QUEENS COLLEGEOF THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
Flushing, New York
The College
Queens College, with more than 12,600 undergraduates, is one of the largest of the four-year colleges in the City University of New York (CUNY) system. The College opened its doors in 1937 with the goal of offering a first-rate education to talented people of all backgrounds and financial means. Often referred to as the jewel of the CUNY system, Queens College enjoys a national reputation for its liberal arts and sciences and preprofessional programs. Like other CUNY colleges, Queens is a commuter school. Students come from 140 different nations; the result is an unusually rich education that gives Queens College graduates a competitive edge in today's global society.
The 77-acre campus is lined with trees surrounding grassy open spaces and a traditional quad. Some of the original Spanish-style stucco-and-tile buildings from the early 1900s still stand, including Jefferson Hall, which houses the beautiful new Welcome Center. The completely renovated Powdermaker Hall, the major classroom building, reopened in fall 2003 with state-of-the-art technology throughout. The College is also expanding its wireless capability, opening new cafs and dining areas, updating the spacious Student Union and several other buildings, and embarking on a variety of campus-beautification projects.
Since Queens is a commuter college, the administration is dedicated to making students feel that the College is their home away from home. A Child Development Center, staffed by professionals, offers inexpensive child-care services to students with children. There are more than 100 clubs on campus, from the Accounting Honors Society and Alliance of Latin American Students to clubs for theater, fencing, environmental science, salsa, and fine arts. Queens, the only CUNY college that participates in Division II sports, sponsors fifteen men's and women's teams and some of the finest athletics facilities in the metropolitan area. Ongoing cultural events include readings by renowned authors such as Toni Morrison, Frank McCourt, and Norman Mailer; world-class concerts; and theater and dance performances. The College is home to the Godwin-Ternbach Museum, the only comprehensive museum in the borough of Queens, with art from antiquity to the present.
The College's centers and institutes also serve students and the larger urban community by addressing society's most important challenges, including cancer, AIDS, pollution, and racism; the changing workplace and workforce; and the heritages of the borough's many ethnic communities, including Asians, Greeks, Italians, and Jews.
Queens College has had a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa since 1950 (less than 10 percent of the nation's liberal arts colleges are members of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's oldest and most respected undergraduate honors organization). In 1968, Queens College became a member of Sigma Xi, the national science honor society. The American Association of University Women includes Queens College in its list of approved colleges for membership.
Location
Queens College, located off Exit 24 of the Long Island Expressway, is in a residential area of Flushing. It is easily accessible by public transportation. The College is only 20 minutes from Manhattan, whose magnificent skyline overlooks the campus quad.
Majors and Degrees
The Bachelor of Arts degree is awarded in accounting, Africana studies, American studies, anthropology, art, art history, biology, Byzantine and modern Greek studies, chemistry, communication arts and media, communication sciences and disorders, comparative literature, computer science, drama and theater, East Asian studies, economics, education (early childhood and elementary), English, environmental sciences, environmental studies, film studies, French, geology, German, Greek, Hebrew, history, home economics, Italian, Jewish studies, labor studies, Latin, Latin American area studies, linguistics, mathematics, music, philosophy, physics, political science and government, psychology, Russian, sociology, Spanish, studio art, theater-dance, urban studies, and women's studies. The Bachelor of Arts program in secondary school teaching includes the following subject areas: Africana studies, anthropology, biology, chemistry, economics, English, French, geology, German, history, Italian, Latin American area studies, mathematics, physics, political science and government, sociology, Spanish, and urban studies. The College also awards the Bachelor of Arts in interdisciplinary studies; an individualized Bachelor of Arts program; the Bachelor of Business Administration; the Bachelor of Fine Arts in studio art; the Bachelor of Music in instrumental or vocal performance studies; and the Bachelor of Science in applied social science, computer science, environmental sciences, geology, graphic design, nutrition and exercise sciences, and physical education.
The Departments of Chemistry, Computer Science, Philosophy, Physics, and Political Science and the Aaron Copland School of Music offer qualified undergraduates the opportunity to take combined bachelor's and master's degree programs.
Special interdisciplinary programs include Africana studies, American studies, business and liberal arts, business administration, Byzantine and modern Greek studies, Honors in Mathematical and Natural Sciences, Honors in the Humanities, Honors in the Social Sciences, Irish studies, Italian-American studies, Latin American and Latino studies, journalism, and religious studies. Special programs and advisement are also available in accounting, pre-engineering, prelaw, and the prehealth professions.
Academic Programs
Queens College prepares students to become leaders of today's global society by offering a rigorous education in the liberal arts and sciences under the guidance of a faculty dedicated to both teaching and research. Students graduate with the ability to think critically, address complex problems, explore various cultures, and use modern technologies and information resources.
The wide range of majors and interdisciplinary studies, combined with the award-winning Freshman Year Initiative program, encourages students to explore their interests and abilities to the fullest. In most cases, degree programs require the completion of 120 credits.
The Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) degree provides a solid business education that responds to the demand of employers for specific quantitative and technological skills. Students may choose from three majors: finance, international business, and actuarial studies. The B.B.A. also has an investments/chartered financial analyst track to prepare students for the CFA examination, the only such undergraduate program in New York.
