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Fall 2024 Graduate Application Deadline Extended to June 6. Apply Now!

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Welcome to undergraduate admissions at the CUNY School of Professional Studies (CUNY SPS). We're glad you are choosing CUNY SPS to complete your undergraduate degree and further your academic goals. 

Our undergraduate programs are designed to meet the needs of adult students who are returning to college, some after many years, to finish or transition into a bachelor’s degree program.

Before applying

Admissions requirements*.

• Applicants should have a minimum of 24 earned credits from a regionally accredited institution. Official transcripts from all previous colleges, universities, or proprietary schools you have attended since high school must be submitted, whether or not you intend to request transfer credit.
• For students who feel their prior college GPA is not reflective of their academic potential and may not meet our standard GPA requirement, CUNY SPS has an alternate performance-based application program called Jump Start .
• Jump Start Application Deadlines
• We accept a maximum of 105 Transfer Credits .
• To gain admission to CUNY SPS, students must satisfy the reading, writing, and mathematics basic skills requirements. CUNY College Readiness Requirements
• A personal essay of at least 250 words is part of the application process.
• Unless a currently enrolled CUNY student, to submit your application, you must pay a $70 non-refundable processing fee. Without payment, your application will not be sent to CUNY SPS. Veterans of the United States Military, active duty service members, and members of the National Guard or Reserves are eligible for an  application fee waiver .

*Following an initial admissions review, applicants may be asked to submit additional documentation.

How to Submit Official Transcripts

Keep in mind that your application must include an official transcript from each individual college or university you attended since graduating high school. As a courtesy we will attempt to pull your CUNY transcripts and you will be notified via email if we are unable to.

Your official transcript(s) should be sent to:  CUNY School of Professional Studies  Attn: Office of Admissions  119 West 31st Street  New York, NY 10001  We will also accept electronic transcripts submitted directly from the institution or by a company contracted by the institution through a secured system. Electronic transcripts will not be accepted as official if they are emailed from the student. Please request that your official transcript be sent electronically to  [email protected] .

For information regarding submitting transcripts from non-domestic colleges/universities, please visit Undergraduate Applicants Educated Outside the U.S.

Financial Aid 

Applicants who have not yet filed for  TAP or the  Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and plan on receiving financial aid should do so right away!

Undergraduate Degree Program Deadlines

Fall 2024 Regular Deadline: Monday, June 17, 2024

Priority Decision Deadline: Monday, April 6, 2020

Completing the application by the priority deadline will guarantee notification of an admission status weeks before the Regular Decision.

Students admitted through the Priority Decision will have an early advantage to:

• Start classes with the Summer 2020 session
• Receive a transfer credit evaluation
• Meet with an academic advisor to select classes
• Have more time to sign up for a tuition payment plan
• Learn of their financial aid award (for those who submit a FAFSA and are deemed eligible for grants)

The regular deadline for Spring 2020 has passed. The CUNY SPS Office of Admissions is offering interested students the opportunity to apply online with  Direct Admission  for the Spring 2020 semester. The Direct Admission application is designed only for transfers who are seeking admission to one of our fully online bachelor’s programs or one in-person bachelor’s program (excluding our BS in Nursing program).  

Can Anyone Apply Through Direct Admission?

For the Spring 2020 semester, only prospective undergraduate transfer students who were educated within the United States can apply through this process.

If you were educated at any point outside of the U.S., your international transcripts must be evaluated by the University Application Processing Center (UAPC), and you must apply for the Fall 2020 semester through the regular  admissions application . Students interested in our RN to BS in Nursing program for Spring 2020 will also have to apply through the regular admissions application .

Important Information for all Applicants

Please be advised that while you are invited to apply for the Spring 2020 semester with the Direct Admission application, your application will only be reviewed if it is complete and pending the availability of space in the program. Applicants will be required to upload an admissions essay and submit all official transcripts directly to the Office of Admissions . Please note letters of recommendation, high school transcripts, and SAT/ACT scores are NOT required for admission to CUNY SPS.  

While we cannot guarantee that your application will be reviewed for Spring 2020, note that as a courtesy your application will automatically be forwarded for the Fall 2020 semester.

(Accelerated) Nursing programs

The decision deadline for admission to the (Accelerated) Nursing programs is Tuesday, December 3, 2019 .

