General Education Program

Competency Requirements

Exposure Areas

General Education Course Prefixes

Group Requirements

Second Bachelor's Degree and Transfer Students

Wayne State has had a University-wide Program in General Education since 1987 for all undergraduate students pursuing bachelor's degrees regardless of their academic specialties. These requirements contribute to the goal of ensuring that all students have the basic skills fundamental to success in college while simultaneously achieving the intellectual breadth necessary to place specialized and professional curricula in proper perspective. By means of the General Education Program, undergraduate students improve their skills and are introduced to methods of inquiry, modes of thought, bodies of knowledge, and representative ideas drawn from a wide range of academic disciplines.

A new program for general education was recommended by the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, approved by the Academic Senate, and adopted by the Board of Governors in March of 2005. The General Education Requirements for students matriculating or graduating under the 2007-2009 University Bulletin are organized into the following categories:

Competency Requirements

Learning Objectives: Competency Requirements ensure that students develop and demonstrate early in their academic careers fundamental skills in the following areas that underlie and make possible the acquisition of knowledge.

Written Communication
Mathematics
Oral Communication
Computer Literacy
Critical/Analytical Thinking

Group Requirements

Learning Objectives: Group Requirements have a two-fold purpose: (1) to enable students to acquire knowledge and demonstrate understanding in a broad range of representative branches of knowledge.; and (2) to enable students to develop and demonstrate the ability to apply methodological skills which encourage continued exploration on an independent level throughout their lives.

NATURAL SCIENCE

Physical Science
Life Science

HUMANITIES

Visual and Performing Arts
Philosophy and Letters

SOCIETY AND INSTITUTIONS

Social Science
American Society and Institutions
Historical Studies
Foreign Culture

Exposure Areas

Learning Objectives: Exposure Areas will enable students to acquire broad-based understanding of topical issues of importance to contemporary American society.

Cultural Diversity
Ethical Inquiry
Science, Technology, and Society

All curricula at the University include some common elements in general education and other requirements that are specific to particular majors, minors, and cognates as determined by the individual Colleges and Schools. In addition, many programs provide students with opportunities to choose elective courses to suit their interests and needs. University-wide General Education Requirements apply to all undergraduate students seeking baccalaureate degrees from Wayne State University - irrespective of the College or School in which they may be enrolled. Since the various Colleges and Schools may have additional programmatic requirements and/or specify particular courses which their students must select to fulfill their general education requirements, it is essential that all students work with their academic program advisors in selecting courses. Students should consult the College and School curricula listed elsewhere in this bulletin concerning all curriculum-specific General Education Requirements. Information is available in the Bulletin, on line, and in College and School offices. It is ultimately the responsibility of the student to use the resources available and satisfy all University, College/School and program requirements.

In the following program description, only those courses which are in effect as of the date of publication of this bulletin are cited as satisfying General Education Requirements. As courses are under continuing review by the General Education Oversight Committee, students and advisors should consult the University Bulletin website at http://www.bulletins.wayne.edu for the most current information.

Second Bachelor's Degree and Transfer Students

Students who hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution and who seek a second bachelor's degree are exempt from the University-wide General Education Requirements, but must satisfy all School/College, department and program requirements.

Equivalent courses taken at another institution may satisfy General Education Requirements. In cases where this would exceed the limitation of sixty-four credits from a community college accepted on a transfer basis, such courses shall satisfy the requirements, but the credits will not count towards the degree.

General Education Course Prefixes

Parenthetical two-letter prefixes denote content areas of subjects and identify courses approved for satisfying Competency Requirements, Group Requirements, and Exposure Areas Requirements in the University's General Education Program. The following prefixes, listed and defined in alphabetical order, precede course titles in the departmental Courses of Instruction sections of this bulletin, and in each semester's Schedule of Classes.

(AI) - American Society and Institutions
(BC) - Basic Composition
(CD) - Cultural Diversity Exposure
(CL) - Basic Computer Literacy Competency
(CT) - Critical and Analytic Thinking
(EI) - Ethical Issues and Society Exposure
(FC) - Foreign Culture
(HS) - Historical Studies
(IC) - Intermediate Composition Competency
(LS) - Life Sciences Competency
(MC) - Mathematics Competency
(OC) - Oral Communication Competency
(PL) - Philosophy and Letters Competency
(PS) - Physical Sciences
(SS) - Social Sciences Requirement
(ST) - Science, Technology and Society Exposure
(VP) - Visual and Performing Arts
(WI) - Writing Intensive