The business and liberal arts program is designed for students who want to study the theory and practice of business in a liberal arts context. Internships are sponsored by participating corporations.
In fall 2004, Queens College began offering a B.S. degree in graphic design.
The CUNY Honors Program includes unique interdisciplinary seminars, access to instructional technology, mentors, internships, and study-abroad programs as well as a Cultural Passport that provides entry to the vast resources of New York City. Financial awards include full tuition and fees, a grant of $7500 over four years, a textbook allowance, and a free laptop computer. The current profile for a Queens College honor student is a 95 average and 1320 combined SATs.
Honors in the Humanities includes a challenging curriculum based on the Great Books. Its facilities provide a quiet place for scholarly work and original research.
Honors in Mathematical and Natural Sciences is for students who have demonstrated exceptional ability in mathematics and science at the high school level.
The Honors in the Social Sciences program encourages students to gain an in-depth understanding of the traditions and methods of the social sciences.
The Adult Collegiate Education program, offered to students 25 and older, includes the option of obtaining college credit for life achievement. The Weekend College allows busy students to pursue their degrees by taking classes on Saturday and Sunday.
Academic Facilities
Among the many centers where research and creativity are joined in the pursuit of knowledge are the 2,200-seat Colden Center for the Performing Arts, which includes the Goldstein Theatre, designed especially for the staging of experimental student productions; the Aaron Copland School of Music facility, which includes thirty-five practice rooms and the 491-seat LeFrak Concert Hall; the Institute for Low-Temperature Physics; and the Speech and Hearing Center, which investigates communication disabilities and provides clinical experience for students of speech and hearing therapy.
The College administers the Louis Armstrong House, which in fall 2003 opened as a historic house museum. The Benjamin Rosenthal Library, with its soaring, light-filled atrium and art center, has more than 780,000 volumes. The Louis Armstrong Archives in the library, home to a vast personal collection of Armstrong's photographs, papers, recordings, and memorabilia, draws scholars and jazz fans alike from across America.
Costs
For New York State residents, undergraduate tuition for 200506 is $4000. For out-of-state and international students, undergraduate tuition is $360 per credit. There is a student activity and technology fee of $178 per semester for full-time undergraduate students and $110 per semester for part-time undergraduate students.
Financial Aid
More than 50 percent of Queens College students receive need-based financial aid. The aid may include state and federal loans and grants, Tuition Assistance Program awards, Regents Scholarships, Federal Direct Student Loans, Federal Pell Grants, State Aid for Native Americans, and Federal Work-Study Program awards.
The Queens College Scholars Program offers a variety of merit-based scholarships to full-time freshmen, with awards ranging from $2000 to $4500 per year. Selection is competitive, and scholarships are awarded on the basis of the high school record, test scores (SAT and SAT Subject Tests), writing ability, letters of recommendation, and extracurricular activities. Scholarships are renewable with continued high academic achievement. Applicants who rank in or near the top 10 percent of their class and have a rigorous academic program, excellent grades, and minimum combined SAT scores of 1250 are encouraged to apply. The application deadline is February1.
Faculty
The College's faculty consists of top scholars who are dedicated to teaching. There are 545 full-time faculty members; 80 percent have the terminal degree in their field and 67 percent have tenure. Many also teach in the doctoral programs at the CUNY Graduate Center. Faculty members have received numerous fellowships, awards, and research grants from such prestigious organizations as the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. In recent years, faculty members received two Guggenheim awards and two Fulbright grants. CUNY has recognized the excellence of the faculty by honoring 9 members with the title of Distinguished Professor in fields as diverse as chemistry, economics, English, history, and physics. Among the more widely known faculty members are scientist Steven Markowitz; poets Jeffrey Renard Allen, Nicole Cooley, and Kimiko Hahn; literary biographer Fred Kaplan; and Distinguished Professor Gregory Rabassa, renowned for his translation of writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
Student Government
Through the Student Association, students at Queens are able to run many services and activities that influence the daily operations of the College. Its elected officers and senators poll students regularly about relevant topics and sponsor such services as free legal advice, a typing center, apartment and tutor referral, and voter registration. In addition, students constitute one third of the College's Academic Senate.
Admission Requirements
Queens College seeks to admit freshmen who have completed a strong college-preparatory program in high school with at least a B+ average. Admission is based on a variety of factors, including the applicant's high school grades, academic program, and SAT or ACT scores. Successful candidates have chosen a well-rounded program of study that includes academic course work in English (4 years), foreign language (3 years), math (3 years), lab science (2 years), and social studies (4 years).
The Search for Education, Elevation & Knowledge Program (SEEK) offers academic support, counseling, and financial assistance to motivated students who would not otherwise qualify for admission. The SEEK Program has its own admissions criteria, including financial need.
For earliest consideration, students should apply by January1 for fall admission and by October15 for spring admission.
Application and Information
The staff of the Undergraduate Office of Admissions is available to answer questions and give more information. To make an appointment for a tour or to meet with a counselor, students should contact:
Baseball
