Dec 26, 2024

2013-2014 General Catalog (Spring 2014)

2013-2014 General Catalog (Spring 2014) ARCHIVED CATALOG: To search archives, MUST use search box to left. Current catalog: catalog.usu.edu.

General Education Requirements

The General Education program, along with study in the major, is designed to assist students in achieving the Citizen Scholar Objectives .

Transfer Students

Students who transfer to USU and have an Associate of Arts or an Associate of Science degree (or have completed the General Education requirements) from a regionally-accredited institution may be deemed as having satisfied the General Education portion of the University Studies requirements. A registrar’s certification, stating that the student has completed the General Education requirements of the transfer institution, may also be acceptable. However, Utah State University will require students to satisfy the Breadth American Institutions requirement (BAI), if an equivalent course has not been completed. In addition, students must satisfy any deficiencies in Communications Literacy (CL1 and CL2) and Quantitative Literacy (QL). In order to graduate with a bachelor’s degree, the Depth Education requirements must still be completed.

Students who transfer to Utah State University with less than an Associate Degree (and have not completed General Education requirements) or with an Associate of Applied Science Degree will have their General Education courses evaluated on a course-by-course basis and may be required to take any additional courses necessary to satisfy the General Education requirements at Utah State University. However, if these students have taken equivalent General Education courses at the sending institution, these courses will be accepted toward satisfying General Education requirements at Utah State University.

Courses approved as fulfilling General Education requirements at a Utah System of Higher Education (USHE) institution will be acceptable to Utah State University as satisfying comparable General Education requirements. Coursework acceptability at other institutions will be determined by the student’s major department at Utah State University.

General Education Requirements (30-34 credits)

USU’s General Education program consists of two sets of requirements: Competency and Breadth.

Competency Requirements (9-10 credits)

The Citizen Scholar Objectives propose that students should be able to communicate effectively, utilize quantitative methods, make appropriate use of technology, and function effectively in groups. The competency requirements are structured to develop these skills.

Communications Literacy (CL1 and CL2) (6 credits)

ENGL 1010 - Introduction to Writing: Academic Prose (CL1) 3

Or one of the following exams:

ACT English Test: Score of 29 or higher
SAT Critical Reading Test: Score of 640 or higher
AP English Language Test: Score of 3 or higher
AP English Literature Test: Score of 3 or higher
CLEP English Composition Test: Score of 50 or higher
CLEP Freshman College Composition Test: Score of 53 or higher
IBO English A1 Test: Standard-level Score of 4 or higher

And

ENGL 2010 - Intermediate Writing: Research Writing in a Persuasive Mode (CL2) 3

Or the following exam:

IBO English A1 Test: Higher-level Score of 4 or higher
(satisfies both CL1 and CL2)

Quantitative Literacy (QL) (3-4 credits)

One of the following courses:

Or

One Mathematics or Statistics course requiring MATH 1050 as a prerequisite, such as MATH 1100 , MATH 1210 , MATH 1220 ; or STAT 2300

Or one of the following exams:

ACT Math Test: Score of 25 or higher
SAT Math Test: Score of 580 or higher
AP Calculus AB Test: Score of 3 or higher
AP Calculus BC Test: Score of 3 or higher
CLEP Calculus Test: Score of 50 or higher
CLEP College Algebra Test: Score of 50 or higher
IBO Mathematics Test: Higher-level Score of 4 or higher

Breadth Requirements (18-20 credits)

General Education breadth requirements are intended to introduce students to the nature, history, and methods of different disciplines; and to help students understand the cultural, historical, and natural contexts shaping the human experience. Breadth courses also focus on the important cultural, socio-economic, scientific, and technological issues of today’s global community.

Students must take a minimum of 18 total credits, including at least one course from each of the six categories shown below.

At least two of the six breadth courses must be University Studies courses (USU 1300 , USU 1320 , USU 1330 , USU 1340 , USU 1350 , and USU 1360 ). Students enrolled in the Honors Program may substitute HONR 1300 , HONR 1320 , HONR 1330 , HONR 1340 , HONR 1350 , and HONR 1360 for USU 1300 , USU 1320 , USU 1330 , USU 1340 , USU 1350 , and USU 1360 .

Click here to see exceptions to the Breadth Requirements.

