140-00 General Education
The General Education curriculum will enable students to acquire skills, knowledge, and experiences for living in interconnected contexts, so they can contribute to making life better for others, themselves, and the larger world. General Education encompasses the breadth of knowledge involving the major intellectual and aesthetic skills and achievements of humanity. This must include understanding and appreciation of the pluralistic nature of knowledge epitomized by the natural sciences, quantitative skills, social and behavioral sciences, humanities, and arts. To achieve and share such an understanding and appreciation, skills in self-expression, quantitative analysis, information literacy, and collaborative interaction are necessary. General Education aids students in developing intellectual curiosity, a strengthened ability to think, and a deeper sense of aesthetic appreciation. General Education, in essence, aims to cultivate a knowledgeable, informed, literate human being.
General Education courses are identified in the University Course Descriptions and General Education sections of the Undergraduate Degree Programs Bulletin. They can also be found in the Schedule of Courses by the appropriate course designation.
This policy was previously Student Policy Appendix A.1
Revised: 12/11/73
Revised Editorially: 8/23/11
Revised Editorially: 6/15/12
Revised: 5/2/18 (based on General Education Planning and Oversight Task Force report 4/28/15)
Moved to Curriculum Policy 140-00: 10/18/2022
141-00 General Education Learning Objectives
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION – the ability to exchange information and ideas in oral, written, and visual form in ways that allow for informed and persuasive discourse that builds trust and respect among those engaged in that exchange, and helps create environments where creative ideas and problem-solving flourish.
KEY LITERACIES – the ability to identify, interpret, create, communicate and compute using materials in a variety of media and contexts. Literacy acquired in multiple areas, such as textual, quantitative, information/technology, health, intercultural, historical, aesthetic, linguistic (world languages), and scientific, enables individuals to achieve their goals, to develop their knowledge and potential, to lead healthy and productive lives, and to participate fully in their community and wider society.
CRITICAL AND ANALYTICAL THINKING – the habit of mind characterized by comprehensive exploration of issues, ideas, artifacts, and events before accepting or formulating a conclusion. It is the intellectually disciplined process of conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action.
INTEGRATIVE THINKING – the ability to synthesize knowledge across multiple domains, modes of inquiry, historical periods, and perspectives, as well as the ability to identify linkages between existing knowledge and new information. Individuals who engage in integrative thinking are able to transfer knowledge within and beyond their current contexts.
CREATIVE THINKING – the capacity to synthesize existing ideas, images, or expertise in original ways and the experience of performing, making, thinking, or acting in an imaginative way that may be characterized by innovation, divergent thinking, and intellectual risk taking.
GLOBAL LEARNING – the intellectually disciplined abilities to analyze similarities and differences among cultures; evaluate natural, physical, social, cultural, historical, and economic legacies and hierarchies; and engage as community members and leaders who will continue to deal with the intricacies of an ever-changing world. Individuals should acquire the ability to analyze power; identify and critique interdependent global, regional, and local cultures and systems; and evaluate the implications for people’s lives.
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ETHICAL REASONING – the ability to assess one’s own values within the social context of problems, recognize ethical issues in a variety of settings, describe how different perspectives might be applied to ethical dilemmas, and consider the ramifications of alternative actions. Individuals should acquire the self-knowledge and leadership skills needed to play a role in creating and maintaining healthy, civil, safe, and thriving communities.
142-00 Baccalaureate Degree Requirements in the General Education Program
The General Education program consists of 45 credits distributed among four components: Foundations (15 credits) in Writing/Speaking and Quantification; Knowledge Domain Breadth (15 credits) in the Natural Sciences, Arts, Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences, and Health and Wellness; Integrative Studies (6 credits), through completion of Inter-domain and/or other designated coursework; and Exploration (9 credits) through completion of additional coursework across particular knowledge domains, and/or the study of world language.
