral-level program is offered jointly by the Institute of Fine Arts and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, under the supervision of the Joint Committee on Curatorial Studies composed of faculty, curators, and the Directors of both institutions. The purpose of the program is to prepare students for curatorial careers in specialized fields. Students are required to take two courses in Curatorial Studies, which are taught at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, before being offered an internship at the Museum.

Language Requirement

PhD students must demonstrate proficiency in reading two modern research languages other than English that are relevant to their studies. Proficiency is demonstrated by passing an examination administered by the Institute of Fine Arts. International students focusing on a field of study in which their native language is relevant may be granted an exemption from the language requirement pending submission of an exemption form signed by their advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies.

Qualifying Paper

The Qualifying Paper may be developed from seminar work or might be on a topic devised in consultation with the student’s advisor. Normally, the student will be advised to produce a detailed study on a subject that leads towards the dissertation. It should be no longer than 10,000 words (excluding bibliography and footnotes).

Students are examined on a major field consisting of two contiguous areas and a third component that can be in a related field providing skills for their dissertation.

Students are encouraged to teach after passing the second year review. Opportunities for teaching at NYU and at other New York area colleges and universities will be coordinated by the Director of Graduate Studies.

PhD students are funded for up to six years, depending on the transfer of previous graduate work. The program is normally divided into three years of course work, exams, and submission of a dissertation proposal and three years for dissertation research and writing. Variations to this pattern might occur according to opportunities for students to develop skills or experience in their specialist fields, as approved by the student’s advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies. Students are encouraged to compete for outside fellowships. The award of such fellowships might extend the number of years taken to complete the program. Institute funding will be suspended during the period of outside fellowship support.

Students Entering with a Master’s Degree

To receive the PhD degree, all Institute requirements must have been fulfilled, including a Master’s thesis (of copy of which is submitted with the application), and a distribution of courses within areas of study that correspond to those outlined in Distribution Requirements. No credits will be automatically transferred; credit will be awarded based upon evaluation by the Institute Faculty at the First Year Course Review. In addition, at least one written comprehension exam in a foreign language must have been passed. The student entering with a MA degree must pass an exam in a second language, if not yet attained, by the end of his/her first year of study. Entering students who have been awarded an MA at the Institute will begin as third year PhD students. They are expected to have a distribution of courses that meet the Course Distribution for the PhD and are required to pass a written comprehension exam in a second language.

Degree Requirements

PhD | Masters Degree | Conservation

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Doctor of Philosophy

NYU Silver School of Social Work’s PhD program prepares students to become leading researchers and educators in the promotion of social justice and the health and well-being of marginalized communities nationally and globally.

Our intensive doctoral training competitively positions graduates for top-tier academic and research opportunities—such as faculty positions at leading research universities—cultivating the next wave of independent investigators, scholars, and social work leaders. Building on Silver’s nationally recognized strength in intervention and implementation research and our focus on addressing inequities, the PhD program prepares students to make their own unique contributions to the field of social welfare. 

Our rigorous coursework educates students in classic and contemporary theory, cutting-edge quantitative, qualitative and mixed methodologies, and specialized learning in their substantive areas. The opportunity to take electives within the larger university allows students to explore further their areas and methodologies in an interdisciplinary classroom. NYU Silver also prepares students to be educators through training, including in anti-racist pedagogies, and hands-on experience teaching BSW and MSW level courses.

At the heart of our program is the mentored research practicum offering students the opportunity to put their learning into practice. NYU Silver PhD students are paired from day one with a research mentor as part of our  personalized mentoring program , helping them develop competencies in core research, scholarship, and teaching areas.  NYU Silver  Faculty  are renowned for their expertise in several key research areas, including racial and social justice, behavioral health services, child welfare, and aging. Being part of a large Global Network University and located in the diverse and dynamic city of New York, NYU Silver offers an unparalleled environment for the study of areas critical to local, national and global well-being. 

In fact, PhD Program Director Dr.  Rohini Pahwa was recently awarded a  five-year, $3.1 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health  to gain insight into the factors that influence the social networks and and mental health services use of Black and Latinx people with serious mental illnesses. 

Associate Professor of Social Work and PhD Program Director

“I chose NYU Silver for my PhD . . .

because of the program’s emphasis on preparing students to become leading researchers and educators in the health and well-being of marginalized communities and in the promotion of social justice.”

Sabrina Cluesman, PhD candidate and recipient of a NIDA Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (F31)

In an Emerati Women’s Day video from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Embassy in Washington, DC, PhD student  Layla Al Neyadi  discusses her inspiration to seek her degree at NYU Silver and her aspiration to improve mental health policy and services for her fellow Emiratis:

Please email the doctoral program office or call (212) 998-5941 for additional information.

