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Curriculum Requirements

State University of New York General Education Framework (SUNY-GE)

The SUNY General Education Framework (SUNY-GE) is required:

  • fall 2023, for new first-time students entering A.A., A.S., and baccalaureate-degree programs; and
  • fall 2024, for new first-time students entering A.A.S. degree programs.

If you enrolled in a program prior to fall 2023, contact an advisor for guidance on meeting degree requirements. The SUNY General Education Requirement (SUNY-GER) will be phased out for students entering a program fall 2023 or later.

SUNY General Education Knowledge and Skills Areas, and Core Competencies

All students enrolled in programs leading to A.A., A.S., and baccalaureate degrees are required by the State University of New York to complete 30 credits of SUNY General Education Framework (SUNY-GE) in a minimum of seven of 10 areas. All students enrolled in A.A.S. degrees are required to complete 20 credits of SUNY-GE in four specified areas. Students must take the following:

1. Knowledge and Skills Areas 

The following four are required for all undergraduate-degree programs:

    • Communication – written and oral
    • Diversity: Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice
    • Mathematics (and quantitative reasoning)
    • Natural Sciences (and scientific reasoning)

In addition, a minimum of three of the following six are required for A.A., A.S., and all baccalaureate-degree programs:

    • Humanities
    • Social Sciences
    • The Arts
    • U.S. History and Civic Engagement
    • World History and Global Awareness
    • World Languages

2. Core Competencies (infused throughout the General Education program)

    • Critical Thinking and Reasoning
    • Information Literacy

See below for the courses at Suffolk County Community College that fulfill the SUNY General Education Framework.

The ArtsGEAR

ART101, ART109, ART111, ART112, ART113, ART114, ART116, ART126, ART130, ART133, ART135, ART140, ART141, ART145, ART161, ART171, ART181, ART202, ART209, ART210, CIN114, CIN156, DIA115, DNC101, DNC105, ENG202, GRD207, INT101, MTR105, MUS101, MUS103, MUS105, MUS117, MUS118, MUS121, MUS122, MUS123, MUS131, MUS132, MUS133, MUS134, MUS135, MUS136, MUS138, MUS206, MUS210, THR101, THR105, THR120, THR211, THR212, THR214

    Communication – written and oralGECO

    COM101, COM102, COM105, COM107, ENG100, ENG101

      Diversity: Equity, Inclusion, and Social JusticeGEDI

      ANT101, ART109, ENG211, ENG212, ENG227, HIS102, HIS104, HIS107, HIS118, HIS119, HIS120, HIS205, HIS206, HIS225, HUS101, PHL113, PSY216, SOC101

        HumanitiesGEHM

        ART101, ART109, ART111, ART112, ART113, CIN111, CIN112, CIN114, CIN156, COM101, COM105, COM107, COM121, COM131, COM133, ENG102, ENG140, ENG141, ENG142, ENG143, ENG177, ENG202, ENG205, ENG206, ENG209, ENG210, ENG211, ENG212, ENG213, ENG214, ENG215, ENG216, ENG218, ENG219, ENG220, ENG221, ENG223, ENG227, HUM111, HUM114, HUM116, HUM120, HUM218, MUS101, MUS206, MUS210, PHL101, PHL104, PHL105, PHL107, PHL111, PHL113, PHL201, PHL202, PHL211, PHL212, PHL213, PHL214, PHL215, PHL216, SPN175, SPN176, SPN221, THR211, THR212, WST116

          MathematicsGEMT

          MAT101, MAT102, MAT103, MAT111, MAT111L, MAT112, MAT120, MAT121, MAT124, MAT125, MAT126, MAT129, MAT131, MAT141, MAT142, MAT200, MAT203, MAT204, MAT205, MAT206, MAT210, PSY225

            Natural SciencesGENS

            AST101, AST102, AST103, AST201, AST202, AST203, AST204, BIO101, BIO103, BIO105, BIO109, BIO111, BIO130, BIO132, BIO144, BIO150, BIO155, BIO210, BIO244, BIO246, BIO250, BIO255, BIO262, BIO272, CHE100, CHE105, CHE120, CHE122, CHE133, CHE134, CHE200, CHE250, CHE251, ENV101, ESC101, ESC102, ESC125, ESC201, ESC251, MAR105, MAR111, MAR121, MAR255, MET101, MET104, MET201, PHY103, PHY104, PHY105, PHY118, PHY119, PHY121, PHY122, PHY130, PHY132, PHY220, PHY222, PHY230, PHY232, PHY247, PHY248

