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General Education Requirements - Effective Fall 2019

The Hunter Core Requirement

 Introduction

All students who matriculate at Hunter College must fulfill General Education requirements.

 General Education 

General Education at Hunter consists of four parts: 

1. CUNY Common Core (30 credits) 

2. Hunter Focus*: (12 credits) 

3. Writing Requirement

4. Pluralism and Diversity Requirement

*Also called the College Option 

1. CUNY Common Core (CCC, 30 credits)

The CCC consists of courses in the categories: 

a.               English Composition (6 credits)

1.     English Composition 1 – ENGL 120 (3 credits)

2.     English Composition 2 (3 credits, see list of approved courses)

b.   Math and Quantitative Reasoning (3 credits)*

c.    Life and Physical Sciences (3 credits)*

d.   Scientific World (3 credits)*

e.    Creative Expression (3 credits)

f.    U.S. Experience in its Diversity (3 credits)

g.   World Cultures and Global Issues (3 credits) 

h.   Individual and Society (6 credits)

1.     One course from Humanities (3 credits)

2.     One course from Social Science (3 credits) 

Students may take no more than two courses from one department or program to fulfill categories a.2 (English Composition 2) through h. 

*Some courses in these categories carry more than 3 credits (the “STEM variant” courses). Students who elect to take these courses may apply only three credits towards fulfilling the CCC.  

2. Hunter Focus

The Hunter Focus consists of 12 credits total.  The composition of these credits will vary depending on the student’s matriculation status and language proficiency.  All students are required to complete the Foreign Language requirement; after that is met, students begin Concentrated Study.  

Exceptions: Students in the School of Nursing may fulfill their entire 12 credits of Hunter Focus by taking three “STEM variant” science courses in addition to the STEM courses used to fulfill the CCC. 

 Hunter Focus: Foreign Language 

Students must attain fourth-semester proficiency in a foreign language. For students with no prior language courses, this proficiency typically consists of completing four courses or a total of 12 credits.  Students who have prior language courses, including those from high school, should consult an advisor.  Students may apply only one course at each level (Elementary level 1, Elementary level 2, Intermediate level 3, and Intermediate level 4) toward the Hunter Focus. Intensive courses can be used to satisfy the two course sequence at the Elementary and at the Intermediate levels.  

Hunter Focus: Concentrated Study 

Once students have completed the Foreign Language requirement, any credits remaining from the 12 required for the Hunter Focus will be used on Concentrated Study.  Concentrated Study refers to courses that fulfill requirements for a declared minor, a second major or a certificate.  The number of credits required for Concentrated Study ranges from 0-12 and is determined by the number of credits in a foreign language a student must take.   

Credits of Foreign Language needed

Credits of Concentrated Study needed

0

12

3

9

6

6

9

3*

12

0

*For students who matriculated prior to Fall 2019, these three credits are waived. 

*For students who matriculated in Fall 2019 or after, and who do not also complete a second major, minor, or certificate program, these three credits shall be from a course, at the 200-level or above, on a topic related to the language used for the Foreign Language requirement, in the target language or in English translation.    

3. Writing Requirement 

Students must complete three courses designated as Writing Intensive. Writing Intensive courses carry the designation “W” in the catalog.  All “W” courses must be taken at Hunter College. “W” courses may also fulfill any other requirement. 

4.  Pluralism and Diversity Requirement

Students must complete four courses designated for the Pluralism and Diversity requirement, one from each of four categories. The four categories of Pluralism and Diversity focus on major practical or theoretical issues that emerge from, are reflected in, or are principally derived from the historical conditions, perspectives, and/or intellectual traditions of the following:

A.             Migration, Diaspora, and Globalization

B.              Residency, Citizenship, and Human Rights

C.              Intersectionality and Social Justice

D.             Knowledge Construction, Environments, and Technologies


Any one course with a Pluralism and Diversity designation can only satisfy one Pluralism and Diversity category but may also fulfill any other requirement.  

General Education for Transfer Students

1. CUNY Common Core (CCC)

Transfer students who have earned an AA/AS degree from an accredited institution, including CUNY, and who matriculated in Fall 2013 and after will have fulfilled the CCC. 

For all other CUNY transfer students, any unmet CCC requirements must be completed while matriculated at Hunter.  

Non-CUNY transfer students without an AA/AS degree should confer with their advisor to determine whether they have met CCC requirements. 

2. Hunter Focus

All transfer students must complete the Hunter Focus.  

For students who first matriculated in an associate program, the number of credits required in the Hunter Focus varies with the number of credits transferred. 

Credits / Degrees Transferred

Credits Required

Fewer than 30

12

30 or more, without an AA/AS degree 

9

AA/AS degree

6

 Students who first matriculate in a baccalaureate program must complete 12 credits of Hunter Focus. Any “College Option” credits completed at another CUNY senior college will be applied to the Hunter Focus.  

Hunter Focus: Foreign Language 

Transfer students must reach or work toward fourth-semester proficiency in a foreign language.  The number of credits needed to complete the Foreign Language requirement is determined by the student’s transfer status, as defined above, and language proficiency at the time of matriculation.  Students who have prior language courses, including those from high school, should consult an advisor. 

Hunter Focus: Concentrated Study 

Once transfer students have completed the Foreign Language requirement, any credits remaining from the Hunter Focus will be used on Concentrated Study as described above.   

3. Writing Intensive 

Transfer students must take at least one Writing Intensive course, designated with a “W” in the catalog, at Hunter College. The number of Writing Intensive courses required is determined by the number of credits transferred. 

Credits Transferred

“W” courses required

Fewer than 30

3

31-59 

2

60 or more

1

4.  Pluralism and Diversity 

Transfer students must take at least two courses designated for different categories of the Pluralism and Diversity requirement.  The number of courses required in Pluralism and Diversity is determined by the number of credits transferred.   

Credits Transferred

Courses Required

Fewer than 31

4

31 or more

2

 Any one course with a Pluralism and Diversity designation can only satisfy one Pluralism and Diversity category but may also fulfill any other requirement.  

General Education for 2nd Degree Students 

Students who have earned a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution are exempt from the General Education requirements.