Philosophy (BA)

Program description, independent study, honors program.

Philosophy poses general questions about reality, knowledge, reasoning, language, and conduct. Some areas include metaphysics (What is the ultimate nature of reality? What really exists and what is mere appearance?), epistemology (What, if anything, can be known and how?), logic (What are the principles of correct reasoning?), and ethics (What is moral value? And what moral values should we adopt?). Other areas address questions concerning the nature of art, law, medicine, mind, politics, religion, and the sciences.

Everyone tends to have or assume answers to these questions. The aim of the department is to enable students to identify, clarify, and assess these answers, both ancient and modern. Philosophy prepares students for a more reflective life, for advanced studies in the subject, and for professions that emphasize analytic thinking and argumentation, such as law, business, and programming.

A student may register for an independent study course (PHIL-UA 301, 302; 2 or 4 credit per term) if they obtain the consent of a faculty member who approves the study project and agrees to serve as adviser. The student must also obtain the approval of either the department chair or the director of undergraduate studies. The student may take no more than one such course in any given semester and no more than two such courses in total, unless granted special permission by either the department chair or the director of undergraduate studies.

Students majoring in philosophy may apply to the director of undergraduate studies (DUS) for admission to the departmental honors program. Eligibility criteria are listed below. Honors in philosophy will be awarded to philosophy majors who successfully complete the honors program with a GPA of 3.65 or higher both in philosophy and overall. The honors program requires at least eleven courses in philosophy (44 credits). These courses must (1) satisfy the requirements for the major and (2) include both PHIL-UA 201 Junior Honors Proseminar and PHIL-UA 202 Senior Honors Thesis Workshop . (For purposes of the major requirements, one of these two courses may be counted as an elective.) Together, the two honors courses constitute a two-semester honors thesis capstone experience. Students must be accepted into the honors program before taking PHIL-UA 201 Junior Honors Proseminar in the spring of the junior year; PHIL-UA 202 Senior Honors Thesis Workshop is then taken in the fall of the senior year. Students who wish to join the honors program and to study away from New York in their junior year should consult early on with the DUS to find a suitable arrangement.

Eligibility Criteria for admission to PHIL-UA 201 Junior Honors Proseminar :

• Minimum 3.65 GPA in the philosophy major and overall
• At least five courses in philosophy, including at least two straight A's in philosophy courses above intro level not including PHIL-UA 70 Logic
• A writing sample: a paper written for a class, with the instructor’s grade and comments
• A list of the professors and TA's who have taught your courses
• Applications are due by email to the DUS two weeks before registration for the Spring semester of Junior Year

Eligibility Criteria for admission to PHIL-UA 202 Senior Honors Thesis Workshop :

• Enrollment in PHIL-UA 201 Junior Honors Proseminar
• A one page thesis proposal
• A note from a professor in the philosophy department who has reviewed your proposal and agreed to supervise your thesis
• Applications are due to the DUS one week before registration for the Fall semester of Senior Year

New York University's Office of Undergraduate Admissions supports the application process for all undergraduate programs at NYU.  For additional information about undergraduate admissions, including application requirements, see How to Apply . 

Program Requirements

The foreign language requirement is satisfied upon successful completion through the Intermediate level of a language. This may be accomplished in fewer than 16 credits, but those credits must then be completed as elective credit.

All students must begin with one (and only one) of the introductory courses. Satisfactory completion of any one course at the introductory level is a prerequisite for all of the other courses required for the major, except Logic. It is recommended that those considering a major take Logic as soon as possible.

No credit toward the major is awarded for a course with a grade lower than C. Courses graded Pass/Fail do not count.

Sample Plan of Study

The prerequisites for PHIL-UA 85 are one introductory course chosen from PHIL-UA 1 through 8 and PHIL-UA 70.

Chosen from any departmental offerings, except introductory courses.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of program requirements, students are expected to have acquired:

• The ability to think rigorously and probingly about the nature of the world and our place in it.
• The skills to explain, develop, and defend their ideas with depth, clarity, and argumentative rigor, both orally and in writing.
• A broad knowledge and understanding of the main areas of academic philosophy, from Ancient Greek philosophy to the present day.
• Proficiency in formal logic.

NYU Policies

College of arts and science policies.

University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages .

A full list of relevant academic policies can be found on the CAS Academic Policies page . 

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Doctor of Philosophy Psychology and Social Intervention

The Psychology and Social Intervention (PSI) doctorate prepares action scientists for diverse roles in academia and social research. You will be prepared to understand, transform, and improve the contexts and systems in which humans develop across the lifespan.

Degree Details

Official degree title.

