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2017-2018 Academic Catalog | General Education Requirements

The General Education Curriculum Requirements

 

Overview of the College of Arts & Sciences General Education Curriculum

The general education curriculum teaches students the value of broad intellectual inquiry and fosters the resilience and inventiveness essential to success.  At the same time, it helps students build foundational skills in reading, writing, communication, math and critical reasoning that will be essential to college learning and success.

In addition to fulfilling major requirements, Trinity students must complete the courses listed in the General Education Curriculum.

I. Foundational Skills (20 credits)

Students must complete designated courses in the following areas:

  • Critical Reading and Writing (complete below four courses for a total of ten credits)
    • CRS 101
    • CRS 102*
    • ENGL 107
  • Quantitative Reasoning (chose one course for a total of four credits)**
    • MATH 102
    • MATH 108
    • MATH 109
    • MATH 123
  • Critical Reasoning (chose one course for a total of three credits)***
    • COM 150/PHIL 150

*For students who matriculated before Fall 2016 the requirement is ENGL 105 or ENGL 105S

**MATH 102 is for science and mathematics majors; MATH 108 is for education and health professions majors; MATH 109 is for humanities and social science majors. If you are doing an individualized major please consult with your advisor to determine your math requirement.

***UND-N majors do not take this course. This learning goal is met in the nursing program.

II. Knowledge & Inquiry (25-27 credits)

Students must complete courses in the following areas:

  • Social Sciences (choose two courses in different disciplines for a total of six credits)
    • Economics
      • ECON 100
    • Psychology
      • PSYC 101
    • Sociology
      • SOCY 100
      • SOCY 105
      • SOCY 131
    • Political Science
      • POLS 201
      • POLS 211
      • POLS 231
      • POLS 241
  • Science (choose one course for a total of four credits)
    • BIOL 101
    • BIOL 111
    • BIOL 121
    • CHEM 101
    • CHEM 111
    • CHEM 113
    • ENVS 101
    • PHYS 111
  • History, Arts, and Humanities (choose three courses in different disciplines for a total of nine credits)
    • History
      • HIS 128
      • HIS 130
      • HIS 132
      • HIS 133
      • HIS 135
      • HIS 361
    • Fine Arts
      • FNAR 101
      • FNAR 102
      • FNAR 145
      • FNAR 241
      • FNAR 243
      • FNAR 247
      • FNAR 311
      • FNAR 313
      • FNAR 315
      • EDTE 232* (UNDE-E students only)
    • Literature
      • ENGL 150
      • ENGL 220
      • ENGL 267
      • ENGL 271
      • ENGL 280
      • ENGL 281
      • ENGL 283
      • ENGL 284
      • ENGL 285
      • ENGL 310
      • SPAN 213
  • Foreign Language (choose two courses for a total of 6-8 credits)
    • Level I
      • ARBC 101
      • FREN 101
      • SPAN 101
    • Level II
      • ARBC 102
      • FREN 102
      • SPAN 102

Students may receive GenEd credit for most foreign languages, including ASL, by taking Consortium courses or by CLEP Exam. Students may also receive language waivers by demonstrating proficiency on an assessment exam.

III. Values & Beliefs (6 credits)

Students must complete courses in the following areas:

  • Religious Studies and Theology (choose one course for a total of three credits)
    • PHIL 235
    • Any Religious Studies (RST) course
    • Any Theology (THE) course
  • Philosophy (choose one course for a total of three credits)
    • PHIL 211
    • PHIL 241
    • PHIL 245
    • PHIL 251
    • PHIL 253

IV. Applications (6 credits)

Students must complete courses in the following areas:

  • Civic Knowledge (Choose one course for a total of three credits)
    • ECON 102
    • ENGL 475
    • HIS 345
    • INAF 201
    • PHIL 231
    • POLS 101
    • POLS 272
    • POLS 405
    • PSYC 201
    • SOCY 201
    • SNHP 220 -for students in health majors (Nursing, Health Services, OTA)
  • Leadership (Choose one course for a total of three credits)
    • BADM 110
    • COM 482
    • EDTE 301 (UND-E students only)
    • HIS 234
    • POLS 213
    • POLS 277
    • NSCM 499
    • SNHP 224
    • WST 368
    • WST 369

V. General Education Capstone Seminar (3 credits)

The General Education Capstone Seminar is taken in second semester of sophomore year, or after earning at least 40 credits.

  • Capstone Seminar (Choose one course for a total of three credits)
    • BIOL 219
    • CHEM 310
    • COM 375
    • COM 388
    • ENGL 389
    • FNAR 317
    • FNAR 321
    • FNAR 399
    • HIS 201
    • HIS 396
    • HIS 399
    • HUM 381
    • INT 250
    • MATH 299
    • POLS 313
    • PSYC 317
    • PSYC 343
    • PSYC 365
    • SNHP 330- for students in health majors (Nursing, Health Services, OTA)
    • SOCY 381
    • SSC 207
    • WST 250
    • WST 301
    • WST 321

Critical Reading and General Education Capstone Seminar

As part of completing the Foundational Skills area, incoming first-year students must complete the Critical Reading Seminar at Trinity; transfer students matriculating with sophomore status or above are not required to complete the Critical Reading Seminar.  Additionally, incoming first-year and sophomore students must complete the General Education Capstone Seminar at Trinity; transfer students matriculating with junior status or above are not required to complete the General Education Capstone Seminar.

Waivers and Advanced Standing for General Education Requirements

In certain instances, a waiver can be used to fulfill general education curricular requirements, although such waivers carry no credits. The following general education requirements may be waived by earning a satisfactory score on the appropriate placement examination(s):

  • Written Communication (waived by placing above ENGL 107 College Composition level)
  • Foreign Language (Placement into the third semester of Arabic, French, Spanish, or other approved language constitutes a waiver of the foreign language requirement. Students who place into the second semester of a college-level language course need only complete the second semester of that language to fulfill the general education requirement).
  • Quantitative Reasoning (Placement into MATH 125 or higher constitutes a waiver of the requirement).

Additionally, general education requirements may be fulfilled through credits earned through examination, such as Advanced Placement or CLEP Examinations. The appropriate Program Chair determines if credits earned through examination also fulfill general education requirements.  Some general education requirements may be fulfilled through credits earned at other accredited institutions. The appropriate Program Chair determines if credits earned at other accredited institutions also fulfill Trinity general education requirements.

Courses Fulfilling General Education and Major Requirements

In general, a course may be counted to fulfill no more than one general education requirement, although a course may be counted to fulfill a general education requirement as well as a requirement in a student's major.


Trinity reserves the right to change, without prior notice, any policy or procedure, tuition or fee, curricular requirements, or any other information found on this web site or in its printed materials.

Questions may be directed to the Office of Academic Affairs at academicaffairs@trinitydc.edu.

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