• RN to BS-MS in Nursing Education (Accelerated)
• RN to BS-MS in Nursing Informatics (Accelerated)
• RN to BS-MS in Nursing Organizational Leadership (Accelerated)

The Office of Admissions can help you with any questions you have about the application process.

Next Steps to Apply

Upcoming Events

Online information session: bachelor's degree programs.

June 04, 2024

Online Information Session: Jump Start Application

June 06, 2024

Online Information Session: SEEK

June 11, 2024

Test Flight: Online Learning Simulation

June 12, 2024 to June 18, 2024

Office of Admissions

Monday – Friday: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (Remote Hours)

119 West 31 st Street, Suite 217 New York, NY 10001

Phone: (646) 664-8544 Texting: (646) 517-7876 Fax: (646) 664-8724

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CUNY Application Prompts 2021 are Out!

The CUNY Macaulay Honors College Essay prompts are now available.  If you will apply next fall, you may want to get drafts going over the summer; this fall the Macaulay deadline will be earlier than in the past (November 16).

You can read about the full application process here.

OUR ESSAY PROMPTS HAVE BEEN POSTED!

The application for the Macaulay Class of 2026 won't open until September 1, but the prompts are available now for rising seniors.

As part of the Macaulay application to the class of 2026, we require that studemts submit  two pieces of writing: an ESSAY and a second WRITING SAMPLE . Each should be around 500 words long. Word counts may be slightly over or under, within reason.

ESSAY PROMPT:  Describe an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.

WRITING SAMPLE PROMPT: Write on a topic of your choice. It may be something you have already written, something that addressed a different prompt (such as another college essay or academic assignment), or may be an essay of your own design.

In selecting your writing sample, students should consider that:

• Readers will not be specialists in any specific field, submissions of a technical nature are discouraged
• Submissions can be an excerpt from a larger text, but it should be self-contained, with a reasonably clear beginning, middle, and end
• Students are encouraged to be ambitious in their writing, but also aware of word count limitations

SEE ALL APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

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Baruch College Writing Center

Prewriting for personal statements and other application materials

This guide is designed to help you begin brainstorming information to include in your application materials. Open a new, blank document and take notes in response to each of the below prompts.

List your experience

Identify your skills, interests, and goals, connect your experience to your skills, research the program, find and analyze models, draft the statement.

Begin by identifying your most significant past experiences—in work, in school, and in your personal life. What are the most important, uncommon, or interesting elements of your past? What makes you stand out from the average applicant? List anything a committee might want to know about you.

• Academic Experiences Ex: Course in International Economics
• Professional or Extracurricular Experiences Ex: Marketing Internship; founder of start-up; treasurer of a club
• Personal Experiences Ex. Living in several countries; family members who inspired you

Then, start identifying your skills, interests, and goals. As you brainstorm, focus on what is most relevant to this application.

• Personal skills and traits Ex: data analysis; leadership skills; patient with young kids; persistence; curiosity; graphic design
• Current interests and goals that motivate you to apply Ex: Management Consulting; NYC theater scene; to gain non-profit experience; to learn about other cultures
• Long term goals this opportunity will help you achieve Ex: To obtain a managerial role; to pursue a graduate degree; to enter a particular subfield or specialty

Next, you’ll look for connections between elements in these lists.

Frame your background as a source of expertise:

Explain how one or more elements of your background helped you to develop a key skill, interest, or understanding.

• Ex: Over the years, I have gained an understanding of how the historic and political structures of South Asian regions cause cultural practices to evolve. I owe much of this learning to my experience living in India in 2015.
• Ex: Having minored in English literature, I’m especially interested in the relationship between creative writing and marketing.
• Ex: My initial interes t in communication studies, and specifically the field of intercultural communication, emerged from the experience of growing up in China as a child of Bangladeshi parents.

Explain what you learned from each experience:

Consider one or two of your recent professional or extracurricular experiences. Write a few sentences about what you learned or achieved.

• Ex: This experience exposed me to non-traditional approaches to leadership that can increase employee satisfaction.
• Ex: Having served on the diversity committee at my company, I have learned a great deal about cultural conceptions of workplace etiquette.
• Ex: My summer experience helped me understand the importance of implementing economic policies supported by substantive research. This further solidified my desire to pursue a graduate degree in public administration

Link your past to your future:

You’ll want to demonstrate that you have a sense of your future professional or academic plans upon completion of the program (even if you change your mind later!). Write a few sentences linking admission in this program to success in your future career goals.

