General Education Program Guide

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General Education Philosophy:

The mission of Florida SouthWestern State College’s General Education Program is to provide students with trans-disciplinary learning experiences that empower them to be active, informed and ethical citizens. Our innovative curriculum promotes collaboration and communication in diverse settings, encourages greater understanding of the relationship between individuals and their natural surroundings and cultivates intellectual curiosity that leads to independent research, creative problem-solving and meaningful engagement with the global community. We provide the framework for students to acquire both discipline-specific professional skills, necessary to make a living and a broad spectrum of skills in critical, creative and scientific problem-solving that will allow them to contribute in multiple real world settings.

In compliance with Florida Administrative Code 6A-14.0303, Florida Statute 1007.25, and Florida State Board of Education Rule 6A-10.02413 all degree-seeking students who successfully complete Florida SouthWestern State College’s General Education Program will demonstrate literacy in the following five required categories of General Education Competencies:

Communications
Humanities
Social Sciences
Mathematics
Natural Sciences

General Education Courses:

General Education Core courses differ from traditional survey courses by integrating a breadth of knowledge and skills essential to a complete education and are the foundation of knowledge upon which all degrees are built.

General Education Competencies:

Communicate clearly in a variety of modes and media
Research and examine academic and non-academic information, resources, and evidence
Evaluate and utilize mathematical principles, technology, scientific and quantitative data
Analyze and create individual and collaborative works of art, literature, and performance
Think critically about questions to yield meaning and value
Investigate and engage in the trans-disciplinary applications of research, learning, and knowledge
Visualize and engage the world from different historical, social, religious, and cultural approaches
Engage meanings of active citizenship in one’s community, nation, and the world

General Education Courses for the Associate in Arts or Baccalaureate degree: 36 credits

ENC 1101 - Composition I , must complete with a “C” or better¹ 3 credits
ENC 1102 - Composition II , must complete with a “C” or better 3 credits
Core Humanities General Education Course 3 credits
Any Humanities General Education Course 3 credits
Core Social Sciences General Education Course 3 credits
Any Social Sciences General Education Course 3 credits
Core Mathematics General Education Course, must complete with a “C” or better² 3 credits
Any Mathematics General Education Course, must complete with a “C” or better 3 credits
Core Natural Sciences General Education Course³ 3 credits
Any Natural Sciences General Education Course 3 credits
- A minimum of one of the two Natural Sciences General Education courses must have an associated laboratory. The lab may be a standalone course (courses with an “L” suffix, e.g., CHM 2045L) or combined within a course (courses with a “C” suffix, e.g., BSC 1051C).
Additional courses from any General Education category 6 credits

According to Florida Administrative Code Rule 6A-14.0303 and 6A-10.030:

1 ”Any student who successfully completes a course with an ENC prefix for which ENC X101 is an immediate prerequisite shall be considered to have completed the Communication Core.”

2 ”Any student who successfully completes a mathematics course for which one (1) of the general education core course options in mathematics is an immediate prerequisite shall be considered to have completed the Mathematics Core.”

3 “Any student who successfully completes a natural science course for which one (1) of the general education core course options in natural science is an immediate prerequisite shall be considered to have completed the natural science core.”