Unique & Interdisciplinary Studies

Create Your Own Major

You’re unique – why shouldn’t your major be, too?

You can build a meaningful, completely customized major that combines multiple disciplines; these connections will help you explore complex topics and build problem-solving skills.

And 80% of CUNY BA alums report that they are working in fields related to their self-designed concentrations – and in some cases, in new fields that hadn’t existed previously. Established in 1971, join over 8,000 alumni who created their own majors.

A Flexible & Personalized Degree

The CUNY BA individualized degree is a University-wide, forward-thinking program that offers the utmost benefits, flexibility and personalization:

- Choose from thousands of CUNY courses offered by more than 20 different schools
- Create a unique major or area of concentration (or two) by combining courses from different disciplines around a career, interest, or personal mission
- Tap into a vibrant community of students and build connections
- Get individualized support from academic advisors and your faculty mentor(s)
- Access scholarships and research opportunities, as well as leadership, internship, study abroad and graduate pipeline programs
- Become a “dual citizen”, compounding the opportunities and services from your home college with CUNY BA

What Majors Can I Create?

Every student is encouraged to design their own major (area of concentration) that aligns with their interests and career aspirations. Here are some examples that our students have pursued:

Artificial Intelligence and Gaming + Media Marketing
Cybersecurity + Political Science
Film Production + Business Administration
Human Biology + Middle Eastern Language
Graphic Design + Computer Science
Music Composition + Narrative Illustration
Social Justice + Performing Arts
UX/UI Design in Game

Visit for more examples of unique majors students have created.

Program Spotlight

Emma DeGroff
Social Justice & Performing Arts, Hunter College

Not wanting to choose between dance and law, Emma designed her own major through CUNY BA, an interdisciplinary program that allows students to take classes at any campus. As far as she knows, she’s the only social justice and performing arts major in the city!

How Does It Work?

#1
Apply for or be currently enrolled at a four-year CUNY college

#2
Earn at least 12 college credits with a GPA of 2.8 or above
(if you already have 12 college credits from other schools,
you can easily transfer with our generous transfer credit policy)

#3
Apply for CUNY BA & submit an
Area of Concentration (AOC) Proposal

#4
Get support from academic advisors and faculty mentors
to modify your plan and help guide you throughout
your entire education journey