In the fall of 2008, following her second year at BMCC, Tonisha Haywood transferred to John Jay College, where she planned to pursue a Bachelors degree in criminal justice as part of the John Jay-BMCC joint degree program. Then she had second thoughts.
“What I really wanted was a program that would prepare me to return to my native country and work in the Ministry of National Security,” says Haywood, who was born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago. The problem was that there was no formal curriculum that aligned perfectly with her academic needs.
A flexible—and challenging—way to earn a degree
The solution lay in the CUNY Baccalaureate for Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies program, which she learned about from her advisor, Professor Rolondo Jorif of the English department, just as the 2008 academic year was about to begin. Established in 1971, the program allows academically strong, highly motivated students to design their own course of study under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Participating students are provided with a flexible, challenging way to earn their degree as well as a major share of the responsibility for the content of that degree.
“What Professor Jorif told me about the program immediately sparked my interest,” Haywood recalls. “I spent hours looking through the catalogues of every CUNY school, choosing courses that would put me on track to meet my objective.” She then created a major in “international studies and criminal studies for the public sector,” comprising of courses in public administration, criminology, criminal justice and other subject areas. She will graduate with a B.A. in her made-to-order major from John Jay this May.
You “need to be very directed”
“What drew me to the program was its flexibility and freedom in course selection,” Haywood says. “When you take part in the program, you wind up taking courses because you’re really passionate about them—not just because they’re required.” She was even able to spend a semester at the University of Madras in India, where she took five courses. The credits were all transferable to CUNY. “I don’t think I could have done this in another program,” she says.
To be sure, the special CUNY Baccalaureate program is not for everyone. “You really need to be very directed and know exactly where you want to go and where you want to end up,” says Haywood. “If you do, the program lets you take the courses that will get you there.” Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 2.5.
Haywood is seriously thinking about going on to law school after graduating this spring, but she’s leaving her options open. But one thing she’s certain about is that she’ll miss CUNY.
“I’ve had a great experience here,” she says. “In some ways I wish I could stay forever.”