PhD in Psychology and Social Intervention

Mission Statement

Our  mission is to train social scientists to (a) critically explore  the experiences of people in the contexts and systems in which they develop across the lifespan and (b) use knowledge to address  longstanding inequities in settings and systems. Our work is grounded in the belief that  empirically based knowledge about “persons in settings” is a key mechanism for achieving racial justice, social justice, and equity and for changing systems and settings as well as individuals. Training in PSI is actively interdisciplinary, drawing on theories and approaches from multiple  fields in  psychology (including developmental, community, political,  and social psychology) and other social and behavioral sciences. We conduct research and action in close partnership with key stakeholders while centering community voice and perspectives. Our training goals include fostering students’ abilities to:

(a) Conceptualize and measure (i) individual cognitive and psychosocial development and (ii)  the social settings, systems, and policies in which individuals are embedded;

(b) Understand the psychological impact of various forms of diversity, conflict, and structural inequity among individuals, groups, institutions, communities, and societies; and

(c) Design, improve, implement and evaluate prevention, intervention and policy strategies toward positive social change; and

(d) Utilize state-of-the art quantitative and qualitative and mixed-methods approaches to addressing individual and system-level phenomena.

PSI faculty and students study a wide range of contexts and systems (e.g., families, schools, neighborhoods, programs, juvenile justice systems,social movements,  intergroup contexts, policy contexts and macro-level economic and social structures) and interventions (e.g., psychological, social, educational and health programs and policies), locally, nationally and internationally. Our faculty also conduct research on how social psychological factors, cultural and racial identities, and marginalization influence and interact with people’s experiences of contexts, systems and interventions. New York University provides an ideal global network  for studying many kinds of communities in the US and other regions of the world, including Latin American countries, South Asia, the Middle East, and Sub-Saharan Africa.

PSI faculty collaborate closely with one another, as well as with other social, behavioral, health and policy scientists at NYU and other universities, and with service, community and policy organizations. PSI faculty direct or co-direct a number of affiliated institutes and centers at NYU, including the Institute for Human Development and Social Change, Global TIES for Children, the Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools (METRO), and A Research Center for Interconnected Approachs for Suicide Prevention (Arcadia).

You should apply to PSI if you…

• are committed to conducting applied research to promote justice and equity

want to develop conceptual and methodological skills to understand the interplay between people and settings/social systems

want to take an interdisciplinary approach to research

want to work in partnership with practitioners, policy makers, and community members

want to work in academia, industry, government, policy, program development and others!

Admissions Information

Degree components, degree goals and objectives, careers and outcomes, international students.

• Please note that the GRE test is optional.
• NYU Steinhardt offers a competitive funding package for PhD students who study full-time.   Learn more about Steinhardt's funding opportunities .

Application Guidelines: 

• Please visit the How to Apply page for more information on application requirements. 
• Please review our FAQ page to find out more information about the PSI program and application process.
• If you have any additional questions about our degree, please feel free to contact us at [email protected] .

PSI is a research-intensive degree with a strong quantitative training component that places a strong emphasis on:

• understanding and assessing social settings, systems, and policies;
• creating/improving, implementing and evaluating prevention and intervention programs; and
• understanding various forms of diversity and structural inequality among individuals, institutions, communities, and societies.

Students work collaboratively with faculty mentors on a range of activities, including study design, data collection and analysis, manuscript preparation, conference presentations, policy briefs, and evaluation activities.

Program faculty study a wide range of ecologies (e.g., families, schools, neighborhoods, policy contexts, programs) and preventive and policy interventions (e.g., psychological, social, educational and health programs) locally, nationally and internationally. Our faculty also conduct research on how cultural factors and identities influence and interact with experiences of these ecologies and interventions. Our New York City location provides an ideal urban setting for studying many kinds of communities, combined with gateways to the world at large.

In the PSI program, we focus on providing the framework to help you:

develop methodological skills that enable analysis of change over time and within and across levels of human ecology

acquire abilities to apply psychological and social science principles to the understanding of social settings, social/cultural contexts, and social and policy interventions

develop abilities to conceptualize, interpret, evaluate and disseminate evidence-based social and policy interventions; and develop the ethical, interpersonal, organizational, and technical capacities to undertake high-quality professional work in psychology and social intervention

The PSI doctorate trains social scientists to work in a variety of settings so they understand the experiences of people in the contexts and systems in which they develop across the lifespan, and can transform and improve these contexts and systems. 

Our degree prepares students for diverse roles in academia and applied research. In the academic arena, our students are well positioned for jobs in psychology, human development, education, public health, and public policy. In the area of applied research, you will be prepared to obtain positions in research organizations, policy institutes, social service agencies, community-based organizations, and advocacy. 

