Cameron Students posing for a picture on Campus

GENERAL EDUCATION PURPOSE AND OUTCOMES

The General Education program at Cameron University is guided by OSRHE's requirements and is designed to be appropriate to CU's mission and educational offerings.

BACCALAUREATE, ASSOCIATE IN ARTS, AND ASSOCIATE IN SCIENCE PROGRAMS

CU’s baccalaureate, AA, and AS programs are designed to prepare students for professional success, responsible citizenship, life-long learning, and meaningful contributions to a rapidly changing world. A university degree should go beyond preparing graduates for a profession; it should transform their lives and their communities.

The General Education program at CU is a selection of courses designed to provide students with the common knowledge, intellectual concepts, breadth of skills, and attitudes that every college graduate with a baccalaureate, Associate in Arts, or Associate in Science degree should possess. By the time students complete the general education program for baccalaureate, AA and AS programs, they should have met all General Education Student Learning Outcomes.

ASSOCIATE IN APPLIED SCIENCE PROGRAMS

By the time students complete the general education program for Associate in Applied Science programs, they should have met the Communication-Written, Critical Thinking, and Ethics General Education Student Learning Outcomes.

GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

BACCALAUREATE, ASSOCIATE IN ARTS, AND ASSOCIATE IN SCIENCE DEGREES

(44-46 HOURS)

GENERAL EDUCATION CATEGORY

HOURS REQUIRED

COMMUNICATION

9

ENGL 1113, ENGL 1213, COMM 1113


MATHEMATICS

3-5

MATH 1413, MATH 1463, MATH 1513, MATH 1613, MATH 2215, MATH 2713, or STAT 1513


SCIENCE

8-9

One course must be taken from each of the following two categories; one course must be a laboratory science.

Biological Science (4 hours): BIOL 1004L, BIOL 1114L, BIOL 1214L, BIOL 1364L, or ENSC 2004

Physical Science (4-5 hours): ASTR 1104, CHEM 1004, CHEM 1105L, CHEM 1364/1361L, ESCI 1135L, GEOG 1014, PHYS 1115L, PHYS 2015L, or PSCI 1054

LDesignated laboratory science course.


AMERICAN HISTORY

3

HIST 1483 or HIST 1493


POLITICAL SCIENCE

3

PS 1113


HUMANITIES

6

One course must be taken from each of the following two categories with no more than one course taken from the discipline in which the student is majoring:

Diversity (3 hours): Any 1000-level Foreign Language or Non-English language course, ARBC 1113, ARBC 1223, CHNS 1113, CHNS 1223, ENGL 2313H, ENGL 2323H, ENGL 2343H, FNAR 1013H, FREN 1113, FREN 1223, GEOG 2243, GERM 1113, GERM 1223, HIST 1113, HIST 1123, HIST 2113, HIST 2223, ITAL 1113, ITAL 1223, LATN 1113, LATN 1223, MUSC 1033H, PHIL 1113, PRSN 1113, PRSN 1223, RUSN 1113, RUSN 1223, SOCI 3013, SPAN 1113, SPAN 1223, SWLI 1113, or SWLI 1223

Aesthetics (3 hours): ART 1013, ART 2613, ART 2623, ENGL 2013, ENGL 2053, ENGL 2313H, ENGL 2323H, ENGL 2343H, FNAR 1013H, MUSC 1013, MUSC 1023, MUSC 1033H, MUSC 1413, or THTR 1103

HCourses listed in both categories may only be used to fulfill one category.


BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE

3

FAMS 1123, PSY 1113, or SOCI 1113


ECONOMICS

3

AGRC 2013, ECON 2003, ECON 2013, or GEOG 3023


HEALTH AND WELLNESS*

4

SES 2003, SES 2013, SES 2023, MSL 1112, any course with the following form: PE 1--1

*Requirement waived for students who are awarded credit based on one year of active full-time military service, completion of basic training, or successful completion of the ROTC program.


GENERAL EDUCATION NON-PE ELECTIVES (TO TOTAL AT LEAST 44 HOURS)**

**Gen Ed electives must be selected from the above list of approved courses, exclusive of courses with the MSL or PE prefix.


ASSOCIATE IN APPLIED SCIENCE DEGREES (44-46 HOURS)

Eighteen (18) hours of general education are required of each person who receives an Associate in Applied Science degree from CU. All Associate in Applied Science programs require specific courses to fulfill General Education requirements; please see specific program requirements for each major for more details. 

University Requirements

UNIVERSITY SUCCESS

To better acquaint students with the educational and social environment of CU, provide the skills necessary for transition to university life, and prepare students for college success, all undergraduate students entering the university with fewer than 12 earned collegiate hours will be required to successfully complete UNIV 1001, Introduction to University Life.

COMPUTER LITERACY

All undergraduate degree programs require students to achieve a minimum level of computer literacy. The means by which students acquire or demonstrate such literacy varies among programs, but acceptable means include:

  1. successfully completing a high school computer science course that meets the OSHRE high school curricular requirements, or
  2. satisfactorily completing a computer literacy assessment, or
  3. successfully completing courses designated as program requirements.

Courses such as IT 1013 Introduction to Computer Information Systems, and MIS 2113 Microcomputer Applications typically satisfy computer literacy requirements. However, some programs require specific courses to fulfill the computer literacy requirement. Please see the program requirements for each major for details.

CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE

The baccalaureate undergraduate capstone experience is designed to bring reflection and focus to the whole of the university experience. It should encourage students to integrate and synthesize aspects of their chosen field of study with important concepts from related disciplines and provide resources for careers, professional programs, and graduate school programs. Assessment measures such as standardized tests or required key assignments may be required as part of the capstone experience.

Each department or program has designed the capstone experience for its majors to assist them in developing a broader understanding of the significance of the major within the framework of their overall undergraduate experience. This culminating experience should focus on some feature of the student's chosen field of study and should require the disciplined use of skills, methodology, and knowledge taught throughout the undergraduate curriculum.

Examples of possible capstone experiences include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • A comprehensive examination.
  • A senior seminar that requires a major project.
  • An undergraduate thesis.
  • A semester project that culminates in a paper, essay, presentation, or similar product.
  • An internship to investigate a problem in the workplace, and a paper that asks students to analyze and evaluate the experience.
  • A performance, show, or recital appropriate to the discipline, together with relevant supporting assignments.

Using one or more of the above components also allows departments to assess the effectiveness of their major programs and evaluate the learning of each student. All baccalaureate degree students must complete at least one credit hour in a capstone experience in his or her declared major. Please see the program requirements for each major for details.