Skip to Catalog 2020-2021 site navigationSkip to main content

Degree Completion Program

 

Resources:

Program Director:  Patricia Laprey

plaprey@ramapo.edu

About the Degree Completion Program

Ramapo College’s Degree Completion Program (DCP) provides returning adult students a fully-mapped out pathway to finishing their undergraduate degree on an accelerated schedule.  The Degree Completion Program offers two accelerated majors:

  1. Contemporary Arts with a Professional Communications concentration.
  2. Social Science with a Society and Culture concentration

These accelerated majors combine on-line, hybrid and evening classroom study on a part-time, year-round schedule (fall, winter, spring and summer).

In general, DCP students should have at least 64 transfer credits, either through an Associate’s Degree or through a combination of transfer credits from previous institutions.  Students must be part of a Degree Completion Program cohort in order to enroll either in one of the DCP accelerated majors or in a DCP section of a course.

DCP majors provide the entirety of any courses required by the major, along with any school core requirements, as part of the mapped curriculum.  The Degree Completion Program assumes that a student has successfully completed Ramapo’s general education requirements prior to enrollment.  However, students who need to complete outstanding General Education requirements or elective credits can do so through advisement from the program director.

CONTEMPORARY ARTS:  PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION 

About the DCP Contemporary Arts: Professional Communication Major

The Degree Completion Program’s accelerated Contemporary Arts: Professional Communication major is an interdisciplinary contract major that enables returning students to focus on four key areas of the field:

  1. Written communication
  2. Persuasion and oral communication
  3. Visual communication
  4. Business and non-profit communication

The DCP Contemporary Arts: Professional Communication major requires a minimum of 48 credits, including a co-op/internship and a capstone course, in addition to the School of Contemporary Arts Core.  Sixteen of those credits must be at the upper level (300-400).

This major is offered by the School of Contemporary Arts and leads to a Bachelor of Arts degree.  In addition to the major requirements, students must fulfill General Education and School of Contemporary Arts requirements.

Outcomes for the Major

Outcome 1: Understand the discipline or inter-disciplines identified as part of their learning agreement developed in consultation with their academic advisor. 

Outcome 2: Apply creative thinking in the work they produce. 

Outcome 3: Be able to write appropriately to their discipline. This outcome includes demonstrating and synthesizing significant ideas about the disciplines through writing. 

Outcome 4: Produce advanced work that demonstrates skills relevant to their discipline. Students should be able to demonstrate an ability to connect and synthesize ideas, use innovation to solve problems and explore their content in depth.

Requirements of the DCP Contemporary Arts: Professional Communication Major
  1. Transfer students who have 48 or more credits accepted at the time of transfer are waived from the courses marked with a (W) below. Waivers do not apply to the Major Requirements.
  2. Double counting between General Education, School Core, and Major may be possible.  Check with your advisor to see if any apply.
  3. Writing Intensive Requirement:  Three required writing intensive courses are built into the DCP Contemporary Arts: Professional Communication curriculum.
  4. A minimum 2.0 GPA in the major is required for graduation.

Please consult with the Director of the Degree Completion Program regarding information about the requirements of the accelerated major.

SOCIAL SCIENCE: SOCIETY AND CULTURE

About the DCP Social Science: Society and Culture Major

The Degree Completion Program’s accelerated Social Science: Society and Culture major is an interdisciplinary contract major which combines courses from throughout the social science disciplines, including courses in criminal justice, substance abuse, human rights, social welfare and other topics of pressing social concern.

The DCP Social Science majors requires 11 courses, including a re-entry seminar, a research methods course, and a capstone course.  At least 4 courses must be at the upper-level (300-400 level).

This major is offered by the School of Social Science and Human Services and leads to a Bachelor of Arts degree.  In addition to the major requirements, students must fulfill General Education and School of Social Science and Human Services requirements.

Outcomes for the Major

Outcome 1: Communicate effectively

Outcome 2:Develop critical thinking skills

Outcome 3:  Understand and apply research skills in the social sciences.

Outcome 4:  Engage in multidisciplinary perspective-taking.

Requirements of the DCP Social Science: Society & Culture Major
  1. Transfer students who have 48 or more credits accepted at the time of transfer are waived from the courses marked with a (W) below.  Waivers do not apply to the Major requirements.
  2. Double counting between General Education, School Core, and Major may be possible.  Check with your advisor to see if any apply.
  3. Writing Intensive Requirement:  Three required writing intensive courses are built into the DCP Social Science curriculum.
  4. A minimum  2.0 GPA in the major is required for graduation.

Please consult with the Director of the Degree Completion Program regarding information about the requirements of the accelerated major.