Our rigorous theoretical and empirical training will position you extremely well to respond to the ever-increasing demand for evidence-based prevention and intervention strategies in health, education, and social services.

See what our Alumni are up to now!

If you’re an international student, you may be able to work in the United States after graduation for an extended period of time. Most students studying on F-1 visas will be eligible for 12 months of Optional Practical Training (OPT) off-campus work authorization. F-1 students in our program may also be eligible for the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics) OPT extension, allowing you to extend your time in the United States to pursue degree-related work experience for a total of 36 months or 3 years. For more information on who can apply for this extension visit  NYU’s Office of Global Services: STEM OPT .

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• Learning Objectives
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• Policy on Responsible Conduct of Research and Scholarship
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• Studies in Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy
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About Our Department

Department of Philosophy at Stony Brook University grants B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. degrees to a broad range of students with diverse and varied interests. Committed to a pluralist treatment of philosophical issues, the department encourages interdisciplinary study as well as more traditional approaches to philosophy. Convinced that a knowledge of the  history of philosophy  is essential to the philosophical enterprise, the department offers intensive courses in ancient, medieval, and modern thought. Other courses address specific philosophical problems in ethics, political theory, epistemology, aesthetics, environmental philosophy, feminism, critical race theory, and philosophy of technology. 

The department at Stony Brook is internationally renowned for its concentration in  Continental philosophy , with particular emphasis on contemporary French and German thought. Courses in phenomenology, psychoanalysis, structuralism, postructuralism and postmodernism, and critical theory are held regularly, focusing on such figures as Husserl, Merleau-Ponty, Derrida, Kristeva, Freud, Lacan, Irigaray, Levinas, and Habermas. Crucial nineteenth century philosophers such as Hegel and Nietzsche are also treated in depth.  As well, the department offers many international research opportunities to graduate students who wish to pursue the study of Continental philosophy in Europe.

Stony Brook maintains a lively dialogue with  Anglo-American philosophy , which is also strongly represented among faculty.  A comparative seminar in a topic of common concern to continental and analytic philosophy is given each year.  Other analytic courses cover computational theory, questions of meaning and metaphor, issues in philosophical psychology, and special problems in philosophical logic. 

Stony Brook's Philosophy Department is a member of the  New York Consortium of Graduate Schools , which allows graduate students to take courses for credit at schools in the New York City area, including Rutgers, Princeton, New York University, and Columbia.

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Human-Centered Technology, Innovation & Design, Ph.D.

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Innovations in technologies redefine and reshape people's lives, changing social and cultural practices, norms and values, institutional processes, and economies and infrastructures. Working to develop new applications for existing and emerging human-centered technologies informed through rigorous, interdisciplinary research and managing socio-technical transitions is a fast-growing and highly important area of research across a number of fields and disciplines. The mission of the Tandon School of Engineering's Human-Centered Technology, Innovation & Design Ph.D. program is to educate and train scholars who will produce pioneering research and scholarship at the vanguard of technological practice and theory.

This program fosters student research through its focus on high-quality supervision and training by faculty members with significant research strengths in a diverse range of technology-related fields, including: digital media and creative practice, design and human-computer interaction, science and technology studies, urban and environmental studies, sociotechnical complex systems, and technology management and innovation. Students in the program typically follow an individualized path based in one of four main areas of focus:

• Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)
• Design Research & Practice
• Management Science
• Computational Social Science

The Human-Centered Technology, Innovation & Design program is a unique interdisciplinary Ph.D. program, offering a rigorous and flexible course of study that unites the strengths of the Departments of Technology Management and Innovation and Technology Culture & Society at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering. It is ideal for students who are primarily interested in pursuing teaching and/or research-based careers at higher education institutions. Universities with undergraduate and graduate programs that emphasize the integration of design and technology development with the critical study of society and technology or the management sciences are a primary source of career opportunities for our graduates. Similarly, government agencies, not-for-profit research organization, think tanks, corporate research centers, and research-based design and consulting firms also seek our graduates. 

Urban Science Doctoral Track

Admissions/applications requirements.

Admission to the Doctor of Philosophy in Human-Centered Technology, Innovation & Design program is based on an in-depth evaluation of the applicant’s academic record, professional experience, research potential, interest in doctoral study, and overall intellectual and professional qualifications. The GRE is optional, while proof of english language proficiency is required for international students.

Find out more about Admission Requirements and Graduate Admissions .

Degree Requirements and Curriculum

The curriculum for the Ph.D. in Human-Centered Technology, Innovation & Design Program fosters a research-intensive doctoral education relevant to understanding and shaping the impact of new technologies on a complex and rapidly-changing society and its institutions. We focus on how technology shapes and molds society and culture and how, in turn, social and cultural institutions respond to those impacts. 

