General Education Requirements (Prior to Fall 2013)
These general education requirements apply to students who enrolled prior to FALL 2013 and DID NOT "OPT IN" to the New General Education Program!
Exposure to the liberal arts and sciences helps to create well-rounded individuals who can communicate with people in different scholarly communities and can understand problems outside their specialized area of study. By promoting the integration, synthesis and application of knowledge, general education provides individuals with an awareness of their role in a diverse culture and highlights their responsibilities to the larger community.
Candidates for the baccalaureate degree must complete 44-60 credits in general education. The number of credits is dependent upon exemptions. Students are encouraged to complete the English, mathematics and speech requirements within the first 30 credits of coursework. Students who do not complete these requirements within the first 60 credits, will not be permitted to register for further coursework until these requirements have been fulfilled.
Students are advised to complete the required courses in history, literature, philosophy, ethnic studies and the social sciences (several are prerequisites for certain majors) within the first 60 credits. All remaining general education requirements should be completed within the first 96 credits or by the conclusion of your junior year.
Please note: In accordance with the CUNY Board of Trustees Transfer Policy, students who have earned an Associate of Arts degree (AA) or an Associate of Science degree (AS) from a CUNY college will be deemed to have automatically fulfilled the lower division general education requirements for the baccalaureate degree, Students may, however, still be required to complete one additional course in a discipline required by John Jay College that was not part of the student’s associate degree program.
Students who have earned an Associate of Applied Science degree (AAS) from a CUNY college, will have their general education courses applied on a discipline-by-discipline basis to John Jay College’s lower division general education requirements. Students must fulfill all requirements for courses.
| Credits | |
|---|---|
| I. Skills* | Subtotal: 12-15 |
| English 101 or SEEK-English 095* | 3 |
| (These courses are a prerequisite for all 200-level courses.) | |
| English 201 (formerly English 102) | 3 |
| (This course is a prerequisite for all 300-level or above courses.) | |
| Speech 113 or SEEK-Speech 1151 | 3 |
| Mathematics 104, or 105 or exemption2 | 0-3 |
| Mathematics 108 or 141 | 3 |
| II. Core Requirements | Subtotal: 15 |
| Two of the following: | 6 |
| History 203, 204, 205 | |
| (*Please note: Students who have completed HIS 231, must take HIS 205) | |
| Literature 230or 231 and Literature 232 or 233 | 6 |
| Philosophy 231 | 3 |
| III. Distribution Requirements | Subtotal: 17-30 |
| A. Cultural Studies | |
| 1. Foreign Languages3 | 0-6 |
| (Note: To take SPA 101, SPA 111, FRE 101, RUS 101, or RUS 113 a placement test is required before registering. The tests are administered in the Foreign Language Laboratory in Room 112W.) | |
| 2. Ethnic Studies | 3 |
| Select one of the following three courses: | |
| Ethnic Studies 123 Race and American Society: The African-American Experience | |
| Ethnic Studies 124 Introduction to Latinas/os in the United States | |
| Ethnic Studies 125 Race and Ethnicity in America | |
| 3. Fine Arts | 3 |
| Select any 3-credit course in art or music or drama | |
| (This course may not be used to satisfy major requirements.) | |
| B. Social Sciences | 6 |
| Select two of the following: | |
| Anthropology 101 | Economics 101 or 102 |
| Government 101 | Psychology 101 |
| Sociology 101 | |
| Students should consult their major prerequisites before choosing their social science courses. | |
| C. Natural Sciences4** | |
| Natural Science 107 or exemption | 0-4 |
| Select one of the following: | 4-5 |
| Environmental Science 108, Forensic Science 108, or Physics 108 | |
| Physics 101 or Physics 203 | |
| (calculus-based, for students with a strong math background) | |
| Biology 103 or Chemistry 103 | |
| (for students with a strong science background) | |
| D. Physical Education | 1-3 |
| Any course offered by the Department of Health and Physical Education except PED 172, for 1-3 credits or exemption5 | |
| Total: 44-60 |
*Students must enroll in ENG 101 or ENGS 095 in their first semester at the College except for those who are required to take remedial or developmental work in writing. All students must pass ENG 101 or ENGS 095 before registering for ENG 201 (formerly English 102).
Placement in the required English and mathematics courses is based upon results achieved on the CUNY Assessment Tests and upon assessments by the Department of English and the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science. For information about the CUNY Assessment Tests, see Chapter 5, Admission and Registration.
**Note: Students with a strong mathematics or science background without an exemption may satisfy the general education science requirement with two laboratory-based science courses such as BIO 103-104, CHE 103-104, PHY 101-102, PHY 203-204, or the equivalent.
1 Exemption from the speech requirement is granted by the Department of Communication and Theatre Arts based on extensive job-related public or small group speaking experience. Apply at the Department of Communication and Theatre Arts when classes are in session. Students who are not fluent in spoken English should enroll in the sections of SPE 113 designated for non-native speakers of English. Students who require speech therapy should also apply to the department chair for special placement before they register for SPE 113.
2 Placement in or exemption from a beginning mathematics course is determined by the student’s score on the CUNY Mathematics Compass Test. Students exempt from MAT 105 can fulfill the mathematics requirement with either MAT 108 or MAT 141.
3 The foreign language requirement is a one-year sequence. It is strongly suggested that students seeking a bachelor’s degree complete the sequence within a three-semester period. Students, who have completed three years of a language at the high school level, including a passing grade on a New York State Level III Regents Examination, are exempt from the foreign language requirement. Transfer students who can provide documentation showing they have successfully completed one year of a foreign language on the college level may have fulfilled the foreign language requirement. Students who take SPA 101 cannot fulfill the general education requirements by taking SPA 111. Students who take SPA 111 must also take SPA 112 or a higher level course to satisfy the general education requirements.
Please note: Students who can provide documentation of a high school degree from a foreign country and whose primary language is not English are exempt from the foreign language requirement but are not awarded any credits for that language. Students who receive a grade of three or higher on the Advanced Placement Examination in high school are exempt from the foreign language requirement and will be awarded 6 credits, which may be applied toward a minor in a foreign language. Credit by examination (up to a maximum of 6 credits) or exemption by examination may be obtained by taking the CLEP examination. For additional information, please see Chapter 5, Admission and Registration. In addition, American Sign Language shall be accepted on the same basis as all other languages in fulfillment of John Jay's foreign language requirement for graduation.
4 Students who have completed three years of science in high school (9th-year general science plus two years of New York State Regents credit) are exempt from taking NSC 107 but are still required to take another laboratory-based science course. To confirm exemption, students must fill out the appropriate form at Jay Express Service Center. Students who have completed two years of science in high school (9th-year general science plus one year of Regents credit) must take NSC 107 and one additional course, or pass a placement examination and then take one course other than NSC 107. Students cannot take NSC 107 after they have taken any other science course at John Jay College.
5 Students who have received physical education credit for their military training or police, fire, or corrections academy, or other comparable agency training are exempt from this requirement.
Remedial and Developmental Courses
Entering students whose scores on the CUNY Assessment Tests and whose assessments by the appropriate academic departments require that they enroll in remedial or developmental courses must do so within the first 20 credits taken at the College. Students who fail these courses are required to enroll in them again during the next semester of attendance.
The following remedial and developmental courses and their SEEK equivalents are offered, among others, at the College:
ENGW 100/ENGS 093 and 094
MAT 100/MATS 095
MAT 103
COM 101/COMS 101
COM 102/COMS 102
SPE 101
Students who receive two grades of F, WU, R, or any combination thereof in any of the remedial or developmental courses listed here are not permitted to continue at the College. Students may not appeal the denial of registration.