BMCC Launches Associate in Arts (A.A.) in Economics Degree Program

October 26, 2016

Students at Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) can now earn an Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree in Economics. The new major is offered through the Department of Social Sciences, Human Services and Criminal Justice, chaired by Professor Sangeeta K. Bishop.

“Economics relates to every aspect of our lives, from the decisions we make as individuals or families to the structures of institutions such as governments and firms,” says Professor Bishop. “Economics helps us make more informed decisions about income, wealth and well being — and much of what an individual learns as a student of economics can also be related to subjects such as politics, law, psychology and others.”

BMCC students majoring in economics will examine industrial economics, feminist economics, international economics and other areas. They will learn to identify economic trends and explore how political and social changes can affect them.

“The purpose of the Economics major is to allow students to evaluate real-life situations and apply appropriate solutions to problems,” says Bishop. “It falls within the context of BMCC’s mission to prepare students for career achievement, lifelong learning and civic participation.”

She adds that the employment options for Economic majors is growing, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Graduates will be eligible to transfer to the third year of a bachelor’s degree program in Economics. “Many employers hire economists in positions of finance, trading, banking and education, as well as in government and NGO positions,” Bishop says. “Those familiar with the basic principles of economics also make more informed decisions about their own personal financial affairs, career decisions, and other facets of everyday life.

For more information on the Associate in Arts degree program in Economics, please contact the Department of Social Sciences, Human Services and Criminal Justice at (212) 220-1210.

BMCC introduces new courses

In addition to developing new associate degree programs in Liberals Arts, STEM and other areas of study, BMCC is constantly offering new courses that reflect students’ goals and interests. These courses also support students’ critical thinking skills, career and higher education goals. For Spring 2017, the growing list includes:

CRJ 200: Constitutional Law

This course provides a historical overview of the relationship of the states of the Bill of Rights, and how the Supreme Court has interpreted the powers of the federal government. The effect of the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment on the application of the Bill of Rights to the states is examined through a study of the leading Supreme Court decisions related to criminal justice. Topics include characteristics and powers of the three branches of government, the principles governing the operation of the Bill of Rights, and the variables affecting the formulation of judicial policy.
Prerequisite: POL 100

CSC 111: Introduction to Programming

This course is an introduction to the fundamental concepts and terms of computer science, including algorithms, problem solving techniques, data types, concept of loops, conditional statements, modular programming, pointers, arrays, strings, basic file processing, structures and simple classes. Students will use a high-level computer programming language to solve a variety of problems.
Prerequisite: MAT 206 and [CSC 101 or departmental approval]

ENG 316: Comics and Graphic Narrative

In this course, we will examine the unique syntax, grammar and conventions of this still-emerging literary art form. Briefly exploring the graphic narrative’s history from the 19th Century to the mid-20th Century, we will then concentrate on the medium as it reconfigured itself as a genre of rebellion in the 1960s up to today. Through regular writing assignments, including a low-stakes reading journal and three formal papers, students will critically engage with the art form and recent scholarship; students will develop their own arguments about how certain comics communicate specific subjectivities.
Prerequisite: ENG 201

ENG 320: Environmental Literature and Film

This is a class that will focus on a variety of timely and historical environmental and social justice issues related to sustainability at the local, national, and global level. We will read essays, fiction and poetry that establish the field of ecocriticism, then draw on readings and films that have expanded ecocriticism to include environmental justice, urban nature and we shall view films on themes related to the readings.
Prerequisite: ENG 201

HED 195: Food, Culture and Society

Students will examine American dining rituals and patterns from colonial times through the 21st Century. Students will examine how historical events of colonization, trade, war, industrialization and weather impacted food consumption and diet in America. Using a socioecological model, students will also examine how American meal patterns are influenced by religion, race, culture, economics and politics.

HED 211: Critical Health Topics and Issues

This course academically examines topics that health education professionals have identified as: 1) critical to the health and wellbeing of specific populations, 2) relevant to the current state of the nation’s health and healthcare system, 3) representative of recent trends in health practices/theory, or 4) a significant health concern attributable to personal health behavior(s). This course provides for an in-depth analysis of the array of topics germane to the health field. Each semester one or more topics will be offered through this course.
Prerequisite: HED 100 or HED 110

MAT 310: Bridge to Advanced Mathematics

This course is designed to prepare students for an advanced mathematics curriculum by providing a transition from Calculus to abstract mathematics. The course explores the logical and foundational structures of mathematics, with an emphasis on understanding and writing proofs. Topics include logic, methods of proof, mathematical induction, axiomatic approach to group theory, number theory, set theory, relations and functions, Cantora’s theory of countability, and the development of the real number system. Throughout the course, students will be actively engaged in understanding, verifying and writing proofs, and will be introduced to methods of mathematics research.
Corequisite: MAT 302

THE 305: Women in United States American Theater

This course explores, analyzes, and examines women’s contribution to US-American theater, beginning with Colonial women up to contemporary women. The course will investigate how omen have contributed and continue to contribute as playwrights, actors, directors, managers, producers, and through women’s collectives to the evolution of US-American theater. Most materials are available to students without costs, through open source material, e-resources, or on reserve in the BMCC library.
Prerequisite: ENG 201

 

 

For more information on these courses, visit Academic Programs on the BMCC website.

 

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