The core coursework exposes students to advanced design and research skills modulated by the development of a critically reflexive understanding of the ways in which society and technology deeply influence design and development. Research methods courses help students develop advanced qualitative, quantitative, and practice-based research as the basis for inquiring into, designing, and evaluating new technologies in the service of society.

Thematic elective courses help students gain in-depth knowledge in a focused area related to the key themes of human-computer interaction, design research, and management science. Our faculty also specialize in several areas of focus: disability studies and inclusive design, citizen science, urban sustainability, design for social change, science and technology studies, design studies, and technology ethics and politics. Students and doctoral advisers work together to curate and develop a rigorous course of study in the program.

Students are required to complete 75 credits, including 51 credits from the course work, which includes doctoral seminars, research methods courses, and thematic electives, and 24 credits from the dissertation. For more information on specific faculty interests, please refer to the faculty pages under the relevant programs.

Research Training and Interaction with Faculty

Students are expected to work actively with one or more faculty each year, and focus on completing research. Students are strongly encouraged to present research in progress once a year and work towards publishable papers, usually with a faculty as co-author. Students are strongly encouraged to work with their primary advisors to outline a plan of study where they can be involved in institutional research. Every student participates in formal research seminars with departmental faculty and visitors.

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April 25, 2024 - US university protests

By Elise Hammond, Chandelis Duster, Kathleen Magramo, Elizabeth Wolfe, Aya Elamroussi, Lauren Mascarenhas and Tori B. Powell, CNN

At least two professors detained during Emory University protests

From CNN's Nick Valencia

A CNN crew witnessed at least two professors detained by Atlanta police, including Emory University economics professor Caroline Fohlin and Noëlle McAfee, chair of the philosophy department.

CNN filmed video of women being detained. During her interaction with police, Professor Fohlin could be heard expressing concern about the violent arrests and use of force by police against individuals she identified as students. 

CAIR condemns “use of force and arrests” at Emory University

From CNN's Chandelis Duster, Devon Sayers and Nick Valencia

The Council on American-Islamic Relations chapter in Georgia on Thursday condemned the “use of force and arrests” by police officers against protesters at Emory University in Atlanta.

“Protesters shared a day of cultural learning and community despite which Emory deployed excessive use of force, tear gas, and rubber bullets,” the organization said in a statement. “Emory University and APD fully bear responsibility for the violence we are seeing at the Emory campus right now. Students and protesters must be allowed their full constitutional rights.”

Protesters were arrested on the campus of Emory University after an encampment was formed in the university quad area Thursday morning.

Video from the scene showed law enforcement officers wrangling protesters to the ground and forcefully putting people in zip-tie handcuffs.

Law enforcement officers used pepper spray to help clear the area of demonstrators, a CNN team on the scene reported. They also deployed pepper balls against a crowd gathered around protesters that had been detained by police. 

ACLU of Texas calls on state officials to create safe spaces for students to protest

From CNN's Lauren Mascarenhas and Jeremy Grisham 

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Texas warned against state and university officials deploying law enforcement to “violently censor” protests held by pro-Palestinian demonstrations at the University of Texas at Austin and other universities across the nation.

“The First Amendment guarantees people in Texas and across the nation the right to protest, including those who advocate for Palestinians,” a statement from the group read. “However, state leaders rapidly escalated a planned day of peaceful demonstrations by deploying law enforcement in riot gear against students and the press. Public officials don’t get to forcefully suppress the voices of people they disagree with.”

Dozens of protesters were arrested at UT Austin Wednesday.

In its statement, the ACLU of Texas called on state officials to create safe spaces for students, staff and faculty to protest.

Emerson president offers grief counseling to students after protests lead to more than 100 arrests

From CNN's Samantha Delouya

Emerson College President Jay Bernhardt said he "recognizes and respects the civic activism and passion that sparked the protest" in a statement Thursday after law enforcement officials cleared a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at the school, leading to dozens of arrests on Wednesday night.

"Emerson staff and administrators were at the scene, focused on supporting our students through this highly stressful situation and seeking to de-escalate the conflict," Bernhardt said. "Today, Emerson officials were at the police precincts and courthouses with the arrested students, and the College will receive them back on campus when they are released."

More than 100 people were arrested and four police officers were injured during the encampment clearing at the Boston liberal arts college, according to the Boston Police Department.

Bernhardt said that he understood that the encampment clearing "has significantly and adversely impacted our community" and offered students the support of grief counselors on campus on Thursday.

Prosecutor drops charges against dozens of protesters arrested at UT-Austin Wednesday

From CNN's Ashley Killough

Following Wednesday’s arrests of dozens of protesters on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin, the local prosecutor’s office says 46 cases have already been dismissed.

