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 graduate pipeline programs, and 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
- If you are planning to complete two areas of concentration or an interdisciplinary area, you must have two faculty mentors.
- 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.
Academic Policies
Below, find credit for prior learning & other academic policies, including Covid, F grade, GPA, Class status, Dean's list, graduation honors, and readmission policies.
CUNY Baccalaureate follows the University policy on “F” grades: effective fall 1990, students may re-take up to 16 credits of “F” (or FIN, WU) earned in courses taken in CUNY after September 1984. The course (same number and title) must be repeated at the college where it was originally taken. The student must earn a “C” or better in the repeated course to have only the second grade count in the index, although both courses will continue to appear on the transcript. CUNY Baccalaureate is not a party to variations on the University policy approved for individual campuses. Also, while some colleges allow D grades to be repeated, CUNY BA does not.
The following quality points are based on 1 credit. To calculate your GPA, multiply the quality points corresponding to your grade by the number of credits for the course. Divide the total by the number of quality points possible for the number of credits you attempted.
| Grade | Quality Points | |
| A+ | 4.00 | |
| A | 4.00 | |
| A- | 3.70 | |
| B+ | 3.30 | |
| B | 3.00 | |
| B- | 2.70 | |
| C+ | 2.30 | |
| C | 2.00 | |
| C- | 1.70 | |
| D+ | 1.30 | |
| D | 1.00 | |
| D- | 0.70 | |
| F, FIN, FAB | 0.00 | |
| WU | 0.00 | |
| Example | ||
Open grades such as INC, NGR, PEN, Y, and Z are not computed in the GPA.
Prior to Fall 2009, WN was counted as F; as of Fall 2009 it does not affect gpa.
| Grade | Quality Points | Credits | Total Quality Points | ||||
| A- | = | 3.70 | x | 3 | = | 11.10 | |
| B | = | 3.00 | x | 4 | = | 12.00 | |
| C+ | = | 2.30 | x | 3 | = | 6.90 | |
| F | = | 0.00 | x | 3 | = | 0.00 | |
| Total | 13 | 30.00 | |||||
| In other words: 30 Quality Points ÷ 13 credits = 2.30 GPA | |||||||
Students who maintain a 3.5 average for 30 consecutive graded credits (with no open grades) while in the program are placed on the dean’s list. For each subsequent 12 consecutive credits earned with a 3.5 average, the student is placed on the CUNY Baccalaureate Dean’s List again. The Dean’s List recognition will appear on the transcript.
Check the chart below to find your class status based on the amount of credits that you have earned.
| Class Status | Cumulative Credits |
| Lower Freshman | 0-14.9 |
| Upper Freshman | 15-29.9 |
| Lower Sophomore | 30-44.9 |
| Upper Sophomore | 45-59.9 |
| Lower Junior | 60-74.9 |
| Upper Junior | 75-89.9 |
| Lower Senior | 90-104.9 |
| Upper Senior | 105-120 |
Academic Honors
Graduation honors are determined by calculating the grade point average (GPA) for all grades the student has received (CUNY and non CUNY, including those grades that were not transferable) and separately calculating the GPA of CUNY courses which appear on our transcript. The required GPA for graduation honors must be met in both cases. The lowest of the two GPAs determines the honors. (This is the same approach taken by most of the CUNY senior colleges.)
| Honor | Required GPA | |
| Cum laude | 3.20 | |
| Magna cum laude | 3.50 | |
| Summa cum laude | 3.80 |
Examples
| Overall GPA (CUNY & non-CUNY) | CUNY BA Transcript GPA | Honor | |
| 3.20 | 3.90 | Cum laude | |
| 3.51 | 3.60 | Magna cum laude | |
| 3.81 | 3.91 | Summa cum laude | |
| 3.19 | 3.25 | none |
Dean’s Certificate for Academic Excellence
This award recognizes those graduates who do outstanding academic work while they are enrolled in the CUNY Baccalaureate (a 3.5 GPA or higher) but who are not eligible for graduation honors.
