Mar 19, 2024  
2013-2014 Academic Catalog 
    
2013-2014 Academic Catalog [Archived Catalog]

General Education Core Curriculum


Mission

McNeese State University’s general education curriculum consists of coursework from six, broad disciplinary areas: Writing, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences, and Fine Arts. The mission of this core curriculum is to provide students with a foundation of knowledge, skills, and methods of inquiry that support advanced study in their chosen degree program and constitute the characteristics of an informed, college-educated citizen.

Institutional Mission Reference

The broad, skills-based curriculum supports the university’s mission to offer an array of programs with foundations in these disciplinary areas that serve the students and community of the Southwest Louisiana region and beyond.

Learning Competencies


Upon completion of the general education curriculum, students will be able to:

  1. Communicate effectively in written English (Area A1-English);
  2. Critically evaluate numerical data and use quantitative analytical skills to solve problems (Area A2-Mathematics);
  3. Understand and apply the principles of the scientific method (Area B-Natural Sciences);
  4. Demonstrate abstract reasoning and critical thinking (Area C-Humanities);
  5. Develop the ability to recognize fine and performing arts as expressions of human experience and to make informed judgments about them (Area D-Fine Arts);
  6. Learn independently by applying concepts from social and behavioral sciences to a variety of situations (Area E-Social/Behavioral Sciences).

Additional Requirements


General Education Prerequisites Must be Successfully Completed (D or better) Prior to Enrollment in Upper Level Courses
Math 3 credit hours
English Composition 6 credit hours
Science 3 credit hours

Full-time students seeking the baccalaureate degree must successfully complete certain general education prerequisites prior to enrolling in upper level (300 and 400) courses. Additional prerequisites may be required depending upon specific degree program requirements. Students should meet with their faculty advisor to discuss optimal course scheduling according to the degree plan.

Writing Across the Curriculum


McNeese faculty are committed to ensuring that graduates write appropriately and effectively both generally and in their chosen field of study. In the general education core, students must take twelve (12) credit hours of coursework with the “WE” (writing enriched) designation. Additional “WE” hours (12) are required at the program-level as identified in each program-specific curriculum guide.

General Education Core Curriculum Guide


Area A-Basic Skills (13 hours)


Freshman Foundations & Students in Transition


1 hour

Course Outcomes: Upon completion of FFND 101, students will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate an understanding of demands of college-level study and appropriate strategies for successfully meeting those demands;
  2. Demonstrate familiarity with basic knowledge and skills associated with their chosen discipline and program of study;
  3. Demonstrate an awareness of the range of resources associated with campus life and learning.

English


 6 hours

Competency: To communicate effectively in written English.

Mathematics


6 hours

Competency: Critically evaluate numerical data and use quantitative analytical skills to solve problems.

Choose TWO from the appropriate category listed below:

Area B-Natural Sciences (9 hours)


Competency: To understand and apply the principles of the scientific method.

Choose THREE from the following (individual programs may require specific courses and labs):

Louisiana Board of Regents specifies: BAS, BA, BS, and B degrees shall require the successful completion of at least nine (9) hours of natural science, as follows: six (6) hours shall be earned in a single life or physical science; the remaining three (3) hours must be earned in a natural science area other than that previously selected (both life and physical sciences must be taken to fulfill this requirement).

Area C-Humanities (9 hours)


Competency: Demonstrate abstract reasoning and critical thinking.

Category: Literature (Required for All Majors)


Choose ONE from the following: