Mission
The General Education Curriculum provides an integrative approach to student learning which aims to develop students’ competencies in the basic academic skills of higher education, their capacity for intellectual inquiry, understanding of the connectedness of human knowledge, sensitivity to the diversity of human cultures, and desire to achieve personal and professional excellence.
More specifically, the goals of the General Education Curriculum establish the context within which relevant coursework provides students a full range of educational experiences that encourage an interest in life-long learning.
Goals
The goals of the General Education Curriculum are:
- To develop students’ critical thinking skills in order to support rational and evaluative approaches to research and problem solving across a wide range of personal and professional activities.
- To strengthen written and oral communication skills.
- To expand students’ awareness of the worldwide community and the interdependence of its citizens.
- To increase students’ ability to apply scientific principles that influence contemporary life and current technologies.
- To advance students’ comprehension of the ethical standards that are embedded within interpersonal, social, and professional relationships.
- To foster an appreciation for the range of creativity expressed in the arts and across diverse cultures.
Program Learning Outcomes
Specifically, the General Education Program Learning Outcomes are as follows:
Program Learning Outcome One: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Students will develop and apply critical thinking skills that will support rational and evaluative approaches to research and problem solving in personal and professional activities.
Program Learning Outcome Two: Communication
Students will demonstrate college-level written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills in order to communicate effectively with others in a variety of settings.
Program Learning Outcome Three: Global Citizenship
Students will distinguish among varied perspectives, individuals, and cultures in the worldwide community and propose sustainable solutions to societal issues that take into account the interdependence and diversity of its citizens.
Program Learning Outcome Four: Applying Scientific Principles and Theory to Intellectual Inquiry
Students will apply appropriate scientific principles and theories to their pursuit of historical and contemporary intellectual inquiry across a variety of disciplines.
Program Learning Outcome Five: Ethical Standards
Students will investigate, define, and apply the ethical standards that are embedded across the general education disciplines of: communications, academic and interpersonal skills, humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and mathematics.
Program Learning Outcome Six: Appreciation of Diversity
Students will recognize and describe the variations in perspectives and experiences expressed in the arts, sciences, and humanities, and their contributions to diverse cultures and times.
Course Requirements and Curriculum Description
Students enrolled in degree programs offered by the College of Health Sciences are required to take courses from each of these five General Education Curriculum areas:
- Communications
- Humanities
- Social sciences
- Natural/physical sciences
- Mathematics
Students enrolled in degree programs offered by the College of Undergraduate Studies are required to take courses from each of these six General Education Curriculum areas:
- Academic and Interpersonal Skills
- Communications
- Humanities
- Social sciences
- Natural/physical sciences
- Mathematics
These requirements are consistent with the aim of providing students with sufficient breadth of exposure to the range of human inquiry. It is intended that the student’s experience and competence in these diverse areas will contribute to his or her success academically. More specifically, skills in writing, mathematical calculation, and critical thinking are built into the various General Education course offerings. These skills can serve the student both in the classroom and the workplace.
While it is true that students can benefit from taking some of the General Education courses prior to their major coursework, students are encouraged to spread at least some of their General Education courses throughout their degree programs.
The number of courses that students must take in total and within each distribution area is determined by each student’s degree level (see tables below). Students may choose courses from within each area as long as they satisfy the distribution, overall General Education credit hour, and state requirements specified for their degree level and program. Argosy University requires all undergraduate students to take specific courses described in the following sections. This reflects the belief that some skills, knowledge, and academic experiences are fundamental to higher education and the professions.
Students may be able to satisfy some portions of the General Education Curriculum requirement by transferring credits from other institutions according to Argosy University’s transfer credit policy. The transfer policy does not require that students complete a certain percentage of General Education credit hours at Argosy University. Students may transfer to Argosy University any or all of the credit hours required by the Argosy University General Education program with the exception of courses in the Academic and Interpersonal skills distribution area.
If coursework is from a regionally accredited institution of higher education and otherwise meets Argosy University’s standards for transfer credit, the student may satisfy the minimum General Education requirement by this means.
The tables on the following pages indicate the minimum General Education Curriculum requirements for undergraduate degrees at Argosy University. Some courses are required to comply with state and program requirements. Other courses may be taken as electives to complete the minimum total credit hour requirement.
General Education Curriculum and Credit Distribution Requirements for Undergraduate Programs
College of Health Sciences
Notes
*Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Science (BS) in Healthcare Administration degree program should refer to the College of Undergraduate Studies chart and related notes (see below) for general education course requirements that apply to that program.
†Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Science (BS) in Nursing degree completion program are required to complete 42 credit hours of general education courses distributed as follows: communication requirements, 6 credit hours; humanities requirements, 6 credit hours; mathematics requirements, 6 credit hours; social sciences requirements, 6 credit hours; natural science requirements, 6 credit hours; and elective courses, 12 credit hours. Students should refer to the program description for additional information.