College Honors
Departmental honors are awarded directly by individual programs at the colleges. Information about departmental honors, college and national honor societies can be obtained at the home college. However, it will not apear on your CUNY Baccalaureate transcript.
Grade Changes
Please be aware that no grade changes will be made after a degree is conferred. It is the responsibility of the student to make the CUNY Baccalaureate Registrar aware of any grade changes prior to graduation.
Students who withdrew or were dropped from the program can complete the online application for readmission. Students readmitted to the program must satisfy the degree requirements in effect at the time of their readmission.
As part of The City University of New York’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, during the Spring 2020 semester, all students shall have the option to convert any or all of the (A-F) letter grades they earn in their classes, to Credit/No Credit (CR/NC) grading.
- During the Spring 2020 semester, all students shall have the option to convert any or all of the (A-F) letter grades they earn in their classes, to Credit/No Credit grading.
- Students shall be able to make this decision up to 20 business days after the University’s final grade submission deadline. Once selected, the CR/NC option cannot be cannot be reversed.
- If a student chooses to exercise this option, a passing letter grade (A, B, C, or D) will convert to ‘CR’ with credit for the class being awarded, while a failing grade (F) will convert to ‘NC’, with no credit awarded. Credit/No Credit grades will not impact the student’s GPA.
- Courses taken for a letter grade will continue to be included in the semester and general GPA, while courses taken for a Credit/Non-credit grade will be excluded, just as is the case with such courses taken at a student’s home institution.
- If a student exercises the option of Credit/No Credit, the Credit (CR) grade will not negatively impact the student’s satisfactory progress toward degree completion.
- Students with Credit/No Credit grades will be able to transfer those courses across colleges within CUNY, per current CUNY policy.
- The Special COVID-19 Flexible Grading Policy shall apply to coursework completed on Permit and will not affect Board of Trustees Policy 1.14 – Policy on Coursework Completed on Permit.
- Students placed on academic probation by their institution at the start of the Spring 2020 semester shall not be penalized with academic dismissal based upon their grades earned this semester.
- The Special COVID-19 Flexible Grading Policy shall not affect the University standards of student retention and progress in accordance with Board of Trustees Policy 1.26.
- Before choosing this grading option for one or more of their classes, students shall consult with their academic and financial aid advisors regarding potential impact to their financial aid, licensure requirements, and graduate school admissions.
- The Special COVID-19 Flexible Grading Policy shall supersede and override all undergraduate and graduate program-level grading policies currently in effect at CUNY colleges and schools, including those related to required and elective courses within the major, minor, general education (Pathwa1ys), pre-requisite courses, honors courses, courses taken on permit and maximum number of credits that a student can earn with Credit/No Credit grades.
- The grade glossary, attached to each transcript, will be updated to include a
notation denoting that all Spring 2020 grades, including CR or NC, were earned during a major disruption to instruction as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. - The Special COVID-19 Flexible Grading Policy shall apply to all CUNY colleges and schools, except the School of Law and the School of Medicine, which may develop their own Pass/Fail policies, subject to approval of the Board of Trustees, to conform to norms in legal and medical education.
- The Special COVID-19 Flexible Grading Policy, which shall be effective April 1, 2020, applies to the Spring 2020 semester only and that the Chancellor, may, in his discretion, to meet public health emergency policies and practices, extend this policy to future semesters, if necessary and report such extension to the Board of Trustees immediately.
- The Special COVID-19 Flexible Grading Policy shall be codified in the Manual of General Policy as Policy 1.4. and cannot be overwritten by any individual units of the University, including presidents, provosts, or college councils.
The policy will remain in effect for the Spring 2020 semester and will be reviewed by the Chancellor and extended as necessary to meet public health emergency policies and practices.
(Board of Trustees Minutes,2020,03-30,7)
The City University of New York has extended the Special COVID-19 Flexible Grading Policy — also known as the Credit/No Credit Policy — to the Fall 2020 term. The policy will be administered by each of CUNY’s 25 colleges, which may alter the policy for college-specific considerations. To learn about your college’s implementation of the policy, including how students can opt in and which courses are excluded from the policy, visit your college webpage.
