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Academic Affairs

How Credits Transfer

Pathways makes it easier for students to transfer from one CUNY college to another. When a student has met a Common Core or College Option requirement at one CUNY school, those requirements will be met at any other CUNY school; AP credits and non-CUNY credits may also count toward a student’s Common Core or College Option requirements. In Pathways, students in certain CUNY majors can easily transfer their major credits.

General Pathways Transfer Facts

  • Courses passed for credit at any CUNY college will transfer for credit at any other CUNY college.
  • Courses that fulfill a Required Common Core requirement at any CUNY college will transfer for Required Common Core credit at any other CUNY college.
  • Courses that fulfill a Flexible Common Core requirement at any CUNY college will transfer for Flexible Common Core credit at any other CUNY college.
  • Courses that fulfill a College Option requirement at any CUNY college will transfer for College Option credit at any other CUNY college.
  • Courses that are designated as "Gateway" courses into a major will transfer for major credit at any other CUNY college that offers the major.

Common Core Credits

  • CUNY Bachelor's and Associate Degree Students >>If a student fulfills a Common Core requirement at one CUNY college and transfers to another CUNY college, the requirement will count as fulfilled. For example: If you pass Math 101 at LaGuardia, and Math 101 fulfills the Mathematical and Quantitative Reasoning Core at LaGuardia, your Mathematical and Quantitative Reasoning Core requirement will count as fulfilled if you transfer to Brooklyn College
  • Non-CUNY Bachelor's and Associate Degree Students >>On transferring into a CUNY college, that college will determine whether any of the courses a student took before transferring fulfill (or partially fulfill) any requirements of the Common Core.If the student later transfers to another CUNY college, the new college will respect the initial college's decision about which Common Core areas were fulfilled.

College Option Credits

CUNY Associate Degree Students >>

  • Earned Associate Degree -- 6 College Option credits required
  • Earned 30 or More Credits -- 9 College Option credits required
  • Earned Fewer Than 30 Credits -- 12 College Option credits required

CUNY Bachelor's Degree Students >>

Students can transfer the College Option credits they earn in a bachelor's degree program at one CUNY college toward their College Option requirement at any other CUNY college.For example: If you complete 6 College Option credits at Baruch College and transfer to York College, you will need to complete only 6 more College Option credits at York College to fulfill the 12-credit requirement.

Non-CUNY Associate Degree Students >>

  • Earned Associate Degree -- 6 College Option credits required
  • Earned 30 or More Credits -- 9 College Option credits required
  • Earned Fewer Than 30 Credits -- 12 College Option credits required
  • On transferring into a CUNY college, that college will determine whether any of the courses the student took before transferring fulfill (or partially fulfill) any of the College Option requirements. If the student later transfers to another CUNY college, that college will respect the initial CUNY college's decision about how many College Option credits were fulfilled before the transfer.

Non-CUNY Bachelor's Degree Students >>

Students transferring into a CUNY bachelor's program from a non-CUNY bachelor's program will be required to complete 12 College Option credits.On transferring into a CUNY college, that college will determine whether any of the courses the student took before transferring fulfill (or partially fulfill) any of the College Option requirements.If the student later transfers to another CUNY college, that college will respect the initial CUNY college's decision about how many College Option credits were fulfilled before the transfer.

Elective Credits

Courses passed for credit at any CUNY college will transfer for credit at any other CUNY college.

Major Credits

Faculty committees that represent several popular majors at CUNY have designated a minimum of three courses per major that will be offered at each CUNY college that has that major. These CUNY courses will count toward major requirements at any CUNY college that offers that major.

AP Credits

AP credits will continue to transfer in as "courses taken" in the form of college credits. AP credits may (or may not) fulfill Common Core requirements as designated by colleges. Students should check their college's requirements to see whether their AP credits may count for Common Core credit. If a college allows an AP credit to count toward a Common Core requirement, a score of 4 or 5 is required.