“The Travis County Attorney’s Office received several cases yesterday and throughout the evening as a result of yesterday’s demonstration at the University of Texas,” said spokesperson Diana Melendez with the Travis County Attorney’s Office Thursday. “Legal concerns were raised by defense counsel. We individually reviewed each case that was presented and agreed there were deficiencies in the probable cause affidavits.” 

The prosecutor’s office says the court ordered those protesters to be released. “We will continue to individually review all cases presented to our office to determine whether prosecution is factually and legally appropriate,” said Melendez.

Students rally at Georgetown University, march to encampment at George Washington University

From CNN's Lauren Koenig

At Georgetown University in Washington, DC, a crowd of pro-Palestinian protesters filled about one-third of the circular driveway in front of Healy Hall, the main administrative building on campus.

The crowd remained peaceful as organizers spoke and led chants of "free Palestine" and "from the river to the sea." The crowd then marched to the encampment at George Washington University, led by several professors wearing graduation regalia.

At the GW encampment, dozens of tents filled about one-quarter of the campus' University Yard.

“There is only one solution, intifada revolution, intifada intifada, long live the intifada," the demonstrators chanted, holding signs reading "Resistance is justified when people are occupied!" "Stop the invasion!" and "Ceasefire now!"

Cheers erupted when the marchers from Georgetown arrived on GW's campus, with continued chants for "intifada revolution." The Georgetown students were escorted into the GW encampment.

Two arrested for trespassing at Princeton University Thursday during protest

From CNN's Samantha Kelly and Taylor Romine

Two graduate students at Princeton University in New Jersey were arrested Thursday morning for trespassing, the university said in a statement.

People started gathering for a protest Thursday when "a small number began erecting about a half-dozen tents," the statement said.

"After repeated warnings from the Department of Public Safety to cease the activity and leave the area, two graduate students were arrested for trespassing," the statement said, adding that the students are not allowed on campus pending a disciplinary process.

The tents were taken down by protesters, they said, but protests at the university are still underway.

On Wednesday, the university  put out a message to students  sharing the university's policy on protests.

"In addition to disrupting University operations, some types of protest actions (including occupying or blocking access to buildings, establishing outdoor encampments and sleeping in any campus outdoor space) are inherently unsafe for both those involved and for bystanders, and they increase the potential for escalation and confrontation," the message said.

NYPD Chief: “Good SAT scores and self-entitlement do not supersede the law”

From CNN’s Chris Boyette and Caroll Alvarado

As the deadline for negotiations between protesters and Columbia University officials about clearing the encampment on its lawn nears, one high-ranking New York Police Department chief said the students are learning an important lesson.

“Columbia decided to hold its students accountable to the laws of the school. They are seeing the consequences of their actions. Something these kids were most likely never taught,” Chief John Chell, NYPD Chief of Patrol, wrote in a lengthy  post on X . “Good SAT scores and self-entitlement do not supersede the law.” 

The chief’s message came in response to an  X post  from Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, in which the New York congresswoman questioned Columbia’s decision to call the NYPD on their own students.

Chell also expressed frustration at what he said were students' “hateful anti-Semitic speech and vile language towards our cops.”

CNN has reached out to the NYPD for comment on the chief’s statements and Ocasio-Cortez’s office for reaction.

Pro-Palestinian encampment forms at George Washington University

From CNN's Taylor Romine 

George Washington University has joined a growing list of schools across the nation where Pro-Palestinian demonstrators are forming encampments on school campuses, according to videos posted by The GW Hatchet student newspaper.

The encampment was organized by students at multiple universities across the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia, a group representing the coalition of Students for Justice in Palestine  said in a post on Instagram .

The encampment is a “united demonstration of our power, uplifting our collective demands for financial transparency, boycotts and divestment from the zionist state, and an end to the racist repression pro-Palestine students," the post said.

In a statement to CNN, George Washington University said it is aware of about 50 students gathering on the University Yard with about 20 tents, in addition to non-students. The university said the protest has remained peaceful.

George Washington Police Department officers and other university officials have responded to the protest, and the school said it is coordinating with the DC Metropolitan Police Department.

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NYU Tisch’s Graduate Film Program Leads a Free Summer Workshop in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Applications for the three-week tuition-free workshop are open to students interested in developing their storytelling and cinematic skills.

NYU’s renowned Graduate Film Program will offer a three-week intensive workshop in Santa Fe this summer for director-writers of all backgrounds to develop their skills to support Indigenous storytelling. The free workshop, to be held July 14-Aug. 3, represents the first time NYU’s graduate film program has gone on location to reach students who may not be able to come to New York.

