Special Programs and Opportunities
First College Year
The First College Year program includes first-year initiatives such as Learning Communities, the First-Year Seminar and the Freshman Common Reading Project, which facilitate the transition to college and integrate students into the college community as engaged learners and participants in campus life. This coherent curricular and co-curricular program strengthens the academic, personal and civic skills that will set students on a successful path to graduation.
First College Year is designed primarily around First-Year Learning Communities. A learning community is a cluster of two linked general education courses and an optional First-Year Seminar elective course (Foundations for College Success and Lifelong Learning, INDS 1011). The learning community experience helps first-year students connect with faculty, make new friends, sharpen critical thinking skills, and discover real-life connections between courses and career aspirations. Learning communities also include collaborative efforts with peer mentors, career advisers, library faculty and the college’s Learning Center, where students are offered one-on-one and small-group tutoring and computer-assisted instruction.
The Freshman Common Reading Project provides a shared intellectual experience around a text that students read during the summer. Early in the first semester, the author visits campus to discuss the book and the process of writing it. Students use the text as a springboard for their first college writing course, and it is often the basis of the first paper in that course.
Academic advisers from the Center for Academic Advisement and Student Success (Office of Academic Standing) work regularly with first-year students to develop a four-year plan focused on general education courses, declaration of major and degree requirements.
For information, contact the Office of the Associate Provost for Academic Programs, 3208 Boylan Hall, 718.951.5771.
Honors Academy
The Brooklyn College Honors Academy, 2231 Boylan Hall, serves exceptionally well-qualified, eager, imaginative students who are flexible in their interests and open to new discoveries and experiences. Its purpose is to stimulate students to develop their potential and to assume responsibility for educating themselves and, by learning collaboratively, for educating one another. The academy shares a suite of rooms with the Ethyle R. Wolfe Institute for the Humanities. The Honors Academy brings together in one location distinctive, separately directed honors programs: the William E. Macaulay Honors College, the City University of New York intercollege honors program; the Scholars Program, a four-year program in interdisciplinary honors studies; the Coordinated B.A.-M.D. Program, a 4+4 combined undergraduate/medical degree program in conjunction with SUNY Health Sciences University College of Medicine; the Coordinated Engineering Honors Program, a two-year engineering curriculum leading to transfer to engineering studies as juniors elsewhere; the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship, a two-year upper-division program for students from underrepresented groups considering scholarly study in the humanities and other fields; and the Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) program in the sciences for minority students.
The academy provides a coherent curriculum relevant to the needs of more than 600 students. It offers access to faculty members through smaller classes, closely monitored apprenticeships and working relationships with successful local professionals; a student commons room; a collaborative community of students similarly interested, ambitious and talented; computer facilities and room to work and study together; access to the scholarly and cultural resources of New York City; tutoring experience; and programmatic guidance ensuring that students follow academic paths appropriate to their interests and talents.
The Honors Academy curriculum that is open to all members of the Honors Academy includes honors sections of English 1010 and 1012 and of Classics 1110, Philosophy 2101, History 1101, Health and Nutrition Science 3314, and Anthropology 3135; an interdisciplinary sophomore seminar (priority registration is given to members of the Scholars Program); Honors Academy Research Colloquium seminars; and the senior colloquium for senior thesis support (priority registration is given to members of the Scholars Program). Additionally, a seminar, Healthcare in the Inner City, is mandatory for seniors in the Coordinated B.A.-M.D. program; and four interdisciplinary seminars are offered for students in the William E. Macaulay Honors College.
Application forms may be obtained in the Honors Academy office and in the Admissions Information Center. Admission criteria for the four-year programs may be found in the “Special Programs” section of the “Admission” chapter in this Bulletin. For information on scholarships, see the chapter “Scholarships, Awards and Prizes.”
William E. Macaulay Honors College
The mission of the William E. Macaulay Honors College is to meet the needs of an exceptional group of the most able and highly achieving students in the City University of New York. Membership in the Honors College earns a student the designation University Scholar. Brooklyn College provides University Scholars with a specially created common suite of interdisciplinary courses designed to stimulate interest in and deepen understanding of the institutions and people of New York City. They pursue majors in a variety of fields and are provided with funded opportunities for internship and research. In addition, the Honors College arranges events at artistic, cultural and scientific venues of New York City. Distinguished faculty visit with students at both formal and informal events.