• Required course; transfer credit is not accepted
► Required course, or equivalent credit hours
1 Students in the Associate of Science in Dental Hygiene degree program are required to take HUM 440 Critical Thinking: Common Sense in Everyday Life.
2 Students in all degree programs except the Associate of Applied Science in Veterinary Technology are required to take BIO 110 Understanding Human Anatomy.
3 Students in the Associate of Science in Dental Hygiene degree program are required to take BIO 115 Fundamentals of Human Physiology.
4 Students in the Associate of Science in Radiation Therapy degree program are required to take MAT 110 Precalculus Mathematics.
General Education Curriculum and Credit Distribution Requirements for Undergraduate Programs
College of Undergraduate Studies
Notes
† Denotes elective course for the Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Liberal Arts degree program. Course cannot be taken to satisfy the General Education distribution requirement if previously applied to fulfill the Liberal Arts Core Requirements of the Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts degree program.
* Denotes required course for the Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Liberal Arts degree program. Students enrolled in the BA in Liberal Arts degree program cannot take course to fulfill General Education Distribution requirements.
♦ Required course, transfer credit is not accepted
► Required course or equivalent credit hours
• Requirement will be waived for students who are admitted with a CGPA of 2.0 and who have either 1) completed an associate’s degree from a regionally accredited institution or 2) successfully completed 60 semester credit hours of college level coursework.
1Students at Argosy University, Twin Cities are required to complete four General Education courses within the 300 and 400 levels.
2Academic and Interpersonal Skills requirements for associate’s level and bachelor’s level degree programs are 3 credit hours at Argosy University, Twin Cities. Students take PSY 180 Interpersonal Effectiveness to fulfill this requirement. Students enrolled in associate’s level degree programs are not required to take ASP 100 Skills for Success . Students enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs at Argosy University, Twin Cities apply ASP 100 Skills for Success towards the Open Electives requirements. Students enrolled in bachelor’s level degree programs at Argosy University, Twin Cities who receive a waiver for ASP100 Skills for Success may apply a different course towards the Open Electives requirements.
3Students at Argosy University, Twin Cities are required to complete 9 credit hours within the Humanities category.
4Arkansas residents who are enrolled in bachelor’s level degree programs offered through Argosy University Online Programs are required to complete HUM 201 United States History to partially fulfill the Social Sciences requirements.
5Students at Argosy University, Twin Cities are required to complete 9 credit hours within the Social Sciences category. Arkansas residents who are enrolled in bachelor’s level degree programs offered through Argosy University Online Programs are required to complete 9 credit hours within the Social Sciences category.
6 Students enrolled in the Associate of Science (AS) in Business Administration degree program and Bachelor of Science (BS) in Business Administration degree program are required to take ECO 201 Macroeconomics to fulfill the Social Sciences distribution requirement.
7Students enrolled in the Associate of Science (AS) Business Administration degree program and Bachelor of Science (BS) in Business Administration degree program are required to take ECO 202 Microeconomics to fulfill the Social Sciences distribution requirement.
8Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Liberal Arts degree program Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Psychology degree program are required to take PSY 101 General Psychology to fulfill the Social Sciences distribution requirement.
9Arkansas residents who are enrolled in bachelor’s level degree programs offered through Argosy University Online Programs are required to complete 9 credit hours within the Natural Sciences category.
10Arkansas residents who are enrolled in bachelor’s level degree programs offered through Argosy University Online Programs are required to complete SCI 202 Ecology and Environmental Sustainability Lab concurrently with SCI 201 Ecology and Environmental Sustainability .
11Arkansas residents who are enrolled in bachelor’s level degree programs offered through Argosy University Online Programs are required to complete SCI 216 Contemporary Applications of the Sciences Lab concurrently with SCI 215 Contemporary Applications of the Sciences .
12 Arkansas and Florida residents who are enrolled in bachelor’s level degree programs offered through Argosy University Online Programs are required to take MAT 107 College Algebra and one of the following courses to fulfill the mathematics requirement: MAT 106 Quantitative Literacy or MAT 109 General Education Mathematics .
13The General Education requirements at Argosy University, Sarasota and Argosy University, Tampa are 45 credit hours. Students are required to complete 9 credit hours of general education elective courses. Students enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs at Argosy University, Twin Cities are required to complete 3 credit hours of general education elective courses.Students who receive a waiver for ASP100 Skills for Success take an additional 3 credit hours of general education elective courses as follows. Arkansas residents who are enrolled in bachelor’s level degree programs offered through Argosy University Online Programs take 3 credit hours of general education elective courses. Students enrolled in bachelor’s level degree programs at all campuses except Argosy University, Sarasota, Argosy University, Tampa, and Argosy University, Twin Cities take 9 credit hours of general education elective courses. Students enrolled in bachelor’s level degree programs at Argosy University, Sarasota and Argosy University, Tampa take 12 credit hours of general education elective courses. Students enrolled in bachelor’s level degree programs at Argosy University, Twin Cities apply ASP100 Skills for Success towards the open elective requirements of their selected degree program, and therefore their general education elective requirements are not impacted by the course waiver. |