Credit for Prior Learning (CPL)
CUNY BA accepts up to 30 credits of Credit for Prior Learning (CPL).
- Advanced Placement (AP) Exams, International Baccalaureate (IB) Exams and Military Training and Occupations credits, such as those from the Joint Services Transcripts (JST) are evaluated at the time of application to CUNY BA, as covered in our Transfer Credit Policy.
- Credit opportunities on this page can be evaluated at the time of application (if already completed) or completed and evaluated while active in the program.
- Students should consult their assigned academic advisor prior to taking any examination for credit to confirm what degree requirements that particular exam may fulfill.
- Students are not eligible to receive credit for exams which duplicate already completed coursework.
Credit-by-Exam
CUNY BA awards credit for the following standardized examinations. See below for information on qualifying scores and other policy details.
Students can receive college credit for American Council on Education (ACE) credit-recommended ALEKS courses. To receive credit, a student must assess at 70% or greater on the course material for an ACE credit-recommended ALEKS course.
The nationally recognized CLEP (College-Level Examination Program) was developed by the College Board to provide students the opportunity to earn college credit for learning acquired outside the traditional classroom. It is the most widely accepted credit-by-examination program in the United States.
CUNY Policy: Credits shall be awarded for minimum score of 50. The number of credits awarded varies by exam and score.
Eligibility: Students who receive the minimum score or better on a CLEP exam are eligible to receive credit for prior learning. Please see the chart below for minimum credit-granting score and credits awarded for each exam. Students are not eligible to receive credit for exams which duplicate already completed coursework.
More information:
Exams in Liberal Arts subjects can be applied toward the CUNY BA Liberal Arts and Sciences requirement. The below chart shows which Pathways General Education requirements relevant exams can be applied to.
| Exam Title | Credit-Granting Score | Credits Awarded | Pathways Requirement Designation |
| Business Exams | |||
| Financial Accounting | 50 | 3 | None (Non Liberal Arts Elective) |
| Information Systems | 50 | 3 | None (Non Liberal Arts Elective) |
| Introductory Business Law | 50 | 3 | None (Non Liberal Arts Elective) |
| Principles of Management | 50 | 3 | None (Non Liberal Arts Elective) |
| Principles of Marketing | 50 | 3 | None (Non Liberal Arts Elective) |
| Composition & Literature Exams | |||
| American Literature | 50 | 3 | U.S Experience in Its Diversity |
| Analyzing and Interpreting Literature | 50 | 3 | Creative Expression |
| College Composition | 50 | 6 | English Composition 1 and 2 |
| English Literature | 50 | 6 | World Cultures and Global Issues |
| Humanities | 50 | 3 | Creative Expression |
| History and Social Science Exams | |||
| American Government | 50 | 3 | U.S Experience in Its Diversity |
| History of the United States I | 50 | 3 | U.S Experience in Its Diversity |
| History of the United States II | 50 | 3 | U.S Experience in Its Diversity |
| Human Growth and Development | 50 | 3 | Individual and Society |
| Introduction to Educational Psychology | 50 | 3 | Individual and Society |
| Introductory Psychology | 50 | 3 | Individual and Society/Scientific World |
| Introductory Sociology | 50 | 3 | Individual and Society |
| Principles of Macroeconomics | 50 | 3 | Individual and Society |
| Principles of Microeconomics | 50 | 3 | Individual and Society |
| Social Sciences and History | 50 | 6 | Individual and Society |
| Western Civilization I | 50 | 3 | World Cultures and Global Issues |
| Western Civilization II | 50 | 3 | World Cultures and Global Issues |
| Science and Mathematics Exams | |||
| Biology | 50 | 6 | Life & Physical Science / Scientific World |
| Calculus | 50 | 4 | Mathematical and Quantitative Reasoning/Scientific World |
| Chemistry | 50 | 6 | Life & Physical Science / Scientific World |
| College Algebra | 50 | 3 | Mathematical and Quantitative Reasoning/Scientific World |
| College Mathematics | 50 | 3 | Mathematical and Quantitative Reasoning/Scientific World |
| Natural Sciences | 50 | 6 | Life & Physical Science / Scientific World |
| Precalculus | 50 | 3 | Mathematical and Quantitative Reasoning/Scientific World |
