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Curriculum Requirements

State University of New York General Education Framework (SUNY-GE)

SUNY General Education Knowledge and Skills Areas, and Core Competencies

All students enrolled in programs leading to A.A., A.S., and baccalaureate degrees are required by the State University of New York to complete 30 credits of SUNY General Education Framework (SUNY-GE) in a minimum of seven of 10 areas. All students enrolled in A.A.S. degrees are required to complete 20 credits of SUNY-GE in four specified areas. Students must take the following:

1. Knowledge and Skills Areas 

The following four are required for all undergraduate-degree programs:

    • Communication – written and oral
    • Diversity: Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice
    • Mathematics (and quantitative reasoning)
    • Natural Sciences (and scientific reasoning)

In addition, a minimum of three of the following six are required for A.A., A.S., and all baccalaureate-degree programs:

    • Humanities
    • Social Sciences
    • The Arts
    • U.S. History and Civic Engagement
    • World History and Global Awareness
    • World Languages

2. Core Competencies (infused throughout the General Education program)

    • Critical Thinking and Reasoning
    • Information Literacy

See below for the courses at Suffolk County Community College that fulfill the SUNY General Education Framework.

The ArtsGEAR

ART101, ART109, ART111, ART112, ART113, ART114, ART116, ART126, ART130, ART133, ART135, ART141, ART145, ART161, ART171, ART181, ART202, ART209, ART210, CIN114, CIN156, DIA115, DNC101, DNC105, ENG202, GRD207, INT101, MTR105, MUS101, MUS103, MUS105, MUS117, MUS118, MUS121, MUS122, MUS123, MUS131, MUS132, MUS133, MUS134, MUS135, MUS136, MUS138, MUS206, MUS210, THR101, THR105, THR120, THR211, THR212, THR214

    Communication – writtenGECW

    COM101, COM102, COM105, COM107, ENG100, ENG101

      Communication – oralGECO

      BUS117, COM101, COM102, COM105, COM107, COM131, EDU201, ENG100, ENG101, HUS103, PAR101

        Diversity: Equity, Inclusion, and Social JusticeGEDI

        ANT101, ART109, ENG211, ENG212, ENG227, GEO101, HIS102, HIS104, HIS107, HIS108, HIS118, HIS119, HIS120, HIS205, HIS206, HIS225, HUS101, PHL113, PSY216, SOC101

          HumanitiesGEHM

          ART101, ART109, ART111, ART112, ART113, CIN111, CIN112, CIN114, CIN156, COM101, COM105, COM107, COM121, COM131, COM133, ENG102, ENG140, ENG141, ENG142, ENG143, ENG177, ENG202, ENG205, ENG206, ENG209, ENG210, ENG211, ENG212, ENG213, ENG214, ENG215, ENG216, ENG218, ENG219, ENG220, ENG221, ENG223, ENG227, HUM111, HUM114, HUM116, HUM120, HUM218, MUS101, MUS206, MUS210, PHL101, PHL104, PHL105, PHL107, PHL111, PHL113, PHL201, PHL202, PHL211, PHL212, PHL213, PHL214, PHL215, PHL216, SPN175, SPN176, SPN221, THR211, THR212, WST116

            MathematicsGEMT

            MAT101, MAT102, MAT103, MAT111, MAT111L, MAT112, MAT120, MAT121, MAT124, MAT125, MAT126, MAT129, MAT131, MAT141, MAT142, MAT200, MAT203, MAT204, MAT205, MAT206, MAT210, PSY225

              Natural SciencesGENS

              AST101, AST102, AST103, AST201, AST202, AST203, AST204, BIO101, BIO103, BIO105, BIO109, BIO111, BIO130, BIO132, BIO144, BIO150, BIO155, BIO210, BIO244, BIO246, BIO250, BIO262, BIO272, CHE100, CHE105, CHE120, CHE122, CHE133, CHE134, CHE200, CHE250, CHE251, ENV101, ESC101, ESC102, ESC125, ESC201, ESC251, MAR105, MAR111, MAR121, MAR255, MET101, MET104, MET201, PHY103, PHY104, PHY105, PHY118, PHY119, PHY121, PHY122, PHY130, PHY132, PHY220, PHY222, PHY230, PHY232, PHY247, PHY248