              Social SciencesGESS

              ANT101, ANT103, ANT105, ECO101, ECO111, ECO112, ENG177, GEO101, GEO102, HIS101, HIS102, HIS103, HIS104, HIS107, HIS110, HIS118, HIS119, HIS120, HIS201, HIS205, HIS206, HIS220, HIS225, HSC111, HUS101, POL101, POL103, POL105, POL107, POL111, POL201, PSY101, PSY201, PSY202, PSY203, PSY205, PSY210, PSY211, PSY213, PSY215, PSY216, PSY217, PSY220, SOC101, SOC200, SOC201, SOC203, SOC205, SOC215, SOC224

                U.S. History and Civic EngagementGEUS

                HIS103, HIS104, HIS205, HIS206, HIS225, POL105

                  World History and Global AwarenessGEWH

                  ANT101, ANT105, ANT211, COM202, GEO101, GEO102, HIS101, HIS102, HIS107, HIS110, HIS118, HIS119, HIS120, HIS201, HIS220, HUM112, POL107, POL111, SPN175, SPN176

                    World LanguagesGEWL

                    ASL101, ASL105, CHI101, CHI102, FRE101, FRE102, FRE201, FRE202, GER101, GER102, ITL101, ITL102, ITL201, ITL202, ITL220, ITL223, JPN101, JPN102, JPN201, JPN202, LAT101, LAT102, SPN101, SPN102, SPN113, SPN122, SPN126, SPN127, SPN201, SPN202, SPN220, SPN223

                      SUNY Transfer Paths

                      The State University of New York (SUNY) has implemented the Seamless Transfer Initiative to assist students, who have obtained an A.A. or A.S. degree at Suffolk County Community College, to transfer to a SUNY four-year institution with junior status. Seamless transfer is achieved by completing seven of the 10 SUNY General Education Framework areas and passing the required Transfer Path courses within the intended major with a minimum of a “C.”

                      Transfer Paths include lower division course requirements that are common to all SUNY campuses with the similar major. Transfer Paths exist for many degrees at Suffolk County Community College. Visit SUNY Transfer Paths to determine the courses that should be completed before transferring to the SUNY four-year institution.

                      Core Education Graduation Requirement

                      As a condition of graduation, students in all Suffolk County Community College degree programs must satisfy core education requirements.

                      Students in A.A. degree programs must satisfy the following minimum requirements:

                      ENG101: Standard Freshman Composition - 3 credits
                      ENG102: Introduction to Literature - 3 credits
                      Humanities Electives (only one course may be English) - 9 credits
                      Social Science Electives - 6 credits
                      History Elective - 3 credits
                      Mathematics Elective - 3-4 credits
                      Laboratory Science Elective - 4 credits
                      Physical Education Electives - 2 credits
                      College Seminar - 1 credit
                      34-35 credits

                      Students in A.S. degree programs must satisfy the following minimum requirements:

                      ENG101: Standard Freshman Composition - 3 credits
                      English Elective - 3 credits
                      Humanities Elective (other than English) - 3 credits
                      History Elective - 3 credits
                      Social Science Elective (other than History) - 3 credits
                      Mathematics Elective - 3-4 credits
                      Laboratory Science Elective - 4 credits
                      Physical Education Elective - 1-2 credits
                      College Seminar - 1 credit
                      24-26 credits

                      Students in A.A.S. degree programs must satisfy the following minimum requirements:

                      ENG101: Standard Freshman Composition - 3 credits
                      English Elective - 3 credits
                      Humanities Elective (other than English) - 3 credits
                      Social Science Elective - 3 credits
                      Mathematics Elective - 3-4 credits
                      Laboratory Science Elective - 4 credits
                      Physical Education Elective - 1-2 credits
                      College Seminar - 1 credit
                      21-23 credits

                      * Currently, some programs exist with exceptions to one or more of these requirements.