| World Languages Exams* | |||
| French Language Level 1 Proficiency | 50 | 6 | World Cultures and Global Issues |
| French Language Level 2 Proficiency | 59 | 9 | World Cultures and Global Issues |
| German Language Level 1 Proficiency | 50 | 6 | World Cultures and Global Issues |
| German Language Level 2 Proficiency | 60 | 9 | World Cultures and Global Issues |
| Spanish Language Level 1 Proficiency | 50 | 6 | World Cultures and Global Issues |
| Spanish Language Level 2 Proficiency | 63 | 9 | World Cultures and Global Issues |
| Spanish with Writing Level 1 Proficiency | 50 | 6 | World Cultures and Global Issues |
| Spanish with Writing Level 2 Proficiency** | 65 | 12 | World Cultures and Global Issues |
*Each world language exam covers both Level 1 and Level 2 material. For language exams you can earn either:
You cannot earn both sets of credits. The maximum you can receive for a regular language exam is 9 credits total. Required scores for 9 credits:
**The exception to this, is for Spanish Language with Writing. For this exam, you can earn either:
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The nationally recognized DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST) Credit-by-Exam Program gives students the opportunity to receive college credit for learning acquired outside the traditional classroom.
CUNY Policy: For DSST exams, credits shall be awarded for minimum score of 400 on Criterion Referenced test or 45 on Norm Referenced test.
Eligibility: Anyone with qualifying DSST scores is eligible. DANTES funding for DSST exams is available for military personnel including active duty, Guard and Reserve, US Coast Guard and USCG Research with a valid government-issued Common Access Card (CAC).
More information:
As part of the Army Training and Doctrine Command, the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (http://www.dliflc.edu/) provides resident instruction at the Presidio of Monterey in two dozen languages, five days a week, seven hours per day, with two to three hours of homework each night. Courses last from 26 to 64 weeks, depending on the difficulty of the language. DLIFLC is a multi-service school for active and reserve components, foreign military students, and civilian personnel working in the federal government and various law enforcement agencies.
CUNY Policy: Credits shall be awarded for minimum score of 3 on DLPT exams.
Eligibility: U.S. military service members who took a Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT) or Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) may be eligible for DLPT American Council on Education (ACE) Credit Recommendations. ACE college credit recommendations are only available for some languages tested with a DLPT III, DLPT IV, or DLPT 5 format after 1 October 1990.
NYU Foreign Language Proficiency Exams are available in over 30 languages for a maximum of either 12 credits or 16 credits. For Pathways, these exams can be applied to the World Cultures and Global Issues requirement.
Industry Credentials
CUNY colleges can award CPL credit for licenses, certifications, and training that have been evaluated by the American Council on Education (ACE) or by the National College Credit Recommendation Service (NCCRS). Colleges may also conduct their own Professional Learning Evaluations (PLEs) of trainings and credentials that have not been evaluated by ACE or NCCRS.
Learn more by visiting the ACE National Guide for Learners Seeking Credit or the NCCRS Students information site.
CUNY BA students may earn these credits via their home college and transfer them to CUNY BA. Find these credit equivalencies at your home college by using the Non-CUNY courses, trainings, and exams search function of Transfer Explorer (T-Rex).
Portfolio Assessment
Some CUNY colleges offer individualized credit for prior learning demonstrated through the development of a portfolio. The portfolio process enables students to document their learning in the workplace, community work, self-study, and personal experiences, to be assessed by faculty or equivalent content experts. CUNY BA is able to transfer up to 15 credits of this type of credit for prior learning.
One of the many advantages of transferring to CUNY BA is that your transfer credits will be determined during the application process and explained to you upon your acceptance; appropriate courses previously taken will be applied toward CUNY BA degree requirements.
