Block programming is at the heart of Baruch College's Coordinated Freshman Year Programs. All entering full-time freshmen receive a complete schedule of 5 credit-bearing courses and a non-credit but required freshman seminar. Groups of 20-25 freshmen share the same schedule; each one of these groups is called a block. Block programming only occurs in a freshman's first semester at Baruch.

Benefits include:

• Greater student cohesion and the spontaneous formation of student study groups and friendships.
• Improved student-teacher dynamic in many blocked classrooms
• Greater communication among faculty teaching in blocks.
• More convenient freshmen schedules.

Block programming, moreover, allows for a variety of curricular, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. Most importantly, the vast majority of freshmen report to us that block programming eases the transition to college life and enhances their engagement with Baruch.

The mysteries of block programming - What happens if I don't like my block? Can I only take four courses? - will disappear at Orientation. Blocks provide a structure that meets the needs of most, but not all, freshmen. The College is committed to providing each student with a plan of academic study tailored to meet degree requirements and individual needs.