General Education RequirementsGeneral Education Requirements were established to give you a broader set of experiences as you complete core requirements within your degree program. In addition to making you a well-rounded, globally aware student, these requirements are also very useful in major, career and interest exploration. You are encouraged to use them to your advantage, and sample from each requirement area. Undecided students can benefit incredibly from General Education, as it gives you the opportunity to explore, while completing University reqJune 11, 2008ademic area generally, General Education can broaden your view, and give you the chance to discover, refine or explore your co-curricular interests. Here's an overview of General Education Requirements for 2006-2007. You can also view these in-depth on our General Education Website. The following is a brief overview of requirements for the 2006 bulletin. The General Education Program at Binghamton University maintains a policy page which will point you in the right direction, when attempting to determine your requirements. Some of these requirements can be fulfilled with AP scores, or college transfer credits. You also have the option of completing our interactive walkthrough, reachable from our First Year requirement start page. Composition (C) courses
are courses in any of the departments or divisions
of the University.
They require a process of revision and a minimum
of 20 pages of expository prose. Students will
perform the basic operations of personal computer
use; understand and use basic research techniques;
and locate, evaluate and synthesize information
from a variety of sources. At least 50 percent
of the course grade is based on student writing.
Oral
Communication (O) courses involve at least two oral presentations and an evaluation of speaking that counts for at least 15 percent of the final course grade. Foreign Language skills are
ensured by requiring that students pass either
a third-semester college-level
course in one foreign language or a second-semester
course in two foreign languages, or satisfactorily
complete some other significant activity that
requires second-level foreign language proficiency
as a prerequisite, such as study abroad in a
non-English environment or an internship serving
people who can communicate only in a language
other than English. Students may fulfill the
foreign language requirement prior to enrolling
in college either by completing four or more
units of one high school foreign language with
a course grade in the fourth year of 85 or better,
or three units each of two high school languages
with course grades in each third unit of 85
or better, by passing the AP examination (or
its equivalent) with a score of 3 or better,
or by demonstrating equivalent proficiency in
some other fashion. Pluralism in the United States (P) courses
consider three or more cultural groups in the
United States in terms of their specific experiences
and how they have affected and been affected
by the basic institutions of American society.
Each course takes substantial account of at
least three of the following: African Americans,
Asian Americans, European Americans, Latino
Americans and Native Americans. Most P courses
assume a basic knowledge of United States history,
as measured by demonstrating
a level of proficiency equivalent to a score
of 85 or above on the Regents examination on
United States History and Government. Students
who have not demonstrated this knowledge must
meet the P requirement by choosing from among
a designated group of P courses that pay significant
attention to a broad span of United States history. Global
Interdependencies (G) courses consider
how one or more of the regions of the world
have influenced and interacted with the West
and with one another, and how the West has affected
and been affected by these regions and their
distinctive cultures or civilizations. Additionally,
major portions of the course content focus both
on broad, foundational aspects of the long-term
development of distinctive features of Western
civilization in Europe and North America and
on the distinctive features of one or more non-Western
civilizations, such as those of Asia, Africa
or the indigenous peoples of the Americas. Laboratory Science (L) courses
emphasize the formulation and testing of hypotheses
and the
collection, analysis and interpretation of data.
Each course includes a minimum of 10 laboratory
meetings, exercises, field studies or practica. Social
Science (N) courses emphasize the
major concepts, models and issues of at
least one
of the social sciences. Mathematics/Reasoning (M) courses
include any course in the Mathematics Department
numbered
130 or above, any of several designated statistics
courses, or any of several designated logic
courses. An Advanced Placement score of 3 or
better in Calculus or Statistics may be used
to satisfy this requirement. Aesthetics (A) courses enhance
students’ understanding
of the creative process and the role of imagination
in it. Students study or practice artistic expression
and production in such fields as art, art history,
cinema, creative writing, dance, graphic design,
music and theater. Humanities (H) courses enhance
students’ understanding
of human experience through the study of literature
or philosophy.
Wellness courses deal with such topics as diet and nutrition, physical development, substance abuse, human sexuality, relaxation or physical, mental and emotional fitness. Their focus is on developing a healthy lifestyle rather than on simply providing information about the human body. To Complete: The Physical Activity/Wellness requirement may be fulfilled in any of the following ways:
The above is only a brief summary, the COMPLETE requirements can be viewed on the General Education Site. Student should refer to their DARS and/or an academic advisor with specific questions. Additional Resources:General
Education at Binghamton Planning
Worksheets Transferring
and Equating General Education Courses BUSI |
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