Breadth American Institutions (BAI) (3 credits)

One of the following courses:

Or one of the following exams:

AP Macroeconomics Test: Score of 3 or higher
AP U.S. Government and Politics Test: Score of 3 or higher
AP U.S. History Test: Score of 3 or higher
CLEP American Government Test: Score of 60 or higher
CLEP History of the U.S. I: Early to 1877 Test: Score of 50 or higher
CLEP History of the U.S. II: 1865 to Present Test: Score of 50 or higher
CLEP Principles of Macroeconomics Test: Score of 53 or higher
IBO Economics Test: Standard- or Higher-level Score of 4 or higher

Breadth Creative Arts (BCA) (3 credits)

One of the following courses:

Or one of the following exams:

AP Music Theory Test: Score of 3 or higher
AP Studio Art: Drawing: Score of 3 or higher
AP Studio Art: 2-D Design: Score of 3 or higher
AP Studio Art: 3-D Design: Score of 3 or higher
IBO Music Test: Standard- or Higher-level Score of 4 or higher
IBO Theatre Arts Test: Higher-level Score of 5 or higher
IBO Visual Arts Test: Standard- or Higher-level Score of 4 or higher

Breadth Humanities (BHU) (3 credits)

One of the following courses:

Or one of the following exams:

AP Art History Test: Score of 3 or higher
AP English Literature Test: Score of 3 or higher
AP European History Test: Score of 3 or higher
AP World History Test: Score of 3 or higher
CLEP Analyzing and Interpreting Literature Test: Score of 52 or higher
CLEP Western Civilization I: Ancient to 1648 Test: Score of 50 or higher
CLEP Western Civilization II: 1648 to Present Test: Score of 50 or higher
IBO History—European Test: Higher-level Score of 5 or higher
IBO History of the Americas Test: Higher-level Score of 5 or higher
IBO History—Islamic Test: Higher-level Score of 5 or higher
IBO Philosophy Test: Standard- or Higher-level Score of 4 or higher

Breadth Life Sciences (BLS) (3-4 credits)

One of the following courses:

Or one of the following exams:

AP Biology Test: Score of 3 or higher
AP Environmental Science Test: Score of 3 or higher
CLEP Biology Test: Score of 50 or higher
IBO Biology Test: Standard- or Higher-level Score of 4 or higher

Breadth Physical Sciences (BPS) (3-4 credits)

One of the following courses:

Or one of the following exams:

AP Chemistry Test: Score of 3 or higher
AP Physics B Test: Score of 3 or higher
AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism Test: Score of 3 or higher
DSST Astronomy Test: Score of 48 or higher
DSST Introduction to Computing Test: Score of 50 or higher
DSST Principles of Physical Science I Test: Score of 47 or higher
IBO Chemistry Test: Higher-level Score of 4 or higher
IBO Geography Test: Higher-level Score of 5 or higher
IBO Physics Test: Standard- or Higher-level Score of 4 or higher

Breadth Social Sciences (BSS) (3 credits)

One of the following courses:

Or one of the following exams:

AP Government and Politics: Comparative Test: Score of 3 or higher
AP Human Geography Test: Score of 3 or higher
AP Microeconomics Test: Score of 3 or higher
AP Psychology Test: Score of 3 or higher
CLEP Introductory Psychology Test: Score of 55 or higher
CLEP Introductory Sociology Test: Score of 55 or higher
DSST Environment and Humanity Test: Score of 46 or higher
DSST Human/Cultural Geography Test: Score of 48 or higher
IBO Economics Test: Higher-level Score of 4 or higher
IBO Geography Test: Higher-level Score of 5 or higher
IBO Psychology Test: Standard- or Higher-level Score of 4 or higher
IBO Social and Cultural Anthropology Test: Standard- or Higher-level Score of 4 or higher

Exploration Requirement (3-4 credits)

Choose an additional class from one of the following General Education categories: QL, BAI, BCA, BHU, BLS, BPS, or BSS.

Note: Students may use an additional Quantitative Literacy (QL) course to satisfy the Exploration Requirement only if they received college credits for the QL requirement. Students who had the QL requirement waived as a result of an ACT Math or SAT Math score do not receive any college credit for those exams. Therefore, these students may not take an additional QL course to satisfy the Exploration Requirement unless they first earn QL credits either by examination (e.g., AP, CLEP, IBO) or through coursework.

Note: The Exploration Requirement is required only for students whose first semester enrolled at USU is Summer Semester 2008 or thereafter.

Designation of Courses that Satisfy General Education Requirements

All courses approved for the General Education Requirements are clearly designated in this catalog. The designations used for General Education courses are as follows:

Competency Courses

Communications Literacy, CL1 and CL2
Quantitative Literacy, QL

Breadth Courses

American Institutions, BAI
Creative Arts, BCA
Humanities, BHU
Life Sciences, BLS
Physical Sciences, BPS
Social Sciences, BSS