General Education Requirements

This requirement is intended to assure that students gain the knowledge to further develop their potential and enhance their capability to engage in a lifelong process of learning. By fulfilling this requirement, students acquire knowledge of history; an understanding of a diverse society and their relation to it; an understanding of how the social and behavioral sciences inform us of past and future efforts; a sense of social, ethical and cultural values; and an appreciation of how the arts and humanities enhance one's life. They also develop communication skills, innovative thinking, information literacy, use of digital tools, quantitative skills and an understanding of the scientific method.

General Education Requirements and Outcomes

Written Communication 1 & 2: (6 credits) Students will communicate effectively using Standard English, read and listen critically, and write and speak thoughtfully, clearly, coherently and persuasively. Demonstrate a variety of rhetorical situations with a clear and consistent focus reflective of a multi-stage composing and revising process. Students must earn a grade of C or higher in order to successfully complete each requirement. 

1. Demonstrate a variety of rhetorical situations with a clear and consistent focus reflective of a multi-stage composing and revising process. 
2. Create a thesis-driven, supported, logically organized argument that applies conventions of English appropriate to the audience, purpose, and context.  
3. Evaluate credible (authoritative) sources and integrate ideas from those sources in an ethical manner with appropriate documentation.

Oral Communication: (3 credits)

1. Explain how messages are communicated and how perception, nonverbal behavior, feedback, and listening impact the effectiveness of an oral message.
2. Produce oral messages appropriate to the audience, purpose, and context.
3. Analyze messages for the accuracy, relevance, and validity of the argument, evidence, and rhetorical strategies used.  

Arts and Humanities: (3 credits)

1. Describe key features of visual works, performances, texts, or other artifacts in relation to its context (such as historical, geographical, social, political, cultural, linguistic, or aesthetic). 
2. Apply key concepts, terminology, techniques or methodologies in the analysis or creation of visual works, performances, texts, or other artifacts.

Quantitative Reasoning: (3 credits)

1. Interpret real-world quantitative content in an appropriate mathematical form, such as an equation, graph, diagram, table, or words.  
2. Apply arithmetic, algebra, geometry, statistics, or logic to solve related problems.
3. Examine the significance, reasonableness, or implications of calculated results. 

Scientific Reasoning: (4 credits/lab required)

1. Apply scientific methods to investigate phenomena of the physical or natural world through prediction, observation or experimentation, data acquisition, and evaluation.  
2. Illustrate scientific data symbolically, graphically, or numerically.  
3. Evaluate scientific data in order to draw reasonable and logical conclusions using standards for legitimate interpretation of research data within the scientific community.

Scientific Knowledge and Understanding: (3-4 credits/lab optional)

1. Describe findings and ideas in science and how they impact their lives or larger society.   
2. Demonstrate scientific knowledge using appropriate terminology, representations, models, or analysis.   
3. Assess the credibility of a scientific claim on the basis of its source, and the logic or methods used to generate it. 

Historical Knowledge: (3 credits)

1. Apply concepts from history to analyze phenomena over time.
2. Distinguish between primary and secondary historical sources.
3. Evaluate the influence of historical agency (race, class, gender, region/location, belief system, or others) in the context of defined periods. 

Social & Behavioral Sciences: (3 credits)

1. Assess how cultural, environmental, and biological factors impact various processes and outcomes, such as cognition, emotion, development, and behavior from a social or behavioral science perspective.
2. Compare and contrast the ways social groups, institutions, and organizations interact by examining their relationships to class, race, ethnicity, gender, culture, identity, community, and/or other values.
3. Apply methods of inquiry to critique social and behavioral science principles, concepts, and theories.

Information Literacy: (3 credits)

1. Demonstrate the ability to search in academic databases.
2. Evaluate the authority, relevance, and accuracy of various sources of information to address issues that arise in academic, professional, and/or personal contexts.
3. Identify ethical issues related to access to, or use of information/data, such as the impact on security, privacy, censorship, intellectual property, or the reliability of information. 

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: (3 credits)

1. Understand key concepts related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).
2. Critically reflect on cultural, racial, ethnic, religious, classed, and gendered identities of self and others.
3. Analyze how power, privilege, and opportunity are manifested through social and political structures, policies, and practices.
4. Express ideas, identify behaviors, and propose creative practices to advance social justice, equity, and understanding of human differences.

Digital/Technological Literacy: (3 credits)

1. Apply current, relevant technologies to identify and solve problems, make informed decisions, communicate, create information/data, and protect information/data. 
2. Demonstrate proficiency using digital technology tools (examples include productivity, adaptive, remote work and collaboration tools).
3. Ethically utilize artificial intelligence, digital media, and environments to communicate and work effectively in person, hybrid format, and/or at a distance.

Innovative Thinking: (3 credits)

1. Recognize/Identify the factors that help or hinder adopting new ideas or drive innovation.
2. Demonstrate a range of idea creation and innovation techniques.
3. Apply innovation techniques to solve problems or make improvements in the context of a chosen field of study.

General Electives

The number of credits in this category will vary, depending on individual circumstances.

Liberal Arts

Student's must also fulfill the Liberal Arts requirement in order to obtain their degree. The requirements are as follows: