Dec 02, 2024  
2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

The General Education Program Requirements


For policy and general information visit The General Education Program Information  page.

The General Education Program Requirements


The minimum number of required General Education semester credit hours for all students, regardless of their program of study, is 42. Some degree programs may require up to six additional hours of General Education depending on the math, science, and technology courses required.

Courses taken to fulfill General Education requirements may not be taken on the pass/fail basis. Students who have fulfilled all General Education requirements in a specific area may elect to take additional General Education courses as free elective hours in the same area on the pass/fail basis.

Some General Education selections listed on these pages may be limited by major/minor choice. Check the major/minor listing in the catalog for specific General Education requirements within the major/minor.

A Guide to Symbols Used in General Education

+ Planned placement required for enrollment
^ Audition or placement assessment required for enrollment
# Course fulfills state law requirement Section 170.011 RSMO Supp (1988) (US/Missouri Constitutions)
GE Denotes a general education course when listed in other parts of this catalog.

Foundational Skills Areas 11-12 Hours


Four courses must be taken to fulfill this area: one Writing I, one Writing II, one Managing Information (2-3 credits), and one Communication course. Some students may exceed the 11 credit hour minimum depending on course selection and major-required Managing Information courses.

Writing I - 3 Credit Hours


Note:

+Eligibility for enrollment in this course is based on university planned placement guidelines. Click here  for more information about Planned Placement.

*Students who earn a grade of C or higher in ENGL 1080  will be awarded an additional 3 hours of special credit (CR) for ENGL 1020  and will have fulfilled the six hours of writing requirement in general education. Students who earn a grade of D in ENGL 1080  may either opt to repeat the course or enroll in CTE 2060 /ENGL 1030  to fulfill the six hours of writing requirement in general education.

Writing II - 3 Credit Hours


Note:

*Students who earn a grade of C or higher in ENGL 1080  will be awarded an additional 3 hours of special credit (CR) for ENGL 1020  and will have fulfilled the six hours of writing requirement in the general education. These students will not have to enroll in CTE 2060  or ENGL 1030 .

Communication - 3 Credit Hours


Managing Information - 2-3 Credit Hours


Knowledge Areas 28 Hours


Knowledge Area I - Arts, Humanities, Language and Literature: 9 Hours


Three courses must be taken to fulfill this area: one Literature, one Fine Arts, and one additional course (see listing below). UCM graduates will demonstrate knowledge of the world in which we live by acquiring knowledge and appreciation of and/or participation in the creation or performance of literature, languages, and the arts using the standards of evidence and reasoning appropriate to the humanities and the arts.

Fine Arts - 3 Credit Hours

Literature - 3 Credit Hours

Additional Courses for Knowledge Area I - 3 hours

Choose one additional course from the Literature or Fine Arts categories above or one course below from Languages or Humanities. If an additional Fine Arts course is chosen, it must be a three-credit hour course from the Fine Arts list above.

Knowledge Area II - Natural and Mathematical Sciences: 10 hours


10 hours; Three courses must be taken to fulfill this area: Two Science courses from different disciplines, one with a Laboratory, and one Mathematics.  Some students may exceed the 10 credit hour minimum depending on course selection and major-required science and mathematics courses.

Natural Sciences - 7 Credit Hours


Note:

*Courses must be taken together in the same semester.

**Students who have earned credit in BIOL 1004  in the Science with a Laboratory category are not eligible for credit in BIOL 1003  in the Science without a Lab category. Students who have earned credit in CHEM 1104  in the Science with a Laboratory category are not eligible for credit in CHEM 1103  in the Science without a Lab category.

Mathematical Sciences - 3 Credit Hours


Knowledge Area III - History and Social/Behavioral Sciences: 9 hours


Three courses must be taken to fulfill this area: one HIST or POLS course to fulfill the US/Missouri constitutions requirement Section 170.011 RSMO Supp (1988) and six additional hours of Social/Behavioral Sciences. These courses are marked with a “#”.

UCM graduates will demonstrate an ability to comprehend, evaluate, and analyze aspects of the human experience through an understanding of history and the social and behavioral sciences and the standards of evidence that create knowledge within those frameworks. Students will learn substantive content as well as the relevant evaluative process of reasoning, evidence, and argument.

United States and Missouri Constitutions Requirement (State Law Requirement, Section 170.011)
Within the nine hours required in Knowledge Area III, all students must select a course which fulfills state law requirement Section 170.011 RSMO Supp (1988). These courses are marked with a “#”. These courses must be taken from institutions in the state of Missouri. Courses from out of state institutions which are articulated or substituted for these courses will not fulfill state law requirement Section 170.011 RSMO Supp (1988). Students who have one of these courses from out of state or who have already fulfilled all nine hours of Knowledge Area III may fulfill this requirement by passing an exam on the constitutions of the United States and of Missouri offered by Department of Modern Languages and Interdisciplinary Studies  (Wood 203, 660-543-8840).

US/Missouri Constitution - 3 Credit Hours


Social/Behavioral Sciences - 6 Credit Hours


Elective Area 3 Hours


Select three hours from any of the Areas above.