Academic Policies

This page offers comprehensive information about graduation, Pathways general education, Liberal Arts and Science, and Area of Concentration requirements. Also find credit for prior learning & other academic policies, including Covid, F grade, GPA, Class status, Dean's list, graduation honors, and readmission policies. Finally, find information about CUNY programs that have admissions criteria above and beyond those of the college or are restricted to students who are enrolled in their degree programs.

Degree Requirements

CUNY Baccalaureate students fulfill the following requirements to complete their degree, including Pathways, Areas of Concentration and Liberal Arts and Science.

CUNY Baccalaureate students must complete a graduation audit with their Academic Advisor when they have earned between 90 and 100 credits and have an approved area of concentration form (or forms, if applicable) on file. They are not eligible to graduate without a graduation audit. They should not file for graduation with their home college.

Credit Requirements

• Minimum total credits: 120 (Some students will need more than 120 credits to meet AOC, LAS, and Pathways requirements)
• Minimum Liberal Arts and Science: at least 60 LAS credits (minimum for BS) or 90 LAS credits (minimum for BA)
• Minimum of 8 courses/24 credits of intermediate and advanced level coursework for single AOC, or 6 courses/18 credits for each of your dual AOCs. Individual requirements are based on approved AOC form(s)
• Completion of Pathways requirements
• Minimum of 30 residency credits (credits of coursework taken in CUNY, excluding life experience and credit by exam, while you were a CUNY BA student)

Credit Restrictions

• Non-Classroom Credit: Max 30 cr. from credit by exam (including CLEP); military, FDNY, NYPD, EMS, NPONSI credits; and life experience credits [a maximum of 15 credits]
• Community College Credit: Max 68 cr. from community college courses for students who entered Summer 2011 or later; max of 60 cr. for students who entered prior to Summer 2011.

GPA Requirements

• Overall GPA is at least 2.50 (unless admitted provisionally)
• GPA within CUNY BA is at least 2.50
• AOC GPA(s) is (are) at least 2.50

Other

• Students cannot graduate with open grades (IP, PEN, INC, Z, etc.)
• All grade changes must be made prior to completion of the degree

Any questions regarding these requirements can be directed to your academic advisor.

Students who entered CUNY BA in Summer 2013 and beyond follow a CUNY-wide general education requirement called Pathways. It constitutes a subset of the overall liberal arts requirement, and it has two parts, as follows:

The Required Core, Four Courses/12 Credits
English Composition 1 and II (2 courses)
Mathematical and Quantitative Reasoning (1 course)
Life and Physical Sciences (1 course)

The Flexible Core, Six Courses/18 Credits
One course in each category plus an additional sixth from any one of the categories:
World Cultures and Global Issues
U.S. Experience in Its Diversity
Creative Expression
Individual and Society
Scientific World

Students with Pathways coursework left to complete after admission to CUNY BA will be able to identify online the pertinent courses CUNY has designated for the Pathways categories. The CUNY course catalogs and schedule of classes, will also indicate the courses that fulfill Pathways categories.

Students who enter CUNY BA without having completed the requirement in English Composition may do so by completing CUNY courses designated as “Required English Composition” OR by completing CUNY courses designated as “Writing Intensive” in any subject. Students who have been given an exemption for English Composition by a CUNY college should be sure to bring that their CUNY BA advisor’s attention.

To complete Pathways requirements with non-CUNY courses or with credit-by-exam, you will consult with your CUNY BA academic advisor.

Note that: (1) students who enter CUNY BA as second Bachelor degree candidates or who have completed AA or AS degrees prior to CUNY BA admission are considered to have completed this Pathways curriculum. (2) CUNY BA students may complete up to 12 credits Pass/Fail toward their degrees; within that limit, students with Pathways courses left to complete after admission may take those courses, if desired, on a Pass/Fail (sometimes known as Credit/No Credit) basis when that option is available to them at the college. (3) upper-level courses applied to Pathways requirements may also be used, if approved, in CUNY BA Areas of Concentration. (4) CUNY BA students are not required to complete the 6-12 credit College Option courses at their home colleges. Because concentrations (majors) are individualized, college option courses are determined on a case-by-case basis.

