The purpose of general education at NDSU is to ensure that students acquire knowledge, perspectives, and skills basic to a university education. The program is designed so that students will be able to adapt to and anticipate changes in their profession and in society. Students also will be able to integrate and use the knowledge and perspectives they have gained to live productive, intellectually rewarding and meaningful lives.
University General Education Requirements
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Credits |
| College Composition I | |
| College Composition II | |
| Fundamentals of Public Speaking | |
1 | |
| Total Credits | 39 |
General Education Category Descriptions
The following descriptions are elaborations of the general education categories approved by the Faculty Senate.
- Communication (C) is the clear, precise, and purposeful exchange of information in a variety of contexts, using either written or oral means.
- Cultural diversity (D) focuses on the social, personal, and interpersonal effects of variety and differences among cultures.
- Digital Literacy (L)
- Fine arts (A), as an integral component of the humanities, promote the appreciation of aesthetics and the expression of creativity.
- Global perspectives (G) focus on analysis of worldwide issues illustrating the interdependence of the world and its people.
- Humanities (A) systematically explore cultural and intellectual forces shaping events, individual expression, and social values.
- Quantitative reasoning (R) is an organized set of quantitative methods used to solve problems or extend knowledge. Quantitative methods are a set of principles and procedures that could be used to manipulate numerical data.
- Science (S) is an organized body of knowledge, including principles and procedures based on scientific methods, used to explain physical or biological phenomena.
- Social and behavioral sciences (B) use scientific methods to analyze the behaviors, structures, and processes of individuals and groups.
- Wellness (W) is a dynamic and integrative process of becoming aware of healthy lifestyles, of learning to make informed choices, and of developing a balanced approach to living.
General Education Program Assessment
General education assessment has three basic purposes:
- To improve student learning and development by identifying the intended student outcomes for the program.
- To provide feedback on the progress toward the intended student outcomes.
- To use the feedback to modify aspects of the program to ensure that the outcomes are being achieved and that student learning is improved.
Assessment activities are valued at NDSU and include the participation of students. Results will not be used to penalize students or faculty. Student performance on assessment of the general education program will not become part of the transcript.
General Education Transfer
Students transferring lower-division general education credits within the North Dakota University System need to consult with advisers in their academic programs at NDSU for two reasons. First, degree requirements of individual programs and colleges at NDSU may exceed the university-wide general education requirements. Second, meeting the university-wide lower-division general education requirements by transfer credits may not necessarily prepare students for advanced, upper-division study in an academic major at NDSU. See also the NDUS GERTA Agreement.
NDSU Global Seminar and Global Practicum Courses
Global Practicum: Study Abroad [(Prefix) 292, 392, 492, 692] A student who studies abroad for one or more semesters, and who successfully completes a minimum of three credits eligible for transfer back to NDSU, may qualify for either Cultural Diversity or Global Perspectives. Completing six or more study abroad credits may qualify for both Cultural Diversity and Global Perspectives categories. A student must arrange to have an official transcript sent to NDSU from the study abroad institution for official evaluation and credit determination. The student must complete a Student Appeal for Exception to General Education Requirements for this consideration.
Global Seminar [(Prefix) 179, 279, 379, 479, 679] Global Seminar experiences do not automatically qualify for NDSU general education. An NDSU global seminar instructor must apply for approval in an appropriate general education category before the course is open for student enrollment and well in advance of seminar departure. Approval requires the instructor to submit a course syllabus and a one-page rationale to the University General Education committee addressing how the seminar experience aligns the course learning outcomes with the general education learning outcomes for the category being sought. Approval is a one-time event and is not extended to additional semesters. Only students who enroll in the class and complete the experience are eligible for general education.
