Curriculum & Programs

Curriculum

The College of Arts and Sciences' Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor in Fine Arts (BFA) or a Bachelor of Science (BS) degrees each  consist of 40 course units; 20 courses are in General Education and 20 in the Major. The graduate programs consist of 11 course units, while the Associate in Arts degree is shortened to consist of 20 course Units and is designed for flexibility.

  • NUB 102 - Required for all four-year students (not applicable to transfer students)
  • 9  General Education Foundation Courses - Common for all students.
  • 7 General Education Distribution Courses - Choice of  liberal arts courses
  • 4 Free Electives - Flexible courses outside of the major discipline.
  • Major Courses (# varies) -  See academic programs  or the UG Catalog
  • Advised Electives (# varies) - Flexible courses.

To receive a bachelor's or associate's degree, a candidate must satisfy the curriculum requirements as specified by the major department, the general education requirements, and the grade point average (GPA) required for the program.

  • Most Arts and Sciences majors require a 2.0 GPA overall and in the major.
  • Nursing requires a 2.5 GPA overall, with C+ or higher grades in the nursing courses and C or higher grades in the additional science courses.
  • Social work requires a 2.5 GPA overall with C or higher grades in the pre-professional sequence (All SWK, PSY 101, SOC 101).

To complete a graduate degree, a candidate must satisfy all the curriculum requirements as specified by the program and maintain a 3.00 or better GPA overall.

Academic Majors & Programs

The College of Arts and Sciences offers majors and degrees in the following areas

Additional options for enterprising students include:

  • Minors
  • Double Majors (1 degree with 2 majors)
  • Double Degrees (2 separate degrees/majors)
  • Individually designing a custom liberal arts major from multiple disciplines
  • Study Abroad Programs
  • On campus Police Academy
  • Accelerated 5 year BS/MS program in Criminal Justice Administration
  • Accelerated 6 year BA/MS in Psychology & Mental Health Counseling
  • , double majors, double degrees, and a
  • A certificate program in Computer and Information Sciences.

The College of Education and the College of Arts and Sciences jointly administer Bachelor degree programs leading to provisional New York State Teacher Certification. Details of the degree programs are described in the catalog in the College of Education section and under the respective academic departments.

Academic Minors

For the past decade or more, approximately 65-75 percent of Arts and Sciences graduates have obtained at least one academic minor and/or double major. A minor is a sequence of 5-6 courses in a different academic discipline that compliments a students chosen major of study.  A minor provides a way to explore other areas of interest and/or obtain important career skills that can help students in a job market that often values creativity and flexibility.

Basic Minor Rules - Of the 5 or 6 courses required:

  • At least 3 courses must be outside a student's major discipline
  • At least 3 courses must be taken at NU
  • At least 3 courses must be different than another minor.

Declaring a Minor: Minors can be declared on myNU under the academic tab. It is best to declare them early as that will help to connect you to a minor advisor who can help answer questions, and may help you to be eligible for minor related honor societies.

Removing a Minor: To remove a minor stop by the Dean's Office for a Dean's Change Form or contact us.