Faculty member Andrew Okpeaha MacLean, an Iñupiaq filmmaker born and raised in Alaska, will lead a team of instructors and assistants in this groundbreaking collaboration with Santa Fe Community College and the Institute of American Indian Art. Grad Film faculty Barbara Schock and Jennifer Ruff are the workshop’s creators.

The workshop will cover screenwriting and directing as well as editing, sound and cinematography. Students will craft scripts, complete directing exercises, and make their own micro-short films. The final projects will be screened at an event in New York City in the fall.

“NYU Tisch has made it a priority to cultivate and support indigenous directors and writers,” says Tisch School of the Arts Dean Allyson Green. “We believe more can be done to create space for and to highlight their stories and experiences. One way is to help train the next generation of indigenous filmmakers and their allies.”

Home to 23 Native tribes and Pueblos, New Mexico has a strong tradition of storytelling and artistic achievement. Its variety of landscapes and locations makes it a popular spot for filmmaking, attracting companies including Amazon, AMC, and Netflix. While many locals work on set, few of these productions are led by the Native Americans who live there.

The workshop hopes to address that gap. The program will host up to 12 students who are college age and older. Filmmaking experience is welcome but not required. Applicants must submit a visual or writing sample. Admissions will be decided on a rolling basis. Applications can be submitted at this site .

“Our teaching methods are based on directing exercises that are actually very low tech and focus on personal storytelling, which is why we can take people without a lot of filmmaking experience,” says Schock. “We are excited to bring this kind of instruction to Santa Fe, and hope it will open doors for students and create opportunities for them to discover their talents and voices.”

About the NYU Tisch School of the Arts For over 50 years, the NYU Tisch School of the Arts has drawn on the vast artistic and cultural resources of New York City and New York University to create an extraordinary training ground for the individual artist and scholar of the arts. Today, students learn their craft in a spirited, risk-taking environment that combines the professional training of a conservatory with the liberal arts education of a premier global university with campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, Shanghai and 11 academic centers around the world. Learn more at www.tisch.nyu.edu .

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How the Columbia protests sparked campus demonstrations across the country

It just added fuel to the fire.

The decision by Columbia University’s president, Nemat “Minouche” Shafik, to call in the New York Police Department to clear pro-Palestinian protesters from the campus last week appears to have sparked the spate of increasingly strident demonstrations that have erupted at universities in New York City and across the country in recent days, students and faculty members said.

Since Thursday, when police arrested 108 Columbia University demonstrators, including Rep. Ilhan Omar’s daughter, Isra Hirsi, similar protests have erupted on campuses across the country, from New York University and Yale University to the University of Illinois and out west to the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Southern California, which shut its gates late Wednesday because of the growing demonstrations.

The encampment at Columbia sprung up April 17, the day Shafik was grilled about on-campus antisemitism by the Republican-led House Committee on Education and the Workforce. Shafik faced questions about her handling of antisemitism on campus after Hamas' attack on Israel on Oct. 7 alongside two members of Columbia’s Board of Trustees and the head of its antisemitism task force. The next day, Shafik had police clear the encampment; more than 100 protesters were arrested.

That got Rachel, 19, a Columbia student who asked to be identified only by her first name because of fear of retaliation or suspension by the school, off the fence and into one of the tents that pro-Palestinian demonstrators had raised on the campus in upper Manhattan.

“I think that that was sort of the straw that broke the camel’s back, because students had already been feeling incredibly suppressed and censored by President Shafik,” Rachel said.

Noting that the last time a Columbia University president summoned the police to disperse student demonstrators was back in 1968, at the height of the Vietnam War, Rachel said what she called Shafik’s attempt to intimidate them was backfiring.

“Movements inherently boil when they’re facing extra suppression,” she said.

The Columbia students protesting the war have demanded that the school cut financial ties with Israel and divest from Israeli companies. And they have inspired students across the country to do the same.

“This is about solidarity," said Alex, a Jewish student at the University of Michigan who is part of the pro-Palestinian movement and asked to be identified only by his first name out of fear of retaliation. "We have colleges all across the nation performing a synchronized act because we work together. This is a collective movement far beyond the United States."

Organizers say they were also inspired by protests against the apartheid government of South Africa that an earlier generation of Michigan students took part in.

“It’s never been bigger than it is right now,” said a masked male organizer, who asked to remain anonymous out of fear of retaliation. “We’ve seen that this has been effective in achieving concessions from the administration towards divestment from Israel, apartheid and genocide.”

But it has also sparked a backlash, particularly from politicians on the right who have been urging university administrators to crack down hard on the protesters.

"You have to have law and order on campus," House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told NBC News' Stephanie Gosk after he met with Jewish students at Columbia. "Listen, taxpayer funding comes to institutions like this. The American people are demanding that we bring order to this chaos. We have this kind of thing mushrooming around the country right now."

