• General Requirements
• General Education Requirements for School of Communications Majors
• List of courses
• Frequently Asked Questions about General Education

General Education (GE) requirements are a critical component of an undergraduate education at Webster.  The purposes of GE are to:

• expand student horizons
• emphasize a truly liberal education, and
• endorse the importance of a broad field of knowledge throughout a student's life.

Students who possess an Associate of Arts Degree ...

Students who complete an Associate of Arts (AA) degree from a regionally accredited community college will have met Webster’s General Education requirements! 

For all other students…

There are two forms of GE requirements, the standard 27-credit-hour requirement and a 36-credit-hour GE requirement for students with majors in the School of Communications. (link to info below for SOC)

Every academic department at Webster has identified courses that address GE goals.  For these courses to satisfy GE requirements, students must earn a grade of C- or better.

If your major requires 27 credits of GE, you will complete 3 credit hours toward each of the following nine categories:

1. Critical Thinking (CRI)
   A systematic method of examining and evaluating arguments
2. Communications (COM)
   Writing and speaking which are clear, concise and accurate when conveyed to a broad audience
3. Historical Consciousness (HST)
   Recognition of causes, relationships, and sequences within seemingly random social and historical events
4. Humanities (HUM)
   Analysis of the themes of human experience through the legacy of great works and ideas
5. Values (VAL)
   Critical reflection on the attitudes and beliefs relevant to individual and social choices and actions
6. Cultural Understanding (CUL) 
   Examination and comparison of international and/or diverse cultures
7. Arts Appreciation (ART)
   Recognition of artistic expressions gained through analysis, reflection, or practical experience
8. Scientific Understanding (SCI)
   Analysis of concepts of a scientific discipline and its methods, limitations, and impact in the modern world
9. Mathematics (MTH)
   Recognition of the value and beauty of mathematics as well as the ability to appraise and use quantitative data

Courses that have been identified are coded and appear at the beginning of each printed Course Schedule book. Students should refer to the printed or online course schedule to review course availability, as not all courses are offered each semester. 

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and Bachelor of Music (BM) students must meet at least four goal areas. Students pursuing a B.M.Ed have specific defined GE requirements (see current Undergraduate Catalog). (link to http://www.webster.edu/ugcatalog/music.html#CHOR)

Students pursuing a B.S. degree in Computer Science with an emphasis in Information Science or Information Management are required to complete four of the nine GE goals. 

General Education requirement for students with majors in the School of Communications

Students with majors in the School of Communications (SOC) must instead complete 36 credits of general education distributed in three categories.

Category One:  18 Credits

Category Two: 12 Credits

Category Three: 6 credits

List of General Education Courses

• Alphabetical list
• List by goal

Frequently Asked Questions about General Education

Which general education requirement applies to me?

In general, BA and BS students must address all of the nine general education goals. However, specific programs of study may only require that four of the areas be met. Consult the current catalog regarding specific program requirements. Also note that students majoring in programs from the SOC must complete 36 credits of general education distributed in three categories.

If I double major, how many courses can I use toward GE from each major?

• For a double major, four courses from the required major coursework may count toward general education if no prefix is repeated. 
• We accept two courses from each major so long as there are two separate prefixes represented in each major.
• We will take four courses with four different prefixes for a double major so long as there is a maximum of two for each major.
  EXAMPLE: A student double majoring in International Relations and Social Science may use four courses, two from each major:
  INTL 1500 The World System Since 1500 – HST
  POLT 1070 Introduction to Political Theory – HUM or VAL
  ANSO 1010 Introduction to Sociology – VAL or CUL
  PSYC 2750 Introduction to Statistics – MTH or SCI

What if I double major within the School of Communications and another School or College?

A student pursuing a double major when one major is from the SOC may meet either set of general education requirements, that is either the three category SOC requirements or the nine academic goal general education requirements.

What if I would like to take one or two credit hour courses toward my general education requirement?

Each goal must be addressed by completing at least three credit hours of coursework coded for general education. A student may combine one and two credit courses to meet this three-hour requirement for a particular goal as long as each course has been coded for that goal.

Will a grade of D in my general education course fulfill the requirement?

Only courses with grades of C minus or better will count toward general education. A course with a grade of D may count as an elective.

Can I use one course to fulfill two areas of GE?

One course may carry up to two general education codes but may be used to satisfy only one goal.  For example, ANSO 1010 Sociology may fulfill either Values or Cultural Understanding but not both.

How many courses from my major can fulfill GE?

• Up to two courses within the student's major department may be used to satisfy general education goals, so long as the courses have different prefixes.
  EXAMPLE: A BA in Social Science ANSO 1010 Sociology may count for Values and PSYC 1100 Introduction to Psychology may count for Scientific Understanding. The student may not count two ANSO courses or two PSYC courses toward general education requirements.
• All other courses used to satisfy the general education requirement must be taken outside of the student's major department.
• Students pursuing any state education certification may also be required to complete specific general education coursework. Students should see their advisor for additional details.

How are my transfer credits evaluated for GE?

Transfer credit is evaluated by the Registrar’s office upon full acceptance. General education equivalencies are also evaluated at that time. Should transfer credits come in as fractional hours, those hours are rounded to the nearest whole number. Therefore, 2 2/3=3, 3 1/3=3, etc.

What if I have a course that I believe meets GE but was not transferred in as such?

Transfer students who wish to appeal a specific course decision may do so by submitting a course description and/or syllabus with a written appeal to the Academic Advising Center.

What general education requirement would I fulfill if I pursue a second (sequential) undergraduate degree?

Students pursuing sequential bachelor’s degrees have already completed general education through the completion of their first degree program.