Obtaining a Degree at SUU: General Education

 General Education 

General Education Requirements

Please read the general education and the experiential sections of the catalog carefully. Students are encouraged to meet with an academic advisor (435) 586-5420 for assistance in academic planning.

General Education Mission

The GE Program at SUU provides broad subject-area knowledge and learning skills foundational for achieving engaged, personalized and rigorous learning that transcends and complements students’ majors and minors.

Overview of General Education

The General Education (GE) program at SUU is central to its liberal arts and sciences mission. Course work is offered in core competency areas (English, Math, etc.) and across multiple disciplines to help broaden a student’s knowledge and understanding of the arts, humanities and the sciences. The GE core encompasses 16 to 17 credits of course work consisting of introductory classes in English, Math, Information and Computer Literacy, and American Institutions. An additional 16 to 18 credits of introductory course work is required across five broad Knowledge Areas: Fine Arts, Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Life Science, and Physical Science. The learning outcomes of courses in GE are designed to help students acquire skills and knowledge that continue to enhance during their studies at SUU.

Learning Outcomes

The SUU Essential Learning Outcomes (ELO) are incorporated in numerous GE classes offered at SUU. However, not all GE courses encompass all of the ELOs. Students enrolling in classes in the Core and Knowledge Areas are given the opportunity to explore the issues and topics inherent in the four main focus areas of the ELOs. The following are the outcomes proficiencies that form the core of general education:

1. Knowledge of Human Cultures and the Physical and Natural World

•  Through study in the sciences and mathematics, social sciences, humanities, histories, languages, and the arts

Focused by engagement with big questions, both contemporary and enduring

2. Intellectual & Practical Skills

• Inquiry and analysis
• Critical thinking
• Creative thinking
• Communication
• Quantitative literacy
• Information and Digital literacy
• Teamwork
• Problem solving

Practiced extensively, across the curriculum, in the context of progressively more challenging problems, projects, and standards for performance

3. Personal &Social Responsibility

• Civic knowledge and engagement, local and global
• Intercultural knowledge and competence
• Ethical reasoning and action
• Foundations and skills for lifelong learning

Anchored through active involvement with real-world challenges and through the unique experiential education (EDGE) program at SUU

4. Integrative Learning

• Synthesis and advanced accomplishment across general and specialized studies

Demonstrated through the application of knowledge, skills, and responsibilities to new settings and complex problems and through the SUU signature EDGE capstone projects

The SUU General Education Program Requirements by Degree

General Associate or Bachelors Degree

For a general associates or bachelor’s degree, the General Education (GE) program requires 32-35 credit hours of course work.

• Two courses in the English core, and a minimum of one course in each of the following core categories: Quantitative Literacy (Mathematics), Information Literacy, Computer Literacy, and American Institutions
• A minimum of 3 to 4 credit hours in each of the five knowledge areas.

Associate of Applied Science Degree

For an Associate of Applied Science degree, 20-21 credit hours are required in the following areas:

• One course in the English core, and a minimum of one course in each of the following core categories: Quantitative Literacy (Mathematics), Information Literacy, Computer Literacy, and American Institutions
• Two courses from among two of five knowledge areas
• Students should check the department AAS requirements to determine if specific general education classes are recommended

Optional Methods for Satisfying GE Requirement

The University provides alternate means of satisfying requirements in the general education program. Students may complete general education requirements through Advanced Placement (AP) courses in high school or by taking a series of tests under the College Level Examination Program (CLEP). Students interested in alternate means of satisfying general education requirements should refer to the “Credit by Examination and Individual Study” section of this catalog or contact the Testing Center at (435) 865-8071 or their college advisor.

AA/AS Transfer Policy of Utah System

An Associate of Arts or an Associate of Science degree earned at any institution within the Utah System of Higher Education, or at other non-Utah institutions with articulation agreements, will be considered as meeting the General Education requirement of any institution in the system. When the General Education requirements of an institution not offering the Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree have been met in earning a 60 to 63 credit hour diploma, a Registrar’s certification that the transferring student has completed baccalaureate-level General Education requirements at the sending institution will be accepted by SUU in lieu of the AA/AS degree. In the latter case, the Registrar at the sending institution will forward to SUU an up-to-date description of the General Education requirements.

Transfer of General Education Course Credits

Students transferring to SUU from another institution are required to forward an official transcript for each college or university attended. Credits earned in general education from a campus in the Utah System of Higher Education are transferable to SUU. Credits earned at a community college or at a university outside of the state of Utah will be evaluated before acceptance for transfer to SUU by the Registrar’s Office.

Core Requirements*

The core requirements for General Education encompass 16 to 17 credit hours of course work in English, Quantitative Literacy, Information Literacy, Computer Literacy, and American Institutions. These courses are intended to give students knowledge and skills necessary to effectively communicate, be able to demonstrate basic mathematical competency, perform information research and searches, effectively use integrated software tools, and have an understanding of history of the United States and its economic and political systems.    

*Core course requirements as of 2013-14: Students must complete the English, Quantitative Literacy, Information Literacy, and Computer Literacy course work before they have earned 60 credit hours at SUU. While not required, students are urged to also complete the American Institution requirement within their first 60 credits.

Knowledge Area Goals

Fine Arts

Goal: To develop students’ understanding of the scope and variety of works in the fine arts (i.e., art, music, theatre, and dance); to deepen their understanding of the aesthetic standards used to make critical judgments in various artistic fields, and how that imaginative process is informed and limited by social, and historical contexts.

Humanities

Goal: To develop students’ understanding of human thought through works of literature, theology and philosophy; to deepen their understanding of how human processes are informed and limited by social, cultural, linguistic and historical circumstances; and to appreciate the ideas of others and in cultures and countries not their own.

Social and Behavioral Science

Goal: To develop students’ understanding of themselves and the world through the study of methods and theories used by historians, social and behavioral scientists. Courses in this knowledge area seek to, describe, explain, and analyze individual and collective human behavior and relationships. These courses prepare students to grasp the diversities and complexities of human life, past and present, and come to an informed sense of self and others.

Life & Physical Sciences

Goal: To develop students’ understanding of the principles and procedures of science and to cultivate their abilities to apply the empirical methods of scientific inquiry. Students should understand how scientific discovery changes theoretical views of the world, informs our imaginations, and shapes human history. Students should also understand that science is shaped by historical and social contexts. 

Core & Knowledge Area Course Offerings

General Education