Pathways General Education Requirements
Pathways General Education is a system of general education requirements and transfer guidelines applicable to all students in all CUNY colleges. It consists of three overarching components: 1. Required Common Core, 2. Flexible Common Core, and 3. College Option. The first two are often referred to as Common Core.
I. Required Common Core (12)
A. English Composition (6)
ENG 125 Composition I: Introduction to College Writing (3)
ENG 126 Composition II: Writing About Literature (3)
B. Mathematical and Quantitative Reasoning (3-4)
Choose one from the list below under advisement according to the major program of study.
MATH 111 Introduction to Statistics and Probability (4)
MATH 115 Quantitative Methods for Decision Making (4)
MATH 117 Mathematics for Social Justice (3)
MATH 120 Precalculus (4)
MATH 121 Analytic Geometry and Calculus I (4)
MATH 150 Mathematics and its Applications (3)
MATH 190 Computers in Modern Society (4)
C. Life and Physical Sciences (3-5)
Choose one from the list below under advisement according to the major program of study.
ASTR 140 Introductory Astronomy: Observations of the Sky (3)
ASTR 141 Astronomy Laboratory (3)
BIO 140 Human Biology (3)
BIO 150 Conservation Biology (3)
BIO 201 Biological Principles I (4)
CHEM 106 Essentials of College Chemistry* (3.5) AND
CHEM 107 Essentials of College Chemistry Lab* (1.5)
EHS 140 Introduction to Environmental Sciences (3)
GEOL 140 Our Earth (3)
GEOL 282 Weather and Climate (3)
PHS 110 Medicine and Drugs of Abuse (3)
PHYS 113 Physics Laboratory** (1) AND
PHYS 115 College Physics** (4) OR
PHYS 117 University Physics** (4)
PHYS 140 The Physical Universe (3)
Notes:
*CHEM 106 and CHEM 107 are taken as co-requisites.
**PHYS 113 is taken as a co-requisite with PHYS 115 or PHYS 117.
II. Flexible Common Core (18)
To meet the requirements of the Flexible Core, students must take a total of six courses among the selections below. Students must take at least one course from each of the five domains and no more than two courses in any discipline or interdisciplinary field.
A. World Cultures and Global Issues
ANTH 101 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (3)
ANTH 223 The Rise of Civilizations (3)
BLST 103 Black Women in the Atlantic World (3)
BLST 202 The Black Experience in the Caribbean (3)
CLDV 210 Western Civilization (3)
ENG 200 Understanding Literature (3)
ENG 272 World Englishes (3)
FA 105 Introduction to Fine Arts: Caves to Cathedrals (3)
FA 106 Introduction to Fine Arts: Cathedrals to Contemporary (3)
HIST 100 History of the Modern World Since 1815 (3)
HIST 108 The Three Worlds: Europe, the Americas, and the Third World in Modern Times (3)
HIST 113 The Birth of Europe (3)
HUM 200 Introduction to Intercultural Communication (3)
HUM 240 Food is Culture: The Success of 'Made in Italy' (3)
HUM 295 Ancient Greek and Latin in English Today (3)
HUM 350 Italian Culture and Civilization (3)
POL 202 Comparative Politics (3)
POL 241 International Politics (3)
WLIT 201 The Literature of the Western World Through the Renaissance (3)
WLIT 205 Introduction to Francophone Literature (3)
WLIT 207 Introduction to Latin American Literature (3)
WLIT 210 North African Literature in Translation (3)
WLIT 211 Italian Theatre in Translation (3)
WLIT 212 Masterpieces in Spanish Literature (3)
WLIT 215 The Nineteenth Century Continental European Novel of Adultery in Translation (3)
B. U.S. Experience in its Diversity
ANTH 246 Ethnology and Ethnography of North American Indians (3)
BLST 101 Introduction to Black Studies (3)
ENG 240 Literary Traditions in the U.S. (3)
HIST 201 Beginnings of the American People (3)
HIST 202 The Emergence of Urban America (3)
HIST 204 Contemporary America (3)
HIST 273 The American Worker (3)
HIST 274 The American Ethnic Experience (3)
HUM 105 The Changing Depiction of the Family in American Popular Culture (3)
HUM 250 The Italian Experience in the United States (3)
HUM 252 The Jewish Experience in the United States (3)
HUM 253 The Haitian Experience in the USA (3)
JOUR 284 Social Justice Journalism (3)
