CUNY Baccalaureate for Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies offers students the opportunity to create interdisciplinary or otherwise unique areas of concentration, leading to Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degrees from The City University of New York, by completing courses in different academic departments and at a combination of the University’s undergraduate colleges and The Graduate Center. Each student works with a faculty mentor of his or her own choosing to design an individualized course of study. The area of concentration title and the courses selected by the student and mentor form that student’s individualized learning plan. No senior thesis or capstone project is required by CUNY Baccalaureate, although many students include these in their concentrations.

How Faculty Can Identify Potential CUNY BA/BS Students

Does the student:

• have clearly defined, viable academic and professional goals?

• demonstrate motivation, knowledge, and passion about his/her topic (major) beyond the typical student?

• demonstrate an interest in a specializing in a specific aspect of a field of study and/or in studying across disciplines?

• meet or exceed expectations and deadlines?

• participate actively in class, ask questions, continue the discussion with you in your office hours or in other ways?

• work well independently, solve problems, and deal maturely with obstacles and/or ambiguity?

• have at least an overall 2.50 GPA?  (That is the minimum required for admission; the average GPA of recently admitted students is 3.22.)

Finally, would the student benefit from completing an individualized, University-wide degree?

As Professor Ric Curtis, Anthropology, John Jay College put it, “The ideal CUNY BA student is self-directed, highly motivated, academically skilled, and socially and ethically mature.”