Here are our transfer credit guidelines:
- Transfer Credits: CUNY BA evaluates all courses previously taken and can accept up to a total of 90 credits. (The maximum allowed for community college credits is 68).
- CUNY Credits: All credits earned within CUNY are recognized.
- Credit may be granted for courses taken at other institutions in which students received a grade of at least a full “C”.
- Remedial and ESL credits do not transfer.
- International Credits: Credits from universities outside the U.S. must be evaluated by the student’s CUNY college of matriculation (home college) OR by a course-by-course evaluation by one of the following agencies prior to applying:
- World Education Services: www.wes.org
- Evaluation Service, Inc.: http://www.evaluationservice.net/
- Josef Silny & Associates: http://www.jsilny.org/
- Transcript Research: http://transcriptresearch.com/
A maximum of 30 credits of non-collegiate credit is possible granted under the CUNY Credit for Prior Learning Policy. CUNY’s credit for prior learning options include:
- Exams, such as Advanced Placement (AP), CLEP (College Level Examination Program), and International Baccalaureate (IB);
- Portfolio assessment (maximum 15 credits);
- Review of industry credentials, such as FDNY, NYPD, EMS, and military trainings. These experiences may be evaluated by ACE or NCCRS, organizations that make recommendations for college credit.
Advanced Placement (AP)
- Students who have taken Advanced Placement (AP) exams should submit their scores with their application to the program. AP exams passed with scores of 3 or higher (effective for Fall 2017 admissions) will be considered for credit based on the ACE credit granting recommendations (effective Spring 2024 admissions). Exams which replicate credit granted for other college-level coursework will not be considered.
International Baccalaureate (IB)
-
Up to 30 credits can be awarded to students who complete the IB diploma with a total score of 30 or greater. For students who either did not complete the IB Diploma or completed the IB with a score of 29 or less, three credits can be awarded for Higher-level exams in which a score of “5” or greater was earned. The program does not grant credit for Standard-level exams or for Higher-level exams in which the score earned was below a “5.”
Available Courses
CUNY BA students enjoy special access to some courses and can take courses in almost every undergraduate school and department across CUNY, with a few exceptions. See details below.
Macaulay Honors College
CUNY BA enjoys a special relationship with Macaulay Honors College which makes many (though not all) of their upper-level courses available to CUNY BA students on a space available basis.
Sidney Harman Writer-in-Residence Seminars
Each semester the Sidney Harman Writer-in-Residence program brings in a notable, often award winning, author to Baruch College and CUNY BA students are given the opportunity to apply to take the seminar course that they teach.
Hunter School of Education
Select courses courses from Hunter College's School of Education are available to CUNY BA students pending approval by program directors and seat availability. For permission requests, please contact the Office of Academic & Student Affairs at soe.oasa@hunter.cuny.edu.
City College Center for Worker Education
This program offers a wide selection of interdisciplinary liberal arts and science courses, which are a good fit for CUNY BA students.
Qualified students may take some graduate courses as part of their CUNY BA undergraduate program provided they meet the eligibility criteria. Interested students should speak to their CUNY BA academic advisor.
CUNY BA also has three 4+1 Pipeline Programs in place with the Masters in Liberal Studies Program (MALS) at the Graduate Center, CUNY School of Public Health and Craig Newmark School of Journalism, which allow participating students to complete their bachelors and masters degrees at an accelerated pace by completing some of their graduate coursework as part of their undergraduate program.
The following policy is set by the Dean of the Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College:
The demand for many business courses frequently exceed the supply for these courses at the Zicklin School of Business every semester, as undergraduate enrollment in the Zicklin’s business programs has been steadily growing and the available seats for business courses are limited by our physical spaces and faculty resources. Our priority has been and will always be to ensure adequate choices of business courses for matriculated Zicklin business students in order to complete their degree requirement in a reasonable time frame. Therefore, it is necessary to limit the availability of some business courses to non-Zicklin business undergraduate students from other CUNY institutions and within Baruch College.
