FAQs about Pathways at Baruch

Basic Information

Q: I have reviewed the web site’s content and still have questions about Pathways.

Please contact the Center for Academic Advisement for help with additional questions on Pathways.

Q: How does this affect my Financial Aid?

Please contact the Office of Financial Aid for information about how Pathways will affect your eligible aid amount.

Q: What are Pathways and Pathways at Baruch? How do they differ?

Pathways is the set of uniform General Education requirements throughout CUNY. Although the courses that can be used to fulfill these requirements will differ from college to college, the basic set of requirements will be the same throughout the CUNY system. With few exceptions, any requirement that a student fulfills at one college will be considered fulfilled at any other college to which he or she transfers. Pathways consists of three parts: the Required Core, the Flexible Core, and the College Option.
Pathways at Baruch is the specific set of Baruch College courses that may be used to fulfill the overall Pathways requirements.
More information is available by clicking on the Pathways tabs on the left menu.

Q: When do the Pathways requirements start?

Students new to Baruch in Fall 2013 — both new freshman and new transfers — will follow the Pathways at Baruch curriculum.
Students re-entering Baruch after more than one full Fall or Spring semester away from the College will follow the Pathways at Baruch curriculum.

Q: When do the Pathways requirements not apply?

Continuing Baruch students will follow the previous General Education curriculum (the Baruch Common Core) unless they decide to opt-in to the Pathways curriculum.
Re-entry students who have been away from the College for only one semester will follow the previous General Education curriculum (the “Baruch Common Core”) unless they decide to opt-in to the Pathways curriculum.

Q: Can students switch between the Baruch Common Core and Pathways?

Students may not switch out of Pathways, but they may opt-in to it. Opting in might make sense for some students, especially students who have accumulated relatively few credits.
For more information, including what to consider before opting-in, read the information available by clicking on the Opt-In Process tab on the left menu

Q: Is COM 1010 no longer required under Pathways?

COM 1010 remains a required course; it is part of the Weissman college option and the pre-business core.

Q: Is PSY 1001 no longer required under Pathways? Will this course remain four credits?

This course is not required under Pathways but is a pre-requisite for the Psychology minor, which many students will take to fulfill the Zicklin option.
This course will remain four credits.

Q: Will the requirement that Weissman students complete two science courses change?

Under Pathways, two science courses are required of all students: one course in Life and Physical Sciences and one in Scientific World.

Q: Will the requirement that Weissman students complete one cultural studies course change?

Under Pathways, Weissman students are not required to complete one course in Black, Latino, Latin American, or Asian and Asian American studies.

Q: Will there be a Tier III minor requirement under Pathways?

No, but there will still be a required liberal arts minor for students who take 12 credits under the Zicklin college option. Zicklin students whose college option requirements are fewer than 12 credits (because of transfer credit) are strongly encouraged to complete a liberal arts minor, for which the capstone course must be taken at Baruch.

Q: Can students still complete a Tier III Minor or a Business Minor under Pathways?

Tier III minors will continue to be available to students. For students completing the requirements of the Baruch Common Core, they will continue to be called Tier III minors. For students completing requirements under the Pathways College Options, they will be called liberal arts minors.
Nothing stops a student from completing a business minor, but business minors do not fulfill any Pathways requirement (or any requirement of the Baruch Common Core).

Q: Will changing to Pathways change requirements for the Zicklin major core?

The only change will be to the Zicklin pre-business core: as one of the requirements, students will be required to complete both ENG 2150 and COM 1010.

Q: Will changing to Pathways change requirements for the major in the Marxe School of Public Affairs?

There is no change to the requirements for the major in the Marxe School of Public Affairs.

Will changing to Pathways change eligibility requirements for Weissman School of Arts and Sciences?

There is no change to the eligibility requirements for Weissman School of Arts and Sciences.

Q: Are any of the requirements for the majors changing because of Pathways? If yes, when will this information become available?

None of those requirements will change for Fall 2013, but some are under discussion for the future.
Changes usually go into effect two semesters after they are approved: a change in the fall semester goes into effect the following fall; changes approved in the spring go into effect the following spring.

Q: What is a STEM course? How are STEM courses incorporated in the curriculum?

STEM courses are courses in the Sciences, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics.
“STEM Variants” are STEM courses in Pathways that are required for specific majors (for example, Calculus is a STEM Variant that is required for the BBA degree).

Q: Will four-credit science courses continue to be offered?

Q: Will pre-calculus and calculus still be required under Pathways for Marxe and Zicklin students?

Yes, pre-calculus will still be required for Marxe students; calculus will still be required for Zicklin students.

Q: If yes, what category do they fall under?

They are STEM variant courses in the mathematical and quantitative reasoning category.