State University of New York at New Paltz Courses & Fees

The Computer Engineering curriculum consists of a modified General Education requirement, foundation coursework in math and science, required core courses, and technical electives. Design is emphasized throughout the curriculum. The General Education component complements students' engineering education and encourages them to understand engineering roles in a broader context.

Electrical Engineering continues to be a growth area in the field of engineering due to rapidly changing technologies and expanding industrial needs. SUNY New Paltz's program is designed to meet these needs, both generally and within the Mid-Hudson Valley, specifically. Our goal is to provide students with a solid knowledge of math, science and engineering concepts and the ability to apply them to engineering problems. The flexibility of the engineering curriculum serves full- and part-time students, traditional and non-traditional students, and students new to engineering as well as those who have some experience in technical areas.

Mechanical engineering continues to be a growing program in the field of engineering due to rapidly changing technologies and expanding industrial needs. SUNY New Paltz's program is designed to meet these needs, both generally and within the Mid-Hudson Valley, specifically. Our goal is to provide students with a solid knowledge of math, science and engineering concepts and the ability to apply them to engineering problems. The flexibility of the engineering curriculum serves full- and part-time students, traditional and non-traditional students, and students new to engineering as well as those who have some experience in technical areas.

Environmental Geochemical Science is an interdisciplinary undergraduate degree program leading to a Bachelor of Science. The program is administered by the Department of Geology and focuses on the environmental aspects of geology, chemistry and biology. Through formal courses, laboratories, and research projects, students develop an awareness of the geological, chemical and biological processes that impact society and the environment. Both a major and a minor in Environmental Geochemical Science are offered.

The Department of Geography offers comprehensive liberal arts majors in Geography and, starting in Fall 2021, Environmental Studies. For those majoring in other fields, minors in Geography, Urban Planning and Environmental Studies are available. 

Geography is a diverse and integrative discipline that allows students to explore and make sense of place, space, and landscape and the connections between them, while also learning to analyze problems from multiple perspectives. Our programs are designed to prepare students for graduate study in geography or for employment in fields actively seeking geographers. Students may choose the general Geography major, leading to a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree, or Geography concentrations in environmental geography and in urban planning, leading to a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree. The concentration in urban planning is for students who wish to undertake graduate study in planning or to obtain employment in that field. A Geographic Information System (GIS) sequence is offered in addition to courses in Cartography and Remote Sensing.

The Department of Physics & Astronomy offers majors in both physics and astronomy, serves a variety of other majors in the sciences and education, and offers general education courses to a wide range of students.

The Physics major provides a broad base of fundamentals, yet gives you the opportunity to get specialized training.  First, you take two-semester introductory courses that survey physics, chemistry, and calculus.  Then, you follow up with courses covering classical and modern physics, computational physics, and applied mathematics.  The capstone experience is a senior project.  If you would like, you can pursue topics of interest to you through independent study.  An adviser works closely with you to plan what's best for your situation.

The Biology program at New Paltz offers students excellent preparation for graduate school, medical school, or a career in industry or one of the many allied health fields. Our faculty-mentored research opportunities are unparalleled, and our modern, research-quality instrumentation enables students to pursue every interest from molecular signaling and environmental conservation to neurophysiology and animal behavior.

The Department of Chemistry at New Paltz offers both undergraduate and masters degree programs. Three undergraduate programs leading to liberal arts degrees are available: the general chemistry major, the American Chemical Society (ACS)-approved chemistry major, and the chemistry major with biochemistry emphasis.

A student who obtains an ACS-approved degree is eligible for employment as a chemist in industry or government. The ACS-approved program also prepares students for graduate study and for professional training in medicine, dentistry, and veterinary medicine. Course offerings allow chemistry majors to obtain a broad background in several areas of chemistry.

The Department of Computer Science offers both undergraduate and master's degree programs. The major prepares students for graduate study or high-level professional employment in the computer and information technology industries. The department also offers a minor in computer science that gives students the background to use the computer in other disciplines.

SUNY New Paltz has a fully networked campus and a multi-user computer system that provides email, Internet access, and software to the campus community. Additionally, the Department of Computer Science maintains several specialized computer laboratories. Computer science students use these resources and gain experience working with current hardware, operating systems, and programming languages.

The Department of Geology offers both undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Through formal courses, field work, and research projects, students develop an awareness of the geological processes that shape our planet, and their impact on society and the environment. The undergraduate major in geology offers concentrations in General Geology and Environmental Geoscience and leads to either a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree. The BS degree in Geology is licensure qualifying: its coursework meets the education requirements for Professional Geologist licensure in New York State. For more information about eligibility for Professional Geologist licensure, visit the New York State Education Department's Office of the Professions.

