CUNY BA is the University-wide, individualized degree. It’s an exciting, versatile, rewarding degree route for highly-motivated, self-directed students whose academic goals transcend traditional majors. Students create their own degree plans working directly with faculty mentors and academic advisors.
The program is intended for students who previously earned at least 12 college credits and have the vision and drive to design, with CUNY faculty mentors, their own “majors,” which are unique and interdisciplinary areas of concentration (AOCs).
CUNY BA offers highly motivated, academically strong students a flexible, challenging, and individualized way to earn their degrees by granting students greater responsibility for the design of their course of study, relative to students earning traditional undergraduate degrees. The program is intended for students who have the vision and drive to design their own unique and interdisciplinary areas of concentration (AOCs) with CUNY faculty mentors.
AOCs are areas of study that are not available as a major/minor in typical departments at any of the four-year CUNY colleges. Each student can pursue one or two AOCs, under the advisement of at least one and up to two faculty mentors per AOC with expertise in that field of study.
JOIN academically superior students
Challenge yourself and collaborate with the best of the best. CUNY BA students are highly motivated; the average GPA of our entering students is 3.35.
BENEFIT from a comprehensive transfer policy
We accept most credits students have previously taken (up to 90, including military, IB and AP credits) and we apply them to our degree requirements. Students know their remaining degree requirements on their first day in CUNY BA! Enrolled students can apply for life experience credits.
START from a CUNY community college
Students enrolled in a CUNY community college can apply to CUNY BA and start working on their B.A. or B.S. degrees immediately. We accept up to 68 community college credits.
BECOME a student at one of CUNY’s eleven senior colleges or seven community colleges.
Enjoy all the benefits of that home college and CUNY BA!
ENJOY academic flexibility
This is student-centered learning. Select the courses that interest you most. Take advantage of independent study, internships, honors courses, study abroad, graduate-level courses, and credit-by-exam. Go to school part- or full-time; day, night, weekend, or online. See some of our Areas of Concentration (AOC)
GET individualized attention
Each student works with a full-time CUNY faculty member and a designated academic advisor. We offer workshops on applying to graduate school, applying for major fellowships, studying abroad, and others based on student interest.
APPLY for scholarships and financial aid
You’ll apply for financial aid and scholarships at your home college. You’ll also be able to apply for our own generous scholarships (we’ve helped fund – in full or in part – over 900 students since 1994). Plus, we maintain extensive resources to help you find external funding.
SAVE money
Not only is CUNY the most affordable university in New York, with so many flexible options for earning credit through CUNY BA, our degree is the most cost-effective.
EXPERIENCE
CUNY BA gives you what you the experience you could get in a small, private college here at America’s largest, internationally-known, public research university.
FINISH your B.A. or B.S. degree in New York City
Our students have access to CUNY courses in all five NYC boroughs, in addition to amazing internship opportunities. NYC is the capital of the world and the city that never sleeps – take advantage of it all.
GRADUATE with a degree that’s significant to you, your life and your goals.
Get the degree that will work for you: 80% of our alumni report they are working in positions related to their self-designed areas of concentration! And 99% say they enjoyed this program and would recommend it to others.
Since CUNY BA is a program that works through CUNY, each student has a home college in the CUNY system. CUNY BA students can register to study at almost any CUNY college and department.
Want to design your own major in CUNY? Here is the application for CUNYBA and how to fill it out.