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General Education Requirements

Philosophy of General Education

All Keystone College curricula reflect institutional student learning outcomes which are grounded in the mission and shape institutional culture. These outcomes are supported by the general education core curriculum, a series of courses that in turn provide the educational foundation to support and enhance individual curricula within a major.

The General Education Core Curriculum educates students for competency in the following areas:

• Communication Skills: Uses the English language, writing and speaking with clarity, coherence, and persuasiveness.
• Moral Reasoning: Demonstrates the principles underlying ethical conduct.
• Quantitative Reasoning: Uses quantitative concepts and methods to interpret and critically evaluate data. Effectively problem-solves in a variety of contexts demanding quantitative literacy.
• Scientific Literacy: Applies the basic principles of science and methods of scientific inquiry.
• Technology & Information Literacy: Demonstrates computer literacy, including fundamental concepts of computing and fluency in the use of contemporary computing and information technology.
• Critical Analysis & Reasoning: Explores and analyzes issues, ideas, artifacts, and events and uses that exploration and analysis as the basis for accepting or formulating opinions and conclusions.
• Arts & Humanities Literacy: Explores and analyzes the creative process and/or human condition, focusing on the aesthetics, philosophical, historical, and/or literary dimensions of human experience, and uses that exploration and analysis as the basis for accepting or formulating opinions and conclusions.
• Social and Cultural Consciousness: Explores and analyzes social, cultural, economic, and political influences in shaping human thought, value, and behavior, and uses that exploration and analysis as the basis for accepting or formulating opinions and conclusions.

Students will meet these competencies by taking required courses and choosing other courses identified as meeting each outcome.

General Education Curriculum

ENGL 0050 – Critical and Analytical Reading – All students must demonstrate competency in this
course whether by achieving specified SAT/ACT scores or by successful completion of the course.
The course carries two credits which are included in full-time status and financial aid considerations,
but do not count toward the minimum earned credits necessary for graduation. Students who are
exempted from the course due to SAT/ACT scores received an exemption that does not carry credits.
The following requirements must be met according to the type of degree pursued:

College Catalog

Baccalaureate Degrees (40 credits minimum)

  • Communication Skills 11 credits
    • COMM 1125 Speech Communication
    • ENGL 1110 College Writing I: Academic Writing
    • ENGL 1125 College Writing II: Writing About Literature
    • FYS 1110 The First-Year Seminar
  • Moral Reasoning 3-6 credits
  • Quantitative Reasoning 3-6 credits
  • Scientific Literacy 3-6 credits
  • Technology and Information Literacy 3-6 credits
  • Critical Analysis and Reasoning:
    • Arts and Humanities Literacy 6-9 credits
    • Social and Cultural Consciousness 6-9 credits

Associate Degrees (Arts or Science) (26 credits minimum)

  • Communication Skills 11 credits
    • COMM 1125 Speech Communication
    • ENGL 1110 College Writing I: Academic Writing
    • ENGL 1125 College Writing II: Writing About Literature
    • FYS 1110 The First-Year Seminar
  • Quantitative Reasoning 3 credits
  • Scientific Literacy 3 credits
  • Technology and Information Literacy 3 credits
  • Critical Analysis and Reasoning:
    • Arts and Humanities Literacy 3 credits
    • Social and Cultural Consciousness 3 credits

Associate in Applied Science (20 credits minimum)

  • Communication Skills 11 credits
    • COMM 1125 Speech Communication
    • ENGL 1110 College Writing I: Academic Writing
    • ENGL 1125 College Writing II: Writing About Literature
    • FYS 1110 The First-Year Seminar
  • Quantitative Reasoning 3 credits
  • Technology and Information Literacy 3 credits
  • Scientific Literacy, Arts and Humanities Literacy, or Social and Cultural Consciousness 3 credits

The Keystone Experiences

In addition to the General Education core and the student’s chosen major, all students will participate in the Keystone Experience. These experiences are intended to enhance student classroom learning in ways that will help them use their college education for professional success. The Keystone Experiences may be separate credit-bearing courses, or they may be embedded within credit-bearing courses, or they may be non-credit-bearing. The Keystone Experiences, while they are part of the General Education Requirements, are usually administered through the student’s major, in keeping with Keystone’s philosophy that General Education and the major curricula are integral to one another.

The First-Year Student Experience – This experience is achieved through FYS 1110: The First-Year Experience, taken in the first semester. The course assists students in becoming a part of the Keystone community, while enhancing their study and learning skills and helping them understand what it means to be a scholar in their chosen discipline.

Real World Experience – This experience is accomplished through Experiential Learning (EXPL), Field Experience, Internship, or other off-campus experience. In some circumstances the Real-World Experience may be completed on-campus. It assists students in determining if they have chosen a major discipline in which they enjoy working.

Bridge Experience – This experience is a culminating project integrating all of a student’s work done in the first two years. It is intended as a “bridge” to further study as a rising junior or as a “bridge” to the world of work.

Portfolio Development Experience – This experience is intended to help students begin creating a professional portfolio that can be used to document their achievements and qualifications. It is usually accomplished as part of a course in the sophomore, junior, or senior years.

Capstone Experience – This experience is intended as a final project, usually completed in the last semester. The project allows students to show that they are prepared to succeed in their chosen field.

Students transferring to Keystone College may have completed many of the General Education requirements. The Registrar, in conjunction with faculty, will determine whether or not students have met the criteria for General Education Requirements and the Keystone Experiences.

General Education Courses

Students who enroll in a degree program and Keystone College will complete a core of courses referred to as General Education. This course distribution is intended to ensure that students have met the goals of the General Education Core Curriculum. The courses listed below may be used to fulfill the competencies of the General Education Core Curriculum.

