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

  1. Access, assess, and use information and media responsibly.
  2. Explain how social diversity and social identity impact life experiences and social relations.
  3. Demonstrate knowledge of multiple disciplinary perspectives.
  4. Write fluently and effectively
  5. Speak fluently and effectively.
  6. Work effectively with others to achieve mutual goals.
  7. Calculate and interpret data in scientific or social contexts.
  8. Analyze ethical choices in professional and civic contexts.
  9. Analyze and construct arguments.

Requirements

Written Communication

1 course, 3 semester credits

ENG130English Composition and Reading

3

Oral Communication

1 course, 3 semester credits

COM104Speech

3

Critical Thinking

1 course, 3 semester credits

ENG140English Composition and Critical Thinking

3

COM204Argumentation

3

Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning

1 course, 3 semester credits

MAT105College Algebra

3

MAT241Introduction 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.

BIO150General Biology

3

BIO280Anatomy and Physiology I with Lab

4

BIO282Anatomy and Physiology II with Lab

4

Arts and Humanities

2 courses, 6 semester credits

ART137Art Appreciation

3

ART160Visual and Performing Arts

3

HUM499Senior Seminar: Humanities

3

Social and Behavioral Sciences

6 courses, 18 semester credits

COM105Intercultural Communication

3

ECN101Microeconomics

3

HIS120United States History I

3

HIS122United States History II

3

PHI105Introduction to Ethics

3

PHI399Applied Philosophy and Ethics

3

POS399Special Topics in Political Science and International Relations

3

PSY101Introduction to Psychology

3

SOC101Introduction to Sociology

3

SSC499Senior Seminar: Social Sciences

3

Information Literacy

2 courses, 6 semester credits

CIS120Introduction to Digital Literacy

3

ENG205Information and Media Literacy

3