University Scholars receive substantial financial and academic support during their four years as undergraduates. All tuition is paid by grants. A generous study grant funds opportunities for study abroad and internships. Students are given a Cultural Passport that provides them with free or sharply discounted tickets to more than 100 artistic and cultural institutions in New York City. They are also provided with state-of-the-art laptop computers to facilitate research and communication.
As first-year students and sophomores in the Honors College, University Scholars take an Honors College seminar each semester and the balance of their course load in Pathways courses and major requirements.
Macaulay Honors College seminars are taught at Brooklyn College by outstanding faculty. In addition to the Honors College seminars, students in the Honors College complete a minimum of four honors courses for a minimum total of 12 credits, with the approval of their Macaulay adviser. Exceptions may be approved by Macaulay advisers. In addition, University Scholars take honors in their majors when offered and complete a senior thesis. They are also required to complete an internship or study abroad, and 30 hours of community service. Over the course of their four years at Brooklyn College, they will participate in a number of activities and events on other CUNY campuses and around the city. University Scholars must achieve an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.30 or higher by the end of their first year and a GPA of 3.50 or higher by the end of their sophomore year. The 3.50 GPA must be maintained until graduation.
Scholars Program
A four-year interdisciplinary liberal arts program, the Scholars Program is designed for a select community of well-prepared, academically ambitious students who are eager to extend themselves beyond normal course requirements. Its honors classes are small. Its curriculum encourages students to develop and pursue new interests by exploring relationships among different areas of knowledge. Students learn how to formulate, discuss and write clearly about significant issues and to evaluate their work independently and realistically.
Scholars Program students carry the same course load as other students but each semester do honors-level work in one or two of their courses. As first-year students, they take an honors section of Freshman Composition that prepares them to work independently on interdisciplinary honors projects during their sophomore, junior and senior years. They also take honors sections of selected Pathways courses, a sophomore seminar and a senior colloquium. The program encourages students in their junior year to broaden their experience with study at other colleges, study abroad or involvement in work-internship programs in the New York City area.
Scholars Program students entering as freshmen receive a Presidential Scholarship for eight semesters and a laptop computer. They also have access to study abroad scholarships and internship and research awards.
Courses that Scholars Program students take for honors credit and pass with a grade of A or B are indicated on their transcripts with an H. Scholars students must achieve a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.30 or higher by the end of their freshman year and a GPA of 3.50 or higher by the end of their sophomore year. The 3.50 GPA must be maintained until they graduate. Graduation from the program is marked with special recognition at Commencement, by a transcript notation and by a note on the diploma, “Honors Academy Graduate.”
Coordinated B.A.-M.D. Program
The Coordinated B.A.-M.D. Program leads to a baccalaureate degree awarded by Brooklyn College and to an M.D. degree granted by the State University of New York Health Sciences University College of Medicine. It offers an integrated course of study that is designed to provide future physicians with the necessary foundation in the sciences while also giving them a broad background in the humanities and social sciences. Students are encouraged to pursue diverse studies that suit their skills, interests and aspirations; enrich their college experience; and benefit from the intellectual and personal fulfillment often missing from narrowly focused premed programs. Through this broad-based educational approach, the program aims to train future physicians who are concerned not just with curing but also with caring for patients.
Fifteen high school seniors are admitted to the program only in the fall term. Further information, including special application forms and detailed requirements of the program, may be obtained from the Admissions Office and from the B.A.-M.D. office. Additional information is in the “Admission” chapter in this Bulletin
Coordinated Engineering Honors Program
The Brooklyn College Coordinated Engineering Honors Program prepares students for careers in diverse fields of engineering. Areas of specialization are chemical and biomolecular, civil, computer, electrical, and mechanical engineering.
During their two years in the Engineering Honors Program, students follow a course of study of approximately 64 credits in engineering and the liberal arts that provides a solid foundation for transferring as juniors to major engineering schools. Course work includes biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics and physics as well as liberal arts courses in Brooklyn College’s Pathways program. Students also take courses in such subjects as engineering mechanics, electrical circuit analysis, modern programming techniques, and data structures. These courses are equivalent to courses required during the first two years of study at most engineering schools. Further details are described in the “Studies in engineering” section of this chapter.
Upon completion of the program, students are guaranteed enrollment as juniors at the College of Staten Island Engineering Science Program or the New York University Tandon School of Engineering. They may also apply for admission to any other engineering school. These are usually Stony Brook University, the Grove School of Engineering at City College, University of Buffalo, and Binghamton University
For members of Engineering Honors who decide not to pursue engineering, the program’s Pathways requirements enable students to continue in one of the more than 125 undergraduate programs available at Brooklyn College.
