Mar 28, 2024  
2016-2018 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2016-2018 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

The General Education Program


 

Morgan’s General Education program is a broad network of courses, tests and extra-curricular experiences aimed at ensuring a common core of liberal arts knowledge, skills and collegiate experiences for all Morgan students. The courses which are part of the General Education Requirements have four broad goals, which are based on the principle that General Education is one of the most significant components of undergraduate education.

Morgan State University’s framework for General Education Program (GEP) is designed to enhance and integrate the general education program as the foundation of a liberal education. The general education program was conceived in response to current demands to develop, educate and graduate young scholars and potential professionals who can succeed in a diverse, technological, competitive, global and interdependent society. The GEP will contribute to the development of college-educated individuals, who are engaged and informed citizens, and who are sensitive to the cultural and economic contexts, in which they are surrounded.

The Morgan GEP connects and integrates the academic units of the University with the units committed to other aspects of student life. The program also seeks to engage industry professionals, alumni, community residents and officials in the development of a comprehensive and world-class general education program. The Morgan GEP is aligned with the 1) mission, vision, and strategic goals of Morgan State University (MSU); 2) standards of the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC); 3) vision for college-level learning and intellectual framework of the Association of America Colleges and Universities (AAC&U); and supports Common Core State Standards (CCSS) designed to address P-24 initiatives on college and career readiness.

General Education

GOALS of the General Education Program (GEP)

The goals of the General Education Program are strengthened by the consistency with the University’s Strategic Goals. Specifically, the goals of the general education are as follows:

Goal 1: Enhance Student Success to create an educational environment that enhances student success on liberal education outcomes by hiring and retaining well qualified, experienced, and dedicated faculty and staff, offering challenging, internationally relevant academic curricula, and welcoming and supporting a diverse and inclusive campus community.

Goal 2: Establish a culture of inquiry, evidence, and accountability that will examine and implement liberal education processes (inputs, process, and outputs); and document progress and achievements. The inquiry process is an integral component of the general education program. Faculty and staff encourage the inquiry process and use quantitative and qualitative data to guide reflections and to inform student, course and program improvement and adjustment decisions.

Goal 3: Grow resources and professional development that will expand the University’s human capital as well as its financial resources by investing in the professional development of faculty, staff, and students, seeking greater financial support to develop and sustain a world-class liberal education program.

Goal 4: Engage and integrate the university community with that of the greater local and regional community in dialog about the quality of liberal education outcomes that are essential for all students; and on how liberal education can be used to improve and support community initiatives. Students who successfully complete the program will have the following competencies:

Written and oral communications
Scientific and quantitative reasoning
Critical analysis and reasoning
Technology
Information literacy


Distribution Areas


I. Information, Technological and Media Literacy — (IM) 3 Credits Required


Guidelines


II. English Composition — (EC) 6 Credits Required


Guidelines


Students must select two courses from the EC distribution area: one from Part A and the other from Part B.

ENGL 101  is a pre-requisite for ENGL 102 ; ENGL 111  is a pre-requisite for ENGL 112 .

III. Critical Thinking — (CT) 3 Credits Required


Guidelines


Students must complete one of the options in the CT distribution area.

IV. Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning — (MQ) 3 Credits Required


Must be MATH 109 or Above

Guidelines


Students should select the appropriate course after receiving advisement based on their placement test scores and selected major.

V. Arts and Humanities — (AH) 6 Credits Required


VI. Biological and Physical Sciences — (BP) 7 Credits Required


Guidelines


Students must select two courses from the BP distribution area. At least one course must be lab-based.

Social and Behavioral Sciences – (SB) 6 Credits Required


VIII. Health and Healthful Living — (HH) 3 Credits Required


Guidelines


Students must complete one of the options in the HH distribution area.

IX. Contemporary and Global Issues, Ideas and Values — (CI) 3 Credits Required


Guidelines


Students must complete one of the options in the CI distribution area.

Total: 40 Credits


Note: In all instances, students should consult the academic catalog online or the detail class information in Websis for information on course prerequisites.