General Education

The General Education Program at the University at Albany proposes a set of knowledge areas, perspectives, and competencies considered by the University to be central to the intellectual development of every undergraduate.

The program provides students with a foundation that prepares them for continued work within their chosen major and minor fields and gives them the intellectual habits that will enable them to become lifelong learners. Courses in the program are designed not only to enhance students’ knowledge, but also to provide them with new ways of thinking and with the ability to engage in critical analysis and creative activity.

Characteristics of General Education Courses

The General Education Program as a whole has the following characteristics.

General education offers explicit understandings of the procedures and practices of disciplines and interdisciplinary fields.

General education provides multiple perspectives on the subject matter, reflecting the intellectual and cultural diversity within and beyond the University.

General education emphasizes active learning in an engaged environment that enables students to become producers as well as consumers of knowledge.

General education promotes critical thinking about the assumptions, goals, and methods of various fields of academic study, and the interpretive, analytic, and evaluative competencies central to intellectual development.                   

Requirements of the Program

 FOR STUDENTS MATRICULATING FALL 2023 and thereafter:        

1) A minimum of 30 credits of coursework in the following areas:

*Writing and Critical Inquiry course must be completed with a grade of C or better or S.
** No single course can be used to satisfy BOTH the Humanities and the Arts requirement.

2) Academic Competencies of Advanced Writing, Oral Discourse, and Critical Reasoning and Information Literacy through completion of a major

FOR CONTINUING STUDENTS WHO MATRICULATED PRIOR TO FALL 2023:

    1) A minimum of 30 credits of coursework in the following areas:

*Writing and Critical Inquiry course must be completed with a grade of C or better, or S.
** No single course can be used to satisfy BOTH the Humanities and The Arts requirement.

2) Academic Competencies of Advanced Writing, Oral Discourse, and Critical Reasoning and Information Literacy through completion of a major.
 

Course Selection

The General Education Program is designed so that students may complete it during their first two years of full-time study. All students are required to satisfy the Writing and Critical Inquiry requirement within the first two semesters of study.

Students may not use the same course to fulfill both The Arts and the Humanities categories. Otherwise, if a course fulfills more than one category, students may use the course to fulfill all of those categories. Although such “double counting” may reduce the number of courses needed to complete the General Education program, all students must complete a minimum of thirty (30) graduation credits in courses designated as meeting General Education requirements. Courses may count simultaneously toward General Education and the major or minor.

Overview of the General Education Categories

The General Education Program is designed to provide students with a set of skills essential both for academic success and for becoming effective citizens in the 21^st century. Among these skills, Writing and Critical Inquiry; Diversity: Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice; Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning; and Natural Sciences and Scientific Reasoning are considered to be important foundations for other areas of students’ academic success.

Humanities; The Arts; and Social Sciences and Scientific Reasoning are also at the core of a liberal arts education. Courses in these areas familiarize students with the objectives, assumptions, subject matters, methods, and boundaries of knowledge organized in terms of academic disciplines. The requirements introduce students to a broad range of disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives and areas of knowledge.

Equally central to a liberal arts education is an understanding of history — the recognition that the world we inhabit today has its origins in and has been shaped by the events of the past. Of similar importance is an understanding of the origins, development and significance of human cultures, and the recognition of cultural distinctiveness and multiplicity. Courses in U.S. History and Civic Engagement and in World History and International Perspectives increase students’ understanding of the history and diverse cultures of the United States and of the histories and cultures of peoples, regions, and nations across the globe.

Required study in Languages Other Than English enhances students' global awareness and expands their knowledge of different cultures.

Definitions of General Education Categories

Writing and Critical Inquiry: The Writing and Critical Inquiry (WCI) Program introduces students to intellectual inquiry at the university with a focus on academic writing. Students must complete U UNI 110 (or A ENG 110) with a grade of C or better, or S, by the end of their second semester at the University at Albany. The seminar is devoted to rigorous practice in writing as a discipline itself and as an essential form of inquiry in postsecondary education. WCI also enables students to develop competence in oral communication and information literacy, with critical thinking and reasoning forming the bedrock of students’ communication in all formats and in their production and consumption of information. For additional information, visit: www.albany.edu/wci.

Diversity: Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice: Approved courses will explore the factors that help form group and individual identity involving, at minimum, race, class, and gender. Courses will also examine the roles of social and cultural systems in shaping inequalities and investigate the various ways social justice actions can work and have worked to challenge these systems and inequalities. 

Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning: Approved courses introduce students to or extend their knowledge of precalculus, calculus, discrete mathematics, probability, statistics, and/or data analysis. Courses may be offered by the Department of Mathematics and Statistics and by other departments that have expertise in quantitative reasoning and data analysis and that offer appropriate courses, particularly in statistics or discrete structures.

A student who has achieved a score of 85 or above on the Regents “Math B” Exam (former “Mathematics Course III” Exam) or on a recognized standardized examination indicating readiness to enter precalculus will be considered to have fulfilled this requirement.

Natural Sciences and Scientific Reasoning: Approved courses show how understandings of natural phenomena are obtained using the scientific method, including data collection, hypothesis development, employment of mathematical analysis, and critical evaluation of evidence. Courses provide an overview of major principles and concepts underpinning a discipline's current base of knowledge and discuss major topics at the current frontiers of disciplinary knowledge. Courses show how answers to fundamental questions in science can change the world in which we live and often explore how social issues can influence scientific research. Opportunities for scientific inquiry within laboratory and/or field settings may be provided. Approved courses generally fall into one of three categories:

1. introductions to scientific disciplines, designed for majors, non-majors, or both
2. introductions to disciplinary subfields, designed for majors, non-majors, or both
3. courses open to majors and non-majors on broad topics that are addressed by one or more scientific disciplines and which may focus on the application of science to practical issues

Humanities: Approved courses are concerned with defining and disputing that which is understood to be quintessentially "human:" studying language, texts, thought, and culture; their definition, interpretation, and historical development; and their reflection of human values, beliefs, and traditions. Courses in a variety of disciplines explicate the underlying assumptions, methods of study, practices, theories, and disputes appropriate to those disciplines. Approved courses generally fall into one of three categories:

1. introductions to basic materials and methods in the disciplines
2. introductions to subfields or groupings of materials in the disciplines
3. literature and culture courses taught in a foreign language higher than the third semester-level

Social Sciences: Approved courses provide theory and instruction on the role of institutions, groups, and individuals in society. The focus of these courses is on the interaction of social, economic, political, geographic, linguistic, religious, and/or cultural factors, with emphasis on the ways humans understand the complex nature of their existence. Courses include discussion of skills and practices used by the social sciences: data collection, hypothesis development, employment of mathematical analysis, and critical evaluation of evidence. Opportunities to experience social science methods in the field may be provided.

Approved courses generally fall into one of three categories:

1. introductions to the various disciplines of the social sciences
2. introductions to disciplinary subfields, designed for majors, non-majors, or both
3. courses open to majors and non-majors on broad topics that are addressed by one or more social scientific disciplines

The Arts: Approved courses provide instruction in or about a medium of creative expression. Courses may focus on the physical practice and techniques of the medium, on its critical and theoretical interpretation, on its historical development, or on a combination of these approaches. Courses explicate the methods used to study and critique the medium as a vital element of personal or cultural expression and exchange.

Approved courses generally fall into one of five categories:

1. introductions to the disciplines
2. introductions to subfields in the disciplines
3. courses on the physical practice of a medium (studio art, creative writing, music composition or performance, dance, and theatre acting, directing or stagecraft)
4. instructional courses on the skills and methods required and their critical evaluation
5. courses focused upon performance

U.S. History and Civic Engagement: Approved courses focus on specific narratives or themes in the history of the United States, including political, economic, social, cultural, and/or intellectual dimensions, and emphasizing the diversity of individuals and communities that make up the nation. All courses will feature an explicitly historical organization; address topics of national, as opposed to regional or local, import; and consider a topic of sufficient specificity for the course to be coherent, but over a period long enough to ensure that the historical dynamic is clearly visible. Students should acquire knowledge of substance and methods for comprehending the narratives or themes presented and develop civic understanding for engaging in the diverse and pluralistic society which comprises the public life of the United States.

World History and International Perspectives: Approved courses develop students’ understanding of the history, cultures and/or traditions of any region, nation, or society beyond the United States. These courses are offered in a variety of disciplines, and they include courses taught in a foreign language beyond the elementary level that address histories, institutions, economies, societies, and cultures beyond those of the United States.