Brooklyn College/Touro College of Pharmacy Articulation Agreement
Brooklyn College has an articulation agreement with Touro College of Pharmacy whereby students who have completed 90 credits of course work toward the B.A. or B.S. degree are eligible for admission to the Touro College of Pharmacy’s Pharm.D. program, using Brooklyn College’s professional option. Brooklyn College agrees to accept as transfer credits those courses that compose part of the first-year curriculum toward the Pharm.D. degree at Touro up to the credits needed to complete a B.A. or B.S. at Brooklyn College.
Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship
The Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship program is the centerpiece of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation’s initiatives to increase diversity in the faculty ranks of institutions of higher learning. Established in 1988 by William G. Bowen, then the president of the Foundation, and Mellon program associate Henry Drewry, the MMUF program began with an initial cohort of eight member institutions, including Brooklyn College. Since then, the program has grown to include 46 member schools and consortia, including three South African universities and a consortium of historically black colleges and universities within the membership of the UNCF.
The fundamental objective of MMUF is to address, over time, the problem of underrepresentation in the academy at the level of college and university faculties. This goal can be achieved both by increasing the number of students from underrepresented minority groups (URM) who pursue PhDs and by supporting the pursuit of PhDs by students who may not come from traditional minority groups but have otherwise demonstrated a commitment to the goals of MMUF. The MMUF program is designed to encourage fellows to enter PhD programs that prepare students for professorial careers; it is not intended to support students who intend to go on to medical school, law school or other professional schools.
All students are welcome to apply for MMUF, though applications are particularly encouraged from African Americans, Latinos and Latinas, Native Americans, and other underrepresented minorities (URM). Applications are accepted on a rolling basis from currently enrolled, full-time students with 24 credits or more; see the program website for full details of the application process.
In addition to their major requirements in a Mellon Mays designated field of study, fellows must complete an independent research project in their junior year; two semesters of SPCM 3185 in their senior year; participate in all Mellon Mays colloquia and summer programming; as well as meet regularly with their designated MMUF mentors and the program director.
Visit the national MMUF program website for more information.
Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC)
The Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) program is an honors program for students interested in earning doctoral degrees and pursuing research careers in the biomedical sciences who are also members of groups that the National Institutes of Health has determined and under-represented. For more information, see the section “Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC)” later in this chapter.
Pre-professional Studies
Brooklyn College provides individualized advising and other services for undergraduate and postbaccalaureate students who are planning to pursue careers in medicine, engineering, the allied health professions and law. Workshops are offered on such topics as academic preparation, volunteer and research involvement, internships, the application process, writing personal statements and interviewing. Other resources include current medical, allied health and law school admissions materials, catalogs and information regarding on- and off-campus volunteer, internship, mentoring and research opportunities.
Pre-professional studies in health-related careers
The director of Pre-health Professions Advisement Services monitors the academic progress of all undergraduate and postbaccalaureate pre-health professions students, meets with them individually on a regular basis throughout their academic career at Brooklyn College, and helps them plan suitable academic programs, prepare for standardized examinations and prepare their applications for health professions schools. The Office of Pre-Health Professions Advisement Services also maintains a credential service for forwarding letters of recommendation to admissions offices of health professions schools. The Office of Pre-Health Professions Advisement Services has two locations. The director may be found in 2231 Boylan Hall, 718.951.4706; two assistants who handle advisement and letters of recommendation are located in 1122 Boylan Hall. A chapter of the American Medical Students Association is active at Brooklyn College.
Agreement with State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate College of Nursing
An agreement between Brooklyn College and SUNY Downstate College of Nursing offers guaranteed admission to the accelerated nursing program at Downstate to 15 Brooklyn College students who have completed the prerequisite courses as well as graduated in any major with an overall GPA of 3.30 or higher and received a passing score on the entrance examination. The 15-month accelerated nursing program provides professional nursing training, results in a B.S.N. degree and qualifies the graduates to take the RN examination.
Coordinated B.A.-M.D. Program
High school seniors from New York State, New Jersey and Connecticut are eligible to apply to the highly selective Coordinated B.A.-M.D. Program, in which accepted students complete a four-year undergraduate course of study at Brooklyn College and a four-year M.D. program at SUNY Downstate College of Medicine. The undergraduate portion is designed to expose students to a broad range of disciplines, which includes not only the sciences but the humanities and social sciences as well. Graduates then enter medical school better prepared to become skilled and knowledgeable physicians who are also sensitive to cultural differences and the emotional needs of their patient population.