• Ex: Participating in the English Teaching Assistantship in Japan will be an important step towards a career in educational leadership.
• Ex: I am confident that the program’s emphasis on public policy will give me the necessary skills to advocate for policy changes in service of disempowered communities in New York City.
• Ex: As I refine my research focus, I believe I would benefit from the opportunities the program provides for field experiences at community centers.

Before writing your personal statement, you’ll want to research the program’s design, emphasis, and curriculum. Using this research, write a few sentences to demonstrate knowledge of and interest in specific aspects of the program.

• Ex: I look forward to the experiential component of the program , as I hope to build an understanding of how business decisions are made on a global scale.
• Ex: After speaking with Lisa Anderson, I am especially drawn to the Executive Fellowship program and its focus on transforming the academic experience of students at community colleges.

Look for models of strong statements in the same discipline or genre.

• Start by asking your advisors if they have models to share.
• If you find an example online, run it by a trusted mentor to see if they agree that it’s a strong model text.
• Find out what readers in your specific program expect. Applications for research-focused graduate programs have different expectations than those in more applied fields (a doctoral program in clinical psychology vs. one in social psychology, for example).

Once you’ve found some compelling examples, analyze them for writing moves you can borrow.

• What information does the writer include in the introduction? The conclusion?
• How do they structure their body paragraphs?
• How personal is the statement?

Read our “ Personal Statements Introductions” handout for examples of opening paragraphs in four disciplines.

Now that you’ve brainstormed in all of the categories above, you’re ready to start putting together a first draft.

• As you outline, give each paragraph a clear purpose.
• Keep in mind that committees often review hundred of applications from similar candidates. As you write, try to help them understand your specific experience and interest. Ask yourself: Could another student have written the same essay?
• If you’re writing multiple essays or letters for the same application, draft with their different purposes in mind.

Summer Hours of Operation

In-person office hours: Monday-Thursday: 10AM-5PM

In-person sessions available: Mondays, 10AM-3PM

Online sessions available: Monday-Thursday: 10AM-7PM

Admissions & Programs

Admission procedures and program descriptions are discussed in this section. Since requirements, deadline dates, and fees change from year to year, prospective students are encouraged to visit the Office of Admissions website for details at https://www.qc.cuny.edu/admissions/ or visit the office in the lobby of Jefferson Hall (718-997-5600).

Student Definitions

Applicants may be enrolled as matriculated students or as non-degree students.

A matriculated student is one who has been admitted into an academic program and is recognized by the college as pursuing a degree. Matriculated students may attend Queens College on a full- or part-time basis.

A non-degree student is one who is registered for credit-bearing courses but is not pursuing a degree at the college and is attending part time.

Admission to Queens College is based on a variety of factors, including high school grades, academic program, and SAT or ACT scores. The ideal candidate will have a full college-preparatory curriculum in high school that includes academic coursework in mathematics (3 years), English (4 years), lab science (2 years), social studies (4 years), and foreign language (3 years).

High School Equivalency recipients may be considered for admission with a minimum score on the equivalency exam and the college-preparatory curriculum described above (i.e., TASC 3500, old GED 3500, new GED 740, and HiSet 083).

Applicants whose native language is other than English are encouraged to submit TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) scores.

Transfer Students

The admission review provides the opportunity to assess the student’s entire academic record, including all attempted and completed courses, grades earned, essays/ personal statements, and letters of recommendation. Applicants should have completed at least one college- level course in mathematics and English with a grade of C or better, or must demonstrate college-level readiness based on SAT, ACT, AP, IB, or New York Regents test scores.

The entire college/post-secondary school academic history, including grades earned from courses taken more than once, will be used to determine a grade- point average (GPA). If more than one college or post-secondary school was attended, the GPA will be determined through the combined calculation of all attempted coursework.

The high school/secondary school record will be considered if the applicant has completed fewer than 24 college credits.

As we consider each applicant, we also look beyond the classroom. Extracurricular accomplishments, special talents and awards in particular fields, and academic achievements in light of life experiences and special circumstances are weighed to determine a student’s potential for success at CUNY.

Second BA Degree

Students who have earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution may apply as a transfer student following the process described above. Special permission is required from the department chair or faculty advisor to declare a major.

