| University Undergraduate Advising Handbook | |
GENERAL EDUCATION
www.senate.psu.edu/policies/appx-a1.html
All baccalaureate degree programs include a 45-credit General Education component established by the University Faculty Senate. The information on the goal of General Education and the components of the program can be found in "WHAT IS GENERAL EDUCATION?" This section of the Undergraduate Degree Programs Bulletin includes a description of the components of General Education, requirement descriptions, and information on additional requirements (First-Year Seminar, United States Cultures, International Cultures, and Writing Across the Curriculum). In the Schedule of Courses, General Education designations are provided in course listings and descriptions. In addition, using Additional Search Criteria, General Education courses offered in a particular semester can be identified by category.
General Education Requirements
General Education Worksheet
Alternatives for Earning Health and Physical Activity
Credit
Selecting Courses
Flexibility in General Education
Substitution of Higher Level Courses
Developing a Sequence (3-6-9)
World Language Substitution
GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
| AREA | CREDITS (45 total) |
CODE | Skills (15 credits) Knowledge Domains (30 credits) |
|
|
|---|
Satisfactory/unsatisfactory grading may not be used for courses taken to satisfy General Education.
ALTERNATIVES FOR EARNING HEALTH AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY CREDIT
Alternatives may exist for earning credit in health and physical activity (GHA). Veterans, reservists and national guardsmen who are degree candidates and who have completed basic training may request an evaluation of their training for the awarding of credits in these areas.
Students may receive a maximum of 1.5 credits for their varsity sport experience. Varsity credit is given only once in a student's college career provided that activity credit has not been earned for the same sport. Students must enroll for this credit during the semester in which national or team championships are played (i.e., football in the fall, basketball in the spring, etc.). Credit is given only during the semester students are participating in the sport (it may not be added retroactively). Athletes should ask their team coach about registration procedures.
General Education courses are meant to help students explore and integrate information beyond the specific focus of their majors. Therefore, in most cases students may not meet the General Education requirements by taking courses in the department or program identical to that of their major. For example, a student majoring in history may not satisfy General Education requirements with history courses. This policy applies to cross-listed courses as well. For example, a student majoring in sociology may not use Women's Studies 110 (GS) to fulfill a General Education requirement because it is cross-listed with Sociology 110 (GS).
However, requirements for certain majors include General Education courses. They are identified in the section describing each major in the Undergraduate Degree Programs Bulletin. For example, for the Environmental Resource Management major, the bulletin lists the following:
GENERAL EDUCATION: 45 credits
(27 of these 45 credits are included in the REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJOR)
(See description of General Education in this bulletin.)REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJOR: 106-108 credits
(This includes 27 credits of General Education courses: 9 credits of GN courses; 6 credits of GQ courses; 6 credits of GS courses; 9 credits of GWS courses.)
If a student in this major selected the specified courses in GWS, GQ, GN, and GS, then part of his/her General Education requirements and major requirements would be satisfied. When a course is used to satisfy more than one requirement, the credits in the course are counted only once toward graduation.
In addition, some colleges and majors have stipulations regarding course selection. College and major General Education course requirements are listed in the tables provided by the Center for Excellence in Academic Advising.
When selecting General Education courses, students may want to develop a theme, meet requirements for a minor or a concurrent major, or satisfy a prerequisite for an education abroad program.
FLEXIBILITY IN GENERAL EDUCATION
Ideally students should develop their plans to use flexibility in General Education with an adviser. However, prior approval is not required.
Substitution of Higher Level Courses
With the approval of the student's adviser and appropriate dean's representative, a student may substitute 200- to 499-level courses for courses on the General Education list if they are in the same area of General Education. For example, a student might take PHIL 432, substituting it for a lower-level General Education humanities (GH) course.
In consultation with an adviser and the student's appropriate dean's representative, a sequence of 9 credits may be developed in the arts, humanities, or social and behavioral sciences by substituting 3 credits from one of the other two areas. For example, a student might develop a 9-credit sequence of courses in social sciences (GS) with SOC 001 (GS), PSYCH 100 (GS), and HD FS 249 (GS) and deduct 3 credits from arts (GA). In other words, this student's 3 credits in GA, 6 credits in humanities (GH), and 9 credits in GS would fulfill requirements in these areas.
With the permission of his/her adviser and the appropriate dean's representative, a baccalaureate degree candidate may make one of the following world language substitutions:
If a student has demonstrated proficiency in one world language and elects to study another world language, he/she can use the 12th-credit level of the language as a world language substitution. For example, an international student from China who elects to study French can use FR 003 for 3 credits in humanities (GH).
Students may not eliminate any General Education area by using world language substitution and/or the option to develop a three-course sequence in arts, humanities, or social sciences (described above).
After a student completes a course that could take advantage of any of the General Education provisions above, the student submits a request for the substitution in his/her department or college. When approved, the student's degree audit will show that the substitution has been made.
Academic Advising Centers can provide instructions on submitting requests to use flexibility in General Education.
The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. Please consult a Penn State academic adviser for more detailed information.
This page is part of the University Undergraduate Advising Handbook, which is maintained by the Division of Undergraduate Studies, DUS@psu.edu.
Reviewed: January 2012
Last Update: June 2010