The Department of Mathematics offers undergraduate majors in Mathematics (BA or BS) and Adolescence Education: Mathematics (BA or BS) as well as Mathematics concentrations in Early Childhood & Childhood Education (BS) and Early Childhood Studies (BS). Also available is an accelerated BS Mathematics-MAT Adolescence Education: Mathematics program through which students may earn bachelor's and master's degrees in five years.`

The Department of Mathematics offers undergraduate majors in Mathematics (BA or BS) and Adolescence Education: Mathematics (BA or BS) as well as Mathematics concentrations in Early Childhood & Childhood Education (BS) and Early Childhood Studies (BS). Also available is an accelerated BS Mathematics-MAT Adolescence Education: Mathematics program through which students may earn bachelor's and master's degrees in five years.

The Department of Physics & Astronomy offers majors in both physics and astronomy, serves a variety of other majors in the sciences and education, and offers general education courses to a wide range of students.

The Physics major provides a broad base of fundamentals, yet gives you the opportunity to get specialized training.  First, you take two-semester introductory courses that survey physics, chemistry, and calculus.  Then, you follow up with courses covering classical and modern physics, computational physics, and applied mathematics.  The capstone experience is a senior project.  If you would like, you can pursue topics of interest to you through independent study.  An adviser works closely with you to plan what's best for your situation.

The Political Science/International Relations programs at New Paltz are designed to be both academically sound and responsive to student desires for practical experience and career preparation. A wide range of courses is offered in American government, international relations, political theory, comparative politics, law and law-related fields. In addition to the regular offerings, a number of "selected topics" courses may be given to serve student and community interest in current domestic and international issues.

SUNY New Paltz offers a flexible, 30-credit master’s degree program in Computer Science, designed to help students from all backgrounds advance to new careers in technology fields. Our mission is to prepare the next generation of application developers, start-up entrepreneurs, and business analysts to thrive in a rapidly-changing world. The program offers:

Flexible Course Scheduling

Courses are offered both in flexible online formats and in-person at state-of-the-art facilities like our new Science Hall. The full program can be completed in less than two years.

Building 21st Century Skills

We are focused on teaching 21st-century skills that are in demand in a wide range of professions, in areas like machine learning, software application engineering, artificial intelligence, and data scienc

Who are we? Where did we come from? Where are we going? Anthropology, the study of human diversity across geographic space and evolutionary time, takes on these far-reaching questions. Courses in the Department of Anthropology deal with three areas:

• Physical anthropology is concerned with the evolution of human beings as biological organisms and with the physical variation within contemporary human populations.
• Archaeology and prehistory explore the extinct cultures of the past and attempt to elucidate the processes involved in their development.
  • Sociocultural anthropology is involved with the comparative analysis of socially learned behavior patterns and institutions of contemporary populations from all areas of the world.

The Asian Studies program offers students the opportunity to deepen their international outlook and cultural understanding of Asia through interdisciplinary study. In conjunction with Japanese or Chinese language study, students may choose from several dozen courses offered by faculty from over ten departments. The program's regional coverage includes South, Southeast, East and Northeast Asia.

Students in Asian Studies often, though not always, combine their Asian Studies major with another major or minor in a particular discipline.

The Asian Studies program strongly encourages study abroad in Asia. Through the campus' Center for International Programs, students have access to many opportunities including, though not limited to, programs in China, Japan, Korea, and India.

Black Studies is a multi-disciplinary major devoted to the exploration and analysis of the history and culture of African people in the United States, Caribbean, and Africa.  It seeks to define the Black experience from an African and Afro-American centered perspective rather than Euro-centric perspective, to illuminate the contribution of African people to world culture and to correct a traditional approach to the study of world history that tended to bypass the Black Diaspora experience.

The undergraduate program in Communication Disorders has been offered at SUNY New Paltz since 1969. This program prepares students for careers in speech-language pathology, audiology, and related areas such as deaf education. The department offers a liberal arts major program which prepares students for graduate study in the fields of communication disorders. The department also offers ASHA-accredited graduate programs in Communication Disorders, with concentrations in Speech and Language Disabilities (with teaching certificate) and Speech-Language Pathology.

The Department of Communication Disorders provides pre-major advisement. Students who are potentially interested in majoring in Communication Disorders are urged to contact the department early in their academic careers. For more information, please visit the department's website and consult the Undergraduate Program Guide published there.

The Department of Communication offers a major in Communication Studies with concentrations in Organizational Communication, Relational Communication, and Strategic Communication. The program, which leads to either the bachelor of arts (B.A.) or bachelor of science (B.S.) degree, blends technical and theoretical courses that can prepare students for graduate study or a variety of careers. Because communication is closely linked to the technological, social, and cultural forces that are rapidly changing our world, its study affords students a number of ways to pursue their interests and goals. A minor in Communication Studies is also offered.

Students who select a concentration in Strategic Communication take a combination of theoretical and practical courses that prepare them to become communication experts within corporate, non-profit and government organizations, and public relations agencies. Students learn how to write and design public relations materials and how to plan public relations campaigns and special events. Both oral and written communication skills are emphasized. Learning how to conduct research is also an important component.