Examples of
General Education Programs
Structured Around
Skills-Based Requirements.
Earlham College
Gettysburg College
Goucher College
Rocky Mountain College
Earlham College General Education Requirements
derived from
• First Year Courses Requirement, fulfilled by the following courses
1) Interpretive Practices – teaches first-year students general methods of interpretation in reading, writing, and classroom discussion.
2) The Earlham Seminar – engages first-year students in exploring a topic of interest in an intimate, challenging, and collaborative learning environment. These seminars introduce students to active and successful participation in a learning community and encourage students to find new ways to engage and understand the world. Grounded in a discipline but interdisciplinary in scope, they use multiple ways of knowing, in order to examine intentionally how knowledge is constructed. Their emphasize reading, reflection, writing and oral communication skills.
3) Living and Learning in Community Seminars – designed to introduce students to the distinctive qualities of Earlham College. Through this course students come to understand the history and practices of the College through exercises and discussions that explore Principles and Practices, participation in campus governance and involvement in cocurricular activities.
4) Comparative Practices – taken after Interpretive Practices and/or The Earlham Seminar. They are reading- and writing-intensive courses that examine a diverse range of texts arranged around a particular question, theme or historical period.
• Analytical Reasoning Requirement, fulfilled by one course in abstract reasoning and one course in quantitative reasoning.
• Scientific Inquiry Requirement, fulfilled by two courses that strengthen students’ knowledge of the scientific way of knowing – the use of systematic observation and experimentation to develop theories and test hypotheses. One course must be a lab course.
• Perspectives on Diversity Requirement, fulfilled by study in three areas that encourage students to reflect on identity formation and its place in social, global and historical contexts, as well as to develop awareness of their own and others’ worldviews. Students take one course addressing domestic diversity, one course addressing international diversity, and one year of a foreign language.
• The Arts Requirement, fulfilled by four credits in one or more courses that focus upon knowing through aesthetic values and judgments that develop from the interplay of expressive activity and the interpretation of such activity. Coursework used to fulfill this requirement must include at least one applied hour “making art” and three hours in the study of art through theory and history.
• Wellness Requirement, fulfilled by two semester hours of courses that guide students in the active, lifelong process of becoming aware of and making choices toward a more healthy and fulfilling life. At least 1 hour must be composed of activity-based courses.
Gettysburg College General Education Requirements
derived from
At Gettysburg College there are two hallmarks to the academic curriculum: (1) We ask students to be self-reflective, to write and think in ways that express a growing self-awareness about the progress and impact of their education; and (2) We ask students to make connections in what they are learning; to see relevant implications across courses, to achieve an education that is more than a transcript of self-contained courses.
Of course, we still ask students to select a major, a field about which they feel passionate, and in which they will study in depth. And the entire program begins with the highly recommended option of our First-Year Seminars, which create small, intense, residential learning communities of active learners around wonderfully interesting topics.
This is a truly exciting curriculum, structured around four key elements:
1. The Multiple Inquiries Goal. Gettysburg College students are required to engage in multiple forms of inquiry -- in the humanities, the arts, the social sciences, and natural sciences -- in a self-conscious and intentional way. We expect students to learn a variety of approaches, to apply them aptly, and to understand their value and their limitations.
This goal is met by completion of one course in the division of the arts, one course in the division of the humanities, once course in the division of the social sciences, and two courses in the division of natural sciences, one of which must have a lab component.
2. The Integrative Thinking Goal. We believe our graduates should know how to integrate what they have learned. It is not enough to have compartmentalized knowledge. Integrative thinking is required to create solutions, to develop new ideas, to exert leadership.
This goal is met by completion of the following requirements:
1) The interdisciplinary course cluster requirement, normally completed by the end of the sophomore year, in which students take two designated interdisciplinary courses or a two-course cluster that emphasizes interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary approaches to a common theme.
2) The quantitative, inductive, and deductive reasoning requirement, in which students take a course focusing on formal reasoning or mathematical problem-solving and the interpretative of quantitative or qualitative information.
3) The capstone requirement, in which students bring together what they have learned in their major curriculum and demonstrate mastery over the chosen area of concentration.
3. The Effective Communication Goal. Today we are all drowning in information. An effective education must teach students how to evaluate information, to marshal relevant evidence persuasively, and to communicate effectively -- in person, in writing, and in technologically enhanced ways.