Permissions
Non-Zicklin undergraduate students, including those from Baruch College, CUNY BA, and other CUNY institutions, if their Program of Study requires business courses (such as a business minor or business electives) and adequate pre-requisites are satisfied, are permitted to:
- Take any number of the 1000 or 2000 level business courses subject to seat availability, and
- Take a total of three (3) of the 3000 or 4000 level selected business courses from the list below.
In cases where a student wants to take a course that is not on the selected course list and the 3-course limit is not reached, if the course is not fully enrolled and the department gives permission, the student may register for the unlisted course.
CUNY BA students must provide the Zicklin Dean's Office with a copy of an approved AOC form which shows the course they wish to register for. Permission will be granted by that office and entered into CUNYfirst to facilitate registration
Selected Business Course List
Stan Ross Department of Accountancy
No accountancy (ACC) courses are available
Bert W. Wasserman Department of Economics & Finance
No Finance (FIN) or Insurance (INS) courses are available
All Economics (ECO) courses at 3000 level are available
Department of Law
All LAW 3000 and 4000 level courses are available
Narendra Paul Loomba Department of Management
MGT 3120 Fundamentals of Management
MGT 3300 Management: A Behavioral Approach
MGT 3800 Management and Society
MGT 3960 Entrepreneurship Management
MGT 4400 Human Resource Management
MGT 4420 The Management of Compensation
MGT 4430 Employee Development and Training
MGT 4460 Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining
MGT 4480 Conflict Management Procedures
MGT 4961 Entrepreneurial Experiences
MGT 4962 Family Business Management
MGT 4967 Technology, Innovation, and Design in Entrepreneurship
MGT 4968 Critical Conversations for Entrepreneurs: Selling and Negotiating
MGT 4969 Social Entrepreneurship
MGT 4971 Women and Entrepreneurship
MGT 4978 Entrepreneurship: Managing Ventures within the Corporation
Department of Marketing & International Business
MKT 3000 Marketing Foundations
MKT 3400 International Business Principles
MKT 3520 Advertising and Marketing Communications
MKT 3605 Consumer Behavior
MKT 4555 Internet Marketing
MKT 3600 Marketing Research
MKT 4561 Marketing Analytics
MKT 4123 Web Analytics
MKT 4966 Social Media Marketing
Department of Real Estate
RES 3000 Real Estate Law
RES 3700 Real Estate Management
RES 3800 Real Estate Construction Process
Paul H. Chook Department of Information Systems & Statistics
CIS 3100 Object-Oriented Programming I
CIS 4100 Object Oriented Programming II
CIS 3400 Database Management Systems I
CIS 3444 e-Business Technologies
CIS 3500 Networks & Telecomm I
CIS 3630 Principles of Web Design
CIS 3367 Spreadsheet Applications in Business
OPR 3300 Quantitative Methods for Accounting
OPR 3450 Quantitative Decision Making
STA 3154 Business Statistics II
STA 3155 Regression and Forecasting Models for Business Applications
This policy was updated in January 2018
While CUNY BA students are eligible to take courses in almost all schools and departments across the CUNY campuses, there are a few exceptions which applicants and currents students should be aware of. Often, these schools or departments have admissions criteria above and beyond those of the college or are restricted to students who are enrolled in their degree programs. Below is a list of schools and departments where we are aware this is the case. If you receive conflicting information or believe we should add to the list please email general@cunyba.cuny.edu.
Baruch College's Zicklin School of Business allows limited access to a limited number of departments and courses.
City College's Grove School of Engineering (note that the Computer Science department is housed here)
City College's Sonic Arts Program
Select courses courses from Hunter College's School of Education are available to CUNY BA students pending approval by program directors and seat availability. For permission requests, please contact the Office of Academic & Student Affairs at soe.oasa@hunter.cuny.edu.
BFA programs in Theater and Music may require auditions but are generally welcoming
Departments of Speech Language Pathology and Nutrition may require special permission and early registration but are generally welcoming
No nursing programs are open to CUNY BA students.