General Education Learning Outcomes
The intended learning outcomes resulting from the various general education categories include the following:
Communication (C) - students will
Quantitative Reasoning (R) - student will
- apply quantitative and qualitative methods to collect and analyze data, in order to:
- explain the nature of evidence used for analysis
- evaluate the assumptions, evidence, and logic of competing views and explanations
Science & Technology (S)
Technology Learning Outcome- students will
- understand, use, and apply technology to demonstrate creativity and solve problems
- identify the social, aesthetic, and ethical implications of technological decisions
- analyze how technology shapes, limits, and augments our experiences and understandings
Natural and Physical Sciences Learning Outcome - students will
- analyze components and dynamics of natural and physical worlds
- develop models to explain phenomena within the natural and physical worlds
- apply methods of scientific inquiry to enhance their understanding of the natural and physical world
Humanities & Fine Arts (A) - students will
- identify the nature and impact of aesthetic, creative, or cultural activities on human experience
- analyze the components and dynamics of human societies in their artistic, cultural, and historical contexts
Social & Behavioral Sciences (B) - students will
- analyze the interplay of self and society, particularly how social structures shape human experiences and how humans shape social structures
- apply theories or research methods to understand human events, identities, artifacts, or social structures
- Examine their own values, biases, and conclusions within larger social or theoretical contexts
Social & Behavioral Sciences - Wellness (W) - students will
- examine how social ecological contexts relate to their personal wellness values, biases, and conclusions
- articulate how their personal, professional, or civic goals reflect their core wellness values
- explore, identify and evaluate sources of information related to personal wellness
Cultural Diversity (D) - students will
- identify how diverse societies shape individual experiences, expressions and identities
- identify how diversity influences cultural values
Global Perspectives (G) - students will
- apply theories or research methods to develop strategies and solutions that address global challenges
- identify potential benefits and explore the implications of global citizenship
- evaluate global phenomena using perspectives, attitudes and beliefs of communities with cultural backgrounds different from their own
General Education Administrative Policies
- General education courses may be used to satisfy requirements for both general education requirements and the major, minor, and program emphases, where applicable.
- Departments or colleges may preclude their students from double counting general education courses with major courses.
- Except for courses that meet the cultural diversity or global perspectives requirements, no course can fulfill the requirements for more than one general education category.
- General education requirements can be met through credit by exam, departmental examinations, or equivalents.
- General education requirements can be met by successful completion of a course for which an approved general education course in the same department is a prerequisite or by successful completion of an advanced course in the same department with comparable course content.
- Except for courses offered only on a pass/fail basis, no courses taken to meet the general education requirements may be taken for pass/fail grades. (Exception for Spring and Fall 2020: Students were allowed to complete general education requirements with a pass grade.)
- The general education minimum requirements apply to all baccalaureate degree programs.
- Transfer students who have only partially fulfilled general education category requirements by transfer-approved courses must complete the requirements in approved courses within the NDSU deficient categories. No category credit requirement may be deficient by more than a partial semester credit. However, in the communication category, if the transfer course(s) have been evaluated as equivalent to ENGL 110 College Composition I, ENGL 120 College Composition II, and COMM 110 Fundamentals of Public Speaking and total no less than eight semester credits, the lower-division category requirement has been met.
- Students may receive placement credit for ENGL 110 College Composition I based on a minimum English ACT score (or SAT equivalent) and satisfactory performance (grade of 'C' or better) in ENGL 120 College Composition II or equivalent.
- A student who has completed an associate of arts or an associate of science degree in the United States or Canada at a regionally accredited institution and who transfers to NDSU or who pursues a second baccalaureate degree at NDSU is considered to have completed his or her lower-division general education requirements at NDSU. Transfer student coursework from outside the United States and Canada will be evaluated on a course-by-course basis.
- General education courses at other accredited institutions, which do not have equivalent courses or general education status at NDSU, may be accepted in transfer as part of the general education requirements at NDSU.
- All general education course syllabi and course web sites must identify the course as having been approved for meeting general education requirements and include the general education outcomes for which each course is approved. (See Syllabus Requirements)
- Students who have completed basic military training (which is the commitment for enlistment) will receive a waiver for the Wellness category. Military record documentation is required for the waiver; documentation is to be submitted to the Office of Registration and Records with a completed Appeal for Exception to General Education Requirements form. The waiver for the training will not lead to course credit, and all other minimum graduation requirements apply.
