New academic degrees – including a Master of Fine Arts in Cinema Arts and a Master of Arts in Cinema Studies at Brooklyn College, a Master’s in Social Work and a Doctor of Nursing Practice at the College of Staten Island and an online Bachelor of Science in Information Systems at the CUNY School of Professional Studies – are among 20 degree and certificate programs debuting this fall at The City University of New York.
“CUNY’s new academic offerings reflect the University’s commitment to prepare our students for the careers of the future,” said Chancellor James B. Milliken.
Leveraging the dynamic growth of the city’s $5 billion, 100,000-employee movie industry, Brooklyn College launches two master’s programs on its new campus at the Steiner Studios in the historic Brooklyn Navy Yard. Steiner Studios is equipped for start-to-finish production of major motion pictures, independent films, television, broadcast commercials and music videos. Emphasizing commercial filmmaking, the Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) in Cinema Arts prepares students for industry fields with the greatest employment opportunities: directing, cinematography, production management, post-production and screenwriting. A separate Master of Arts (M.A.) in Cinema Studies provides in-depth education in cinema history, theory, criticism and aesthetics and encourages the scholarly exploration of motion pictures as an art form and medium of social communication.
To prepare nurses to become top-level clinical managers as health-care delivery changes and the population ages, the College of Staten Island introduces two clinical Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) degrees in adult-gerontological nursing. Although both involve direct care of patients, one is geared for work in organizations, the other for work in primary-care settings. The D.N.P. prepares nurses to translate research findings into clinical practice. The Institute of Medicine, one of the National Academies, seeks a 50 percent increase in the number of doctorally prepared nurses by the year 2020. (Hunter College offers D.N.P.s in gerontology and in community and psychiatric mental health. The Graduate Center partners with CSI and Hunter and Lehman Colleges in a research-oriented Ph.D. in Nursing.)
Undergraduates seeking careers in information systems technology can pursue an online Bachelor of Science (B.S.) through the CUNY School of Professional Studies. Designed to meet the needs of working students, the program focuses on processes, people, data, infrastructure and design, and how they combine to create agile and competitive organizations. Students develop technical proficiency in programming, web and mobile app development, database design and management, enterprise applications and cloud computing, systems analysis and design, and networking and security. With hands-on projects in every course, it aims to cultivate a strong sense of innovation and entrepreneurship. The curriculum follows recommendations of the Association for Information Systems (AIS) and the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM).
CUNY’s other new degree programs are:
BARUCH COLLEGE – Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Communication Studies.
This degree program in the Weissman School of Arts & Sciences simultaneously exposes students to a rigorous traditional curriculum in the field of communications and to skills that lead to employment. Along with common foundation courses, students select a concentration in interpersonal and group communications, intercultural and international communications, rhetoric and public advocacy, or digital communication and culture. The program prepares graduates for careers in human resources, public relations and advertising.
BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE – Associate in Science (A.S.) Degrees in Community Health Education and in School Health Education.
In each of these two new degree programs, the curriculum includes lower-division health education, humanities, biology and mathematics that prepare graduates for transfer into upper-division degree programs in those fields without loss of credit. In addition, graduates are eligible for direct employment as community and school health educators. BMCC has articulation agreements with York College’s bachelor’s degree program in each field and seeks agreements with other CUNY and non-CUNY colleges.
BRONX COMMUNITY COLLEGE – Associate in Science /Bachelor of Science (A.S/B.S.) degrees in Biotechnology (joint program with City College).
Bronx Community College students gain a firm understanding of the fundamental theoretical concepts and the basic hands-on skills necessary to achieve optimum performance in biotechnology and to further their knowledge in advanced courses at The City College of New York. With U.S. Department of Education funding, BCC built and equipped a biotechnology lab equivalent to those at CCNY to provide a solid introduction to the essential techniques of this field. This program addresses the shortage of trained personnel in this rapidly growing field while increasing the number of qualified minority students in this scientific area. The program allows students to seamlessly transfer from Bronx Community College to City College to continue their studies.
COLLEGE OF STATEN ISLAND – Advanced Certificate in Business Analytics of Large-Scale Data.
This interdisciplinary certificate addresses the need for skilled analytical researchers with experience in large-scale databases. It accompanies CSI’s existing master’s programs in Business Management and Accounting. The certificate program should be attractive to students from the social sciences, applied sciences, and other analytical fields, in addition to industry professionals seeking to hone and expand their skills.
Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) with specialization in developmental disabilities.
An MSW – the terminal degree for the profession – is required for licensure as a social worker in New York State. By educating students for advanced, urban social work practice, with a specialization in disabilities, CSI will prepare students to meet the multiple demands of social work practice on Staten Island and in the region. The curriculum follows requirements for professional accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and for licensure in New York State of Licensed Master Social Workers and Licensed Clinical Social Workers.
Master of Science in Education (M.S. in Ed.) and Advanced Certificate in Teaching of English to Speakers of other Languages (TESOL), Pre-K- 12.
