General Education Programs

GENERAL EDUCATION PROGRAM

Curry College’s General Education Program is based on our belief in the power and potential of the liberal arts to prepare students to engage in successful careers and active citizenship with a global perspective. It is rooted in the Association of American Colleges and Universities Liberal Education & America’s Promise (LEAP) Challenge, and is designed to develop the skills needed to participate in the 21st century economy—skills that employers and professors value: global knowledge, effective written and oral communication, critical thinking, information literacy, quantitative reasoning, intercultural sensitivity, teamwork and ethical judgment. For more information on the program as a whole, see “General Education Curriculum” in Academic Policies and Procedures.

Most of the courses in the curriculum are  discipline-specific but two of the required courses have GEN prefixes and are purposely and thoroughly interdisciplinary. The first of these, GEN 1000 First Year Inquiry Seminar, introduces students to thinking in the liberal arts through examination of topical, relevant, real-world issues. The second is GEN 3001 Gen Ed Capstone, which applies prior learning in the 4 Breadth areas to the study of an interdisciplinary topic and culminates with an integrative project. Topics for both GEN 1000 and GEN 3001 change each semester. Descriptions can be found in the Course Selection Guide or on the portal. 

In addition to supporting the General Education curriculum, the Program also offers minors in Black Studies, International Studies, and Spanish as well as courses in English, Foreign Language & Culture, Politics & History, and Philosophy & Religious Studies.

General Education Core

Six courses comprise the General Education Core. Of these, Curry Launch must be taken during the student’s first semester at Curry and First Year Inquiry, Reading, Writing & Research I, and Reading, Writing & Research II must be taken during the first year. The Communication and Quantitative Reasoning requirements must be completed by the time the student earns 60 credits and the General Education Capstone cannot be taken until the student earns at least 60 credits.

First Year Inquiry – GEN 1000 3 credits

This course introduces students to thinking in the liberal arts through examination of topical, relevant, real-world issues through a focused disciplinary and broader interdisciplinary perspective. Using common readings, speakers, and information drawn from liberal arts disciplines, students will explore their own ideas and assumptions while discussing ways in which information drawn from the liberal arts offers deeper understanding and insight into their lived experiences – personal or educational. Additionally, throughout the course, information literacy and portfolio development will be introduced as students retrieve and evaluate information, and demonstrate their learning.

Curry Launch – GEN 1001 1 credit

The 1 credit Curry Launch Seminar is designed to assist first year students with the transition to the college experience. Students will be introduced to the methods and resources to promote success in college and have opportunities to discover how they learn, relate, and make choices. Topics will focus on the purpose and value of higher education, academic development, organizational skills, Curry’s course learning management system, Curry’s electronic portfolio system, and wellness topics such as stress management, drug abuse, sexual assault, relationships, and personal well-being. Campus life and support systems for academics and wellness will be introduced. The course satisfies the General Education Wellness Requirement. No course pre- requisites. NOTE – Open only to first year students. 

Breadth

These courses introduce students to the range of disciplines that make up our General Education curriculum: the Arts, the Humanities, the Sciences, and the Social Sciences. Breadth courses cannot be double counted with courses in the student’s major. Breadth courses may be double counted with prerequisites and related requirements in the student’s major.

International/Global Interdependence

This requirement is intended to expose students to information and theoretical frameworks for understanding the interconnectedness of our world: our global interdependence. This will allow students to recognize, analyze, and critically appreciate the similarities and differences between states, cultures, and other entities such as institutions which often play a key role in international relations. Three credits of International/Global coursework must be taken outside the major requirements. Study abroad/study away experience may be used to satisfy this requirement.

Diversity/Inclusion

Courses satisfying the Diversity/Inclusion requirement develop students’ critical thinking by challenging them to think more deeply about their assumptions concerning race, ethnicity, gender, class, sexual orientation, age, religion, species, or abilities. Diversity courses investigate the complexities and power in human difference and commonality. Awareness of similarities and differences among peoples and/or value systems can illuminate the collective past, present and future and also help students to achieve greater understanding of their own identity and mutual understanding and respect for each other. Three credits of Diversity/Inclusion coursework must be taken outside the major requirements.

General Education Capstone – GEN 3001 – 3 credits

This course emphasizes the integration of ideas and knowledge in Liberal Arts disciplines and is the culminating experience in the General Education curriculum. A thematic approach using readings, discussions, and examinations of work included in the portfolio, the course provides students with an in-depth, personal understanding of the many sensible if sometimes subtle connections among Liberal Arts disciplines, the value of a Liberal Arts education, and ways to integrate Liberal Arts learning further into their studies. 

Active Learning

Active Learning emphasizes the integration of a student’s classroom learning with learning that occurs when they become part of a community of practice. The Active Learning requirement can be fulfilled through curricular and co-curricular options. Students may take an approved Active Learning course or complete an approved co-curricular activity to satisfy this requirement. For details on the co-curricular options and the ePortfolio submission expectations, please contact your academic advisor. Active Learning coursework may double count with coursework in the student’s major.

Wellness

The Wellness requirement encourages students to think about wellness in a holistic and life-long fashion. Wellness includes, but is not limited to physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health. The Wellness requirement can be fulfilled through curricular and co-curricular options. A student may fulfill the Wellness requirement by completing a Wellness course or an approved Wellness co-curricular activity. For details on the co-curricular options for fulfilling this requirement and the ePortfolio submission expectations, please contact your academic advisor. Wellness coursework may double count with coursework in the student’s major. 

Enhancements

Students must complete one enhancement in each of the following areas: Information Literacy, Reading and Writing, and Quantitative Reasoning. The Reading/Writing Enhanced course cannot be taken until the student has completed Reading Writing & Research I and II.

E-Portfolio

The e-Portfolio will be used throughout the General Education curriculum as a tool to facilitate students making connections among their courses and to help them reflect upon their learning in the Liberal Arts. In constructing their e-Portfolios, students will be asked to collect work from their courses for inclusion in the portfolio and to revisit their portfolios in the General Education Capstone course.

GENERAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM