College Catalog: 2015-2016

Ramapo College’s Degree Completion Program (DCP) provides returning adult students ages 25 and older a fully-mapped out pathway to finishing their undergraduate degree on an accelerated schedule.  The Degree Completion Program offers two accelerated contract majors:

1. Social Science with a Justice concentration
2. Contemporary Arts with a Professional Communications concentration.

These accelerated majors combine on-line 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 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.

The Degree Completion Program Social Science: Justice is an interdisciplinary contract major offered through the School of Social Science and Human Services.  It 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 into a coherent whole.

The DCP Social Science majors requires 10 courses, at least 4 of which must be at the upper level (300-400 Level), a re-entry seminar, a research methods course, and a capstone course.

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.

Outcome 1: Demonstrate critical analysis of arguments and evaluate major assertions. 

Outcome 2: Write effectively. 

Outcome 3: Demonstrate an understanding of methods, skills, and tools used in a variety of disciplines including historical, theoretical, scientific, and philosophical. 

Outcome 4: Ability to use appropriate technologies to conduct research and evaluate that research. 

Outcome 5: Understand and articulate the importance of diversity within and among societies.

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 only apply to General Education Requirements NOT School Core or 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 major.

The Degree Completion Program 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 senior project, 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.

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.

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 only apply to General Education Requirements NOT School Core or 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 major.