General Education Requirements

Academic Programs

Departments

General education is a foundational set of knowledge and skills that prepares students for success in their academic programs and chosen careers in a 21st-century global environment. The knowledge and skills are defined as General Education Learning Outcomes and are assessed at the course level through embedded assessments scored with a common rubric.

Programs of study include intentionally selected courses from the General Education Categories relevant to the subject and credential level. AAS programs must offer a minimum of 15 general education hours.

General Education Categories

Each General Education Category includes General Education Courses with common learning outcomes. These courses are categorized into five areas by the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS); each area represents an objective or learning outcome met by every course in that category.

Communications (CO): Expression of information through written and oral delivery

Humanities/Fine Arts (HF): Expression of shared lived experience through arts and language

Mathematics (MA): Engagement in active learning to establish quantitative literacy

Natural Science (NS): Employment of active learning through inquiry-based approaches to natural sciences and phenomena

Social Behavioral Sciences (SB): Exploration of interrelated human experiences

General Education Outcomes

Upon completion of a student’s chosen program of study, they are expected to know and be able to do the following:

CO 1: Students will be able to communicate clearly and coherently both in writing and orally using standard English.
HF 1: Students will be able to demonstrate an awareness of culture.
MA 1: Students will describe, analyze and interpret data or functions to draw appropriate conclusions.
MA 1: Students will apply quantitative approaches to solve real-world problems.
NS 1: Students will draw accurate conclusions from qualitative and quantitative data.
NS 2: Students will describe and apply the scientific method.
SB 1: Students will demonstrate a working knowledge of diverse human experiences.

General Education Courses

CO (Communications)

COM 110 – Introduction to Communication
COM 120 – Intro to Interpersonal Communication
COM 140 – Introduction to Intercultural Communication
COM 231 – Public Speaking
ENG 111 – Writing & Inquiry
ENG 112 – Writing and Research in the Disciplines
ENG 113 – Literature-Based Research
ENG 114 – Professional Research and Reporting

HF (Humanities/Fine Arts)

ART 111 – Art Appreciation
ART 114 – Art History Survey I
ART 115 – Art History Survey II
ART-117 – Non-Western Art
ART 121 – Two-dimensional Design
ART 122 – Three-dimensional Design
ART 131 – Drawing I
ART 132 – Drawing II
ART 171 – Digital Design
ART 240 – Painting I
ART 241 – Painting II
ART 244 – Watercolor
ART 261 – Photography I
ART 262 – Photography II
ART 266 – Videography I
ART 281 – Sculpture I
ART 283 – Ceramics I
ART 288 – Studio
DRA1 11 – Theater Appreciation
DRA 126 – Storytelling
ENG 125 – Creative Writing I
ENG 131 – Introduction to Literature
ENG 231 – American Literature I
ENG 232 – American Literature II
ENG 241 – British Literature I
ENG 242 – British Literature II
ENG 273 – African-American Literature
ENG 274 – Literature by Women
FRE 111 – Elementary French I
FRE 112 – Elementary French II
HUM 110 – Technology and Society
HUM 115 – Critical Thinking
HUM 122 – Southern Culture
HUM 130 – Mythology
(HUM 170 – The Holocaust)
MUS 110 – Music Appreciation
MUS 112 – Introduction to Jazz
MUS 210 – History of Rock Music
PHI 240 – Introduction to Ethics
REL 110 – World Religions
REL 211 – Introduction to Old Testament
REL 212 – Introduction to New Testament
SPA 111 – Elementary Spanish I
SPA 112 – Elementary Spanish II
SPA 211 – Intermediate Spanish I
(SPA 212 – Intermediate Spanish II)

MA (Mathematics)

CIS 110 – Introduction to Computers
MAT 110 – Mathematical Measurement and Literacy
MAT 121 – Algebra/Trigonometry I
MAT 143 – Quantitative Literacy
MAT 152 – Statistical Methods I
MAT 171 – Precalculus Algebra
MAT 172 – Precalculus Trigonometry
MAT 263 – Brief Calculus
MAT 271 – Calculus I
MAT 272 – Calculus II
MAT 273 – Calculus III
MAT 280 – Linear Algebra
MAT 285 – Differential Equations

NS (Natural Science)

AST 111 – Descriptive Astronomy
AST 111A – Descriptive Astronomy Lab
AST 151 – General Astronomy I
AST 151A – General Astronomy I Lab
AST 152 – General Astronomy II
AST 152A – General Astronomy II Lab
BIO 106 – Intro to Anatomy/Physiology/Microbiology
BIO 110 – Principles of Biology
BIO 111 – General Biology I
BIO 112 – General Biology II
BIO 140 – Environmental Biology
BIO 163 – Basic Anatomy & Physiology
BIO 168 – Anatomy and Physiology I
BIO 169 – Anatomy and Physiology II
BIO 175 – General Microbiology
BIO 275 – Microbiology
CHM 121 – Foundations of Chemistry
CHM 131 – Introduction to Chemistry
CHM 131A – Introduction to Chemistry Lab
CHM 151 – General Chemistry I
CHM 152 – General Chemistry II
PHY 110 – Conceptual Physics
PHY 110A – Conceptual Physics Lab
PHY 151 – College Physics I
PHY 152 – College Physics II
PHY 251 – General Physics I
PHY 252 – General Physics II

SB (Social Behavioral Sciences)

ANT 210 – General Anthropology
ANT 220 – Cultural Anthropology
ECO 151 – Survey of Economics
ECO 251 – Principles of Microeconomics
ECO 252 – Principles of Macroeconomics
GEO 111 – World Regional Geography
GEO 112 – Cultural Geography
HIS 111 – World Civilizations I
HIS 112 – World Civilizations II
HIS 131 – American History I
HIS 132 – American History II
HIS 221 – African American History
(HIS 226 – The Civil War)
HIS 236 – North Carolina History
POL 120 – American Government
POL 220 – International Relations
PSY 150 – General Psychology
PSY 211 – Psychology of Adjustment
PSY 237 – Social Psychology
PSY 239 – Psychology of Personality
PSY 241 – Developmental Psychology
PSY 246 – Adolescent Psychology
PSY 249 – Psychology of Aging
PSY 259 – Human Sexuality
PSY 275 – Health Psychology
PSY 281 – Abnormal Psychology
SOC 210 – Introduction to Sociology
SOC 213 – Sociology of the Family
SOC 220 – Social Problems
SOC 225 – Social Diversity
SOC 230 – Race and Ethnic Relations
SOC 234 – Sociology of Gender
SOC 240 – Social Psychology
SOC 242 – Sociology of Deviance