What do you think of when you think of Baruch College? For many it’s a business school; most students come here for finance, marketing and accounting. However, there is another side to Baruch that most students dismiss.
Some 21.9% of students at Baruch don’t have a business major. They seek to get a good education in liberal arts and sciences among an overwhelming amount of future business “sharks.” Some aspects of education are equal while others, some students say, need improvement.
“Overall, I think business students get more support and opportunities,” said Christina Pak, a senior majoring in journalism. This is evident in many parts of Baruch. For example, the Zicklin School of Business webpage lists dozens of scholarships for students in every degree it offers. The Weissman School of Arts and Sciences page, on the other hand, has noticeably fewer scholarships and they are not organized by major.
Even bulletin boards on the 7th floor where most liberal art departments are located contain mostly business and marketing internships.
“We are not doing such a good job at connecting students with career paths and real jobs,” admitted Professor Tim Aubry, associate professor of English and deputy chair of the English department.
However, as Christina said, “as long as a student is proactive,” he/she will be able to find opportunities and internships.
All these interviewed emphasized the professionalism of both business and nonbusiness departments. “In most core classes my professors are experts in their field,” said Chase, a senior majoring in psychology and minoring in economics.
Many experts are attracted to the city because of its active and colorful life, says Professor Aubry, and that helps Baruch college hire many professors with expertise and working experience.
“My professor worked at the newspaper for a long time,” said a journalism student, Yoolim Hwang. Nevertheless, she added she found changing her major from business to nonbusiness difficult because of “lack of information and assistance” and fewer “classes available”.
Despite the issues, Chase, Christina and Yoolim said that they are satisfied with the education they are receiving at Baruch. Plus, affordability and location make this college even more attractive, Chase admits.
So, while business students make up the majority and might be getting more attention, Baruch college is focused on making its liberal arts and science programs “as competitive as the ones of Hunter college,”says Professor Aubry.