General Education Competency Areas

While there are many General Education courses to select from, certain majors and programs are prescriptive of specific General Education courses within the competency areas. All students are expected to work with their advisor to select their General Education courses.

Humanistic and Artistic Ways of Knowing

Competencies

Upon completion of a course in this category, students are able to demonstrate at least five (5) of the following competencies:

  • Recognize and describe humanistic, historical, or artistic works within problems and patterns of the human experience.
  • Distinguish and apply terminologies, methodologies, processes, epistemologies, and traditions specific to the discipline(s).
  • Perceive and understand formal, conceptual, and technical elements specific to the discipline.
  • Analyze, evaluate, and interpret texts, objects, events, or ideas in their cultural, intellectual or historical contexts.
  • Interpret artistic and/or humanistic works through the creation of art or performance.
  • Develop critical perspectives or arguments about the subject matter, grounded in evidence-based analysis.
  • Demonstrate self-reflection, intellectual elasticity, widened perspective, and respect for diverse viewpoints.

AA & AS (2 different disciplines) (6 hours)

ARTS 101Art History 1

3 Credits

ARTS 102Art History 2

3 Credits

ARTS 103Appreciation and History of Photography

3 Credits

DANC 101Dance Appreciation

3 Credits

ENGL 126Film & Literature

3 Credits

ENGL 175Literature and Ideas*

3 Credits

ENGL 215Survey of World Mythology*

3 Credits

ENGL 257Survey of Western World Literature 1*

3 Credits

ENGL 258Survey of Western World Literature 2*

3 Credits

ENGL 267Survey of English Literature 1*

3 Credits

ENGL 268Survey of English Literature 2*

3 Credits

ENGL 277Survey of American Literature 1*

3 Credits

ENGL 278Survey of American Literature 2*

3 Credits

FREN 101Elementary French 1

4 Credits

FREN 102Elementary French 2*

4 Credits

HUMA 101Introduction to Humanities 1

3 Credits

HUMA 106Introduction to Modern Humanities

3 Credits

JAPN 101Elementary Japanese 1

4 Credits

JAPN 102Elementary Japanese 2*

4 Credits

MUSI 100Introduction to Music

3 Credits

MUSI 108Survey of Jazz & Pop Music

3 Credits

PHIL 101Introduction to Philosophy

3 Credits

PHIL 103Introduction to Ethics

3 Credits

PORT 101Elementary Portuguese 1

4 Credits

PORT 102Elementary Portuguese 2*

4 Credits

SIGL 101American Sign Language 1

4 Credits

SIGL 102American Sign Language 2*

4 Credits

SIGL 201American Sign Language 3*

4 Credits

SIGL 202American Sign Language 4*

4 Credits

SPAN 101Elementary Spanish 1*

4 Credits

SPAN 102Elementary Spanish 2*

4 Credits

SPAN 201Intermediate Spanish 1*

4 Credits

SPAN 202Intermediate Spanish 2*

4 Credits

THEA 101Theatre Appreciation

3 Credits

THEA 201Theatre History I

3 Credits

THEA 202Theatre History II

3 Credits

Mathematical Ways of Knowing

Competencies

Upon completion of a course in this category, a student is able to demonstrate the following competencies:

  • Read, interpret, and communicate mathematical concepts.
  • Represent and interpret information/data.
  • Select, execute and explain appropriate strategies/procedures when solving mathematical problems.
  • Apply quantitative reasoning to draw and support appropriate conclusions.