Credit Evaluation

Coursework completed at other institutions will be evaluated after the student is offered admission to Queens College. Transfer of credit will be considered for liberal arts courses completed at an accredited, degree-granting U.S. institution with a minimum grade of C– (or any passing grade from a CUNY college).

Transfer credits evaluated as “499” courses are generally considered elective and may not be counted toward major or minor requirements without department approval.

Students must complete a minimum of 45 credits at Queens College in order to qualify for graduation. Contact the Office of Admissions (718-997-5604) for further information.

Fresh Start

Each year a small number of selected students return to college via the Fresh Start program. Transfer and reentry applicants who do not satisfy Queens College’s general admissions criteria, who have been out of college for at least three years, and who demonstrate a high level of motivation may be eligible for admission through Fresh Start.

Contact the Office of Admissions (718-997-5600) for information and applications. Applications will not be processed if there are any “holds” on a student’s record.

Returning Students

Students who attended Queens College in a matriculated status, left while meeting retention standards, are encouraged to reenter the college to complete their degree using the Readmissions Application.

Students who attended Queens and did not meet retention standards may also apply to reenter, but will need to submit an appeal letter and supporting documentation.

Readmission to the college is not automatic. Applications are available online at the Admissions website. All“holds”on a student record must be settled before a readmission application is reviewed.

Non-Degree Admission

The application for non-degree status is available on the Admissions website. Candidates must be:

■  Visiting students from a Non-CUNY accredited university or college;

■  Casual students with a high school diploma or its equivalent;

■  Applicants who are eligible for admission as a freshman or transfer but who do not intend to pursue a degree.

Non-degree students must demonstrate readiness for college-level work in reading, writing, and math prior to admission. They will be responsible for satisfying all conditions pertaining to non-degree students and their matriculation as adopted by the Academic Senate.

Non-degree students are limited to part-time status (a maximum of 11 credits).

Credits earned as a non-degree student may be applied to a degree program if the student is accepted for matriculation. Students must apply for matriculation before accumulating 24 credits at Queens College.

Matriculation forms are available in the QC Office of Admissions.

Applications for reentry with non-degree status will not be processed if there are any “holds” on a student’s record. Please note that non-degree students are not eligible for financial aid.

Senior Citizens

People who qualify as senior citizens may attend QC as auditors. They must be New York State residents 60 years of age or older who have completed high school. Senior Citizen auditors pay $80 per semester. They may enroll on a noncredit, space-available basis by completing the Senior Citizen Auditor Application, available through the Office of Admissions.

Financial Aid

Approximately half of Queens College students receive some form of financial aid. Possibilities include federal and state grants, federal loans, federal work-study programs, and scholarships. You may obtain further information from the Office of Financial Aid ( https://www.qc.cuny.edu/faid/ and in the “Paying for College” section of this Bulletin .

Degree Programs

Queens College believes that the best preparation for students in today’s global society is a rigorous education in the liberal arts and sciences. The college’s curriculum is structured so that all students graduate with the ability to think critically, address complex problems, explore various cultures, and use modern technologies and information resources.

Queens College offers a variety of degrees: the Bachelor of Arts in many disciplines; Bachelor of Business Administration; Bachelor of Fine Arts; Bachelor of Music; Bachelor of Science; and combined BA/MA degrees. The bachelor’s degree is a four-year, 120-creditdegree, unless otherwise noted in the department listings of this Bulletin . Please note that transfer students must complete a minimum of 45 credits at QC in order to qualify for graduation.

Dual Majors and Dual Degrees

Students who complete the requirements for two majors from different degree awards have two choices as they approach graduation.

 In cases where a student completes the requirements for two majors from different award designations, such as majors in Business (BBA) and English (BA), the student may be awarded the degree associated with one of the two majors. At the time of degree checkout, only one degree with one major will be awarded. However, for the identification of the second major: a notation of completion of all of the requirements of the second major will reside in the transcript permanent comment section. There is no CUNY-wide or New York State policy that precludes students from pursuing two majors from two different award designations, and the completion of such dual major combinations can be recorded on the student’s academic record and presented on the transcript as a comment. Nor is there a CUNY-wide or New York State policy that prevents coursework taken to complete requirements in one major from also fulfilling requirements in a second major, in cases where there is an overlap of requirements between two majors.

