2012 Requirements, Baccalaureate Degree

2012 Requirements for a Baccalaureate Degree

The general education requirements for a Baccalaureate Degree include courses in essential skills and knowledge domains, and a capstone course.

Essential skills are composed of writing, speaking, critical thinking, and mathematics.

Knowledge domains are composed of arts and humanities (AH), natural sciences (NS), social sciences (SS), and social and personal awareness (SPA).

Essential Skills

Writing

To learn the skills of effective writing, students will take two courses:

• Writing 1 — Strategies for writing as a means of critical inquiry, with a focus on processes and on the roles of writer, audience and purpose as they affect writing.
• Writing 2 — Practice in writing with emphasis on the process of investigation: exploration of topics, formulation of tentative theses, collection of data, and clear and appropriate presentation of the results of these inquiries.

The approved Writing 1 and Writing 2 courses are ENGL 1550 and 1551, as well as ENGL 1550H and 1551H.

Speaking

To become effective speakers, students will take an introductory oral-communications course. The approved courses are CMST 1545 and 1545H, Communication Foundations.

Critical Thinking

All YSU degree programs are designed to improve students' critical-thinking skills. Some programs include instruction on critical thinking in specific courses; others spread this instruction throughout the major.

Mathematics

Students must take one course that teaches mathematical and statistical skills. A student may satisfy this requirement by passing an approved course, by passing a mathematics placement exam that equates to an approved course, or by passing a higher level mathematics course.

Knowledge Domains

Students must take two courses in each of the four knowledge domains and one general education elective for a total of nine courses. Specifically:

• Two courses from Arts and Humanities
• Two courses from Natural Science (at least one must include a lab)
• Two courses from Social Science
• Two courses from Social and Personal Awareness
• One general education elective from any of the four knowledge domains listed above

Some courses are listed in multiple domains (for example, a course in environmental science would be listed both in the natural science domain and in the social and personal awareness domain under environmental sustainability). Students can use the course in either domain but cannot use the course in both domains simultaneously (i.e., the total number of courses taken still has to add up to nine). A list of approved courses will be available in the Student Schedule of Courses, the Adviser's Guide and the Undergraduate Bulletin, and on the General Education website.

Capstone

Students must take one upper division capstone course in the major or from another area that satisfies general education criteria. Capstone courses are expected to incorporate writing, oral communication, and reasoning critically as appropriate in each discipline.