This goal is met by completion of the following requirements:
1) The first-year writing requirement, a course that introduces students to the essentials of college-level writing. The course may be Introduction to College Writing (ENG 101), a specially designated First-Year seminar, or an introductory course in a particular discipline.
2) The major field communication requirement, consisting of a course or a series of experiences through which students demonstrate they have learned the communication conventions of their chosen field of study.
4. The Local and Global Citizenship Goal. We want our graduates not only to be at home in the world, but also to be engaged citizens with a global perspective. Understanding and valuing forms of difference, entering another worldview through language, study in another land -- these are valuable in shaping a sense of engagement in the world.
This goal is met by the completion of the following requirements:
1) The foreign language requirement, satisfied by successful study through the intermediate level.
2) The cultural diversity requirement, satisfied by two courses designed to help students achieve a fuller appreciation of human diversity through exposure to alternative historical and cultural traditions and modes of analysis. Students must take one non-Western course; students must also take one domestic or conceptual diversity course.
3) The science, technology, and society requirement, satisfied by one course with a focus on the methodological analysis, historical context, or discussion of the social ramifications of some aspect of natural science or technology.
Goucher College General Education Requirements
derived from
The list below details each of Goucher College's new liberal education requirements. For more information about the courses that satisfy each requirement, please consult the Academic Catalogue.
CURRICULUM COMPONENTS
1. Students must demonstrate proficiency in written communication. This will be satisfied by demonstrating proficiency within the English composition sequence of courses or through a portfolio.
2. Students must demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language through the intermediate level.
3. Students must become informed global citizens and gain intercultural awareness through a study abroad experience.
4. Students must become acquainted with different ages, societies, and cultures and learn how to use a variety of historical sources. This component will be satisfied by courses identified throughout the curriculum that deal with the past.
5. Students must be able to reason abstractly and appreciate the elegance of abstract structure. This will be satisfied by a course in mathematics or logic.
6. Students must understand the methods of scientific discovery and experimental design. This will be satisfied by a natural science course with a laboratory.
7. Students must acquire problem-solving and research capability by identifying, locating, evaluating, and effectively using information. This will be satisfied by courses identified throughout the curriculum.
8. Students must be able to analyze and understand the creative process, assimilate experience and communicate it. This will be satisfied by courses identified throughout the curriculum.
9. Students must be able to interpret words, images, objects and/or actions that are expressions of human culture. This will be satisfied by courses identified throughout the curriculum.
10. Students must understand the complex nature of social structures, and/or human relationships that involve issues of inequality and difference. This will be satisfied by courses identified throughout the curriculum.
11. Students must explore the ecological and/or policy dimensions of environmental sustainability. This will be satisfied by courses identified throughout the curriculum.
Note: One course may satisfy more than one, but not more than two of these requirements.
Rocky Mountain College General Education Requirements
derived from the full list appearing at
General Education Requirement 1: Mathematics
Students will be introduced to college-level mathematics and appreciate the role and relevance of mathematics in our increasingly complex and diverse society
Requirement. One course from MAT100, MAT103 (only for elementary education majors), MAT110, or PHR205 and one course from MAT104 (only for elementary education majors), one MAT course numbered 150 or higher, or BSA209. Upon successful completion of mathematics GER #1, students will be able to demonstrate the quantitative and logical reasoning abilities needed for informed citizenship and success in the workplace. Upon successful completion of mathematics GER #2, students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the importance and role of mathematics in modern society and be able to use a mathematical approach to problem-solving and modeling.
General Education Requirement 2: Writing
Requirement: ENG119, ENG219
Upon successful completion of the writing GER, students will be able to: read, discuss, and write about a variety of texts; practice critical reading strategies; learn to generate a complex thesis; organize evidence in the development of a thesis; employ a variety of rhetorical strategies to achieve writing objectives; and strive for stylistic fluency and grammatical competency.
General Education Requirement 3: Speaking
Students will successfully deliver a series of public oral presentations, either in a speech or a theatrical setting.
1. Requirement: COM102, COM260, or an approved 3 semester-hour acting course such as THR132. Upon successful completion of the communications track of the speaking GER, students will be able to demonstrate the principles, processes, and functions of public speaking; demonstrate the ability to form a speech's purpose, organize a speech, utilize evidence to support a speech's points, and deliver a speech effectively; demonstrate critical listening skills and demonstrate the ability to be a critical consumer of the speeches of others; and demonstrate strategies for speaking in interpersonal, small group, and public speaking situations. Upon successful completion of the theatre track of the speaking GER, students will be able to demonstrate the principles of and processes for creating characterizations for audience presentations; use theatre for self-awareness, vocal production, and physical responsiveness to other actors and to an audience; critically evaluate other performances; and demonstrate the basic concepts of the theatrical discipline.
General Education Requirement 4: Health
Students will possess the knowledge, skills, and confidence to enjoy a lifetime of healthful physical activity.
1. PEH115. Upon successful completion of health GER #1, students will be able to analyze the personal health and wellness lifestyle choices that contribute to the health and physical activity levels of individuals and populations; and apply personal lifestyle management skills, analyze risks and benefits of dieting and exercise, and plan for the achievement of personal health and physical activity goals.
2. One physical activity course, either PEH101 or PEH102 (1 semester hour). Upon successful completion of health GER #2, students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the benefits of a physically active lifestyle; and demonstrate that physical activity provides opportunities for enjoyment, challenge, self-expression, and social interaction.
General Education Requirement 5: Fine Arts
Requirement: Two courses from art, theatre, or music, with no two from the same program. Upon successful completion of the fine arts GER, students will be able to demonstrate an knowledge of two different artistic milieu; demonstrate an knowledge of the variety of conditions that have led individuals throughout the centuries to be moved to artistic expression; and draw parallels between personal and external events and their documentation in the visual, musical, or dramatic arts.
General Education Requirement 6: Humanities
Requirement: Two courses from foreign language, history, literature, or philosophy (6 semester hours), with no two from the same program. Upon successful completion of the humanities GER, student will be able to analyze literary, cultural, historical, or philosophical text or ideas; identify important ideas within a literary, cultural, historical, or philosophical milieu; and ask pertinent literary, cultural, historical, or philosophical questions and articulate critical responses to them.
General Education Requirement 7: Social Sciences
Requirement: Two courses from economics, political science, psychology, or sociology/ anthropology, with no two from the same program. Upon successful completion of the social sciences GER, students will be able to articulate the major theories of at least two social science disciplines; describe the kinds of questions they ask; explain how they use scientific methods to answer questions; recognize the difference between the scientific and non-scientific explanations of human behavior; and demonstrate an understanding of the subject matter of at least two of the social science disciplines.
General Education Requirement 8: Natural Sciences
Requirement: Two courses from biology, chemistry, environmental science, geology, or physics (at least one course must be a laboratory course), with no two from the same program (unless they are both lab courses). Upon successful completion of the natural sciences GER, students will be able to apply basic scientific content and applied scientific concepts to real and hypothetical situations; speak and/or write on discipline-specific topics; demonstrate the application of the scientific method as a way of investigating and drawing various conclusions about real-world phenomena; and conduct experiments using basic laboratory techniques to explore scientific questions.
General Education Requirement 9: Religious Thought
Requirement: One course in religious thought (3 semester hours). Upon successful completion of the religious thought GER, students will be able to articulate some of the important roles of religion in life, culture, or theory; critically reflect on their own beliefs in relationship to key texts; and show the initiation of their own independent philosophies for living based upon their reading of texts, discussion of ideas, and personal reflection.
General Education Requirement 10: Experiential Learning
Students will test their knowledge, skill, and assumptions beyond the classroom through a supervised applied learning experience or study abroad.
Requirement: Internship, study abroad, student teaching, or flight lab experience (3 semester hours minimum). Upon successful completion of the supervised applied learning option of the experiential learning GER, students will demonstrate competence in using their skills and knowledge in practical situations; explore a field of interest in a focused, disciplined manner; examine an individual's roles and responsibilities in collaborative endeavors; demonstrate independent learning skills and self-confidence; and articulate changes in personal attitudes, beliefs, and assumptions brought about by the experience. Upon successful completion of the study abroad learning option of the experiential GER, students will test their ability to adapt successfully to different academic and cultural expectations; demonstrate knowledge of the host country's culture(s); demonstrate a knowledge of factors that contribute to intercultural misunderstandings; articulate changes in personal attitudes, beliefs, and assumptions brought about by the experience; articulate differences between their culture and that of the host country's culture(s); and demonstrate, when applicable, increased proficiency in the host country's language.