A second option is for students to receive two degrees and two diplomas. In order to be awarded two degrees, such as a BA and BBA, students must complete at least an additional 30 credits in residence beyond the standard 120 total credits required for a bachelor’s degree . Under CUNY guidelines, students who have earned a bachelor’s degree will be deemed to have automatically fulfilled the Pathways Common Core as well as the College Option requirements and will need to complete all the major requirements and at least 150 total credits to earn the second degree .

BA/MA Degrees

Application to the BA/MA program should be made in the upper sophomore or lower junior semester, but admission is granted only in the junior year. Full details and application forms are available on the Office of Graduate Admissions website at https://www.qc.cuny.edu/provost/ba-ma-policies-procedures/ .

  Important Note: The BA/MA program is an accelerated, combined degree program, with students receiving a BA and MA diploma upon completion of all BA/MA program requirements. In accordance with the CUNY Fee Manual , students are billed at the undergraduate rate for courses needed to satisfy the bachelor’s degree, generally 120 credits, regardless of whether courses taken are graduate or undergraduate. Once the requirements for the bachelor’s degree have been met, all courses (including undergraduate courses) are billed at the graduate rate. Students who anticipate that their course of study will require credits far in excess of the normal BA/MA program in their discipline should consider carefully the financial implications of BA/MA status.

Evening and Weekend Classes

Students who attend classes at night may earn a degree in one of the following areas: accounting; economics; graphic art; Hispanic languages and literature; interdisciplinary liberal arts; psychology; and sociology. In addition, the courses offered in other disciplines allow students to pursue a balanced and complete liberal arts education.

Adult Collegiate Education

Adult Collegiate Education (ACE) provides special advising to incoming students who have never attended college or who have earned less than 30 college credits and are 25 and older. After completing eight general education courses that fulfill most of Queens College’s core curriculum requirements, students may accrue up to 36 tuition-free life-achievement credits based on personal or professional experience. See the website at https://www.qc.cuny.edu/aceqc/ace/ .

How to Apply to Queens College

Queens College uses the CUNY Admissions Application for freshmen and transfers.

Please review the information and follow the instructions in the Prepare section at www.cuny.edu/prepare or the QC website at https://www.qc.cuny.edu/admissions/undergraduate/ .

CUNY Baccalaureate (BA/BS) Program

The City University of New York Baccalaureate Program (CUNY BA/BS) provides highly motivated and responsible students with a flexible, academically challenging way to earn their undergraduate degrees while giving them a major share of the responsibility for the content of that degree in consultation with faculty advisors. The program has three goals: (1) to encourage students to take advantage of the many extraordinary resources and learning opportunities available throughout the CUNY system; (2) to allow self-directed, academically able students, in conjunction with academic advisors and faculty mentors, to design an individualized program of study that complements their academic, professional, and personal goals; and (3) to foster intellectual exploration and responsible educational innovation. Interested students are encouraged to make an appointment to meet with the CUNY Baccalaureate Program liaison in the Academic Advising Center (Kiely Hall 217) as early as possible in their academic careers to learn more about the program and the application process.

Honors Programs at Queens College

Queens College Honors Programs enhance your education by providing opportunities for faculty mentorship, advanced research, and other individualized projects. They create communities of learners on campus in which students enjoy classes that are small in size and emphasize discussion and projects over lectures. At the same time, Honors students have full access to the many resources that a diverse student body and campus like Queens can provide.

The Macaulay Honors College at QC

The Macaulay Honors College each year accepts a select group of outstanding freshmen—called University Scholars—to participate in a special and challenging program. University Scholars study with the best of the college’s outstanding faculty, participate in interdisciplinary seminars that combine cultural experiences with academic study, and make use of the vast resources of New York City. Students admitted to the program receive an academic expense account to assist with study abroad or other intellectually enriching activities; a free laptop computer; and, if CUNY’s requirement of New York State residency for in-state tuition is met, a full-tuition scholarship for up to four years. Students also receive special academic advising, early registration priority, and numerous additional educational benefits https://www.qc.cuny.edu/academics/mhc/ .

Queens College Scholars Program

Exceptional freshman applicants are encouraged to apply for this program. An essay and teacher recommendations are required, and SAT subject tests are strongly recommended. In addition to completing the CUNY Freshman Application with Queens College listed as a choice, scholarship applicants must file the QC Scholarship Application available from the Admissions website. The application deadline is early December. Visit www.qc . cuny.edu/qcscholars for details.

