Prospective Students

Applicants who wish to pursue a major that doesn't exist at their home college should submit an application to the program. Once received, we will make sure we have the required components, review it and when it's approved we will conduct an individualized transfer credit evaluation according to our transfer credit policy. Once that's completed, you will be invited to complete an online orientation module and to schedule an individualized admissions appointment with your assigned academic advisor. We will review your degree requirements and give you a complete overview of the program. At the conclusion of your admissions appointment you will sign a degree agreement to formalize your admission into the program. In the meantime, you can find answers to common questions on our frequently asked questions page.

CUNY BA Fall 2026 Priority Application Deadline: July 1, 2026

Apply by July 1st for Priority Admission!

Submitting your Fall 2026 application early ensures that you:

Get a head start – Receive your transfer evaluation and work on your plan to complete your degree requirements.
Receive feedback – Benefit from the opportunity to revise your initial proposal, if needed
Enjoy community – Access academic advisement early and strategically plan your upcoming semester. Join CUNY BA activities!

How to Apply

Because the major that you are applying for doesn't exist at your college, a critical component of your application is the Area of Concentration (AoC). Your AoC is the cornerstone of the CUNY BA degree, so it's important that you craft a strong proposal in your application. You can learn more about proposing your Area of Concentration and choosing courses for your AOC proposal for it here: Proposing Your Area.

The Application

The application is pretty standard: your name(s), contact information, complete educational history (including ALL colleges attended and other credits earned through things like College Now, AP, Project Advance, etc.), a personal statement and your Area of Concentration (AOC) Proposal (the major you'd like to study). You can learn more about proposing your Area of Concentration and choosing courses for your AOC proposal for it here: Proposing Your Area.

Applicants must have completed at least 12 college credits and have a GPA of at least a 2.80.

CUNY Baccalaureate accepts applications throughout the year. Students are encouraged to apply as far in advance of the desired semester of entry as possible. Students applying approximately two weeks before the start of classes, may not be able to be considered for that semester.

Personal Statement

Official Transcripts

You do not need to send any CUNY transcripts.

You will need to submit either official sealed non-CUNY college transcript(s) or have an official electronic version sent directly from the college in the following instances:

If you submitted your non-CUNY transcripts directly to one of the CUNY colleges
If you applied to CUNY and submitted your non-CUNY transcript(s) to the UAPC while you had coursework in progress (even if you already submitted a finalized copy to one of the CUNY colleges).

If you have sent your non-CUNY transcripts to the University Application Processing Center (UAPC) when you applied to CUNY, we can access those in many (but not all) instances.

Please note: You can submit an unofficial student copy of your non-CUNY transcript(s) for temporary review purposes while you arrange to have an official version sent directly from the college to our program.

*In rare circumstances, students with older records, which are not in CUNYfirst, will need to request an official transcript.

Note: All materials that are submitted become the property of CUNY Baccalaureate for Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies and cannot be released to the student or to other institutions.

Matriculation

The college where you are matriculated will serve as your home college in the program. Many of our applicants are current CUNY students; if that describes you, you don't need to do anything else. If you previously attended a CUNY school, you may file for readmission or file a CUNY transfer application if you'd like to be based at another campus.

If you have never attended CUNY, you can file a CUNY transfer application. Keep in mind that students with 68 or more credits must be matriculated at a senior college (as opposed to a community college).

You can learn how to apply for a CUNY college at https://www.cuny.edu/admissions/ (this is a different and separate application from the CUNY BA application)

If you were previously enrolled in CUNY BA and wish to reapply to the program, please complete an application for readmission.

Have a Question?

Contact admissions@cunyba.cuny.edu.