Brooklyn College and the State University of New York College of Optometry
Brooklyn College and the State University of New York College of Optometry have an agreement whereby up to six Brooklyn College students per year may be admitted into a seven-year bachelor of arts or science (B.A. or B.S.) and doctor of optometry (O.D.) program. Students accepted to the 3-4 Program are admitted to a designated, prescribed major at Brooklyn College and simultaneously admitted to candidacy into the SUNY College of Optometry’s professional program of study. Students interested in the optometry program should contact a pre-health professions adviser in the Office of Pre-health Professions Advisement for further information.
Brooklyn College/New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYIT-COM)
Brooklyn College has an articulation agreement with the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine in the form of an Osteopathic Medicine Admissions Early Assurance Program for exceptional candidates with outstanding college records and correspondingly high MCAT scores. The agreement does not guarantee a seat in the College of Osteopathic Medicine. It simply offers an early interview to Brooklyn College students whose names have been submitted as possible candidates for admission by the director of pre-health professions advisement at Brooklyn College.
To be eligible for this early action program, the applicant must have completed the first two years of the four-year undergraduate program at Brooklyn College and meet the following criteria: 1) overall and science grade point averages of 3.30 or higher at Brooklyn College; and 2) a favorable recommendation by the Premedical Committee. In addition, to continue enrollment in the program and be accepted to the College of Osteopathic Medicine, the student must meet the following criteria: 1) maintain the overall and science grade point average of at least 3.30; 2) an MCAT score equal to or higher than the average MCAT score of NYIT-COM first-year class corresponding to the entry year of undergraduate study; 3) completion of a minimum of eight hours of biology (course/lab), eight hours each of inorganic and organic chemistry (course/lab), eight hours of physics (course/lab) and six hours of English with no grade below B in any of these courses and labs; additional courses may be recommended by the Brooklyn College Premedical Committee to be in line with the MCAT 2016 examination; 4) passing a personal interview by NYIT-COM faculty. Students enrolled in this program who do not meet or exceed the above standards have the privilege of applying for admission to NYIT-COM through the regular channels or procedures. NYIT-COM reserves the right to deny admission to students who, in the opinion of NYIT-COM, may have difficulty obtaining a medical license. Early Assurance application deadline: May 1 following the student’s sophomore year; completion of the applicant’s file: June 1 following the student’s junior year.
Brooklyn College/New York College of Podiatric Medicine Articulation Agreement
Brooklyn College has an articulation agreement with the New York College of Podiatric Medicine (NYCPM) whereby students who have completed 90 credits of course work toward a B.A. or B.S. degree are eligible for admission into NYCPM using Brooklyn College’s professional option. Included in the 90 credits are at least six credits in English with a grade of C+ or higher and at least eight credits in each of the following fields, with a grade of C+ or higher: biology, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry and physics. Students must also fulfill the admission requirement of NYCPM: a timely and satisfactory formal application, letters of evaluation from the pre-health professions adviser, official MCAT scores at or above NYCPM’s minimum requirement, satisfactory evaluation in a personal interview, and an overall GPA of at least 3.00 in undergraduate course work. Brooklyn College accepts as transfer credits those courses that compose part of the first-year curriculum toward the degree of doctor of podiatric medicine at NYCPM up to the number of credits needed to complete a B.A. or B.S. degree. For further information, contact the director of pre-health professions advisement at Brooklyn College.
Memorandum of Understanding Between Brooklyn College’s Department of Health and Nutrition Sciences and SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University School of Public Health
A memorandum of understanding between Brooklyn College’s Department of Health and Nutrition Sciences and SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University School of Public Health provides a mechanism for Brooklyn College students who will be receiving or have received a B.A. or B.S. degree in health and nutrition sciences, have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale, and who meet the admission criteria for the M.P.H. program, to be given priority consideration for admission to the M.P.H. program at SUNY Downstate School of Public Health.
Pre-professional studies in legal careers
A prelaw advisement team — composed of faculty advisers, career advisers in the Magner Career Center and a resource network of lawyers on and off campus — provides individual and ongoing advisement for students planning to pursue careers in legal professions. Faculty advisers help students plan suitable academic programs and guide them to courses that will help them prepare for the LSAT. The Magner Career Center provides career assessment and counseling, panels of special speakers, workshops for professional development, opportunities for mentoring and internships, and up-todate information on areas of interest related to the legal profession, the practice of law and the status of law schools. Students interested in legal careers should contact the prelaw program assistant in the Magner Career Center, 1303 James Hall, 718.951.5696.
