Section Nine, General Education Curriculum

Mission and Goals

The General Education Curriculum is an integrative approach to student learning which aims to develop competency in the basic academic skills of higher education, extend a capacity for intellectual inquiry, understand the connectedness of human knowledge, encourage sensitivity to the diversity of human cultures, and create a desire to achieve personal and professional excellence.

More specifically, the objectives of the General Education Curriculum establish the context within which relevant coursework is intended to provide students a full range of educational experiences. Thus, the goals of the General Education Curriculum are:

• To promote active thinking and a curiosity that will enhance independent, intentional and life-long learning.
• To develop critical thinking skills that will support rational and evaluative approaches to research and problem solving in a wide range of personal and professional activities.
• To strengthen written and oral communication skills.
• To expand awareness of the worldwide community and the interdependence of its citizens.
• To increase application of scientific principles that influence contemporary life and current technologies.
• To advance a comprehension of the moral dimension of life and 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.

Course Requirements and Curriculum Description

Students in 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 in 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

• 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 Dental Hygiene degree program are required to take either SCI110 The Rise of Modern Science  or SCI115 Ecological Perspective to fulfill the Natural Sciences distribution requirement.

⁵ Students in the Associate of Science in Dental Hygiene degree program are required to take either SCI110 The Rise of Modern Science or SCI115 Ecological Perspective to fulfill the Natural Sciences distribution requirement.

⁶ 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 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

¹Students at Argosy University, Twin Cities are required to complete four General Education courses within the 300 and 400 level.

²Academic and Interpersonal Skills requirements are 3 credit hours at Argosy University, Twin Cities. Students take PSY180 Interpersonal Effectiveness to fulfill this requirement. Students at Argosy University, Twin Cities apply ASP100 Skills for Success towards the Open Electives requirements.

³Students at Argosy University, Twin Cities are required to complete 9 credit hours within the Humanities category.

⁴Students at Argosy University, Twin Cities are required to complete 9 credit hours within the Social Sciences category.

⁵Students in the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree program are required to take ECO201 Macroeconomics to fulfill the Social Sciences distribution requirement.

⁶Students in the Bachelor of Science in Business Adminstration degree program are required to take ECO201 Microeconomics to fulfill the Social Sciences distribution requirement. 

⁷Students in the Bachelor of Arts in Psychology degree program are required to take PSY101 General Psychology to fulfill the Social Sciences distribution requirement.

⁸The 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 at Argosy University, Twin Cities are required to complete 3 credit hours of general education elective courses.