Queens College Scholars offers more than 200 merit-based scholarships of half the in-state tuition. Selection is competitive, and most awards are renewable contingent upon continued high academic achievement. Scholarship recipients must be full-time students.

Divisional Honors Programs

Honors in the Humanities, open to students in all majors on campus, emphasizes the use of careful reading, critical writing, and discussion to study the origins of contemporary artistic and intellectual culture. For further details, contact the director, Prof. Clare Carroll (718-997-3180) or visit https://www.qc.cuny.edu/academics/hh/ .

Honors Program in Mathematics Education: TIME 2000 is a nationally recognized, four-year mathematics teacher-preparation program in which undergraduate students receive scholarships and double-major in mathematics and secondary mathematics education.

Students work in close cohorts and take courses that emphasize applications of mathematical ideas, connections between college and high school mathematics, and innovative strategies for the learning and teaching of mathematics. Upon graduation, students get certified to teach mathematics in grades 7–12. For further details, contact Prof. Alice Artzt (718-997-5377) or visit https://www.qc.cuny.edu/academics/seys/time-2000/

Honors in the Mathematical and Natural Sciences is an undergraduate research program that provides students with strong interests in math and science opportunities to develop close mentoring relationships with faculty. For further details, contact the director, Prof. Wilma Saffran (718-997-4195) or visit https://www.qc.cuny.edu/academics/hmns/ .

Honors in the Social Sciences is a rigorous program of study in the social sciences, offering ambitious students the opportunity to work directly with a faculty member on the writing of an undergraduate thesis. For further details, contact the director, Prof. Thomas Ort, at [email protected] or visit https://www.qc.cuny.edu/academics/hss/ .

Transfer Honors

The Queens College Transfer Honors Program is designed for highly motivated and creative students who wish to complete their bachelor’s degree at a world-class college that challenges them to do their best. All students admitted to the Transfer Honors Program are eligible to apply for a minimum scholarship of $1,000 per semester for four to six semesters (to complete the bachelor’s degree program). For more information, visit https://www.qc.cuny.edu/academics/ohs/ .

Percy E Sutton SEEK Program

Launched in 1966, The Percy E Sutton SEEK Program is designed to reach qualified equity-deserving high school graduates. SEEK Students are holistically supported by the program from admission until graduation. Incoming freshmen start in the summer with intensive workshops; successful completion is required for fall matriculation. Students can transfer into the Queens College SEEK Program from the following opportunity programs: SEEK, College Discovery, HEOP or EOP. Additional academic support services such as, supplemental instructors, writing and STEM consultants, tutors, and peer mentors, are available to all SEEK Students. SEEK Students receive educational grants to assist with college expenses, transportation stipend, and two additional semesters of financial aid (TAP). Relevant self-actualization activities, student groups, leadership development, mental wellness, and internship opportunities are part of the program offerings. Each student is assigned a staff counselor who offers customized college advising and is equipped to address personal, social, and psycho-emotional concerns. A culture of student success, reflected in community and support, is embedded within the program.

Delany Hall 128  718 – 997 – 3100  www.qcseek.info    Norka Blackman-Richards  [email protected]   Director

Walter Dogan  [email protected]   Recruitment & Enrollment 

Gary Aguayo  [email protected]   Academic Support Services 

Program Advisors  Rajvir Kaur      Gaslin Osias   Maryanne Chester  Shonelle George  Jessica Perez   Margarita Eguizabal 

Appointments with program advisors can be made via EAB Navigate  https://www.qc.cuny.edu/eab/

Create Your Own Major

Frequently Asked Questions

General application questions.

No, but it is recommended. After you finish this page, you can sign up here

No. You can apply to CUNY BA while your associate's degree is still in progress.

Yes you can apply , if you will have 12 credits completed by the end of the semester (and that can include AP and College Now credits).

Yes. We grant a joint CUNY BA-Macaulay degree.

We do not require letters of recommendation, however, if you believe that it is important or necessary (for example, if your GPA is close to the minimum 2.8) you can have your professor email us one from their “ .edu ” email to  [email protected] . We will also accept letters of recommendation on official letterhead in a sealed envelope.

Yes, applicants need to have a good idea of what their individualized-study will be in order to apply.