Brooklyn College and Indiana University Maurer School of Law
Maurer School of Law Brooklyn College and Indiana University Maurer School of Law have an agreement whereby at least two qualified Brooklyn College students will be admitted to Indiana University Maurer School of Law with a minimum scholarship amounting to approximately 50 percent of tuition, mentorship through a formal mentor program, and other opportunities. This collaboration seeks to provide talented students interested in the study of law the ability to obtain an affordable legal education at one of the nation’s top public law schools. Students interested in this program should visit the Pre-Law Program at the Magner Career Center, 1303 James Hall.
Studies in engineering
Students who intend to major in engineering can complete the first two years of requirements for a four-year engineering degree by taking up to 64 credits at Brooklyn College in chemistry, computer and information science, engineering, the liberal arts, mathematics and physics. Well-qualified students interested in engineering may also apply to the Honors Academy. Students should consult the engineering counselor about the entrance requirements of engineering schools. Information may be obtained in the Physics Department, 3438 Ingersoll Hall. Additional information is in the “Admission” chapter of this Bulletin.
Brooklyn College has two coordinated engineering programs: with the College of Staten Island Engineering Science Program and the New York University Tandon School of Engineering (NYU-Tandon). In these programs, the well-prepared student attends Brooklyn College for the first two years of study in an engineering curriculum that includes courses in chemistry, computer science, the liberal arts, mathematics and physics. In addition, courses in mechanical and electrical engineering are offered. Upon successful completion of the Brooklyn College component, the student is guaranteed transfer to the City College Grove School of Engineering, the College of Staten Island or NYU-Tandon for an additional two years to fulfill bachelor of science degree requirements in one of the following fields: chemical and biomolecular, civil, computer, electrical, or mechanical engineering. The Brooklyn College courses in these programs are fully transferable to City College, the College of Staten Island or NYU-Tandon, and they are generally acceptable at other engineering schools. For information on the Engineering Honors Program, see the section “Honors Academy” in this chapter.
Brooklyn College/College of Staten Island Engineering Science Program
Students must complete their engineering studies with a grade point average of 3.00 or higher in required computer and information science, engineering, mathematics and science courses in order to transfer with junior-year status to the College of Staten Island Engineering Science Program. Areas of specialization comprise electrical, and mechanical engineering.
For further information, call the Brooklyn College engineering coordinator, 718.951.5418.
Brooklyn College/NYU-Tandon Coordinated Engineering Program
Students must complete their engineering studies with a grade point average of 3.30 or higher in required computer and information science, engineering, mathematics and science courses in order to be guaranteed admission with junior-year status in the specific, corresponding NYU-Tandon engineering program. Areas of specialization comprise chemical and biomolecular, civil, electrical, computer, and mechanical engineering. Students transferring to NYU-Tandon through this program may be required to complete certain courses during the summer before the junior year. They are also required to take a math assessment test. The engineering degree will be awarded from NYU-Tandon.
For further information, call the Brooklyn College engineering coordinator, 718.951.5418, or the NYU-Tandon associate director of admissions, 718.260.3100. Information is also available on the Department of Physics website.
Note on Transfer to the Grove School of Engineering at City College
Although at present there is no formal articulation, students may also transfer to the Grove School of Engineering at City College. It usually takes three additional years to complete the degree there. For admission to Grove, students must complete their engineering studies with a grade point average of 3.00 in the required courses. Areas of specialization comprise biomedical, chemical, civil, computer, electrical, and mechanical engineering. For further information, call the Brooklyn College engineering coordinator, 718.951.5418.
CUNY Baccalaureate Program
The CUNY Baccalaureate Program is a versatile program that enables students to design their own program of study leading to a B.A. or B.S. degree. Students who have completed at least 15 credits of college-level work with a grade point average of 2.50 or higher for their recent work may apply to the program. Under the guidance of a faculty mentor, chosen from a relevant academic department, participants develop an individual course of study. Every student must complete 90 credits in regular course work and at least 30 credits while in the program. In some cases, credits may be awarded for previous life experience. Students who are admitted are eligible to study at any combination of the 17 undergraduate colleges of the university. The degree is awarded centrally by the City University of New York. Students pay the same tuition and fees as Brooklyn College matriculants. Information and applicant forms may be obtained in the Center for Academic Advisement and Student Success, 3207 Boylan Hall, 718.951.5471; from the CUNY Baccalaureate Program, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016 (telephone: 212.817.8220); or from the CUNY Baccalaureate Program website.