About
Location
Columbia University's main campus is located in the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, situated in the Morningside Heights neighbourhood.
Take a virtual tour of Columbia University's campus.
Level of competitiveness
Very competitive ***
The level of competitiveness (Less competitive * / Competitive ** / Very competitive ***) refers to one's chances of being allocated an exchange space at this partner. This is an approximation determined by the number of applications received for this destination during the last academic year versus the total number of exchange spaces available to Queen Mary students.
Academic Calendar
- Semester 1: August to December
- Semester 2: January to May
For more information, visit Columbia University's academic calendar
Courses
Restrictions: Students may NOT take courses from any of the professional schools at Columbia: Graduate School of Architecture, School of the Arts, Continuing Education, Dental Medicine, School of International and Public Affairs, Jewish Theological Seminary, Columbia Journalism School, Columbia Law School, College of Physicians and Surgeons, School of Nursing, Mailman School of Public Health, Teachers College, Union Theological Seminary. Access to courses at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and Columbia Business School are also limited.
Exchange students are registered for a full-time non-degree program and are able to register for a variety of courses at Columbia College or the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS).
Only after nomination to Columbia, successful students preparing for their exchange are asked by Columbia to look at the course listings online to aid in their course planning. Course descriptions and class details can be found at the following websites:
- The Columbia College Bulletin includes information about all departments, course offerings, and course descriptions
- The SEAS Bulletin includes information about all departments, course offerings, and course descriptions
- The Directory of Classes lists the most up-to-date course offerings and indicates the time and day of class meetings, points (credits), instructors, and current student enrollments
- The Vergil is an online system where students can plan their schedule before registration to minimise course conflicts (timetable clashes). Students may also view course syllabi and read professor evaluations
For more information and general restrictions, visit the Columbia University Incoming Exchange page > Accepted Students > Academics.
Credits
Students need to take 4-5 courses per semester (12-18 points per semester).
Find out more about credit transfer and grade conversions.
Columbia University Incoming Exchange landing page
Queen Mary student feedback
Blog posts on Queen Mary Global Bloggers:
Instagram takeovers:
Accommodation
Information on housing can be found on Columbia University's housing page.
Support Services
For information on accessibility, please visit Columbia University's Disability Services webpage.
Cost of Living
You can find general, up-to-date information about the cost of living in New York City here.
Living expenses can vary depending on individual lifestyle, especially in New York where renting private accommodation is often more expensive than renting privately in the majority of London boroughs. Please consult the estimated minimum and maximum cost of living figures for this destination country available in our “Estimated Costs of Living” document available on our Finance page.
Important: Students considering to live and study in New York must be realistic about financial matters, this being one of the most expensive cities in the world. In the decision-making process, Queen Mary students must calculate their forecasted budget with confirmed funding to which they will have access against the rising cost of living.
Campus Life
Find out more about Columbia University's Campus Life.