- Military Services members that have been deployed to a foreign country for a minimum period of 90 consecutive days will be recognized as meeting Global Perspectives general education requirement. Additionally, services members will have satisfied the Cultural Diversity requirement for completing an additional 90 days of foreign deployment. A copy of the military deployment documentation can be submitted with a completed Appeal for Exception to General Education Requirements form.
- Students must complete at least four credits of natural and physical sciences in the Science and Technology category. Also in this category, a student must complete a one-credit lab taken as a co-requisite with an approved general education science and technology lecture course, unless the approved science and technology course has an embedded lab experience equivalent to one-credit (ex. CHEM 117 & CHEM 117L; PLSC 110).
This document outlines policies regarding General Education requirements. Here's why:
- Policies are high-level rules and guidelines that dictate how things are done. They set the framework for decision-making and actions.
- The document establishes rules about:
- Double counting courses.
- Transfer credits.
- Credit by exam.
- Pass/fail grades.
- Military waivers.
- and other governing rules.
- These are not day-to-day practices (which are the actual actions taken) or step-by-step procedures (which are specific, detailed instructions). Instead, they are the overarching rules that guide those practices and procedures.
General Education Administrative Policies
1. Applicability:
- The general education requirements apply to all baccalaureate degree programs.
- No general education category may be deficient by one or more semester credits.
2. Dual Fulfillment:
- General education courses may satisfy both general education requirements and major, minor, or program emphasis requirements, where applicable.
- Departments or colleges retain the right to prohibit students from double-counting general education courses with major courses.
3. Category Restrictions:
- No single course can fulfill multiple general education category requirements, except for those in cultural diversity and global perspectives.
4. Alternative Credit:
- General education requirements may be fulfilled through credit by exam, departmental examinations, or equivalent assessments.
5. Prerequisite and Advanced Course Equivalency:
- General education requirements can be satisfied by successful completion of a course for which an approved general education course is a prerequisite, or by successful completion of an advanced course within the same department that features comparable course content.
6. Grading Policy:
- Except for courses offered exclusively on a pass/fail grading basis, courses taken to fulfill general education requirements must be taken for a letter grade.
7. Transfer Student Policies:
- NDSU evaluates transfer general education courses from other institutions for potential inclusion in its general education requirements, even if those courses lack direct equivalents or NDSU general education designation.
- Transfer student coursework from outside the United States and Canada will be evaluated on a course-by-course basis.
- In the communication category, if transfer courses are evaluated as equivalent to ENGL 110, ENGL 120, and COMM 110, and total at least eight semester credits, the lower-division communication requirement is met.
- Students are considered to have completed their lower-division general education requirements at NDSU if they have completed an associate of arts or an associate of science degree in the United State or Canada, or they are pursuing a second baccalaureate degree at NDSU.
8. Placement Credit:
- Students may receive placement credit for ENGL 110 based on a minimum English ACT score (or SAT equivalent) and satisfactory performance (grade of 'C' or better) in ENGL 120 or its equivalent.
9. Syllabus Requirements:
- All general education course syllabi and course websites must explicitly identify the course as approved for general education requirements and include the specific general education outcomes the course fulfills.
10. Military Waivers:
- Students who have completed basic military training (enlistment commitment) may receive a waiver for the Wellness category.
- Service members with a minimum of 90 consecutive days of foreign deployment will be recognized as having met the Global Perspectives general education requirement. The Cultural Diversity requirement will be satisfied by an additional 90 days of foreign deployment.
- To be considered for either of these waivers, military documentation must be submitted with the Appeal for Exception to General Education Requirements form to the Office of Registration and Records.
11. Science and Technology Requirements:
- A one-credit lab course, taken as a co-requisite with an approved general education science and technology lecture course, is required unless the approved course includes an embedded lab experience equivalent to one credit (e.g., CHEM 117 & CHEM 117L; PLSC 110).
- Students must complete at least four credits in natural and physical sciences within the Science and Technology category.
General Education Courses
The following is representative of the courses approved in each general education category for the specific catalog year. The general education component requires a minimum of 39 total credits with a minimum credit requirement in each of the six categories. Cultural diversity and global perspectives may be satisfied by completing courses in another category.