Each approved course is identified in the Undergraduate Degree Programs Bulletin and the Course Catalog by descriptive suffixes/ attributes as follows:
Foundations (15 credits) Build a basis of effective communication and quantitative literacy
Foundations courses must be completed with a grade of “C” or better. Courses may not be Integrative Studies/Inter-domain
- WRITING/SPEAKING (9 credits)
Courses designated with the GWS attribute satisfy this component. - QUANTIFICATION (6 credits)
Courses designated with the GQ attribute satisfy this component. (3-6 credits are selected from mathematics, applied mathematics, and statistics; 3 credits may be selected from computer science or symbolic logic.)
Breadth in Knowledge Domains (15 credits) Practice applying a specific way of constructing knowledge to examine a topic.
Students must complete 3 credits in each the Knowledge Domain; courses may not be Integrative Studies/ Inter-domain.
- NATURAL SCIENCES (3 credits)
Courses designated with the GN attribute satisfy this component. - ARTS (3 credits)
Courses designated with the GA attribute satisfy this component. - HUMANITIES (3 credits)
Courses designated with the GH attribute satisfy this component. - SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES (3 credits)
Courses designated with the GS attribute satisfy this component. - HEALTH AND WELLNESS (3 credits)
Courses designated with the GHW attribute satisfy this component.
Integrative Studies (6 credits) Practice synthesizing knowledge from different perspectives to examine a topic.
- INTER-DOMAIN
Courses designated with the General Education-Integrative: Inter-domain attribute satisfy this requirement. (The suffix of N or Q (honors) is commonly used for identification purposes.)
Exploration (9 credits) Follow intellectual curiosity to deepen or widen learning
- Select 3 credits from courses with the GN attribute. This may be completed with inter-domain courses.
- Select 6 credits from courses with the GA, GH, GN, GS, or General Education Integrative: Inter-domain attributes and may include 3 credits of World Language course work beyond the 12th credit level or the requirements for the student’s degree program, whichever is higher.
The General Education program extends the concept of flexibility to all aspects of the degree program. Penn State wants students to use General Education as an opportunity to experiment and explore, to take academic risks, to discover, and to learn. A student may:
1. Substitute a 200- to 499-level course in an area of General Education for a course found on the General Education list. For example, a student may take a 400-level course in history and use it to meet the General Education requirement satisfied by a comparable lower-level history course.
2. Substitute 3 units of a World Language course at the 12th credit level of proficiency or higher that exceed the student’s minimum degree requirements in either of the Foundation areas (GWS or GQ) of General Education.
Revised 10/18/22
143-00 Breadth in General Education
All General Education courses are to help students explore and integrate information beyond the special focuses of their majors. Students may not meet the General Education Breadth in Knowledge Domains and Exploration components by taking courses in the department or program identical to that of the academic major. The Integrative Studies component is not subject to this policy.
Revised 10/18/22
143-10 General Education Statement
Each program may identify courses that may double count between the major and General Education. The courses should satisfy the intention of General Education as well as serve a curricular purpose for the major. The General Education statement should not exceed the number of credits for a General Education domain that exceeds the historically stated requirement for General Education (i.e., 9 GN credits, 6 GS credits, 6 GA credits, 6 GH credits, 6 GQ credits, 9 GWS credits, 3 GHW credits.) Integrative Studies courses should not be included in the General Education Statement. In exceptional cases (e.g., external accreditation constraints), Curricular Affairs may approve exceptions to this limitation.
Revised 10/18/22
143-20 Intentional Breadth in General Education
Students may not meet the General Education Breadth in Knowledge Domains and Exploration components by taking courses in the department or program identical to that of the academic major. The General Education program is intended to help students explore and integrate information beyond the special focuses of their majors. For example, an Economics major may not use an economics course to fulfill their social and behavioral sciences requirement. Also, students may not count courses cross-listed with courses in their major to fulfill one of the General Education Knowledge Domain, e.g., a Theatre major may not register for THEA 208/AFAM 208 Workshop: Theatre in Diverse Cultures and have it count in the Arts requirement. This provision does not apply to coursework satisfying the Integrative Studies component. For students completing concurrent or sequential degrees, this policy only applies to the initial degree program. (General Education Planning and Oversight Task Force report 4/28/15)
Revised 10/18/22