POL 103 Politics and Government in the United States (3)
PRST 241 Puerto Ricans in New York (3)
SOC 235 Ethnicity (3)
SOC 289 Urban Sociology (3)
C. Creative Expression
ANTH 270 Introduction to Ethnomusicology* (3)
ENG 286 Introduction to Creative Writing (3)
ENG 295 Technologies of Reading (3)
FA 101 Visual Elements: 2-Dimensional (3)
FA 102 Visual Elements: 3-Dimensional (3)
FA 297 History of Photography (3)
JOUR 281 Introduction to Feature Writing (3)
HUM 221 Pictures of Italy: A Journey into Modern and Contemporary Italy Through Film (3)
HUM 224 Cinematic Adaptation (3)
HUM 245 Fashion, Italian Style (3)
HUM 260 The World of Opera: A Concise History (3)
MUS 101 Introduction to Music History (3)
MUS 110 Fundamentals of Music Theory (3)
MUS 225 Computer Music (3)
MUS 250 African-American Music (3)
MUS 253 History of Jazz (3)
MUS 255 American Musical Theatre** (3)
MUS 270 Introduction to Ethnomusicology* (3)
SPCH 101 Fundamentals of Speech Communication (3)
SPCH 160 Fundamentals of Oral Interpretation: Prose and Poetry (3)
TA 110 Introduction to the Theatre (3)
TA 201 Shakespeare: From Script to Screen (3)
TA 210 History of Theatre (3)
TA 255 American Musical Theatre** (3)
Notes:
*ANTH 270 and MUS 270 are cross-listed. Either, but not both, may be taken.
**MUS 255 and TA 255 are cross-listed. Either, but not both, may be taken.
D. Individual and Society
ANTH 205 Anthropology of Sex (3)
ANTH 211 Anthropology and City Life (3)
ANTH 289 Understanding Youth in an Urban Context* (3)
ANTH 302 Anthropology of Aging (3)
CLDV 100 Introduction to Multicultural Studies in the 21st Century (3)
ECON 102 Introduction to Macroeconomics (3)
HUM 110 Introduction to Film Studies (3)
HUM 209 Gender and Language (3)
HUM 210 Language Development (3)
HUM 265 People of the Renaissance: The Golden Age of Italy (3)
HUM 304 Gender Dynamics in the Twentieth Century (3)
PHIL 103 Introduction to Philosophy (3)
PHIL 202 Major Ideas and Issues in Education (3)
POL 101 Introduction to Political Science (3)
POL 267 Classical Political Theory I: Plato to Machiavelli (3)
POL 268 Political Theory II: Machiavelli to Marx (3)
SOC 101 Introductory Sociology (3)
SOC 288 Understanding Youth in an Urban Context* (3)
SPCH 250 Introduction to Mass Media (3)
YD 289 Understanding Youth in an Urban Context* (3)
Notes:
*ANTH 289, SOC 288, and YD 289 are cross-listed. One among these three may be taken.
E. Scientific World
ANTH 152 Medical Anthropology (3)
ASTR 101 Introductory Astronomy: The Sun and Planets (3)
ASTR 102 Introductory Astronomy: Stars, Galaxies, and the Universe (3)
BIO 110 Environmental Biology (3)
BIO 120 Principles of Inheritance and Human Reproduction (3)
BIO 130 Biology of the Brain and Behavior (3)
BIO 202 Biological Principles II (4)
BIO 234 Anatomy and Physiology I (4)
BIO 235 Anatomy and Physiology II (4)
BIO 281 Human Structure and Function (4)
CHEM 108 Principles of Chemistry I* (3.5) AND
CHEM 109 Principles of Chemistry I Lab* (1.5)
EHS 110 Science, Technology, and the Environment (3)
GEOL 110 Earth (3)
GEOL 115 Energy, Resources, and the Environment (3)
GEOL 120 Our Oceanic Environment (3)
GEOL 121 History of Life (3)
HPGC 102 Public Health (3)
HUM 202 Introduction to Linguistics (3)
PHIL 102 Beginning Informal Logic (3)
PHYS 114 Physics Laboratory II** (1) AND
PHYS 116 College Physics II** (4) OR
PHYS 118 University Physics II** (4)
PSY 102 Introductory Psychology (3)
Notes:
*CHEM 108 and CHEM 109 are taken as co-requisites
**PHYS 114 is taken as a co-requisite with PHYS 116 or PHYS 118
III. College Option
Students must complete A or B or C below, as applicable, in consultation with an academic advisor
A. 12 Credits (for first-time freshmen, students transferring from a 4-year institution, and students with fewer than 30 transfer credits)
Foreign language course 1 of 2* (3)
Foreign language course 2 of 2* (3)
HE 111 Personal Health Issues (3)
Writing Intensive (WI) course at the 200-level or higher (3) OR
WRIT 301 Research and Writing for the Major (3) OR
WRIT 302 Research and Writing for the Sciences, Math, and Technology (3) OR
WRIT 303 Research and Writing for Professional Programs (3) OR