Tell us about your background and your goals, in 1-2 pages. Your statement should support your proposed area of concentration, explaining how it will meet your academic, personal, and professional ideals. There is no strict word limit, and yes, you may include a resume if you’d like, although that is not required.

No. You can apply to both CUNY BA and CUNY Colleges at the same time. It’s two separate applications.

You do not need to wait. If we are unable to confirm your status, we will contact you.

CUNY BA accepts applications year-round. We encouraged you to apply as far in advance of the semester you want to start in as possible.

If you are not enrolled in a CUNY college , you must also apply by  February 1 for fall admissions and September 15 for spring admissions; applications to CUNY after those dates are processed on a space-available basis. You can apply to CUNY colleges HERE.

The program does not offer any majors. Students design their own majors (“areas of concentration AOC”) in consultation with CUNY faculty mentors. There are a few limited majors that require New York State certification (such as Nursing) that students cannot complete in CUNY BA; otherwise, a student’s area of concentration is created by his or her interests, the mentor’s guidance, and course availability. Areas do not have to be structured similarly to departmental majors at the colleges.

CUNY BA cannot assist students seeking certification in Nursing, Architecture, or Engineering. For other fields where certification is required (i.e., Accounting, Dietetics, etc.), students have been able to complete the certification requirements within the CUNY BA degree structure. CUNY BA does not offer advising on certification requirements; students must obtain that information on their own.

You can run your general ideas by our Admissions Coordinator, but don’t worry if you’re feeling a bit unsure at first. Take the time you need to research your interests and develop your proposed concentration.

Yes. CUNY BA considers every application individually and holistically; that is, we pay careful attention to your most recent grades, grades in courses related to your proposed concentration, your personal statement, your area of concentration outline, and your letter of recommendation. In cases where these indicators are strong but the overall GPA is not, candidates still have a good chance of being accepted, although CUNY BA may wait until any courses in progress are graded before a decision is made OR may ask you to complete 6-12 additional credits for further consideration.

Students who have concerns about their GPAs may wish to address the reasons for their averages in their personal statements, and/or may wish to provide a second letter of recommendation.

Applicants to CUNY BA often have more than 90 credits; it makes sense to pursue this degree route if it will lead to the specialized degree you want to earn.

Yes. However, we can’t admit students who have already earned a CUNY BA degree.

In assessing your readiness for this individualized degree route, the program will review all of your grades from all of your colleges and compute an overall GPA. Once in the program, your GPA will reflect CUNY grades only.

CUNY BA offers both the B.A. and the B.S. (CUNY BA is short for CUNY Baccalaureate)

No, however, students not currently enrolled in CUNY pay a fee to file a City University of New York transfer application.

Areas of Concentration

Go to the CUNY course catalog . You’ll be able to search by college, then by department: within each department, you can view multiple course descriptions at a time.

The outline is a first draft. Once you are admitted and working with a faculty mentor, you will submit a refined, official area of concentration form, which, when approved by the Academic Director, becomes your academic plan.

The courses necessary for admission to medical school, dental school, pharmacy school, etc., are typically general science and math courses, covering introductory biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics. As such, a CUNY BA area of concentration cannot be constructed solely of these professional school prerequisites. Students who want to enter CUNY BA must propose and pursue a unique, in-depth area of concentration consisting of intermediate and/or advanced level coursework; they can take the necessary introductory level courses for medical school, dental school, etc. courses as electives.

As for Pre-Law students, the best preparation for law school admission is typically completing a liberal arts-based area of concentration, i.e ., connected to philosophy, English, history, etc.

Specific courses for your area will be determined by you and your faculty mentor; no more than half of the courses you have already completed will be counted toward your area of concentration.

This page has more details about how to propose your area of concentration and includes a number of samples.

Faculty Mentors

Yes. Students are asked to choose a mentor and submit a completed AOC form   and AOC narrative to the program office by the end of their first semester in CUNY BA.

Finding a mentor will be covered at Orientation and in conversations with your academic advisor. We also offer workshops on this topic early each semester, to help new students get started on the process. Before that, you can read t his page for some ideas.

No, although having a mentor at the college where you plan to take most of your area of concentration courses is usually practical.

CUNY BA faculty mentors must be full-time professors at CUNY and be in an academic discipline relevant to the area of concentration they will participate in creating.