Accelerate Your Graduate Degree: Dual Enrollment Master’s Programs
Get ahead on your graduate coursework by applying for a dual enrollment (“plus one year”) Master’s program. These programs offer a special admission process and 9-18 credits of graduate work which can count towards both your CUNY BA/BS and Master’s degree! If you have fewer than 120 credits, you pay the undergraduate tuition rate. Currently, CUNY BA has four dual enrollment programs.
Accelerated Degree Program with CUNY School of Public Health
CUNY Baccalaureate for Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies (CUNY BA) and CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy (SPH) agree to establish a Bachelor’s-Master’s pipeline program, the CUNY BA-SPH 4+1 Program.
Who is this for?
Students who are interested in pursuing Master of Public Health (MPH) or health-related Master of Science (MS) degrees after graduation.
Master of Public Health (MPH) concentrations:
MPH in Community Health
MPH in Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences
MPH in Epidemiology and Biostatistics
MPH in Health Policy and Management
MPH in Public Health Nutrition
Master of Science (MS) concentrations:
MS in Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences
MS in Health Communications for Social Change (online program)
MS in Population Health Informatics (online program)
Eligibility
Eligible students must have:
- Completed 60 undergraduate credits or more
- Maintained a cumulative CUNY GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Not yet in their last semester of the CUNY BA program
Benefits
The pipeline permits eligible CUNY BA students to take graduate-level courses at the CUNY School of Public Health (SPH) during their junior and senior years in CUNY BA, with such courses counting towards both their undergraduate and graduate degrees, and secures their early admission to SPH’s master’s programs, to enable the completion of both the undergraduate and master’s degrees in five years rather than six. Accepted students may earn up to 18 credits in SPH graduate courses that will apply towards both their bachelor’s degree at CUNY BA and their master’s degree at SPH.
How to Apply
To apply for admission, students will be required to submit a one-to-two-page personal statement explaining their personal and academic rationale for joining the pipeline program. Students should demonstrate a commitment to pursuing a master’s degree in public health, the health sciences, or industrial hygiene and/or a career in the field of health based upon their current program of study or work experience.
With support from CUNY BA, the student will submit their application, personal statement, and official CUNY BA transcripts to the CUNY BA 4+1 Admissions Committee who will review the materials and consult with the student’s CUNY BA Academic Advisor on any additional pertinent information needed. Final decisions regarding provisional acceptances at SPH will be made by the SPH 4+1 Admissions Committee. SPH and CUNY BA will issue joint letters of acceptance, rejection, or waitlist status during the Spring and Fall semesters. The CUNY BA students will apply to the program in Spring for admission in the Summer or Fall session, or in Fall for admission in the Spring session.
Current CUNY BA students interested in applying should complete this application.
Accelerated Degree Program with Masters in Liberal Studies at CUNY Graduate Center
CUNY Baccalaureate for Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies (CUNY BA) and the M.A. Program in Liberal Studies (MALS) at The Graduate Center, The City University of New York, offer a pipeline program.
Who is this for?
This program is for students who are interested in pursuing a Masters of Liberal Arts degree at the CUNY Graduate Center.
Eligibility
Eligible students are in good standing with at least one semester of coursework in CUNY BA, at least 60 credits completed (at least junior level), and a CUNY BA GPA of at least 3.0.
Benefits
Students may earn up to 12 (twelve) credits within MALS during their undergraduate degree program in CUNY BA. These credits will be applicable to the CUNY BA degree and may be accepted towards a Master’s degree, for those CUNY BA graduates desiring to continue into the MALS program.
How to Apply
There are two application deadlines each year: November 1 for the Spring semester and March 1 for the Fall semester. Applicants to the CUNY BA–MALS Pipeline should complete the general Graduate Center application. As part of the process, you will be required to submit a 1–2 page essay, a writing sample of at least five pages, and have two faculty members submit letters of recommendation.
LEARN MORE: Check back here to find information about attending a Virtual CUNYBA-MALS Pipeline Information Session during the fall semester.