*When fulfilling the General Education Core Curriculum, any given course may only be used to fulfill one competency area. In addition, only three to four credits from the major discipline may be used to fulfill any competency area.

ENGL 0050 – Critical and Analytical Reading – All students must demonstrate competency in this course whether by achieving specified SAT/ACT scores or by successful completion of the course. The course carries two credits which are included in full-time status and financial aid considerations, but do not count toward the minimum earned credits necessary for graduation. Students who are exempted from the course due to SAT/ACT scores received an exemption that does not carry credits.

Communications Skills

COMM 1125 – Speech Communication
ENGL 1110 – College Writing I: Academic Writing
ENGL 1125 – College Writing II: Writing About Literature
FYS 1110 – The First-Year Experience

Arts and Humanities Literacy

ARHI 1001 – Art History Survey I
ARHI 1002 – Art History Survey II
ARHI 1100 – Art Appreciation
ART 1110 – Color Theory
ART 1120 – Drawing and Composition I
ART 1130 – Two-Dimensional Design
ART 2185 – Fundamentals of Painting
ENGL 2110 – American Literature I
ENGL 2115 – American Literature II
ENGL 2155 – Introduction to Poetry
ENGL 2160 – Introduction to the Novel
ENGL 2165 – Introduction to Dramatic Literature
ENGL 3015 – Great Themes in Lit: Nature and the Environment
ENGL 3030 – Great Themes in Lit: Horror Literature
ENGL 3031 – Advanced Literature: Edgar Allan Poe
FILM 1110 – Introduction to Cinema
HIST 1115 – Western Civilization
HIST 1130 – U. S. History I
HIST 1135 – U.S. History II
HIST 2120 – The Making of the Modern World
HIST 3110 – Civil Rights in America
HIST 3120 – History of the Civil War
PBHL 1115 – History of Public Health
PHIL 1110 – Introduction to Philosophy I
PHIL 1115 – Introduction to Philosophy II
POSC 3135/HIST 3125 – Women’s History in America
SRM/HIST 3160 – Modern Olympic History

Moral Reasoning

ART 4810 – Professional Practices
BIOL 2145 – Bioethics
BIOL 3180 – Ethics/Quality in Forensic Science
BUSN 3300 – Business Ethics
CJ 3300 – Professional Ethics
COMM 3300 – Communication Ethics
DIGM 3300 – Professional Practices/Workplace Preparation
EDUC 4910 – Seminar: Contemporary Research, Issues, and Ethics in Education ENVT 3300 – Environmental Ethics
JOUR 3300 – Journalism Ethics
PSYC 3300 – Ethics and Issues in Psychology
SRM 3300 – Sport Ethics

Quantitative Reasoning

MATH 1125 – College Algebra
MATH 1135 – Trigonometry
MATH 1140 – College Mathematics I
MATH 1150 – College Mathematics II
MATH 1155 – Precalculus
MATH 2110 – Math Throughout History
MATH 2115 – Statistics
MATH 2120/PSYC 2240 – Statistics for the Social Sciences
MATH 2150 – Calculus I

Scientific Literacy

ART 2145 – Fundamentals of Ceramics
ART 2155 – Fundamentals of Glass
BIOL 1008 – General Biology I (not for science majors)
BIOL 1009 – Human Health Issue (non-lab)
BIOL 1125 – General Biology I
BIOL 2011 – Special Topics: Science in the Movies
BIOL 3002 – Nutrition
PBHL 2115 – Public Health Biology
PHSC 1145 – Global Change
PHSC 2120 – Astronomy I
PHSC 2125 – Astronomy I with Lab
PHSC 2135 – Astronomy II
PHSC 2140 – Astronomy II with Lab
PHSC 2145 – Geology for non-science majors
PSYC 3125 – Research Methods for the Social Sciences

Social and Cultural Consciousness

ANTH 1110 – Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
ART 2135 – Fundamentals of Graphic Design
ART 3120 – Book Arts
BUSN 4115/PSYC 4110 – Organizational Behavior
COMM 1115 – Interpersonal Communication
ECON 2110 – Principles of Economics I
ECON 2115 – Principles of Economics II
ECON 3110 – Money and Banking
EDUC 3210 – Teaching English Language Learners
LEAD 3115 – Civic Responsibility
LEAD 4110/PSYC 4115 – Leadership Strategies
LEAD 4910 – Dynamics of Leadership Applications
PBHL 1110 – Introduction to Public Health
PBHL 3115 – Environmental Health
POSC 1110 – American National Government
POSC 2110 -State and Local Government
POSC 2130 – International Relations
POSC 3120 – Comparative Government
POSC 3130 – Public Policy
PSYC 1110 – General Psychology
PSYC 2190 – Child Development I
PSYC 2195 – Child Development II
PSYC 3165 – Cognition and Learning
PSYC 4110 – Organizational Behavior
SOCI 1110 – Introduction to Sociology
SOCI 2120 – Social Problems
SPEC 2110 – Characteristics and Needs of Exceptional Learners SRM 2120 – Sociology of Sport
SRM/HOSP/HIST 3170 – History of the Leisure Industry SRM/HIST 3180 – American Sport History

Technology and Information Literacy

ART 1145 – Electronic Media in the Arts
ART 2163 – Digital Photography
ART 3115 – Digital Projects
EDUC 2160 – Technology in the Classroom
ENVT 2110 – GIS/GPS
IT 1110 – Introduction to Information Technology
IT 1115 – Introduction to PC Office Applications
IT 1120 – Introduction to Programming: Python
IT 2110 – Intermediate PC Office Applications
SOSC 4910/PSYC 4125 – Research Implementation and Analysis