Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science

The Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science curriculum consists of the Pathways general education curriculum, the major (at least 24 credits), the Weissman Core (see below), and elective credits for a total of 120 credits. A minimum of ninety (90) credits must be in liberal arts courses and a minimum C (2.00) average – cumulative, and in the major, are required for graduation.

There is no GPA requirement for College Option courses, but in order to graduate with the liberal arts minor, a student must have a grade point average of at least 2.00 in the three courses that make up their minor. The liberal arts minor cannot be within the same area of study as the major. This is also true for students who are required to complete part of the minor for the College Option. The same course cannot be applied to both a student’s major and minor/College Option requirement.

At least 60 percent of the credits in the major must be taken at Baruch. Transfer students must meet all degree requirements and take a minimum of 30 credits at Baruch.

Note: The Computer Science major and the Financial Mathematics major are the only degree programs in the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences that award a Bachelor of Science degree.

Weissman Core

The three courses forming the Weissman Core are required for all students completing a BA or BS degree within the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences.

Communication Skills (3 credits)

COM 1010 Speech Communication

Foreign Language: two courses (6-8 credits of the same language)

Students may not use proficiency exams (CLEP, DLPT, etc.) and/or exemption exams to satisfy this degree requirement.

EFFECTIVE Fall 2025 

Baruch College awards credits based on the Jerusalem Exam as follows:

• Students passing the Jerusalem exam with a combined score of 150-159 will be granted credit for HEB 1001 (3 credits).
• Students with a combined score of 160 or higher will receive credit for HEB 1001 and 1002 (6 credits).

No credit will be granted if the score is not reported to the Undergraduate Admissions Office through an official certificate with a signature and seal image.

Placement Information:

Students should review the guidelines below and see a faculty advisor in the Department of Modern Languages and Comparative Literature to confirm proper placement if they intend to continue a language to which they have prior exposure.  Students have the option of taking a placement exam to ensure that they are placed at the correct level.

Please consult the Department of Modern Languages and Comparative Literature for assistance

Non-Liberal Arts Courses in BA/BS Degree

The Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees requires that 75 percent (90 out of 120) of the credits toward the degree will be designated liberal arts courses. Students may include up to 30 elective credits of non-liberal arts courses.

Liberal arts courses are those in which theory is the focus and in which broad foundations link the course content to history; philosophy; humanities; culture; natural, social, or behavioral sciences; or mathematics.

By contrast, non-liberal arts courses are those in which the primary intent is to give students a specific vocational, professional, or technical skill; there is substantial focus on professional development, technical proficiency, and professional or business-related content; or the focus of the course is on derivative, practical, or applied aspects of the field.

Double Majors / Weissman Concentrations

Weissman students who wish to pursue two of our major programs have two options:

• Double Majors
• Weissman Major/Weissman Concentration.

Please see below for details, and for the list of prohibited program combinations.

Double Majors

Weissman students have the option to declare two liberal arts majors that lead to the same degree (BA or BS). Both major programs appear on the student’s CUNYfirst record, DegreeWorks audit, and unofficial transcript.

Students who wish to double major must email the Weissman Major Declaration Unit at WSAS.MajorForms@baruch.cuny.edu from their Baruch student addresses. The email must include the student’s name and emplid number and must indicate the primary and secondary major.

• Students must take at least 60% of each major’s credits at Baruch College.
• Students who complete two Weissman majors are waived from courses 2-4 of the Baruch College Option requirement – all or part of the liberal arts minor.
• A double major will appear on a student’s final transcript only if the courses for both Weissman programs are completed at the time of graduation.

Weissman Concentration

Baruch does not offer a dual degree program, so students cannot “double major” in programs leading to different degrees (BA versus BS).

Weissman students pursuing Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degrees have the option to complete a liberal arts “concentration” based on the requirements of a major from the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences. A student may, for example, major in Computer Science (BS degree) and declare a Weissman Concentration in Economics.

A notation of completion of all the requirements of the liberal arts concentration will be added to the permanent comment section of the transcript upon graduation.

• Students will not graduate with both the BA and BS degrees.
• Students must take at least 60% of the credits for their Weissman Concentration at Baruch College.
• Students who complete a Weissman major and a Weissman Concentration are waived from courses 2-4 of the Baruch College Option requirement – all or part of the liberal arts minor.

Prohibited Double Major or Major/Weissman Concentration Combinations

Students may pursue any Weissman double major or Weissman major/Weissman Concentration EXCEPT the following combinations, which are not allowed:

• Business Communication/Corporate Communication concentration and Communication Studies
• Business Communication/Business Writing concentration and Journalism
• Computer Science and Financial Mathematics
• Computer Science/Financial Mathematics concentration and Statistics-BA
• Statistics-BA and Actuarial Science, Financial Mathematics, or Mathematics
• Any combination of Actuarial Science, Financial Mathematics, and Mathematics

Special Programs – Design Your Own Major

Weissman Arts and Sciences Ad Hoc Major

Students who want to combine courses from two liberal arts disciplines into a single major should consider the Arts and Sciences Ad Hoc major option. Students must have an overall GPA of at least 3.0 to declare the Liberal Arts Ad Hoc major.

CUNY BA/BS Program

Students who want to combine courses at Baruch College with courses at other CUNY campuses should consider the CUNY BA option, the University-wide, individualized degree program. With guidance from a full-time CUNY faculty member who agrees to serve as a mentor, each student is able to design an individualized Area of Concentration (major). Some students have completed degree programs ranging from Arts and Social Change to Zoological Photography; there is almost no limit to what students can pursue through this degree route.

The CUNY BA and BS degrees are fully accredited and are awarded by the City University rather than by an individual college. The program operates under the auspices of the CUNY Graduate School and University Center. To be eligible for the CUNY BA/BS program, students must have completed at least 12 college credits with a GPA of 2.8 or higher.

More information – including applications, program requirements, and Area of Concentration examples is available on the CUNYBA site.

Second Degrees

Students may earn a second baccalaureate degree provided that they complete 30 additional credits at Baruch, that they meet all the requirements for the Baruch BA or the BS degree, and that they choose an entirely new major. None of the courses in the second-degree major can have been applied to the student’s previous major.