Special Programs

Special Programs Overview

ABLE Program

ABLE = The Autobiography Program (AP) + Life Experience Program (LEP)

Non-traditional students often come to college with considerable professional experience and skills that were gained outside of the classroom. Accordingly, many non-traditional students are excellent candidates for alternative credit programs that enable them to earn up to 20 college-level credits, tuition-free.

Human Rights Forum @CCNY

The Critical Perspectives on Human Rights Conference is part of a larger initiative at The City College of New York, CUNY—shared among the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership, the Division of Interdisciplinary Studies, the Division of Humanities and the Arts, and the President’s Office—dedicated to human rights studies, public programming, and scholarship.

Patai Program-Global Narratives of Crime

The Frances S. Patai Program in Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights Studies stands as a testament to our commitment to diverse and impactful learning. Through courses, conferences, symposia, and public events, the program fosters lasting insights into the Holocaust, genocide, and human rights. Inspired by the memory of pioneering City College's alumna Ms. Frances S. Patai, the project embodies her vision for accessible education and aims to ensure that the enduring lessons of historical atrocities resonate across generations. The program promotes understanding, honors courage, and enriches perspectives, while nurturing an inclusive community committed to exploring the complexities of our shared history.

QUEST: A Lifetime of Learning

Quest is a vibrant educational and social environment serving nearly 200 retired and semi-retired men and women at the CCNY-CWE campus in the Cunard Building located in the historic Bowling Green and Financial District in lower Manhattan. Quest’s basic concept is that of peer learning and teaching. Members participate fully in study groups through preparation for, and involvement in, discussions on a wide variety of subjects.

Quest offers a comprehensive curriculum of about 40 peer-led courses spanning subjects covering literature and history to science, politics, current affairs, philosophy, the arts, and a guest lecture series. Our members range in age from their early 60s to 90+. In this stimulating, participatory community, there are no exams and no grades. People of all backgrounds are welcome to teach and learn.

Study Abroad Programs @CCNY

The City College of New York has a variety of opportunities that run from semester-long programs to short-term programs during the fall, winter, spring and summer sessions in various locations throughout the world. CCNY also offers International Service-Learning programs through which students intern in countries with communities in need that can offer an enriching environment of collaboration. Some of these programs offer home-stays with host families, and field trips to places of historical and cultural interest. All of them give you the opportunity to earn academic credit for offered courses, or for research and experiential learning.