Sample Subject Area
| College | Department | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baruch | HIS 3056 | The Civil Rights Movement | 3 |
| Hunter | HIST 35900 | Immigration and Ethnicity in the US | 3 |
| Hunter | URBS 40392 | Housing and the American City | 3 |
| Brooklyn College | AMST 3307 | Transnational America | 3 |
| Brooklyn College | AMST 3206 | Hard Times: The Great Depression | 3 |
| Brooklyn College | AMST 3212 | Decade in Crisis: The 1960s | 3 |
| Brooklyn College | AMST 5003W | Independent Research | 3 |
| Graduate Center | MALS 70800 | Transformations of Modernity 1914-present | 3 |
Accelerated Degree Program with Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY
The accelerated degree program allows eligible CUNY students to complete an MA in Journalism in an additional year after their bachelor’s degree, by taking 12 credits of coursework at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY in their senior year that counts toward both their bachelor’s and MA degrees.
Who is this for?
Students who are interested in a career in journalism, media, or adjacent fields.
Eligibility
To be eligible, a student must have completed 75 credits towards a bachelor’s degree and must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5. No prior journalism coursework or experience is needed.
Benefits
Students in the accelerated degree program can complete their MA in as little as one year (two semesters and a summer) but can also extend their studies, depending on work and family obligations.
In the fall of your senior year, you would take the 5.5-credit Craft of Journalism course, which lays the foundation for all subsequent coursework at the school. It covers reporting skills like interviewing and research, writing and story construction, verification, photography and audience engagement, among others.
In the spring of your senior year, you would take a first course in a subject concentration (3 credits), then choose among other introductory courses, such as data journalism (3 credits), fundamentals of audio (2 credits), fundamentals of video (2.5 credits) or advanced research (1 credit).
Upon completion of your undergraduate degree, you will be fully admitted to the J-School. You will need to complete two more courses in your selected reporting subject concentration. Concentration choices are: Arts & Culture, Local Accountability Reporting, International Reporting, Health & Science, Business & Economics, and Bilingual Journalism in Spanish and English.
In addition, you can choose to take a range of courses across all media formats, or you can opt to specialize in audio, broadcast/documentary, investigative or data reporting. Finally, you will be required to complete a paid summer internship.
How to Apply
Current CUNY BA students interested in applying should submit 2-3 writing samples and a statement of no more than 1,000 words that explains what draws you to the profession, what subjects you’d like to shine a light on, and what you hope to gain from studying at the Newmark Graduate School of Journalism. GPA and credit count will be confirmed with applicants’ schools. There is no application fee.
Accelerated Degree Program: Master’s in Urban Sustainability at City College of New York
This accelerated degree program allows eligible CUNY students to complete an MS in Urban Sustainability in an additional year after their bachelor’s degree, by taking 9 credits of coursework at the The City College of New York at CUNY in their senior year that counts toward both their bachelor’s and MS degrees.
Who is this for?
This is a great opportunity for students who have created Areas of Concentration focused on climate, environment, or urban sustainability.
Eligibility
To be eligible, a student must have completed 75 credits towards a bachelor’s degree and must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.2. You must have completed (or be currently enrolled in) College Algebra (or higher) and Intro to Physics (or equivalent science coursework). A minimum of 15 CUNY BA residency credits must also be completed.
Benefits
Students in the accelerated degree program can complete their MS in as little as one year (two semesters and a summer) but can also extend their studies, depending on work and family obligations.
In the fall of your senior year, you would take [...]
In the spring of your senior year, you would take [...]
Upon completion of your undergraduate degree, you will be fully admitted to the Masters program, provided you maintain a GPA of at least 3.0 for both undergraduate and graduate coursework.
How to Apply
Current CUNY BA students interested in applying should:
- Prepare a one-to-two page personal statement outlining your personal and academic rationale for joining the Masters in Urban Sustainability program.
- Demonstrate a commitment to pursuing a master's degree in Urban Sustainability based upon their current program of study and/or work experience. Your Area of Concentration (AOC) must be focused on climate, environment, or urban sustainability.
- Gather 2-3 letters of recommendation
- Provide an unofficial CUNY BA transcript
Click the following link to apply: CUNY BA 4+1 Accelerated Master’s in Sustainability Pre-Application