Languages Other Than English: Approved courses will be at least 3 credits in a language other than English. This requirement is also considered satisfied for students who have

• completed three or more years of a foreign language in high school with a course grade in the third year of 85, or B, or better
• passed a Regents “Checkpoint B” Examination or a Regents-approved equivalent in a foreign language, with a score of 85 or above (this exam is no longer offered, but scores earned during the period the exam was offered will be honored)
• earned a score of 530 or better on an SAT II Subject Test in a foreign language (this exam is no longer offered, but scores earned during the period the exam was offered will be honored)
• demonstrated competency in a language other than English, including languages not currently offered for formal instruction at this university.  Students may demonstrate competency by:

taking a language proficiency test through the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), Brigham Young Foreign Language Achievement Testing Service (FLATS), College Level Examination Program (CLEP), or Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (Defense Language Proficiency Test, DLPT), and providing documentary proof of proficiency at the Elementary I level (i.e., one college semester of instruction)

providing documentary proof of legal residence or citizenship in a country whose official language is a language other than English

Transfer Course Policies

Transfer students who have earned an Associate of Arts (A.A.) or an Associate of Science (A.S.) degree from a SUNY state-operated campus or SUNY community college shall be considered to have completed all General Education requirements at UAlbany.

In accordance with the Trustees’ policies, if a student from a SUNY state-operated campus or SUNY community college has fulfilled, as determined by the policies of the other SUNY campus, one or more of the Trustees-mandated general educational categories, the University at Albany will also consider the student to have fulfilled that category or those categories. This is true even if 1) Albany requires more credits or courses for the given category; 2) the requirement is fulfilled by a course whose Albany equivalent does not fulfill the same requirement; 3) the student received a non-transferable but minimally passing grade in the course; 4) due to limits on total transferable credits, the student is unable to include that course among those transferred to Albany; 5) the student was waived from the requirement based on high school achievement or other standards different from those employed by Albany; or 6) the student was covered by a blanket waiver of the requirement by the SUNY Provost because the other SUNY campus was not yet able to implement the given requirement.

The same principle of reciprocity applies to students who transfer from non-SUNY schools. If a course approved for transfer from a non-SUNY school is deemed to be equivalent to a University at Albany course that meets a general education requirement, the student shall be considered to have fulfilled the Albany general education category represented by that course. This is true even if 1) Albany requires more credits or courses for the given category; 2) the student receives a non-transferable but minimally passing grade in the course; or 3) due to limits on total transferable credits, the student is unable to include that course among those transferred to Albany.

Students may present credit for courses the University deems equivalent to these requirements, but for the transfer course to fulfill the Writing and Critical Inquiry requirement it must be completed with a grade of C or better, or a grade of S. Transferable English composition classes taught through university in the high school programs or in advanced placement courses will not satisfy the Writing and Critical Inquiry requirement.

Students who feel they have not been appropriately accorded General Education equivalence for any given course or courses are encouraged to consult with their academic advisor. If the academic advisor determines that the student has not been awarded appropriate equivalency, the student or the advisor may then appeal the decision through established procedures. Students who believe their transfer course work may justify a substitution for a general education category may file a petition.

Transfer Credit D Grades: Except for the University’s Writing and Critical Inquiry requirements, for which a grade equivalent to C or higher is required, either pre- or post-matriculation transfer work graded D+, D or D- in a course that applies to one or more of the University’s General Education requirements may be applied toward fulfilling the requirements, even if the student receives no graduation credit for the course.

Administration of the Program

The Office of the Vice Provost and Dean for Undergraduate Education is responsible for the administration of the program, including interpretation of legislation, assessing the number of General Education seats required and communicating that information to deans, evaluation of courses, faculty development, and program assessment. The Office of the Vice Provost and Dean for Undergraduate Education shall also have the explicit authority to make appropriate substitutions for individual students, and to decertify courses that do not meet the program’s standards. The Vice Provost shall have sufficient material and human resources to meet these responsibilities.

The General Education Committee is a subcommittee of the Undergraduate Academic Council (UAC). This Committee is responsible for the administration of the General Education Program. Its composition is determined by the University Senate.

Course proposals originate in departments or programs, pass through college and school curriculum committees where appropriate, and are reviewed by the General Education Committee. It is the responsibility of the Vice Provost and Dean for Undergraduate Education and of the General Education Committee to ensure that course proposals meet the values and criteria of the General Education Program. Proposals for new and revised general education courses must be approved by the General Education Committee.

General Education Courses

The most up-to-date information on courses approved for General Education categories can be found on the General Education website’s “General Education Lookup” page:
www.albany.edu/generaleducation/course_lookup.php.

On MyUAlbany, the “Search Class Schedules” capability also allows students to search for courses in a term that fulfill one or more of these General Education categories. This same search capability exists from the University’s homepage to find courses that meet one or more of the General Education requirements: https://www.albany.edu/registrar/schedule-of-classes.php.