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 online, 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 same 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’s accelerated Contemporary Arts: Professional Communication is part of the Contemporary Arts 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

This major is offered by the School of Contemporary Arts and leads to a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Contemporary Arts.  It requires a minimum of 48 credits in the Contemporary Arts major, at least 16 of which must be upper-level, (300 or 400 level) courses, in addition to the School of Contemporary Arts Core.

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 curricular goals.

Outcome 4:  Produce advanced work that demonstrates skills relevant to their discipline.

Produce advanced work that demonstrates skills relevant to their discipline.

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.

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

The DCP Social Science major requires a total of 11 courses: a research methods course, a Capstone course and 9 additional courses.  At least 3 of those 9 additional courses must be at the upper-level (i.e., 300 or 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.

Goal 1:  Communicate effectively.

1.1 Students will write coherently organized, grammatically correct papers.

1.2 Students will demonstrate effective oral communication skills.

Goal 2:  Develop critical thinking skills.

2.1 Students will be able to comprehensively explain an issue or problem.

2.2 Students will identify underlying assumptions in theories, arguments, and methodological approaches.

2.3 Students will evaluate the validity and reliability of evidence.

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

3.1 Students will identify and integrate primary sources into a research paper.

3.2 Students will design, evaluate, and conduct quantitative or qualitative research.

Goal 4:   Engage in multidisciplinary perspective-taking.

4.1 Students will take courses for their major from at least two Social Science disciplines/perspectives.

4.2 Students will integrate multiple academic disciplines to gain understanding of an issue or topic.

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.