WHAT IS GENERAL EDUCATION?

General Education at Queens College is an education in the liberal arts and sciences. That means you’ll take a set of courses meant to introduce you to the perspectives and knowledge of many disciplines – history, art, philosophy, environmental science, and many others. These General Education courses form the foundation of your college studies, ensuring that whatever your field of expertise, you’ll always be able to draw on a well-rounded educational background.

• If you enrolled after Fall 2013, you follow PATHWAYS
• If you enrolled prior to Fall 2013, you follow PERSPECTIVES

Our goals for providing students an education in the liberal arts and sciences have endured since the college was founded in 1937, even as the courses and requirements have changed over the years. We hope that your college education enables you to develop the tools necessary to succeed in our increasingly fast-paced and interconnected world, and to develop a life-long love of learning.

 

GENERAL EDUCATION COURSES

For a complete list of all courses approved as fulfilling GenEd requirements, see our Courses page. All students must complete 120 credits, which include a major course of study and general education requirements. To monitor your progress towards your degree, log into DegreeWorks via the CUNY Portal.

 

CUNY PATHWAYS

Effective Fall 2013, entering freshmen and transfer students follow a liberal arts curriculum that fits the framework of the CUNY Pathways Initiative. The Pathways framework is common to all CUNY colleges. This guarantees that General Education requirements fulfilled at one CUNY college will carry over seamlessly if you  transfer to another CUNY college.

Pathways course proposals are reviewed by several committees to ensure that they achieve the required set of Pathways Learning Outcomes. These outcomes represent the broad skills and knowledge that students are expected to attain as a result of their educational experiences.

Additionally, Pathways has designated Gateway Courses leading into CUNY’s most popular majors so that students who anticipate pursuing one of these majors can take these designated courses and be able to transfer them for major credit seamlessly between CUNY colleges.

 

TRANSFER CREDIT EVALUATION

When you transfer to Queens College, all your prior courses are evaluated for possible Pathways credit. If you feel that any courses were evaluated incorrectly, speak to an advisor at Academic Advising (Kiely 217), or send an appeal directly to the Director of Academic Advising:

• Identify the course(s), prior institution(s), and credits/grade(s) earned
• Explain how the course meets Pathways Learning Outcomes
• Include a course description (attachment/link) or course syllabus

If any course qualifies for reevaluation, the Director of Academic Advising will file an appeal on your behalf. If you’ve already completed this process, and you still feel a course has been evaluated incorrectly, you may file a Transfer Credit Appeal with the CUNY Office of Academic Affairs.

 

RELATED LINKS

• Academic Advising Center
• DegreeWorks
• CUNYfirst 
• CUNY Pathways Policies