If you'd like to apply for the Fall 2026 semester, sign up for one of the info sessions
The CUNY BA info session discusses:
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Benefits of the CUNY BA program
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How CUNY BA works, the application process, and requirements
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What is a CUNY BA Area of Concentration (AOC, CUNY BA's version of a major)
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Tips on finding CUNY courses for the CUNY BA Area of Concentration section of the application (AOC Name and list of CUNY courses)
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The roles of the CUNY BA Faculty Mentor and CUNY BA Academic Advisor (once you're in CUNY BA)
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Opportunities and accelerated graduate programs within CUNY BA
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Question and answer session
WHAT IS CUNY BACCALAUREATE (CUNY BA)?
CUNY BA is an Interdisciplinary Studies program that works
within the CUNY college system. It has been around for over
fifty years! CUNY BA is for students who want to design a bachelor’s degree (
Area of Concentration | AOC) that is not already offered in CUNY.
While CUNY BA does guide students with requirements, the program does not tell students what to study. Students should know what areas they want to pursue. As part of the CUNY BA
application,
students propose what they want to study and what CUNY courses they think are suitable for the bachelor’s degree they are creating (it’s a first draft).
CUNY BA students take courses in the
CUNY departments and/or colleges to fulfill the AOC requirements. So, students will have to be enrolled in a CUNY college to be part of CUNY BA program (that will be the student’s
home college). Students will need to be accepted into a CUNY college for the
Fall 2026 semester. Students can start the CUNY college application and the
CUNY BA Program application at the same time, as they are separate applications that go to different offices. That will be discussed in the information session.
For Example: A student in CUNYBA would not create an Area of Concentration (AOC) that is just "Computer Science" (since Computer Science is already offered as a traditional major in a CUNY college). Instead, they would create a single AOC named "Computer Science and Cyber Security" or study two disciplines separately and have two AOCs, such as
AOC 1: Computer Science and AOC 2: Cyber Security and Mathematics.
The student searches the CUNY catalogs for courses that align with their Area of Concentration (AOC). The courses listed in the AOC must be from CUNY’s four-year colleges (not community colleges).
Some of the benefits of CUNY BA:
CUNY BA is not a competitive application program. It’s more about who is a fit for the program. Applicants need at least 12 credits to apply. The rest of the CUNY BA admissions eligibility criteria is here CUNY BA ADMISSIONS CRITERIA
CUNY BA Information Session on YouTube
If you'd like to apply for the Fall 2026 semester, sign up for one of the info sessions
#CUNYBA #CUNY