AA & AS (3 hours)

AAS (3 hours)

MATH 123Math in Modern Society*

3 Credits

MATH 143College Algebra*

3 Credits

MATH 153Statistical Reasoning*

3 Credits

MATH 147College Algebra and Trigonometry

5 Credits

MATH 160Survey of Calculus*

4 Credits

MATH 170Calculus 1*

5 Credits

Oral Communication

Competencies

Upon completion of a course in this category, students are able to demonstrate the following competencies:

  • Research, discover, and develop information resources and structure spoken messages to increase knowledge and understanding.
  • Research, discover, and develop evidence-based reasoning and persuasive appeals for ethically influencing attitudes, values, beliefs, or behaviors.
  • Adapt spoken messages to the diverse personal, ideological, and emotional needs of individuals, groups, or contexts.
  • Employ effective spoken and nonverbal behaviors that support communication goals and illustrate self-efficacy.
  • Listen in order to effectively and critically evaluate the reasoning, evidence, and communication strategies of self and others.
  • Understand key theories, perspectives, principles, and concepts in the Communication discipline, as applied to oral communication.

AA, AS, AAS (3 hours)

COMM 101Fundamentals of Oral Communication

3 Credits

COMM 209Critical Thinking and Argumentation

3 Credits

Scientific Ways of Knowing

Competencies

Upon completion of a course in this category, a student is able to demonstrate at least four (4) of the following competencies:

  • Apply foundational knowledge and models of a natural or physical science to analyze and/or predict phenomena.
  • Understand the scientific method and apply scientific reasoning to critically evaluate arguments.
  • Interpret and communicate scientific information via written, spoken and/or visual representations.
  • Describe the relevance of specific scientific principles to the human experience.
  • Form and test a hypothesis in the laboratory or field using discipline-specific tools and techniques for data collection and/or analysis.

AA & AS (2 different disciplines/1 lab) (7-8 hours)

AGRI 180Food System Science*

4 Credits

ALLH 220Fundamentals of Nutrition

3 Credits

ANTH 104Introduction to Biological Anthropology

3 Credits

ANTH 104LBiological Anthropology Lab

1 credit

BIOL 100Concepts of Biology

4 Credits

BIOL 102Environmental Science

3 Credits

BIOL 102LEnvironmental Science Lab

1 credit

BIOL 201Biology 1*

4 Credits

BIOL 221Introductory Microbiology*

4 Credits

BIOL 227Human Anatomy & Physiology 1*

4 Credits

BIOL 228Human Anatomy & Physiology 2*

4 Credits

CHEM 100Concepts of Chemistry*

4 Credits

CHEM 101Introduction to Chemistry*

4 Credits

CHEM 102Essentials of Organic & Biochemistry*

5 Credits

CHEM 111General Chemistry I*

5 Credits

GEOG 100Physical Geography

4 Credits

GEOL 101Physical Geology*

4 Credits

GEOL 102Historical Geology*

4 Credits

GEOL 104Natural Disasters and Env Geology*

4 Credits

GEOL 105Geology of National Parks

3 Credits

PHYS 100Survey of Physics*

4 Credits

PHYS 101Survey of Astronomy*

4 Credits

PHYS 111General Physics 1*

4 Credits

PHYS 112General Physics 2*

4 Credits

PHYS 211Physics Scientists & Engineers 1*

5 Credits

ANTH 104L and BIOL 102L are only considered General Education when completed in conjunction with the corresponding lecture course (ANTH 104/BIOL 102).

Social and Behavioral Ways of Knowing

Competencies

Upon completion of a course in this category, students are able to demonstrate at least four (4) of the following competencies:

  • Demonstrate knowledge of the theoretical and conceptual frameworks of a particular Social Science discipline.
  • Develop an understanding of self and the world by examining the dynamic interaction of individuals, groups, and societies as they shape and are shaped by history, culture, institutions, and ideas.
  • Utilize Social Science approaches, such as research methods, inquiry, or problem solving, to examine the variety of perspectives about human experiences.
  • Evaluate how reasoning, history, or culture informs and guides individual, civic, or global decisions.
  • Understand and appreciate similarities and differences among and between individuals, cultures, or societies across space and time.

