Jun 02, 2023  
2014-2015 Argosy University Academic Catalog—Undergraduate Programs | Volume 5, Issue 1 
    
2014-2015 Argosy University Academic Catalog—Undergraduate Programs | Volume 5, Issue 1 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Section Nine, General Education Curriculum



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 Arts and Sciences 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

 General Education Distribution Requirements
   Credit Hours Required for Degree
  Semester Credit Hours Associate of Applied Science Associate of Science Bachelor of Science
Course Numbers and Titles        
         
Communications   6 6 6
COM105 Organizational Communication   3      
COM114 Public Speaking   3      
COM107 Reading and Writing: An Interconnected Process   1      
COM180 Interpersonal Effectiveness   3
COM401 Negotiation and Conflict Management    3      
COM450 Communication, Gender, and Culture   3      
ENG101 Composition I   3
ENG102 Composition II   3      
         
 Humanities   3  6  6 
ENG103 The Literary Experience   3      
ENG401 Shakespeare Today   3      
HUM110 The Immigrant Experience   1      
HUM200 Critical Thinking and Problem Solving   3      
HUM401 American Voices   3      
HUM440 Critical Thinking: Common Sense and Everyday Life   3      
PHI101 Ethics in Contemporary Society   3
PHI301 Philosophy of Religion   3      
         
 Social Sciences   3   6 6 
POL110 American Experience    3      
PSY101 General Psychology   3      
SOC110 Sociology in a Global Perspective    3      
SOC111 The Working Poor in America   1      
SOC416 Sociological Perspectives on Class, Ethnicity, and Gender    3      
         
 Natural Sciences   3   3 6 
BIO110 Understanding Human Anatomy 2 3     ► 
BIO115 Fundamentals of Human Physiology 3 3      
BIO120 Human Anatomy and Physiology   3      
SCI110 The Rise of Modern Science   3      
SCI115 The Ecological Perspective   3      
SCI116 Science as a Way of Thinking   1      
         
Mathematics   3 3 6
MAT111 Math in the Real World   1      
MAT112 General Education Statistics   3    
MAT107 College Algebra   3
MAT110 Precalculus Mathematics 4 3      
         
Elective Credit Hours   3 6 0
Total General Education Credit Hours
 
21
30
30
 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 HUM200 Critical Thinking and Problem Solving  Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

2 Students in all degree programs except the Associate of Applied Science in Veterinary Technology are required to take BIO110 Understanding Human Anatomy .

3 Students in the Associate of Science in Dental Hygiene  degree program are required to take BIO115 Fundamentals of Human Physiology .

Students in the Associate of Science in Radiation Therapy  degree program are required to take MAT110 Precalculus Mathematics .

General Education Curriculum and Credit Distribution Requirements for Undergraduate Programs

College of Arts and Sciences 

General Education Distribution Requirements1
Credit Hours Required for Degree
  Semester Credit Hours Associate of Arts Associate of Science** Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of Science***
Course Number and Titles          
           
Communications   6 6 6 6
ENG101 Composition I   3
ENG102 Composition II   3        
COM104 Persuasion   3        
COM105 Organizational Communication   3        
COM106 Information Literacy and Communication   3        
COM107 Reading and Writing: An Interconnected Process   1        
COM114 Public Speaking   3        
COM450 Communication, Gender, and Culture   3         
           
Academic and Interpersonal Skills2   6 6 6 6
ASP100 Skills for Success   3  •
COM180 Interpersonal Effectiveness   3
           
 Humanities3   6   6  6 6 
ENG103 The Literary Experience    3        
ENG401 Shakespeare Today    3        
HUM110 The Immigrant Experience   1        
HUM200 Critical Thinking and Problem Solving 4  3        
HUM201 United States History 5 3        
HUM215 Diversity and World Cultures   3        
HUM220 Ethics and Social Justice   3        
HUM401 American Voices  3        
HUM440 Critical Thinking: Common Sense and Everyday Life * 3        
PHI101 Ethics in Contemporary Society   3        
PHI301 Philosophy of Religion  3        
           