                Social SciencesGESS

                ANT101, ANT103, ANT105, ECO101, ECO111, ECO112, ENG177, GEO101, GEO102, HIS101, HIS102, HIS103, HIS104, HIS107, HIS110, HIS118, HIS119, HIS120, HIS201, HIS205, HIS206, HIS220, HIS225, HSC111, HUS101, POL103, POL105, POL107, POL111, POL201, PSY101, PSY201, PSY202, PSY203, PSY205, PSY210, PSY211, PSY213, PSY215, PSY216, PSY217, PSY220, SOC101, SOC200, SOC201, SOC203, SOC205, SOC215, SOC224

                  U.S. History and Civic EngagementGEUS

                  HIS103, HIS104, HIS108, HIS205, HIS206, HIS225, POL105

                    World History and Global AwarenessGEWH

                    ANT101, ANT105, ANT211, COM202, GEO101, GEO102, HIS101, HIS102, HIS107, HIS110, HIS118, HIS119, HIS120, HIS201, HIS220, HUM112, POL107, POL111, SPN175, SPN176

                      World LanguagesGEWL

                      ASL101, ASL105, CHI101, CHI102, FRE101, FRE102, FRE201, FRE202, GER101, GER102, ITL101, ITL102, ITL201, ITL202, ITL220, ITL223, JPN101, JPN102, JPN201, JPN202, LAT101, LAT102, SPN101, SPN102, SPN113, SPN122, SPN126, SPN127, SPN201, SPN202, SPN220, SPN223

                        SUNY Transfer Paths

                        The State University of New York (SUNY) has implemented the Seamless Transfer Initiative to assist students, who have obtained an A.A. or A.S. degree at Suffolk County Community College, to transfer to a SUNY four-year institution with junior status. Seamless transfer is achieved by completing seven of the 10 SUNY General Education Framework areas and passing the required Transfer Path courses within the intended major with a minimum of a “C.”

                        Transfer Paths include lower division course requirements that are common to all SUNY campuses with the similar major. Transfer Paths exist for many degrees at Suffolk County Community College. Visit SUNY Transfer Paths to determine the courses that should be completed before transferring to the SUNY four-year institution.

                        Core Education Graduation Requirement

                        As a condition of graduation, students in all Suffolk County Community College degree programs must satisfy core education requirements.

                        Students in A.A. degree programs must satisfy the following minimum requirements:

                        ENG101: Standard Freshman Composition - 3 credits
                        ENG102: Introduction to Literature - 3 credits
                        Humanities Electives (only one course may be English) - 9 credits
                        Social Science Electives - 6 credits
                        History Elective - 3 credits
                        Mathematics Elective - 3-4 credits
                        Laboratory Science Elective - 4 credits
                        Physical Education Electives - 2 credits
                        College Seminar - 1 credit
                        34-35 credits

                        Students in A.S. degree programs must satisfy the following minimum requirements:

                        ENG101: Standard Freshman Composition - 3 credits
                        English Elective - 3 credits
                        Humanities Elective (other than English) - 3 credits
                        History Elective - 3 credits
                        Social Science Elective (other than History) - 3 credits
                        Mathematics Elective - 3-4 credits
                        Laboratory Science Elective - 4 credits
                        Physical Education Elective - 1-2 credits
                        College Seminar - 1 credit
                        24-26 credits

                        Students in A.A.S. degree programs must satisfy the following minimum requirements:

                        ENG101: Standard Freshman Composition - 3 credits
                        English Elective - 3 credits
                        Humanities Elective (other than English) - 3 credits
                        Social Science Elective - 3 credits
                        Mathematics Elective - 3-4 credits
                        Laboratory Science Elective - 4 credits
                        Physical Education Elective - 1-2 credits
                        College Seminar - 1 credit
                        21-23 credits

                        * Currently, some programs exist with exceptions to one or more of these requirements.

