Undergraduate Studies - General Education Requirement
The general education curriculum is organized into eight subject areas of communication skills, critical thinking, mathematical concepts and quantitative reasoning, natural sciences, arts and humanities, social and behavioral sciences, and information literacy. The purpose of general education is to provide a common educational experience for students, regardless of major field of study. The faculty is committed to ensuring that the general education courses cultivate knowledge, skills, and values.
Undergraduate students are required to complete a minimum of 45 credits of General Education coursework (varies by major field of study) including at least one (1) junior/senior level course. The general education program is designed to ensure the following goals:
Written Communication: Knowledge of and practice in the form, content, context and effectiveness of written communication. Fundamental courses in composition prepare students to use the principles of expository writing.
Oral Communication: Knowledge of and practice in the form, content, context, and effectiveness of oral communication. Fundamental courses in oral communication prepare students to use the principles and techniques of oral composition and delivery.
Critical Thinking: Knowledge of logic and its relation to language, elementary inductive and deductive process, understanding of formal and informal fallacies of language and thought; and the ability to distinguish matters of fact from issues of judgment or opinion. Fundamental courses prepare students to identify and use logical thinking and argumentation.
Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning: Knowledge of and practice in basic mathematical concepts and quantitative techniques. Fundamental courses prepare students to explain and apply numerical concepts and techniques.
Arts and Humanities: Knowledge of the creative arts and the humanities, including the interrelationship between self, society/culture, and the creative arts. Fundamental and advanced courses provide students with the opportunity to refine their affective, cognitive and physical faculties through studying and great works of human imagination.
Social and Behavioral Sciences: Knowledge of problems and issues from the respective disciplinary perspectives of the social and behavioral sciences. Fundamental and advanced courses prepare students to examine issues in their historical and contemporary settings and in various cultural contexts.
Natural Science: Knowledge of scientific theories, concepts and data about living and non-living systems. Fundamental courses prepare students with an understanding and appreciation of scientific principles and scientific method, potential limits of scientific endeavors and the value systems and ethics associated with human inquiry.
Information Literacy: Knowledge of and practice in the challenges and techniques of information and media literacy. Fundamental courses prepare students to recognize the need for information and provide them with the ability to locate, evaluate and use it effectively. The authenticity, effectiveness, validity and reliability of information from both popular and academic sources are given importance.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Access, assess, and use information and media responsibly.
- Explain how social diversity and social identity impact life experiences and social relations.
- Demonstrate knowledge of multiple disciplinary perspectives.
- Write fluently and effectively
- Speak fluently and effectively.
- Work effectively with others to achieve mutual goals.
- Calculate and interpret data in scientific or social contexts.
- Analyze ethical choices in professional and civic contexts.
- Analyze and construct arguments.
Requirements
Written Communication
1 course, 3 semester credits
| ENG130 | English Composition and Reading | 3 |
Oral Communication
1 course, 3 semester credits
Critical Thinking
1 course, 3 semester credits
| ENG140 | English Composition and Critical Thinking | 3 |
| COM204 | Argumentation | 3 |
Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning
1 course, 3 semester credits
| MAT102 | Foundational College Math Skills | 3 |
| MAT105 | College Algebra | 3 |
| MAT241 | Introduction to Probability and Statistics | 3 |
Natural Sciences
1-2 courses, 3-4 semester credits
Some degrees require course with laboratory component or a separate matching laboratory course.
Arts and Humanities
2 courses, 6 semester credits
| ART137 | Art Appreciation | 3 |
| ART160 | Visual and Performing Arts | 3 |
| HUM499 | Senior Seminar: Humanities | 3 |
Social and Behavioral Sciences
6 courses, 18 semester credits
| COM105 | Intercultural Communication | 3 |
| ECN101 | Microeconomics | 3 |
| HIS120 | United States History I | 3 |
| HIS122 | United States History II | 3 |
| PHI105 | Introduction to Ethics | 3 |
| PHI399 | Applied Philosophy and Ethics | 3 |
| POS399 | Special Topics in Political Science and International Relations | 3 |
| PSY101 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| SOC101 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| SSC499 | Senior Seminar: Social Sciences | 3 |
Information Literacy
2 courses, 6 semester credits
| CIS120 | Introduction to Digital Literacy | 3 |
| ENG205 | Information and Media Literacy | 3 |