Liberal Arts and Sciences

The Dual/Joint Associate Degree/Baccalaureate Degree program in Liberal Arts and Sciences and Childhood Education (LE1) provides Queensborough students with the first two years of an articulated liberal arts transfer program leading to a baccalaureate degree in a liberal arts major and a co-major in Childhood Education at Queens College. In keeping with New York State’s learning standards for teacher education, the program design allows a student to use the first two years to maximum benefit in preparing for the upper division teacher education programs and the liberal arts major of their choice.

The jointly registered program is designed to provide students with:

• A core curriculum and general education core of English, American history, philosophy, sociology, art history, mathematics, laboratory science, and physical education;

• Courses in a liberal arts major that articulate with the course offerings and degree requirements at Queens College;

• An introduction to the field of education through EDUC-101, Contemporary Education: Principles and Practices, which is coordinated with the students’ field experiences and observations during the first two years of the program;

• Involvement with Queens College faculty while at Queensborough through education program information seminars and career orientation, both on admission to Queensborough and during the transition to Queens;

• During the freshman year, students will participate in at least two high impact learning experiences, which are designed to improve retention and graduation rates. The high impact learning experiences include Global and Diversity Learning and Writing Intensive courses, among others, which may be offered with and without remedial courses. High impact learning experiences create an environment in which students can develop critical thinking skills, understand ideas and issues in context, and develop a sense of academic community.

• ST-100 freshman orientation seminars that prepare students for college life and for the career that they have chosen and that are supplemented with tutorial support specifically geared to students in the program;

• Academic advisement provided by an education adviser affiliated with both campuses and available to facilitate and assure a smooth transition from Associate to baccalaureate level.

The Dual/Joint program for the A.A. Degree requires a minimum of 61 credits, including a core curriculum in the liberal arts and sciences, professional courses, and electives for the academic major.

PROGRAM ADMISSION

Queensborough Community College admits students into the A.A. degree portion of the dual/joint program in accordance with the open admissions policy established by the University’s Board of Trustees. In addition to completing the Associate degree require-ments for the dual/joint program at Queensborough, students entering the education co-major in childhood education must satisfy each of the following before matriculating in the course sequences at Queens:

• Queens College English and mathematics requirements: More detail is provided under general education core requirements.

• Passing scores on the CUNY ACT in reading and writing.

• Foreign language requirements: Queens College requires all baccalaureate students to take three semesters of a foreign language; or, students can demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language in one of two ways:

1. Students must have completed three years of high school foreign language study and passed the New York State Regents Examination;

2. Students must be approved by Queens College for language certification.

• A minimum GPA of 2.75 toward the A.A. degree

Students completing the Queensborough Community College degree requirements and the Queens College requirements above are eligible for admission to the Queens College program and are given full transfer credit.

CURRICULUM

Queensborough’s Associate degree dual/joint program in Liberal Arts and Sciences and Childhood Education provides the necessary preparation for students wishing to continue their studies in education and is in strict adherence to New York State’s new learning standards for teacher education. Since students are to be simultaneously admitted to the community and senior college, those who satisfactorily complete their first 60 credits at Queensborough and who meet the requirements to continue as an education co-major are assured of a seamless, articulated transition to junior-year status at Queens College towards the bachelor’s degree with an early childhood education co-major. As with QC students, qualified QCC students will be guaranteed admission to the Childhood Education co-major as determined by seat availability.

The program has been structured to allow a student to use the first two years to maximum benefit in preparing for the upper-division early childhood education co-major. Students complete core courses in the liberal arts and sciences that satisfy the requirements for the Associate degree at Queensborough. These core courses, with appropriate counseling, have been designed to meet all the General Education requirements (Pathways Common Core) for baccalaureate degree candidates at Queens College (28-31 credits are required). Students will also be required to take EDUC-101, Contemporary Education: Principles and Practices, which incorporates an internship in a public or private educational institution as part of the course requirements. A comparison of QCC core course choices with Queens College Pathways requirements is in the Student Guide to the Dual/Joint A.A./B.A. Degree Program in Liberal Arts and Sciences and Education, Childhood Grades 1-6, the Department of Social Sciences (M-104), and the Office of Academic Affairs (A-503). Advisement on courses for the liberal arts and sciences majors is available in the appropriate academic departments. For advisement concerning the education major, students should consult the Department of Social Sciences (M-104).