General Education Requirements

Courses that Meet the General Education Requirements 2007–2008

Rules Governing General Education Requirements for Matriculants prior to Fall 2006

The “central curriculum” is defined as requirements in the four “areas” designated arts, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences and history. The central curriculum and all other requirements besides majors and minors comprise the General Education Requirements (GER).

General Rules
No single course can count in more than one place in the GER with the following exceptions:

• Any writing emphasis or oral communication competency course can double count toward any other requirement in the GER.
• Courses taken abroad that count toward the International requirement can also be counted elsewhere in the GER as applicable.

Courses may double count toward a GER requirement and requirements outside the GER: majors, minors and certifications.

NOTE: Directed Inquiries, Teaching Assistantships and Senior Seminars cannot count anywhere in the GER, with two exceptions:

• when a directed inquiry is equivalent to a course which has already been approved toward the GER
• when a senior seminar or directed inquiry has been approved by the faculty as a writing emphasis course
  

Colloquia cannot count anywhere in the GER except when the specific colloquium has explicitly been approved for the GER by the faculty.

ADP Learning Contracts and Tutorials and transfer courses in all programs may count toward the GER. Determination of applicability will be made by the dean of adult and graduate studies, registrar, or dean of the college, as appropriate, based on appropriate consultation with faculty.

When a course can count toward two different areas within the GER, the student does not need to declare the requirement toward which it counts. In such cases, courses will be counted in whatever way most benefits the student.

Completion of the GER is certified to the faculty by the registrar in the case of students in the Residential College for Women, and by the dean of adult and graduate studies in the case of ADP students.

A student is bound by the graduation requirements in effect when she or he matriculates. Re-entry students are bound by the requirements applicable at the time of re-entry. The courses applicable to the GER are only applicable in the year which each is listed as applicable in the Academic Catalog.
EXAMPLE: If MUS XXX applied to the Writing Emphasis requirement in 1997–98 but was removed in 1998–99, it would only count if the student took it in 1997–98. A student taking the course in 1998–99 could not count it toward that requirement, even if the student matriculated in 1997–98.

Central Curriculum

In each area of the central curriculum, the student must complete at least nine semester hours. At least six semester hours must be in one discipline within an area, and at least three semester hours must be in another discipline within the same area.

No courses from a single discipline can be applied against two areas within the central curriculum.

EXAMPLE: A student using a psychology course to count toward the natural science requirement could not use a different psychology course to count as a social science. The exception is cross-listed courses, since a cross-listed course legitimately applies to two disciplines.

EXAMPLE: AS/REL 212 can count as a social science (Asian Studies) or a humanities (Religion), but not both. Different courses from a single discipline can be used to count toward one central curriculum requirement and other GER requirements outside the central curriculum.

Other General Education Requirements

EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION
The student may satisfy this requirement in one of two ways:
• Complete at least three hours in course work identified as “Experiential” in the catalog
• Complete at least three hours of credit in student teaching, social work field placement or internships

INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
The student may satisfy this requirement in three ways:
• Complete at least six semester hours in the study of a single modern foreign language
• Complete at least six semester hours of credit in courses taught overseas
• Complete at least six semester hours of credit in courses that are taught in English and identified as “International” in the catalog

Any combination of the last two options adding to six semester hours is acceptable.

International students (defined as students who are citizens of a foreign country and are in the United States on green card or student visa) are exempted from this requirement.

MATHEMATICAL REASONING
The student must complete at least three hours in courses identified in this catalog as applicable to this requirement.

PHYSICAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION
The student must complete at least one class from each of the three principle concentrations, totaling a minimum of two credit hours.

WOMEN’S STUDIES
The student must complete at least three semester hours in courses identified in this catalog as applicable to this requirement.

WRITING EMPHASIS
The student must pass at least six semester hours in courses that are designated writing emphasis in this catalog. To count as a writing emphasis course, transfer courses must be specifically approved for that purpose by the director of the Writing Center (for Residential College for Women students) or by the faculty advisor (for ADP students).

ORAL COMMUNICATION COMPETENCE
The student must successfully complete a course designated as fulfilling the oral communication competence requirement in a discipline of her choice. These requirements can be satisfied by completion of specified courses, specified sequences of courses, or by testing out. The Communication Discipline offers a test-out for the oral communication requirement on an individual request basis. The test-out includes an oral component (presentation) and a listening test.

EXCEPTIONS TO THE GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
Requests for waivers must be submitted in writing to the dean of the college by February 1 of the senior year. The dean will then notify relevant faculty members and the Educational Policy Committee (EPC). The student, her advisor, and all members of the affected disciplines may present the case to the EPC. The EPC’s recommendation, whether positive or negative, will be presented for final decision to the faculty as a whole.

Advising error is not an acceptable reason for waiver of a GER. It is the student’s ultimate responsibility to be informed as to college requirements and to take steps to ensure that she or he is progressing toward the completion of the degree.