Communicate Effectively (9 hours)
Students complete three courses that challenge them to develop written and spoken skills fundamental to responsible communication.
“The medium is the message. This is merely to say that the personal and social consequences of any medium—that is, of any extension of ourselves—result from the new scale that is introduced into our affairs by each extension of ourselves, or by any new technology.” Marshall McLuhan
Investigate Nature (7 hours)
Students complete two courses that challenge them to develop their skills and knowledge in the natural sciences. At least one course must include a lab component and challenge students to apply their skills and knowledge in laboratory and experimental settings.
“Natural science does not simply describe and explain nature; it is part of the interplay between nature and ourselves.” Werner Heisenberg
Explore Mathematics (3 hours)
Students complete one MATH-prefixed course that challenges them to develop their abilities to solve problems by analyzing properties of functions and investigating relationships among functions. Course is determined by placement.
“Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas.” Albert Einstein
Interpret Texts (6 hours)
Students complete two courses that challenge them to develop their ability to interpret and analyze difficult texts. Courses in this category include substantial reading assignments and require close analysis of challenging primary or secondary texts.
“All meanings, we know, depend on the key of interpretation.” George Eliot
Analyze Societies (6 hours)
Students complete two courses that challenge them to develop their comprehension of historical and social powers and effects. All students must take at least one course that fulfills the Georgia Board of Regents’ mandate that all graduates successfully complete coursework in U. S. and GA history and the U. S. and GA Constitution*.
“Even if one is interested only in one’s own society, which is one’s prerogative, one can understand that society much better by comparing it with others.” Peter L. Berger
One course marked with * must be taken to fulfill this area.
Know Oneself (3 hours)
Students complete one course that develops their proficiency in self-analysis.
“The unexamined life is not worth living.” Socrates
Engage Art (3 hours)
Students complete one course that challenges them to develop their creativity and understanding of fine or performing arts.
“Interpretation is the revenge of the intellectual upon art.” Susan Sontag
Promote Wellbeing (3 hours)
Students complete one course that promotes their physical and mental wellbeing.
“When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot manifest, strength cannot fight, wealth becomes useless, and intelligence cannot be applied.” Herophilus
Expand Horizons (6 hours)
Students complete courses that challenge them to develop their familiarity and fluency in diverse cultures through the study of foreign language.
“No matter how far a person can go, the horizon is still way beyond you.” Zora Neale Hurston
Foreign Language- Students complete two courses* of foreign language (within the same language). Students who have completed two or more years of language in high school, and want to continue study in that language, are expected to begin their college studies at the 1102 level. If students choose to take 1101 as a refresher it will count only as a general elective. Students who have completed less than two years of language in high school, or who wish to begin study in a new language, may begin college studies at the 1101 level.
Students pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Mathematics, or Psychology are not required to complete studies in a foreign language.
Students must complete foreign language study with a “C” or better in order to continue to the next level of study.
Students may take fewer than two courses/six hours of foreign language if they meet the following requirements. Students completing fewer than six hours of foreign language coursework will take the corresponding hours as additional general electives.
* Students who place into and successfully complete FREN/SPAN 2201 demonstrate proficiency and fulfill the foreign language requirement with one course. (3 hrs.)
* Students who place above FREN/SPAN 2201 will confirm proficiency through an interview with the Foreign Language faculty. Students who do not demonstrate proficiency though this interview will be placed in the appropriate FREN/SPAN course.
* Heritage speakers (students who speak French or Spanish and earned their high school diploma in the U.S.) fulfill the foreign language requirement by taking one three-hour course, either FREN 2600 French for the Heritage Speaker or SPAN 2600 Spanish for the Heritage Speaker.
* Native speakers (students who earned their high school diploma in a country whose official language is not English) may exempt the foreign language requirement.
Total General Education Hours: 46
Notes:
Course Options- To encourage students to take courses in a variety of disciplines while still allowing choice in selecting the courses used to fulfill core requirements, students may take no more than one course in a given discipline to complete core requirements. A discipline is defined as a distinct body of academic study, regardless of departmental designation. (For example, Religious Studies is a separate discipline from Philosophy.) The one course per discipline includes the following exceptions.
(1) Students can take one additional 2000-level course in English beyond the two-course composition sequence (ENGL 1101 and 1102).
(2) Students can take one additional Communications Studies course beyond the course used to fulfill the speaking requirement (COMM 1000 or 1100).
(3) Students pursuing certain professional degrees with discipline-specific accreditation may be allowed to take more than one course in the area of focus.
(4) Students can take two courses in the same foreign language.
(5) Students can take two courses in the same discipline in natural sciences.
Course Credit- A single course cannot be used to complete requirements for more than one category. For example, a student taking Art History I could apply this course to either the “Interpret Texts” or “Analyze Art” category, but not both.
Cross-listed Courses- Courses listed in more than one discipline can be counted in one discipline or the other, but not both. For example, a course listed as SOCI/PSYC could be counted as a SOCI or PSYC course, but not both.
