University General Education Program

Click on any of the following links for information:

• Associate Degree General Education Requirements
• Basic Studies
• Liberal Studies Core Area Definitions and Course Listings
• Liberal Studies Regulations

Coordinator: Dr. Linda Maule
General Education Office: Holmstedt Hall, room 220
Web site: www.indstate.edu/gened/
E-mail: gened@indstate.edu

Through its Basic Studies and Liberal Studies requirements, the General Education Program prepares students to become active professionals and productive citizens. The Basic Studies requirements promote refinement of communication, quantitative literacy, and information technology skills; encourage the study of a foreign language; and advocate physical fitness for life. The Liberal Studies requirements encourage students to understand the value of a traditional university education in the arts, humanities, and sciences and to explore the relation of a liberal education to any major course of study. All approved Liberal Studies courses promote the four common goals of the General Education Program:

1. Critical Thinking: To develop students’ capacities for independent thinking, critical analysis, and reasoned inquiry.
2. Communication Skills: To enhance students’ writing, speaking, reading, and listening abilities.
3. Issues of Value and Belief: To enhance students’ capacities for making informed and reasonable choices.
4. Lifelong Learning: To help students develop the knowledge and intellectual skills that encourage participatory citizenship, acknowledge the value of learning, and facilitate adaptation to change.

Students completing an Indiana State University associate degree program must meet the following General Education requirements. For additional information, see the requirement definitions and course listings under Basic Studies and Liberal Studies below.

Basic Studies

Writing at the 100 level [English 101 and English 105 or English 107 or English 130]
Speech Communication [Communication 101]
Quantitative Literacy [Mathematics 102, college algebra or higher level mathematics course (except Mathematics 205 or 305), a college-level statistics course, or a passing score on the Quantitative Literacy Exemption Test]
Information Technology Literacy [See section E under Basic Studies.]

Liberal Studies

Five courses, with a minimum of one course in each of three Liberal Studies Core Areas.

The six Basic Studies areas of the General Education Program prepare students to succeed in their majors and in their professional and personal lives by emphasizing writing; speaking; quantitative and computer skills; broadening perspectives through the study of a foreign language; and promoting fitness through a physical education requirement. Required courses in Basic Studies, like those in the Liberal Studies core areas, enhance the critical thinking and broad communication skills that predict success in academic work and develop professional flexibility, preparing ISU graduates for a competitive professional job market or advanced graduate work. Requirements in each of the Basic Studies areas follow.

1. English 101 and English 105 or English 107 or English 130 are required of all students during their first two semesters. Freshmen with SAT verbal scores below 510 or ACT English usage scores below 20 are required to take English 101 during their first semester before taking English 105 during their second semester. Freshmen with SAT verbal scores of 510 or higher or ACT English usage scores of 20 or above are required to take English 107 during their first semester. International students whose native language is not English are tested by the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics for placement in an appropriate course. Unless specifically exempted, international students whose native language is not English must take English as a Second Language 103A and English as a Second Language 103B before enrolling in English 105. English majors and minors take English 108 (unless their SAT verbal is less than 510). Students in English Honors or University Honors take English 108.

   English 305 or English 305T or English 405 or Business Education, Information, and Technology 336 or a substitute course approved by the Department of English is required of all students upon completion of the freshman composition requirement and 48 semester hours of course work. English teaching majors and minors take English 307 and English liberal arts majors and minors take English 308 in lieu of 305. Students enrolling in English 405 must have completed 62 hours of course work.

   A student who does not earn a passing grade in one of the above-mentioned writing courses must repeat that course the following semester.

2. Communication 101 is required of all first-year students with the following exceptions:

   If an agreement exists between the Department of Communication and a student’s major department, that student may meet the communication requirement by successfully completing one of the following courses:

   Communication 202
   Communication 215
   Communication 302

   A student may also meet the communication requirement by passing a for-credit equivalency examination administered by the University Testing Office.

3. Quantitative Literacy Requirement. Students may satisfy the Quantitative Literacy requirement by obtaining a passing score on the Quantitative Literacy Exemption Test or by earning a passing grade in one of the following courses: Mathematics 102, 115, or a higher-numbered mathematics course (except Mathematics 205 or 305), or a college level statistics course. A college level statistics course is defined as a course that includes as a prerequisite either Mathematics 111 (or a higher level/higher numbered mathematics course) or a placement examination result indicating an equivalent background in mathematics. As of the current date, statistics courses that meet the Quantitative Literacy requirement are: Business 205, Economics 370, Biology 485, and Mathematics 241. Any other statistics course satisfies this requirement if it requires one of the preceding statistics courses or Mathematics 111 (or higher) as a prerequisite and the department provides a course syllabus and official documentation of the change to the General Education Office. In addition, college algebra courses that transfer to ISU as Mathematics 018 will satisfy the Quantitative Literacy requirement. This revision of the Quantitative Literacy requirement is effective immediately. For more information, see the Quantitative Literacy section of the General Education Web site, http://www.indstate.edu/gened.

4. Foreign Languages. Students must complete 101 and 102, in a single language of their choice, unless they have completed the equivalent of two years (four semesters) of a single language at the high school level with an average grade of C or better. International students whose first language is not English are exempt from this requirement. Students entering ISU with an associate’s degree or higher degree from an institution other than ISU may be exempted from this requirement by the recommendation of the program in which they enroll at ISU.

   Students who are not exempt from the requirement are advised for placement into the appropriate language class (101 or 102) according to their record of high school language study.

   Students who have already satisfied the language requirement are eligible to earn free credit by examination for language completed in high school if they take the Foreign Language Placement Examination administered by the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics and complete a language class offered by that department. Contact the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics for details.

5. Information Technology Literacy for Students Entering Summer 2003 or Later. Information technology literacy is expected to be demonstrated by all students within the first 32 hours of course work at ISU by obtaining a passing score on the Information Technology Literacy Exemption Test (offered by the University Testing Office, 237-7666), completing a major for which the requirement is met through course work required for the major program, or successfully completing one of the following approved information technology literacy courses:

   BEIT 125		Information in the Electronic Age
   CIMT 272		Introduction to Classroom Computer Use
   CS 151, CS 170, and CS 256		Satisfies the Information Technology Literacy requirement for information technology majors
   CS 101		Information Technology Literacy
   ELED 272		Introduction to Classroom Computer Use
   HLTH 112		Computing Literacy in Health, Environmental, and Safety Sciences
   NURS 108 TMGT 195		Information Technology Literacy for Healthcare Introduction to Computer Applications

6. Physical Education 101 and 101L are required of all students. Majors in elementary education take Physical Education 348, while majors in kindergarten-primary education and early childhood education take Physical Education 463 to satisfy this requirement.

   Course work in the five Liberal Studies core areas emphasizes intellectual development, career preparation, and lifelong learning by further empowering students to make critical judgments within specialized areas of knowledge while promoting engagement with scientific reasoning, development of historical perspective, appreciation of philosophical and aesthetic traditions, and sensitivity to cultural diversity both globally and within the United States. The General Education Capstone requirement functions to connect these general education goals to students’ majors, acknowledging that the values central to a general and liberal education are also essential to students’ professional growth and career goals.

For the most part, students may not receive General Education Liberal Studies credit for courses in their major. There are three exceptions:

1. Students may count cognate courses, that is, courses required for a major but taught outside the discipline in which the degree is given;
2. Students pursuing a double major may count cognate courses required for the first major as well as all of the courses required for the second major; and
3. Students may count courses outside their specific major within a discipline that offers two or more majors.

These three exceptions apply only to courses listed within the five Liberal Studies core areas.

The following core area definitions and listings of approved courses include only those courses approved for Liberal Studies credit as of 2003. Those approved Liberal Studies courses having prerequisites carry the designation + after the course number. To identify the prerequisite(s) for a course so designated, consult the course description in the appropriate section of this Catalog. The appropriate Liberal Studies core area code designations are including in the area definitions and precede each list of approved courses.

The University Honors Program and General Education: All Honors Core Courses (designated as General Honors or GH courses) earn credit in the General Education Program. Visit the Office of General Education Web site (http://www.indstate.edu/gened/) and click on “Schedule of Classes Offered” to locate currently offered General Honors courses in each Liberal Studies core area, or follow the links from “GE Program” to “Approved Courses by Department” to “General Honors Courses” to locate a complete list of approved General Honors courses and topics organized by Liberal Studies core area.

Scientific and Mathematical Studies: One Foundational Laboratory Science course (SMS: F,E) and one Scientific and Mathematical Studies Elective course (SMS: E). Course work in this area is designed to develop students’ scientific and mathematical literacy through an understanding of basic principles underlying natural phenomena and the products of science and mathematics.

All students must take at least one Foundational Laboratory Science course unless they complete a major whose requirements or approved cognates grant them credit for completing a laboratory science course. If credit is given separately for a laboratory the student must complete both the laboratory science course and the laboratory in order to satisfy the requirement. For example, a student must take both Chemistry 100 and Chemistry 100L to complete the Foundational Laboratory Science requirement. Students completing two of the approved 100 or 200 level laboratory science courses as cognates or required courses within a major or minor will have satisfied both the Foundational Laboratory Science and the Scientific and Mathematical Studies Elective course requirements. Students enrolled in a science, allied health, nursing, preprofessional, or other major or minor that requires two or more laboratory science courses should consult with their academic advisor.

SMS: F,E–Courses listed below satisfy the Foundational Laboratory Science or Elective requirement.

SMS: E–Courses listed below satisfy the Scientific and Mathematical Studies Elective requirement only.

Approved Laboratory Science Courses for Students in Science, Allied Health, Nursing, and Preprofessional Programs ONLY. Students not in these programs should select from the SMS:F,E and SMS:E courses listed above. The courses listed below are designed strictly for majors and minors in science, allied health, nursing, and preprofessional programs.