Students who stopped out of CUNY and are returning are bound by these new requirements, but can appeal to the college to enter under the old general education requirements if that will expedite their graduation. CUNY BA will make this determination for re-admits and will allow them to reenter under the old requirements if that benefits them, so no appeals process will be needed.

Students may check with a CUNY Baccalaureate academic advisor before registering for Pathways courses if they have any questions.

Minimum LAS credits: 60

60-89 LAS credits for a Bachelor of Science degree
90+ LAS credits for a Bachelor of Arts degree

LAS courses are those in which theory is the focus and in which broad foundations link the course content to: history; philosophy; culture; natural, social, or behavioral sciences; or mathematics.

By contrast, non-LAS courses are those in which the primary intent is to give students a specific vocational, professional, or technical skill; there is substantial focus on professional development, technical proficiency, and professional or business-related content; or the focus of the course is on derivative, practical, or applied aspects of the field.

LAS credits may be earned from Pathways courses, AOC courses, and electives. Consult your academic advisor for your current total of LAS credits.

Area(s) of Concentration

Whereas general education requirements seek to give students a broad range of skills and information, the goals of in-depth study in an academic discipline through an area (or areas) of concentration include:

• developing knowledge of a particular subject (typically one that is interdisciplinary)
• encountering and integrating increasingly complex ideas (courses must progress from intermediate to advanced levels)
• establishing an intellectual foundation for further academic study and/or professional activities

For Current CUNY BA Students Only

• Download the Area of Concentration (AOC) form (pdf) HERE
• Download the Area of Concentration Narrative HERE (word doc)

Faculty Mentors

Faculty mentors play a central role in the CUNY Baccalaureate. They guide students in planning their area(s) of concentration and ensure that these specializations are coherent and academically valid. Sometimes, faculty mentors supervise and evaluate independent study or fieldwork projects and they often advise students about options for graduate study. Finally, mentors recommend the student for the degree. Each student selects and works with a CUNY faculty member who agrees to help design and then supervise his/her area of concentration.

• The faculty mentor must
  • be a full-time professor at a CUNY college
  • hold the rank of assistant, associate, or full professor or lecturer
  • be in a discipline directly related to your area of concentration
  • Students applying to CUNY BA don’t need to have a mentor when submitting the application. However, once accepted, students should have a mentor by the end of their first semester in the program.

  Coursework

  All courses for an area of concentration must:

  • be approved by a CUNY faculty mentor and the program’s Academic Director
  • be taken for letter grades (C- or above for students who entered the program Summer 2008 and later); courses such as fieldwork or internships not offered for grades but CR only are acceptable
  • be taken at a senior college in a department that offers a bachelor’s degree
  • be completed at the intermediate or advanced level (also known as upper-level). The college catalogs typically indicate which courses are introductory, intermediate, or advanced. Intermediate and advanced level courses usually have at least one pre-requisite in the same discipline. Note that there are some CUNY BA exceptions to this pre-requisite rule. For example, only foreign language courses beyond the intermediate level (the first two years) may fulfill requirements for AOCs; both micro and macro-economics, which may have pre-requisites, are considered introductory; the second course in a first-year science sequence is introductory; the second year of coursework at New York City College of Technology (the 2000 level) is also introductory. Faculty mentors will help students identify pertinent upper level courses for their area(s).

  At least 50% of any area must be completed in CUNY as a CUNY Baccalaureate student.

  Single Area of Concentration

  At least 8 courses/24 credits of intermediate and advanced level coursework. Up to two internships and/or independent studies may be included.

  Dual Areas of Concentration

  At least 6 courses/18 credits of intermediate and advanced level coursework in each area. One internship or independent study may be included in each area.