Transfer Credits

CUNY BA does a new transfer credit evaluation as part of its admissions process. The program can access transcripts from all CUNY colleges. You do notneed to send us any CUNY transcripts. Additionally, if you have sent your non-CUNY transcripts to the University Application Processing Center (UAPC), we can access a scanned copy of your transcript in many (but not all) instances. We are unable, however, to access transcripts submitted directly to individual CUNY colleges.

In the following cases you will need to submit an official sealed college transcript:

• 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. An official copy of your updated transcript(s) that includes your final grades must be submitted to CUNY BA (even if you already submitted an updated copy at one of the CUNY colleges.)

There is no time limit on credits- they do not expire.

It is possible to enter CUNY BA with all your Liberal Arts and Sciences credits and Pathways already completed, but that is not required.

Yes. CUNY BA does its own evaluation and transfers courses in differently than the home colleges do.

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/

Students know their transfer evaluation and their remaining degree requirements on “day one,” when they meet with their assigned Academic Advisor for an admissions appointment. Each student signs an individualized Degree Contract, which reflects the transfer evaluation and gives the guidelines for the remaining degree requirements.

Life Experience credits are handled after admission.

The Home College

Students entering from a community college must become matriculated in a senior college when they have completed 68 total credits (that includes any senior college credits). Individual arrangements may be made for students who want to complete their Associate’s degree while in CUNY BA. Otherwise, the choice of home college is up to you. We recommend choosing the campus where you plan to take the majority of your courses.

Yes, until you reach 68 total credits (drawn from any combination of colleges); then you must transfer to a CUNY senior college. Individual arrangements can be made for students who want to complete their Associate’s degree while in the program.

If you have graduated from a CUNY community college and would like to apply to a CUNY four-year college, you must complete the online CUNY Transfer Admission Application. Admission to a CUNY four-year college is guaranteed, although not necessarily to your first-choice college, if you meet the following conditions: 1) you earned an AA, AS or AAS degree with an overall 2.0 GPA or higher and 2) you completed at least one college-level course in mathematics and one in English with grades of “C” or better.

If you did not graduate with a degree from the CUNY community college, you may still apply for transfer and will be allocated on a space-available basis.  Transfer applicants to the CUNY senior four-year colleges must have completed at least one college-level course in mathematics and English with a grade of “C” or better. If you have not taken a math course, you should do so prior to transferring, and aim for a grade of “C” or better; you will also be considered for transfer to a senior college if you demonstrate proficiency in mathematics via an exemption (SAT/ACT or New York State Regents scores and coursework or COMPASS test score).

Most colleges deactivate your matriculation status when you are not registered for classes. Contact your college’s registrar's office to see if you need to file an application for readmission. That process generally involves a one-page form and a $20 fee.

Contact the college's registrar's office directly; in most cases, you will simply be file a one-page application for readmission and pay a $20 fee.

We notify your home college that you are CUNY BA upon admission to the program.

Yes, with the single exception being the Thomas Hunter Honors Program at Hunter College – students invited to be Thomas Hunter Honors students would have to choose between being CUNY BA students and being in that program.

No, CUNY BA has different degree requirements.

No. Your degree will be awarded by The City University of New York, under the auspices of The CUNY Graduate School and University Center. You will receive alumni privileges at your home college, and you will also be able to participate in your home college’s graduation ceremony.

Tuition and Fees

There is no fee to apply. All transfer applicants to CUNY, however, must pay a fee to file a City University of New York transfer application.

No, you pay tuition (at your home college) at the same rate.

CUNY BA does offer s cholarships and fellowships , but does not offer financial aid. Students apply for financial aid separately and receive it from their home colleges.

Supplementary essays for CUNY (City University of New York) Schools?

<p>Hi, I have a question about the supplementary essay for Baruch College. I looked everywhere in their website about the supplementary essay, and I don’t see any indications on word limits. So, is it safe to assume that I can go over 650 words? I know there is a word limit for Hunter College’s supplementary essay, but there doesn’t seem to be any for Baruch. I’d like to check to make sure before I submit an essay that might have went over the word limit. Thank you in advance!</p>

<p>bump</p>

Since no one answered, I’m guessing no one here knew the answer, so I’ll just put this here for reference (in case any other student has this question in the future) I e-mailed the Undergraduate Admissions and they said “It is best not to exceed 500-600 words.” In my case, I had ~640 words (I used my Common App essay) and he replied with “It’s fine.”

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