Encampments have continued on Columbia's campus into this week, with Shafik calling for classes to be held virtually Monday and initially giving the demonstrators a deadline of midnight Tuesday to fold up their tents and disperse before she announced that conversations would continue over the next 48 hours without forcing the encampment to be removed.

“We are making important progress with representatives of the student encampment on the West Lawn,” a college spokesperson said.

Marianne Hirsch, a Columbia University English professor, said Shafik has been "squashing peaceful protest, squashing open debate, not allowing students to express their opinions and debate their opinions."

And the fact that Shafik summoned the police last Thursday, a day after she was questioned at the congressional hearing, is no coincidence, she said.

"I’m extremely concerned about antisemitism my entire life, and I’m extremely distressed right now to see how antisemitism is being weaponized and used, misused ... under the guise of safety and security," Hirsch, whose parents were Holocaust survivors, said Tuesday.

Later, Hirsch said she “cannot but agree this is motivated by trying to pacify congressional members who are trying to interfere in the running of this school.”

Early Monday, Shafik said that classes would be held virtually Monday and that school leaders would come together to discuss a way to bring an end to “this crisis.”

Several Jewish students at Columbia have told NBC News the antisemitism they experienced was very real and that they're steering clear of the campus for their own safety.

“The tension is so high,” said Itai Dreifuss, 25, a junior and an Israeli who says he has been spat on and taunted by campus protesters waving Hamas flags. “It’s definitely frustrating to be a part of this campus right now. You feel so helpless, and you feel so exposed.”

Speaking with reporters, Johnson said he heard that Jewish students had been "running for their lives."

Gosk challenged that assertion, telling Johnson that while some Jewish students she spoke with "are certainly afraid for their safety," they are "not running for their lives."

"I had standing room only with a house full of Jewish students talking about the intimidation and threats that they experienced," Johnson replied.

Sueda, a graduate student who helped organize the pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia and asked to be identified only by her first name to avoid reprisals, said students escalated pressure on the university and started the tent encampments after previous forms of protest did not lead to the intended results.

"Have those protests yielded any material results from the university? Have they yielded an acknowledgment of the pain felt by Palestinians and by the community that is in solidarity with them? Have they yielded any statements of sorrow or regret by the university for their overly punitive treatment of pro-Palestinian students? No," she said.

Oren Root, a longtime New York City lawyer and Columbia University graduate who was at the school when anti-Vietnam War protests rocked it in 1968, said Shafik's summoning of police was "an extraordinary miscalculation."

"President Shafik and her advisers clearly didn't learn from history," said Root, who was a top editor at The Spectator, the Columbia student newspaper, in 1968 and 1969. “Calling in the cops was clearly a mistake. Things have not gotten any calmer.”

The decision in 1968 by university President Grayson Kirk to have the police forcibly remove protesters from the buildings they were occupying only inflamed the situation and tarnished Columbia's reputation for many years, Root said.

Root, who called for Shafik's resignation in an opinion piece in The Spectator on Monday , said Columbia also appears to have chosen a side in the Gaza battle.

In response, a spokesperson for Shafik did not address Root's criticisms or the calls for her resignation.

"President Shafik is focused on deescalating the rancor on Columbia’s campus," the spokesperson said in a statement Tuesday. "She is working across campus with members of the faculty, administration, and Board of Trustees, and with state, city, and community leaders, and appreciates their support."

New York police also arrested more than 100 protesters at NYU's Gould Plaza on Monday night.

Pro-Palestinian encampments have also been established at other schools that have been the sites of anti-Israel demonstrations, like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Texas and California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt.

New York Mayor Eric Adams said this week he believed "outside agitators" were using the Israel-Hamas war as an excuse to cause violence and mayhem in the city.

“We can’t have outside agitators come in and be destructive to our city," Adams said at a news conference Tuesday. "Someone wanted something to happen at that protest at NYU."

It was not clear how many of those arrested at Columbia were students and how many were outsiders. Police did not respond to two requests for comment on the arrests.

Meanwhile, a group of 25 Senate Republicans sent a letter Tuesday to Attorney General Merrick Garland asking the Biden administration to address the protests across the nation.

“These pro-Hamas rioters have effectively shut down college campuses and have literally chased Jewish students away from our schools," the letter read. "You need to take action to restore order and protect Jewish students on our college campuses."

The letter did not ask Garland to take steps to protect the pro-Palestinian protesters.

Doha Madani is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News. Pronouns: she/her.

Selina Guevara is an NBC News associate producer, based in Chicago.

Corky Siemaszko is a senior reporter for NBC News Digital.