General Education Distribution Requirement Area Definitions:

General Education Program

For General Education, UMBC students will complete courses distributed in four broad areas of academic inquiry: arts and humanities, social sciences, mathematics and science, and language and culture. General Education courses are designed to introduce students to the knowledge and methods that are foundations of each of these four areas.

UMBC’s General Education courses also enable students to develop functional skills and competencies important for academic and lifetime success. These include one or more of the following: written and oral communication, scientific and quantitative reasoning, critical analysis and reasoning, technological competency and information literacy (recommended competency areas for General Education Programs have been established by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and adopted by the Maryland Higher Education Commission for Maryland colleges and universities). Students must complete the following distribution requirements with a grade of “C” or better. Courses taken on a P/F basis may not be applied to distribution requirements.

Arts and Humanities

Courses in the arts and humanities explore the human condition and its cultural expression, past and present. Arts and humanities courses consider the ethical and value systems that form the basis of thought, artifacts and individual and collective life. They examine a wide variety of sources—from literature, philosophy, the visual and performing arts and religion, to popular culture and patterns of everyday activity—to critically evaluate significant intellectual and artistic issues.

GEP courses in the arts and humanities enable students to:

• Analyze and interpret diverse texts and modes of expression
• Understand important intellectual and artistic concepts, whether from historical or contemporary perspectives
• Discuss, write and conduct research effectively in the arts and humanities
• Additionally, GEP studio or workshop courses in the arts and humanities enable students to:
• Learn and practice a particular art form
• Investigate creative modes of expression by identifying motivations, desires and values that inspire them
• Learn collaborative skills and how to objectively and appropriately evaluate their own work and the work of others

Social Sciences

The social sciences seek to understand attitudes, beliefs and social behaviors of individuals, groups and institutions, and identify factors that influence them, both past and present. Attention is devoted to the complex interactions among individuals, environment and social institutions. Finally, the social sciences seek to develop, implement and evaluate procedures that can change attitudes and behaviors at both the individual and group level and address issues of social inequality/inequity.

GEP courses in the Social Sciences enable students to:

• Critically evaluate research regarding the complex interplay of individuals, groups, and institutions
• Understand the strengths and weaknesses of, and be able to apply research methods within, the many fields of social sciences
• Provide insight into the development and implementation of programs and policies designed to improve people’s lives

Sciences

The sciences seek explanations for how nature functions at scales ranging from the subatomic to the universal. Courses in the natural sciences foster an understanding of the fundamental principles underlying modern scientific thought. In addition to describing what is currently known, science courses teach skills and methods that facilitate inquiry about the natural world, and provide opportunities for students to test those explanations against current scientific knowledge and to communicate their ideas to others.

GEP courses in the sciences enable students to:

• Apply their knowledge to solving basic scientific problems
• Describe what it means to “do” science
• Distinguish science from non-science or pseudoscience
• Use mathematics as appropriate to present and analyze scientific data
• Discuss socially relevant issues in scientific terms

Mathematics

To prepare college graduates for an increasingly complex and technological world it is necessary to develop problem-solving abilities, including analytical and logical reasoning skills. Mathematics GEP courses build upon a student’s fundamental mastery of high school algebra (as evidenced by the placement exam or equivalent course work) to provide a foundation in mathematical concepts and techniques used not only in mathematics and statistics but also in a wide variety of other disciplines.

GEP courses in mathematics enable students to:

• Develop a level of mathematical maturity significantly beyond high school Algebra II
• Develop problem-solving ability both in the quantitative and qualitative realms
• Enhance their analytic and synthetic logical abilities
• Become acquainted with mathematical ways of thinking, including concepts and techniques utilized in other disciplines

Culture

Courses meeting the Culture designation must include at least two of the following intellectual aims:

1. Analyze patterns of cultural expression and processes of cultural reproduction and develop an understanding of how these shape society.
2. Examine interconnectedness, difference, and diversity in a global context
3. Apply awareness of global problems or issues to a consideration of individual or collective responsibilities
4. Devise analytical, practical, or creative responses to global problems or issues.
5. Study distinctive forms of cultural expression, either inside or outside the boundaries of the United States.