Focus Areas for Visiting Students
Thematically linked courses of study designed to cover four different areas of scholarship. Our unique interdisciplinary approach offers students the opportunity to study across multiple departments, crafting a curriculum that aligns with their interests and goals.
Focus Areas for Visiting Students
Focus Areas for visiting students are designed to help visiting students hone in on the areas of study that interest them the most. Each of the four Focus Areas unites distinct courses and subject areas under a thematic banner, providing students the opportunity to enroll in courses offered across multiple departments, through an interdisciplinary approach that includes co-curriculars exclusive to each Focus Area.
Our four Focus Areas for visiting students offer compelling areas of study in a wide array of fields. These Focus Areas include: Arts and Culture in NYC, Foundations of Pre-Medicine, Public Affairs and a Sustainable Future, and Wall Street Prep: Economics, Finance & Analytics.
Selecting a Focus Area is simple: Students must register for 2 (or more) courses listed in the Focus Area of their choice when enrolling in the program. Upon successful completion of these 2 courses, a Certificate of Participation in their Focus Area will be awarded at the end of the session.
2024 Program Dates
Session A: May 20–June 28
Session B: July 1–August 9
Arts and Culture in NYC
Foundations of Pre-Medicine
Public Affairs and a Sustainable Future
Wall Street Prep: Economics, Finance & Analytics
Co-Curriculars
Learning doesn’t end once you leave the classroom. Co-curriculars in the Visiting Focus Area of your choice enhance your experience by providing outings that make use of everything the University and the city of New York have to offer. Co-Curriculars are exclusive to each Focus Area and could include things like: Sites visits to Wall Street & the New York Stock Exchange, and Federal Reserve; Attending a neuroscience seminar by the Zuckerman Brain Institute; attending a performance of Shakespeare in the Park; or a visit to The New York Climate Exchange on Governors Island, to learn about the upcoming 2028 campus.
Housing
100 dormitories are reserved for Visiting Students during the Summer Session. Students in the Public Affairs and Sustainable Futures or Wall Street Prep: Economics, Finance & Analytics areas have the opportunity to participate in the launch of Columbia’s Living and Learning Communities, to be located at Broadway Hall and Hogan Hall. These students will be offered additional weekend programming opportunities geared towards building community with your peers onsite. Housing opportunities vary depending on your Focus Area. Be sure to check the program page for your Focus Area to get more information.