 Social Sciences6    6  6  6  6
ECO201 Macroeconomics 7  3        
ECO202 Microeconomics 8  3        
POL110 American Experience    3         
PSY101 General Psychology 9  3         
SOC110 Sociology in a Global Perspective   3        
SOC111 The Working Poor in America   1        
SOC260 The Global Environment and Public Health   3        
SOC416 Sociological Perspectives on Class, Ethnicity, and Gender * 3        
           

Natural Sciences10

 

6

6

6

6

SCI110 The Rise of Modern Science   3        
SCI115 The Ecological Perspective   3        
SCI116 Science as a Way of Thinking   1        
SCI201 Ecology and Environmental Sustainability   3        
SCI202 Ecology and Environmental Sustainability Lab 11 1.5        
SCI215 Contemporary Applications of the Sciences   3        
SCI216 Contemporary Applications of the Sciences Lab 12 1.5        
           
Mathematics13   6 6 6 6
MAT106 Quantitative Literacy   3        
MAT107 College Algebra   3        
MAT109 General Education Mathematics   3        
MAT111 Math in the Real World   1        
MAT112 General Education Statistics   3        
           
Elective Credit Hours14   6 6 6 6
Total General Education Credit Hours
 
42
42
42
42
 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.

**Students enrolled in the Associate of Science (AS) in Information Technology  degree program are required to complete 30 credit hours of general education courses distributed as follows: academic and interpersonal skills requirements, 6 credit hours; communication requirements, 6 credit hours; humanities requirements, 6 credit hours; mathematics requirements, 6 credit hours; social sciences, 3 credit hours; and natural sciences requirements, 3 credit hours. Students should refer to the notes below and the program description  for additional information.

***Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Science (BS) in Information Technology  degree program are required to complete 45 credit hours of general education courses distributed as follows: academic and interpersonal skills requirements, 6 credit hours; communication requirements, 6 credit hours; humanities requirements, 6 credit hours; mathematics requirements, 6 credit hours; social sciences, 6 credit hours; natural sciences requirements, 6 credit hours; and elective courses, 9 credit hours. Students should refer to the notes below and the program description  for additional information.

♦ 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 COM180 Interpersonal Effectiveness  to fulfill this requirement. Students enrolled in associate’s level degree programs are not required to take ASP100 Skills for Success  .  Students enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs at Argosy University, Twin Cities apply ASP100 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.

4Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Liberal Arts  degree program are required to take HUM200 - Critical Thinking and Problem Solving  to partially fulfill the Humanities distribution requirement.

5Arkansas residents who are enrolled in associate’s level and bachelor’s level degree programs offered through Argosy University Online Programs are required to complete HUM201 United States History  to partially fulfill the Social Sciences requirements.

6Students at Argosy University, Twin Cities are required to complete 9 credit hours within the Social Sciences category.  Arkansas residents who are enrolled in associate’s level and bachelor’s level degree programs offered through Argosy University Online Programs are required to complete 9 credit hours within the Social Sciences category.

7 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 ECO201 Macroeconomics  to partially fulfill the Social Sciences distribution requirement.

8Students 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 ECO202 Microeconomics   to partially fulfill the Social Sciences distribution requirement.

9Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Liberal Arts  degree program and Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Psychology  degree program are required to take PSY101 General Psychology   to partially fulfill the Social Sciences distribution requirement.

10Arkansas residents who are enrolled in associate’s level and bachelor’s level degree programs offered through Argosy University Online Programs are required to complete 9 credit hours within the Natural Sciences category.

11Arkansas residents who are enrolled in associate’s level and bachelor’s level degree programs offered through Argosy University Online Programs are required to complete SCI202 Ecology and Environmental Sustainability Lab  concurrently with SCI201 Ecology and Environmental Sustainability .

12Arkansas residents who are enrolled in associate’s level and bachelor’s level degree programs offered through Argosy University Online Programs are required to complete SCI216 Contemporary Applications of the Sciences Lab  concurrently with SCI215 Contemporary Applications of the Sciences  .

13Arkansas and Florida residents who are enrolled in associate’s level and bachelor’s level degree programs offered through Argosy University Online or Campus-based Programs are required to take MAT107 College Algebra  and one of the following courses to fulfill the mathematics requirement: MAT106 Quantitative Literacy  or MAT109 General Education Mathematics .

14The 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.