AA & AS (2 DIFFERENT DISCIPLINES) (6 hours)

AAS (3 hours)

ANTH 101Physical Anthropology

3 Credits

ANTH 102Cultural Anthropology

3 Credits

COMM 102Interpersonal Communication

3 Credit

COMM 220Intercultural Communication

3 Credits

CRIJ 103Introduction to Law and Justice

3 Credits

ECON 201Principles of Macroeconomics

3 Credits

ECON 202Principles of Microeconomics

3 Credits

EDUC 204Families Communities & Culture

3 Credits

GEOG 102Cultural Geography

3 Credits

GEOG 200World Regional Geography

3 Credits

HIST 101World History I

3 Credits

HIST 102World History II

3 Credits

HIST 111United States History I

3 Credits

HIST 112United States History II

3 Credits

POLS 101American National Government

3 Credits

POLS 102Introduction to Political Science

3 Credits

POLS 221Intro to International Relations

3 Credits

PSYC 101Introduction to Psychology

3 Credits

SOCY 101Introduction to Sociology

3 Credits

SOCY 102Social Problems

3 Credits

SOCY 105Human Relations

3 Credits

Written Communication

Competencies

Upon completion of a course in this category, students are able to demonstrate the following competencies:

  • Use flexible writing process strategies to generate, develop, revise, edit, and proofread texts.
  • Adopt strategies and genre appropriate to the rhetorical situation.
  • Use inquiry-based strategies to conduct research that explores multiple and diverse ideas and perspectives, appropriate to the rhetorical context.
  • Use rhetorically appropriate strategies to evaluate, represent, and respond to the ideas and research of others.
  • Address readers’ biases and assumptions with well-developed evidence-based reasoning.
  • Use appropriate conventions for integrating, citing, and documenting source material as well as for surface-level language and style.
  • Read, interpret, and communicate key concepts in writing and rhetoric.

AA & AS (6 hours)

AAS (3 hours)

ENGL 101Writing and Rhetoric I

3 Credits

ENGL 102Writing and Rhetoric II*

3 Credits

 

Institutionally Designated

AA & AS (5 hours)

Wellness

Competencies

Upon completion of a course in this category, students are able to demonstrate the following competencies:

  • Identify: Define the purpose of lifelong wellness.
  • Plan: Create individual goal(s) addressing at least one dimension of wellness.
  • Practice: Apply wellness knowledge to act on individual goals addressing at least one dimension of wellness.
  • Reflect: Demonstrate the ability to engage in careful thought about beliefs and behaviors impacting lifelong wellness.

AA & AS (2 hours)

WELL 100Wellness Sandbox*

1-6 Credits

WELL 101Lifelong Wellness 1*

1 Credit

WELL 102Lifelong Wellness 2

2 Credits

WELL 255Wellness Through Healthy Living

3 Credits

Introduction to General Education

Competencies

Upon completion of a course in this category, students are able to demonstrate the following competencies:

  • VALUE: This course provides an environment in which students can discover their own value of general education and recognize their own achievements in that pursuit. At the end of the course, students will be able to explain the value of general education and their own progress as a generally-educated learner.
  • PERSPECTIVE: This course introduces students to multiple perspectives (what we call “ways of knowing”) from which to view problems, issues, society, and themselves. At the end of the course, students will be able to describe how a way of knowing generates a unique perspective and how the distinct ways of knowing are at the same time interconnected.
  • INTEGRITY: This course emphasizes the importance of integrity toward self and others, both inside and outside the context of the college. At the end of course, students will be able to appraise the implications of acting with or without integrity.
  • ENGAGEMENT: This course introduces students to the skills, strategies and campus resources necessary for engaged learning. At the end of the course, students will be able to evaluate how the use of these resources impacts engaged learning.
  • COMMUNITY: This course builds community and provides an environment of inclusiveness and support. At the end of the course, students will be able to explain the impact of community on engaged learning.

AA & AS (3 hours)

GNED 101Introduction to General Education

3 Credits