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CUNY Pathways

In Fall 2013, CUNY implemented the Pathways initiative across its undergraduate colleges. Pathways has established a new system of general education requirements and new transfer guidelines across the University–and by doing so has reinforced CUNY’s educational excellence while easing student transfer between CUNY colleges. The centerpiece of this initiative is a 30-credit general education Common Core. Importantly, once fulfilled at one CUNY college, these general education credits will carry over seamlessly if a student transfers to another CUNY college. Learn more about how credits transfer in the Pathways curriculum structure for CUNY and non-CUNY Associate and Bachelor degree holders on CUNY’s Pathways website.

CUNY GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS CONSIST OF:

  • Common Core (all students)

  • College Option (students in bachelor’s degree programs)

COMMON CORE

  • Required Common Core (12 credits / 4 courses) **

  • English Composition (2 courses)

  • Mathematical and Quantitative Reasoning (1 course)

  • Life and Physical Sciences (1 course)

FLEXIBLE COMMON CORE (18 credits / 6 courses) **

  • World Cultures and Global Issues (1 course)

  • U.S. Experience in Its Diversity (1 course)

  • Creative Expression (1 course)

  • Individual and Society (1 course)

  • Scientific World (1 course)

  • One additional course will be taken from one of the above areas.***

**For students in AA, AS and bachelor’s degree programs.

***In many cases, individual colleges will specify how the sixth course must be chosen. In addition, in most cases, students can complete for Common Core credit no more than two courses in any single discipline (e.g., history) or interdisciplinary field (e.g. women’s studies). Again, it is essential to consult college guidelines.

LaGuardia Community College Requirements Core Competencies

As part of a student’s general education requirements, all students are required to work on developing a series of core competencies. Each major has designated specific courses in which these competencies will be reinforced and students’ work will be deposited in their ePortfolios. Faculty will inform students what assignments to deposit and which competency those assignments meet. For more information, please look at: www.laguardia.edu/ assessment.

Definitions Of LaGuardia Community College Core Competencies

Inquiry & Problem Solving -- refers to the ability to design, evaluate, and implement a strategy or strategies to answer an open-ended question or achieve a desired goal.

Global Learning -- is a critical analysis of and an engagement with complex, interdependent global systems and legacies (such as natural, physical, social, cultural, economic, and political) and their implications for people’s lives and the earth’s sustainability.

Integrative Learning -- is an understanding & a disposition that a student builds across the curriculum & co-curriculum, from making simple connections among ideas & experiences to synthesizing & transferring learning to new, complex situations within & beyond the campus.

Our New Core Competencies Are Communicated Via Three Abilities:

Written -- is the development and expression of ideas in writing. Written communication involves learning to work in many genres and styles. It can involve working with many different writing technologies, and mixing texts, data, and images.

Oral -- serves to negotiate meaning with others, impart knowledge clearly, foster understanding, and/or influence opinion.

Digital -- is the ability to create, evaluate, present, and communicate using a range of digital technologies. It requires one to manipulate and adapt digital media in order to effectively express ideas to others. For our purposes, digital communication emphasizes multi- media forms of expression, such as text, image, and/or video, as well as various platforms for digital interaction, including discussion threads, instant messaging, and social media.