Category C: Communications - 12 credits
- 3 of the 12 credits must be at the 300/400 level upper-division
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Credits |
| ENGL 110 | College Composition I | 3 |
| or ENGL 112 | Multilingual College Composition I |
| ENGL 120 | College Composition II | 3 |
| or ENGL 121 | Honors Composition II |
| or ENGL 122 | Multilingual College Composition II |
| COMM 110 | Fundamentals of Public Speaking | 3 |
| or COMM 111 | Honors Public Speaking |
| ECON 356 | History of Economic Thought | 3 |
| ENGL 320 | Business and Professional Writing | 3 |
| ENGL 321 | Writing in the Technical Professions | 3 |
| ENGL 322 | Writing and the Creative Process | 3 |
| ENGL 324 | Writing in the Sciences | 3 |
| ENGL 325 | Writing in the Health Professions | 3 |
| ENGL 326 | Writing in the Design Professions | 3 |
| ENGL 357 | Visual Culture and Language | 3 |
| ENGL 358 | Writing in the Humanities and Social Sciences | 3 |
| ENGL 459 | Researching and Writing Grants and Proposal | 3 |
| FREN 360 | Studies in Language and Style | 3 |
| HIST 390 | Historical Research and Writing | 3 |
| PHIL 352 | Knowledge and Reality | 3 |
| PHIL 450 | Metaphysics | 3 |
| PHIL 451 | Skepticism and the Possibility of Knowledge | 3 |
| PHRM 324 | Writing and Professionalization in Pharmacy | 3 |
| SPAN 401 | Advanced Spanish Grammar and Writing | 3 |
Category R: Quantitative Reasoning - 3 credits
CATEGORY S: Science & Technology - 10 Credits
-
Four of the 10 credits must be in natural or physical sciences
-
A co-requisite, one-credit lab must be taken with a natural or physical science course unless the course includes an embedded lab experience equivalent to a one-credit course.
Natural Science (Sn):
Physical Science (Sp):
Technology (St):
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Credits |
| CSCI 114 | Computer Applications | 3 |
| or TL 116 | Business Software Applications |
| CSCI 121 | Artificial Intelligence for Everyone | 3 |
| CSCI 160 | Computer Science I | 4 |
| HDFS 140 | Navigating Technology and Family Life | 3 |
CATEGORY A: Humanities & Fine Arts - 6 Credits
CATEGORY B: Social & Behavioral Sciences - 6 Credits
CATEGORY W: Wellness - 2 Credits
- Required is a social/behavioral science course that integrates at least two areas of lifelong wellness: emotional well-being, nutrition, physical activity, and psychological development.
CATEGORY D: Cultural Diversity
- This requirement may be met by 3 credits taken in any department as part of the 39 credits required for general education in a course approved for cultural diversity.
CATEGORY G: Global Perspectives
- This requirement may be met by 3 credits taken in any department as part of the 39 credits required for general education in a course approved for global perspectives.
Category L: Digital Literacy
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Credits |
| ENGL 120 | College Composition II | 3 |
North Dakota University System General Education Requirements Transfer Agreement
The North Dakota University System (NDUS) General Education Requirements Transfer Agreement (GERTA) was established by the State Board of Higher Education to ease student transfers within the system. Although subject to revision by the board, the policies at the time of this printing were as follows:
- If students have completed the lower-division general education course requirements (36 credits or more) at one NDUS institution and transfer to another NDUS institution, then the lower-division general education requirements will have been met.
If the lower-division general education requirements have not been completed before transferring, the general education courses from the indicated areas are applicable to an appropriate general education requirement of the institution to which they are transferred. In these cases, the number of credits required to complete the general education requirement in each area is determined by the policies of the institution to which the courses are transferred.
Students transferring lower-division general education credits within the North Dakota University System need to consult with advisers in their academic programs at NDSU for two reasons. First, degree requirements of individual programs and colleges at NDSU may exceed the university-wide general education requirements. Second, meeting the university-wide lower-division general education requirements by transfer credits may not necessarily prepare students for advanced, upper-division study in an academic major at NDSU.
Students transferring from non-ND University System institutions will have their general education requirements evaluated on a course-by-course basis when they enter NDSU.
