Section I. Foundation Skills

• Foundation Skills courses help students develop and improve competencies in the areas of mathematics, reading and writing, and speaking. Critical reading and listening, problem solving and effective expression provide the basis for a successful career in academics and beyond.

The goal for Foundation Skills is to:

• Develop mathematical and communication literacies appropriate to a variety of contexts.

Section II. Disciplinary Studies

• Disciplinary Studies courses introduce students to the traditional world of academic knowledge, exposing them to the heritages and perspectives that are unique to each area.

FINE AND PERFORMING ARTS

Courses in the Fine and Performing Arts introduce the nonmajor to the expressive disciplines such as art, music, theater, dance, and cinema. Such introduction provides students with historical perspective and a greater appreciation for the diverse expressions of human imagination.

The goals for Fine and Performing Arts are to:

• Develop students' understanding of a variety of works and disciplines in the Fine Arts, using critical and analytical skills.
• Encourage appreciation of the arts as a life-enhancing experience that extends beyond the classroom.

HUMAN HEALTH

Human Health is a multidisciplinary field of study that relies on knowledge and application of the physical, biological, medical and behavioral sciences to individual, family and community living.

The goals for Human Health are to:

• Enable students to apply health information, personal and social skills, and critical thinking to health-related decisions.
• Help students understand that health is influenced by economy, society, environment, and culture.

HUMANITIES

Studies in the humanities develop our imaginative and analytical capacities through the use of texts from diverse times, cultures, philosophies and religions, and through the development of ideas by means of oral and written expression. To understand what it means to be human, one must understand oneself in relation to others, reflect on ideas and presuppositions from one's own and other cultures, and respond creatively. Courses in philosophy, literature, classics, history, and religious studies are typically the core of humanities education.

The goals for Humanities are:

• Enhance understanding of the complexity of ideas, traditions, and events that have shaped civilizations and cultures.
• Develop imaginative and critical perspectives on the traditions of human knowledge.
• Foster understanding and appreciation of the distinctly human worlds of meaning and value called "culture."

SCIENCE (WITH LABS)

Science courses provide information about fundamental scientific laws and principles and the relevance they play in a technological society. These courses enhance perceptions of their physical and biological environment, highlight the interdependence and nature of humans in that environment, and lead to an understanding of scientific processes and methods as reliable means of inquiry. Core courses in science must have a laboratory component that illustrates scientific principles in a practical, non-abstract, hands-on manner; that explores the concrete phenomena that comprise the science discipline's data base; that illustrates the way day-to-day science is practiced; and that encourages students to recreate the progression of investigative steps through scientific method.

The goals for Science are to:

• Enable the students to comprehend fundamental scientific laws and principles.
• Develop a sufficient understanding of science to enable students to read, converse, and make responsible decisions about personal and societal issues.
• Develop students' ability to comprehend, translate, and express scientific information in symbolic form.
• Develop students' understanding of the validity and self-correcting nature of scientific methods.

SOCIAL SCIENCE

The Social and Behavorial Sciences include disciplines whose aim is to understand the actions of human beings as individuals and in groups. While large areas of common interest exist among the separate disciplines, each has its own perspective. The disciplines in the Social and Behavioral Sciences include: Administration of Justice, Anthropology, Economics, History, Geography (Human), Linguistics, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology.

The goals for Social Science are to:

• Understand human behavior as it is expressed individually and in groups.
• Promote thoughtful citizenship by offering ways to understand and respond to differences and harmonies in the human personality and in social groups.
• Introduce students to the fundamental principles of inquiry and analysis that inform a social and behavioral science perspective.

Section III. Integrative Studies

This area offers students an opportunity to gain a larger picture of human culture by making connections between different domains of experience and knowledge. Courses in the areas of Multicultural and Interdisciplinary Studies are concerned with developing civic competency in the face of the interdependence of nations and global problems, and encouraging an appreciation of the diversity and commonality of human values and interests.

MULTICULTURAL (200 level)

Multicultural refers to awareness of race, ethnicity, class, and gender, as well as other such issues involved in improving human relations. This group of courses considers the dynamics of multiculturalism in American society by studying periods (contemporary or historical), groups, cultural artifacts such as art, music, literature, or key themes. These courses are designed to present a balanced range of critical perspectives so that students and faculty find a way to converse honestly, rationally, and in an informed way about the issues of our multicultural society.

The goals for Multicultural Studies are to:

• Promote understanding about how heritage influences current traditions and values in both personal and public cultures in the United States.
• Educate students about frames of reference with different domestic cultural groups, including how each group thinks, knows, and values.

INTERDISCIPLINARY (300 level)

Interdisciplinary courses give students an opportunity to see how different fields of knowledge can converse with and inform one another. These upper division courses are designed for an in-depth study of ideas, cultures, and environments, and many were selected for their non-western or international perspective.

The goals for Interdisciplinary Studies are to:

• Identify and analyze the questions and perspectives that emerge from the dialogue of different disciplines.
• Give students an opportunity to practice critical thinking, using concepts and methods of different disciplines.
• Educate students about how individual and societal behavior and choices can have global consequences in a interdependent world.