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Popular MA Program in the Study of the America’s gets a new focus

The City College of the City University of New York (CCNY) is pleased to announce a new program, the Dominican Studies Track in the Master in the Study of the Americas Program in the Division of Interdisciplinary Studies at the Center for Worker Education. The program is the first of its kind in the nation.

“City College’s new master’s degree recognizes the importance of the Dominican Republic and Dominicans in our city, in our culture and at our university,” said CUNY Chancellor . “Nearly 10 percent of CUNY’s students are of Dominican ancestry, but we expect that students from many backgrounds will be interested in a program that examines and highlights the Dominican society and economy. This institute brings a wealth of new academic opportunities to CUNY and City College provides an excellent location for the scholars and scholarship.”

“I commend the students, faculty and administrators at CCNY on today’s launch of the new Dominican Studies specialization in the Master in the Study of the Americas Program,” said Congressman . “This Master track program is a first of its kind in the United States and offers participating students a unique perspective into the legacy and socioeconomic development of the Dominican people in the Dominican Republic, the United States, across the Americas, and in communities around the world. Through their studies, scholars will gain an invaluable understanding of the Dominican culture and have the ability to produce and disseminate research based work as part of the program’s comprehensive approach in Dominican Studies.”

The MA in the Study of the Americas, under the direction of CWE Assistant Professor Alessandra Benedicty-Kokken, is an interdisciplinary, 30-credit graduate program that addresses questions and concepts about the Americas as it focuses on topics such as racial and ethnic identities, migration and immigration, popular culture, politics, gender, and human rights. The Dominican Studies specialization will focus on the legacy and the socioeconomic development of the Dominican people in the Dominican Republic and in the United States and on the relationships between the two countries.

“A rigorous academic program in Dominican Studies will be a real draw to students from the vital Dominican diaspora surrounding CCNY,” said CCNY Interim President Vince Boudreau. “It will also serve as a unique center of intellectual activity for anyone interested in exploring the immigrant experience in America or the interplay of different peoples in the fabric of our society.”

The Program finds a natural home at City College, where the Dominican Studies Institute of the City University of New York (CUNY DSI) is the nation’s first and only university-based research institute devoted to the study of the history of the Dominican Republic and people of Dominican descent in the United States and across the wider Dominican Diaspora. 

“The CUNY Dominican Studies Institute brings unparalleled resources to the table for this exciting new program,” according to Director Ramona Hernández, “including possibilities for internships as well as research and conference participation. We will work with Dr. Kathleen McDonald, Chair of the Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences Department, to ensure that this program has the resources over the long term to compete for the best students and offer them the best education in the field.”

About the CUNY Dominican Studies Institute
Founded in 1992 and housed in The Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership at CCNY, the Dominican Studies Institute of the City University of New York under the leadership of Dr. Ramona Hernández produces and disseminates research and scholarship about Dominicans, and about the Dominican Republic.

About the Division of Interdisciplinary Studies at CWE
The Division of Interdisciplinary Studies at the Center for Worker Education under the leadership of Dean Juan Carlos Mercado offers an innovative and flexible curriculum that provides working adults and transfer students with a framework that allows them to connect their learning in the classroom in ways that are relevant to the workplace and the world.

About T��ɫ��Ƶ
Since 1847, T��ɫ��Ƶ has provided low-cost, high-quality education for New Yorkers in a wide variety of disciplines. Today more than 16,000 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in eight professional schools and divisions, driven by significant funded research, creativity and scholarship.  Now celebrating its 170th anniversary, CCNY is as diverse, dynamic and visionary as New York City itself.  View CCNY Media Kit.

CONTACT:  Candace Randle Person– 202-225-4365; Candace.Person@mail.house.gov
                    Jay Mwamba – 212- 650 -7580; jmwamba@ccny.cuny.edu .