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.