WRIT 304 Research and Writing for English Majors** (3)
B. 9 Credits (for students who enter York with more than 30 credits from a 2-year program, but without an Associate's degree)
Foreign language course 1 of 2* (3)
Foreign language course 2 of 2* (3)
Writing Intensive (WI) course at the 200-level or higher (3) OR
WRIT 301 Research and Writing for the Major (3) OR
WRIT 302 Research and Writing for the Sciences, Math, and Technology (3) OR
WRIT 303 Research and Writing for Professional Programs (3) OR
WRIT 304 Research and Writing for English Majors** (3)
C. 6 Credits (for student who enter York with an Associate's degree - AA, AS or AAS)
Writing Intensive (WI) course 1 of 2 at the 200-level or higher (3)
Writing Intensive (WI) course 2 of 2 at the 200-level or higher (3) OR
WRIT 301 Research and Writing for the Major (3) OR
WRIT 302 Research and Writing for the Sciences, Math, and Technology (3) OR
WRIT 303 Research and Writing for Professional Programs (3) OR
WRIT 304 Research and Writing for English Majors** (3)
Notes:
*Placement in foreign language courses is determined in consultation with the World Languages, Literatures, and Humanities department.
** Registration in WRIT 304 is limited to English majors.
To find out how many College Option credits you might need, see the requirements for different types of students below:
CUNY Bachelor's
Students pursuing a bachelor's degree at a CUNY college (without transferring)
12 College Option credits required (specified by the college)
CUNY Associate to CUNY Bachelor's
Students who transfer from a CUNY associate to a CUNY bachelor’s degree program
Earned Associate Degree: 6 College Option credits required
Earned More than 30 Credits: 9 College Option credits required
Earned 30 or Fewer Credits: 12 College Option credits required
Non-CUNY Associate's to CUNY Bachelor's
Students transferring to CUNY from non-CUNY colleges
Earned Associate Degree: 6 College Option credits required
Earned More than 30 Credits: 9 College Option credits required
Earned 30 or Fewer Credits: 12 College Option credits required
The CUNY college to which a student is transferring will decide whether any courses taken at the original college fulfill the College Option requirements
CUNY Bachelor's to CUNY Bachelor's
Students who transfer between CUNY bachelor's degree programs
12 College Option credits are required; however, students can transfer the College Option credits they earned in a bachelor's degree program at one CUNY college toward their College Option requirement at any other CUNY college.
Non-CUNY Bachelor's to CUNY Bachelor's
Students transferring to CUNY from non-CUNY colleges
12 College Option credits required. A transfer student's CUNY college will decide whether courses taken at the original college fulfill any of the College Option requirements.
Second Bachelor's Degree Students
Students with earned bachelor's degrees from institutions that are accredited and recognized by a regional accrediting U.S. agency, as well as students from international universities with degrees that are equivalent to a baccalaureate degree as determined by CUNY.
No College Option credits required; these students are deemed to have automatically fulfilled the College Option.
College Option and Writing Intensive Courses
WI courses at the 200-level that students complete to fulfill the WI graduation requirement will simultaneously satisfy the College Option.
WI courses transferred from other colleges and universities may satisfy the WI course requirement for graduation and the College Option; such determinations will be made on a case-by-case basis by the Registrar in consultation with academic departments. Transfer students should consult with an advisor about their WI requirements.
WRIT 301/302/303/304 are not WI courses, and will not count towards the WI course requirement for graduation. While WRIT 301/302/303/304 may be required for a student’s major program, it is not required in order to fulfill College Option requirements. All College Option writing requirements can be fulfilled using WI course(s) instead.