ATTR 210/210L
BIO 101/101L
BIO 102/102L
BIO 231/231L
BIO 241/241L
BIO 274/274L
CHEM 103/103L
CHEM 104/104L
CHEM 105/105L
CHEM 106/106L
GEOG 111/111L
GEOL 160/160L
PE 220/220L
PHYS 105/105L
PHYS 106/106L
PHYS 205/205L
PHYS 206/206L

Social and Behavioral Studies: One Foundational Course (SBS: F,E) and One Social and Behavioral Studies Elective Course (SBS: E). Course work in this area introduces students to fundamental methods of inquiry and research in the social and behavioral sciences, encouraging reflection on the operation and evolution of social institutions and systems.

SBS: F,E–Courses listed below satisfy the Social and Behavioral Studies Foundational or Elective requirement.

SBS: E–Courses listed below satisfy the Social and Behavioral Studies Elective requirement only.

Literary, Artistic, and Philosophical Studies: One Literature and Life Course (LAPS: LL) and One Literary, Artistic, and Philosophical Studies Elective Course (LAPS: E). Emphasizing critical and creative thinking and requiring students to both discuss literary works and write analytically about them, the required course in literature and life engages the aesthetic and cultural dimensions of literary, artistic, and philosophical studies, while elective course work in this area furthers students’ awareness and understanding of the ways human experience is reflected in literary, artistic, or philosophical studies.

LAPS: LL–Courses listed below satisfy the Literature and Life requirement only.

Literature and Life/Public Life Topic Courses

Literature and Life/Public Life Individual Courses

LAPS: E--Courses listed below satisfy the Literary, Artistic, and Philosophical Studies Elective requirement only.

Historical Studies: One Historical Studies Course (HS). This requirement promotes an historical perspective, either through a broad survey or through more concentrated study of a single period, and recognizes that students learn to better understand their own culture through a refined historical understanding of the complexity and diversity of human cultures.

HS:R--Courses listed below satisfy the Historical Studies requirement.

Multicultural Studies: One U.S. Diversity Course (MCS: USD) and One International Cultures Course (MCS: IC). United States diversity and international cultures courses expose students to cultural diversity and sensitize them to complex power relations among cultural groups, especially those relations that result in prejudice, discrimination, and oppression. These courses also develop students’ awareness of the aspirations of traditionally underrepresented groups who seek to redefine contemporary social and political realities. The study of cultures, one’s own and others, helps students to reflect upon and critically evaluate their own cultural backgrounds.

MCS:USD–Courses listed below satisfy the U.S. Diversity requirement.

MCS:IC--Courses listed below satisfy the International Cultures requirement

General Education Capstone Requirement for Students Entering Summer 2003 or Later: One Approved General Education Capstone Course (CAP) in Liberal Studies or the Major. The capstone course brings coherence to the liberal studies experience by asking students to reflect on their liberal studies course work, guiding them to synthesize the seemingly disparate liberal studies core areas into a more cohesive whole, and encouraging them to relate their liberal studies experiences to their work in their major and to their personal and professional goals. Before enrolling in a General Education Capstone course, students must have earned 78 hours of college credit and completed seven of the nine required Liberal Studies core area requirements. All approved General Education Capstone courses are either open to majors or open only to students earning a major or minor in the discipline offering the course. Students should consult their advisors to determine whether they are required by their major or minor to enroll in a particular General Education Capstone course.

Students who entered Indiana State University prior to summer 2003 may enroll in approved General Education Capstone courses and receive Liberal Studies Elective credit in Scientific and Mathematical Studies, Social and Behavioral Studies, or Literary, Artistic, and Philosophical Studies if they have:

1. Completed seven of the nine Liberal Studies core area requirements,
2. Earned at least 78 hours of college credit, and
3. Submitted and received approval of an appropriate petition.

Majors Only General Education Capstone Courses (CAP)

General Education Capstone Courses Open to All Majors (CAP)

Liberal Studies Credit through Study Abroad. Study abroad students should meet with the coordinator for Academic Programs Abroad before their departure to discuss Part I of the Guide for Students, attend a pre-departure orientation, complete the Guide to Students within one month of their return to ISU, and approved by the Coordinator of Academic Programs Abroad based upon the completed Guide to satisfy the Liberal Studies Multicultural Studies: International Cultures [MCS:IC] requirement of the General Education 2000 Program. Although, the study abroad experience and completed Guide for Students will substitute for the MCS:IC requirement, no college credit will be awarded for these activities.

Several Liberal Studies courses are offered through the Academic Programs Abroad Office. These courses are available only to students studying abroad and are not taught on the ISU campus. Students studying abroad can also request Liberal Studies credit for courses taken abroad. Students planning to study abroad should contact the Academic Programs Abroad Office for information and instructions regarding requesting Liberal Studies course offerings abroad and how to request credit for other courses taken abroad.