ACADEMIC PROGRAM STRUCTURE AND REQUIREMENTS
EXPLANATION OF DEGREE AND CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENTS
Each student is responsible for completing all requirements as prescribed by the College. With the exception of some programs that require additional credits, due to accreditation, a minimum number of 60 credits is required to complete an Associate degree (most Certificate programs require 30 credits).
Degree requirements prior to the implementation of Pathways are indicated according to three categories:
Core Requirements
Required Areas of Study
Specialization Requirements
Degree requirements under Pathways are also indicated according to three categories:
Required Core
Flexible Core
Major Requirements (which sometimes include options)
In addition, to be eligible for an associate degree or certificate, students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0. Please note that some programs have higher cumulative GPA requirements. Refer to graduation requirements specific to your program for additional information. Additionally, associate degree students must complete two Writing Intensive courses. Each semester a list of Writing Intensive courses is published in the Schedule of Classes in CUNYfirst.
At the start of their final semester, students must APPLY FOR GRADUATION (under the “other academic…” menu) in CUNY First to be evaluated for graduation. Students will receive a notice of completion of requirements or a checklist of what remains to be fulfilled. Candidates for the degree must be approved by the faculty for presentation to the president and the Board of Trustees as worthy, meritorious and deserving.
IMPORTANT NOTICE OF POSSIBLE CHANGES
The City University of New York reserves the right, because of changing conditions, to make modifications of any nature in the academic programs and requirements of the University and its constituent colleges without notice. Tuition and fees set forth in this publication (or on this website) are similarly subject to change by the Board of Trustees of The City University of New York. The University regrets any inconvenience this may cause.
Dated: June 22, 2004
WRITING INTENSIVE COURSES
All associate degree students at Bronx Community College are required to take two Writing Intensive (WI) courses. These courses are enriched by frequent writing and integrate writing as a tool for learning.
The Writing-Across-the-Curriculum (WAC) program trains and supports faculty teaching WI courses. It also collaborates with academic programs and departments in the management of WI courses and the development of new WI courses.
WI courses are officially designated sections of standard courses. Each semester, all WI courses are listed in CUNYfirst.
During the 2025-26 academic year, the BCC WAC program is undergoing required review and restructuring in response to WAC program changes at the university level.
CUNY PATHWAYS
Starting in Fall 2013, CUNY implemented the Pathways initiative across its undergraduate colleges. Pathways establishes a new system of general education requirements and new transfer guidelines across CUNY—and by doing so reinforces CUNY’s educational excellence while easing student transfer between CUNY colleges. Students are advised to check the BCC Pathways website for course and degree program updates. http://www.bcc.cuny.edu/academics/cuny-pathways/
GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
CUNY’s general education framework is a central feature of Pathways. It lays out requirements that undergraduate students across CUNY must meet. Importantly, it also guarantees that general education requirements fulfilled at one CUNY college will be carry over seamlessly if a student transfers to another CUNY college.
Through the three elements of this framework—the Required Common Core, the Flexible Common Core, and, for students in bachelor’s degree programs, the College Option Requirement—CUNY seeks to provide students with well-rounded knowledge, a critical appreciation of diverse cultural and intellectual traditions, an interest in relating the past to the complex world in which students live today, and the ability to help society create a fresh and enlightened future. The framework allows students to explore knowledge from various perspectives and to develop their critical abilities to read, write, and use language and symbol systems effectively. It also develops students’ intellectual curiosity and commitment to lifelong learning.
The flexibility of the Common Core framework enables each CUNY college to maintain its distinctive character. So, too, does the College Option, which allows colleges to specify 6-12 additional credits of general education coursework that bachelor’s degree students must complete.
GATEWAY COURSES INTO MAJORS
Faculty committees representing several popular transfer majors at CUNY have designated a minimum =of three common and transferable courses that will be required of all students in those majors. Students anticipating majors in these fields can begin their coursework at any CUNY college with the assurance that if they transfer to another CUNY college, their prior coursework will count toward their continued pursuit of that major. http://www.bcc.cuny.edu/academics/cuny-pathways/
How Credits Transfer
By creating a general education framework that applies to all CUNY undergraduates, and by establishing gateway courses into several popular majors, the Pathways initiative will significantly improve the ease and efficiency of student transfer between CUNY colleges. Courses taken for general education credit, major credit, and elective credit are guaranteed to transfer.