General Education Courses

I. INSTITUTIONAL ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS

FRESHMAN SEMINAR COURSE

(UNIV 100 = Freshman Seminar - 1 credit)

Who is required to take this course?

This course is required for all incoming freshman (including transfer students) with 23 hours or less who have not completed an equivalent course at another institution.

When must this course be taken?

This course must be taken during the first semester of the freshman year at Dickinson State University unless the student is a mid-year transfer, then the course will be taken during the second semester of the freshman year.

What is the purpose of this course?

The skills and knowledge imparted through this course will help students survive the freshman year successfully and provide a firm foundation for their future academic career.

The course will help students adjust to college in their academic, personal, and social lives.

The course will help develop and strengthen decision - making, problem solving, critical thinking, and career exploration skills.

II. NORTH DAKOTA UNIVERSITY SYSTEM GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENT TRANSFER AGREEMENT (GERTA)

Please review the following Dickinson State University General Education courses in section III. GERTA approved courses are specified in each area below. Only those courses will count toward either Phase I or Phase II of the North Dakota University System General Education Requirement Transfer Agreement (GERTA). Be aware any course identified below an exception to GERTA will not count toward meeting the GERTA regulations.

GERTA-approved general education courses in the areas of communications, arts and humanities, social sciences, mathematics, science, and technology taken at any North Dakota University System (NDUS) institution count upon transfer toward the general education requirements at all NDUS institutions in one of the following two ways:

If the general education course work includes courses from each of these areas totaling at least 36 semester hours and completes the general education requirements of the institution from which the student transfers then the student is deemed to have completed the lower division general education requirements of the institution to which the courses are transferred.

In all other cases the general education courses from the indicated areas are applicable to an appropriate general education requirement of the institution to which they are transferred. In these cases the number of credits required to complete the general education requirement in each area is determined by the policies of the institution to which the courses are transferred.

Within the stipulated areas, each institution shall indicate in its catalog and other student advisement materials its courses which are approved for general education. NDUS institutions may establish program/institute specific requirements. A student should consult the institution to which he/she intends to transfer relative to these program/institution requirements.

III. GENERAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM

In addition to major and minor requirements, all four-year degree students are required to complete a minimum 39 credits of general education course work within the six curriculum groups outlined below. Selected lower division courses numbered 100 and 200 are used to fulfill general education requirements. Exceptions to this rule are the upper division courses numbered at the 300 level approved in the general education curriculum.

Note: Students seeking a degree from Dickinson State University, who have already earned a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, will be considered complete with respect to their general education requirements. However, specific general education classes which are also considered program requirements with respect to specific majors for licensure or certification program requirements will need to be completed before the degree will be granted.

Any course substitutions/waivers related to general education requirements must be approved by the Department Chair that controls the specific class or group.

Coursework in this program is designed to help students develop breadth of view and judgment in order to be more intellectually, socially, and culturally responsive as citizens, consumers, and leaders in a global and multi-cultural society. The general education curriculum was chosen with respect to meeting the following Institutional Learning Outcomes:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of human cultures, the humanities, the social sciences, the fine and performing  arts, and the physical and natural worlds;
2. Demonstrate the intellectual skills of inquiry, mathematical reasoning, quantitative and qualitative analysis, critical and creative thinking, and problem solving;
3. Demonstrate written, oral, and visual communication skills, information literacy, and technological skills;
4. Demonstrate knowledge of personal and community health and wellness;
5. Demonstrate responsible ethical reasoning and social and intercultural engagement;
6. (University Learning Outcome VI is not relevant to general education)
7. Demonstrate integrative learning across the curriculum

Courses that are listed both as general education requirements/selections and as requirements for a MAJOR or MINOR will satisfy both requirements but will not reduce the total credit requirements for graduation.