Reflecting recent increases in immigrant populations in Staten Island and Brooklyn schools and a resultant need for well-prepared and appropriately certified English-as-a-Second-Language teachers, this program serves the needs of the community while responding to favorable market forces. The only Master of Science in Education in TESOL program offered entirely on Staten Island, it offers courses that meet and exceed NYS TESOL certification requirements. The goal is to prepare students to be highly competent teachers as well as thoughtful and culturally sensitive professionals.
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Geography.
Students develop an understanding and appreciation of the diversity of Earth’s physical and cultural environments, as well as the interrelationships between peoples and their environments at a variety of scales. They also train in Geographical Information Systems (GIS), one of the fastest growing and lucrative employment skills in the current job market. No college on Staten Island and only a limited number of universities in the tristate area offer this major.
JOHN JAY COLLEGE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE – Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Anthropology.
Students learn anthropological theories and methodologies, as well as the knowledge, perspective and technical research skills needed to work in and contribute to today’s culturally diverse and interconnected world. The program capitalizes on the growing importance of the approach, methods and theories of anthropology to identify, understand, historicize and resolve chronic and emergent social problems in urban settings in the developed and developing world. Students choose between two concentrations, one on global cultural forms and social inequalities; the second on the intersection of law, power and politics from an anthropological perspective. They also have in-depth training in fieldwork-based research. Graduates will be ready for graduate study and will have specific competencies sought by employers looking to interpret and contextualize cultural behaviors and beliefs.
KINGSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE – Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) in Polysomnographic Technology.
This is the first degree program in New York City in Polysomnographic Technology – that is, the knowledge and skills needed to work as a sleep technician in laboratories that diagnose and treat people with sleep disorders, including breathing problems. Until recently, technicians have primarily trained in academic medical centers, but a new state law requires a formal degree to receive a sleep technician’s license. This program fills a new and growing need, particularly in New York City, which contains a large number of sleep laboratories.
LEHMAN COLLEGE – Registered Nurse (R.N.) to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) online program.
Registered nurses who earn bachelor’s degrees in nursing typically earn more, take on greater responsibilities and are more likely to be chosen for supervisory positions than R.N.s with or without associate degrees. This program – geared to the busy schedules and family responsibilities of working R.N.s – provides licensed registered nurses with an Associate degree in Nursing or a hospital diploma program, the chance to a B.S. in Nursing. degree. (Graduates of hospital R.N. diploma programs can earn advanced standing credits by taking competency tests; R.N.s with associate degrees start that much further ahead.)
NEW YORK CITY COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY – Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Professional and Technical Writing.
Thisprogram provides students with both a content specialty in areas such as technology, science or business and the skills to communicate that information to a lay audience in both print and digital platforms through both language and images. Graduates will be prepared for employment in a broad range of professional areas that include business, government, technology, health professions and grant-writing.
CUNY SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES – Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) program in Urban and Community Studies.
Designed for students interested in careers in public service and social advocacy, this interdisciplinary curriculum focuses on urban problems and social services to working-class populations and underserved communities. It allows students to examine the intersections between and among various government agencies, urban institutions and community groups seeking to address the needs of these populations. Students may develop an area of special interest through concentrations in Urban Studies, Community Studies, and Labor Studies.
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Human Relations.
Human Relations is an applied, interdisciplinary field of study that examines human behavior, interactions, and relationships within the workplace and society. Human Relations addresses the nature of these relationships with regard to key workplace concepts such as change, conflict, adult learning, communication, ethics, diversity, collaboration and leadership. This program serves adult students through an interdisciplinary approach that incorporates perspectives from the social sciences, business and the humanities. It focuses on developing the necessary knowledge and skills to make these relationships more effective. It prepares students for careers in growing service-sector industries, including human services, social services, human relations, training and development, sales, administration and management in the private and public sectors.
YORK COLLEGE — Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Health Science.
Grounded in the natural sciences, health policy, education and informatics, this program offers students two concentrations. One is Health Care Management, which prepares them for direct employment, including in management positions in hospitals, long-term care facilities and laboratories. The other is Pre-Health Professional Studies, which prepares them for graduate work in public health, nutrition and health care policy. All students do two field-based courses, so they can apply classroom knowledge, make professional contacts and gain valuable work experience. In developing the program, York consulted with CUNY and non-CUNY graduate programs to assure that graduates have the best preparation for admission to graduate study.
About The City University of New York: The City University of New York is the nation’s leading urban public university. Founded in New York City in 1847, the University comprises 24 institutions: 11 senior colleges, seven community colleges, the William E. Macaulay Honors College at CUNY, the CUNY Graduate School and University Center, the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, the CUNY School of Law, the CUNY School of Professional Studies and the CUNY School of Public Health. The University serves more than 270,000 degree-credit students and 218,083 adult, continuing and professional education students. College Now, the University’s academic enrichment program, is offered at CUNY campuses and more than 300 high schools throughout the five boroughs of New York City. The University offers online baccalaureate degrees through the School of Professional Studies and an individualized baccalaureate through the CUNY Baccalaureate Degree. Nearly 3 million unique visitors and 10 million page views are served each month via www.cuny.edu, the University’s website.