                      Minimum Credits and GPA for Graduation

                      In order to graduate from any curriculum, students must complete a minimum of 60 credits for a degree and complete all curriculum requirements for a certificate while attaining a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0, both cumulatively and in their major courses. The courses constituting the major in each curriculum are designated with a ♦ symbol. Only the Liberal Arts and Sciences: Adolescence Education programs, the Liberal Arts and Sciences: Education (Child Study) and the Liberal Arts and Sciences: General Studies curricula do not designate major courses.

                      Two 2-credit courses may be used to fulfill a 3-credit unrestricted elective. All of the credits required for an unrestricted elective must be satisfied.

                      Program Requirements

                      Academic program requirements are subject to change. Students, enrolled in a program that has been revised, have the option to follow the program requirements in place when they were accepted into the program or they can opt to switch into the new program requirements. For further information regarding any curriculum, students should seek advice from the academic counselors, the Admissions Office, or the academic departments on any of the three campuses.

                      Goal

                      In order to support students with certain academic needs related to college readiness, Suffolk County Community College provides developmental courses in reading, mathematics, English or English as a Second Language (ESL). These courses are designed to help students refine scholastic skills, and, thereby, effect a smooth transition to college-level courses. While developmental courses do not carry credit toward a degree or certificate, successful completion of these courses is required and may serve as a prerequisite to enrollment in college-level programs at Suffolk. Developmental courses may lengthen the time needed to complete a degree program. However, faculty at Suffolk County Community College continue to develop multiple approaches to enable students to begin college-level course work in a timely manner.

                      Course Placement

                      Newly admitted full- and part-time matriculated students are enrolled in college-level or developmental courses based on scores earned on the required Computerized Placement Test (CPT), certain high school Regents exams, and other available test scores and measures. Students entering Suffolk who have completed appropriate college-level courses may be waived from part or all of the CPT requirement.

                      Scores on placement tests may determine that students need to enroll in one or more of the following developmental courses, which do not fulfill degree requirements:

                      ENGLISH
                      ENG009: Basic English Skills
                      ENG010: Developmental Writing

                      ENG011: Enhanced Writing Skills
                      ENG012: Emerging Writers Workshop

                      MATHEMATICS
                      MAT001: Developmental Mathematics Skills
                      MAT006: Pre-Algebra and Algebra I
                      MAT007: Algebra I
                      MAT009: Mathematical Literacy

                      READING
                      RDG096: Essential College Reading
                      RDG098: Introduction to College Reading
                      RDG099: Reading in the Content Areas

                      In addition, students for whom English is a second language may be required to take any or all of the following:

                      ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE

                      ESL011-012: ESL: College Reading I and II
                      ESL013-014: ESL: Intensive Grammar I and II
                      ESL015-016: ESL: College Listening Speaking Skills I and II
                      ESL017-018: ESL: College Composition I and II

                      Enrollment Requirements

                      Students required to take developmental courses in two or more subject areas or one developmental course at the lower-level English, reading, or ESL (ENG009/ESL017 or RDG098/RDG096/ESL011) may enroll in up to 14.5 credit hours per semester which would include the required developmental courses and courses from the student’s chosen curriculum. Courses are arranged by the counseling staff in consultation with the student. Students enrolled in developmental courses may drop or add courses only after written approval by a faculty advisor, counselor, Academic Chair, or Associate Academic Dean.

                      Full-time students placed into developmental reading, English, or mathematics courses must register for them during the first semester. If two levels of a developmental course are required, students successful at the lower-level must continue to the higher-level during the subsequent semester. Students earning a U, R, or W must repeat the lower-level course before moving on to the higher-level.

                      Part-time students placed into two or more developmental courses may take them in conjunction with certain approved courses. Students placed only in developmental mathematics are required to take it during the student’s first semesters.

                      New students who are applying for financial aid with state aid eligibility must earn at least 3 college-level credits toward their current degree. In the subsequent semester the student must earn at least 6 college-level credits toward their current degree.

                      Any grade issued for a developmental course is binding. A test and retest score on the CPT cannot be used to substitute for or replace an earned grade.