                        Minimum Credits and GPA for Graduation

                        In order to graduate from any curriculum, students must complete a minimum of 60 credits for a degree and complete all curriculum requirements for a certificate while attaining a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0, both cumulatively and in their major courses. The courses constituting the major in each curriculum are designated with a ♦ symbol. Only the Adolescence Education programs, Childhood Education Studies and the Liberal Arts and Sciences: General Studies curricula do not designate major courses.

                        Two 2-credit courses may be used to fulfill a 3-credit unrestricted elective. All of the credits required for an unrestricted elective must be satisfied.

                        Program Requirements

                        Academic program requirements are subject to change. Students, enrolled in a program that has been revised, have the option to follow the program requirements in place when they were accepted into the program or they can opt to switch into the new program requirements. For further information regarding any curriculum, students should seek advice from the academic counselors, the Admissions Office, or the academic departments on any of the three campuses.

                        Goal

                        In order to support students with certain academic needs related to college readiness, Suffolk County Community College provides developmental courses in reading, mathematics, English or English as a Second Language (ESL). These courses are designed to help students refine scholastic skills, and, thereby, effect a smooth transition to college-level courses. While developmental courses do not carry credit toward a degree or certificate, successful completion of these courses is required and may serve as a prerequisite to enrollment in college-level programs at Suffolk. Developmental courses may lengthen the time needed to complete a degree program. However, faculty at Suffolk County Community College continue to develop multiple approaches to enable students to begin college-level course work in a timely manner.

                        Course Placement

                        Newly admitted full- and part-time matriculated students are enrolled in college-level or developmental courses based on scores earned on the required Computerized Placement Test (CPT), certain high school Regents exams, and other available test scores and measures. Students entering Suffolk who have completed appropriate college-level courses may be waived from part or all of the CPT requirement.

                        Scores on placement tests may determine that students need to enroll in one or more of the following developmental courses, which do not fulfill degree requirements:

                        ENGLISH
                        ENG009: Basic English Skills
                        ENG010: Developmental Writing

                        ENG011: Enhanced Writing Skills
                        ENG012: Emerging Writers Workshop

                        MATHEMATICS
                        MAT001: Developmental Mathematics Skills
                        MAT006: Pre-Algebra and Algebra I
                        MAT007: Algebra I
                        MAT009: Mathematical Literacy

                        READING
                        RDG096: Essential College Reading
                        RDG098: Introduction to College Reading
                        RDG099: Reading in the Content Areas

                        In addition, students for whom English is a second language may be required to take any or all of the following:

                        ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE

                        ESL011-012: ESL: College Reading I and II
                        ESL013-014: ESL: Intensive Grammar I and II
                        ESL015-016: ESL: College Listening Speaking Skills I and II
                        ESL017-018: ESL: College Composition I and II

                        Enrollment Requirements

                        Students required to take developmental courses in two or more subject areas or one developmental course at the lower-level English, reading, or ESL (ENG009/ESL017 or RDG098/RDG096/ESL011) may enroll in up to 14.5 credit hours per semester which would include the required developmental courses and courses from the student’s chosen curriculum. Courses are arranged by the counseling staff in consultation with the student. Students enrolled in developmental courses may drop or add courses only after written approval by a faculty advisor, counselor, Academic Chair, or Associate Academic Dean.

                        Full-time students placed into developmental reading, English, or mathematics courses must register for them during the first semester. If two levels of a developmental course are required, students successful at the lower-level must continue to the higher-level during the subsequent semester. Students earning a U, R, or W must repeat the lower-level course before moving on to the higher-level.

                        Part-time students placed into two or more developmental courses may take them in conjunction with certain approved courses. Students placed only in developmental mathematics are required to take it during the student’s first semesters.

                        New students who are applying for financial aid with state aid eligibility must earn at least 3 college-level credits toward their current degree. In the subsequent semester the student must earn at least 6 college-level credits toward their current degree.

                        Any grade issued for a developmental course is binding. A test and retest score on the CPT cannot be used to substitute for or replace an earned grade.