Requirements for General Education (Core Curriculum)

Understanding Our World 

These courses help form modes of cognition essential for understanding foundational aspects of our natural world (11 credit hours). 

1. Quantitative Literacy (QL): 3 Hours
Successful students apply mathematical methods to represent and solve problems in various contexts, such as personal finance, business, and science. 

• MAT1311 College Algebra
• MAT1312 Trigonometry
• MAT1313 Precalculus
• MAT1316 Business Calculus
• MAT1402 Analytical Geometry and Calculus

Successful students proficiently interpret quantitative information, such as statistics in research, graphical data representations, and numerical trends, and communicate, critically analyze, and draw conclusions from such data.

• ACC2301 Principles of Financial Accounting
• BUA2310 Business Statistics
• MAT3303 Probability and Statistics
• PSY3310 Psychological Statistics

2. Scientific Reasoning Competency (SR): 3-4 Hours

Successful students possess foundational knowledge and apply core principles underlying the natural, physical, and health sciences; Successful students design and conduct scientific investigations, formulate hypotheses, collect and analyze data, and draw evidence-based conclusions. 

• BIO1300 Human Biology
• BIO1303/1003 Integrated Science I and Lab
• BIO1304/1004 Integrated Science II and Lab
• BIO1405 Majors Biology I
• BIO2401 Human Anatomy and Physiology I
• CHE1306/1106 Introductory Chemistry
• CHE1307/1107 General Chemistry I
• NRC1300 Introduction to Wildlife Management
• PHY1303/1103 General Physics I
• PHY2301/2101 Engineering Physics I

3. Health and Wellness Competency (HW): 1-2 Hours

Successful students understand and apply essential concepts of personal health, fitness, and wellness. 

• ESS1200 Personal Fitness and Wellness
• ESS Activities Course

4. Social Science Literacy Competency (SSL): 3 hours

Successful students understand the complex cultural, economic, historical, political, and other dynamics that influence human behavior; Successful students employ social science theories to critically examine diverse societal issues and phenomena. 

• EDU3350 Educational Psychology
• PSY1300 General Psychology
• PSY2310 Lifespan Human Development
• PSY2340 Psychology of Diversity
• SOC1300 General Sociology

Engaging Our World 

These courses explore ways we engage relationally with others and the world around us to communicate effectively, examine information critically, value creative expression, and honor others (15 credit hours). 

5. Communication Proficiency (CP): 9 hours (ENG1301, ENG1302, and 3 hours from CP or DIL)

Successful students convey ideas clearly and coherently in written, oral, and visual forms and tailor their messages for diverse audiences and purposes. 

• ENG1301 Composition Studies
• ENG1302 Composition and Literature
• ENG3308 Technical Writing

Successful students actively listen and interpret verbal and non-verbal cues and empathetically engage others through constructive conversation and/or public oral presentations.

• COM2340 Communication for the Professional
• COM3342 Communication and Life Work (H)

6. Digital and Information Literacy (DIL): 

Successful students critically assess the credibility, relevance, and bias of information and synthesize information from varied sources to make decisions; Successful students consistently apply ethical standards, including citing sources properly and observing intellectual property laws, when gathering, using, and disseminating information.

• IST1301 Foundations of Information Systems & Technology
• EDS2320/EEL2320 Instructional Technology

7. Creative Arts Literacy (CAL): 3 hours 

Successful students engage, interpret, and critically evaluate artifacts of artistic and creative expression from various cultural contexts and media.

• AFA2350 Introduction to Fine Arts
• ART2307 Art History Survey I
• ART2308 Art History Survey II
• MUS1301 Music Literature
• ENG3326 Introduction to Film Studies
• MUS3303 Music History I
• MUS3304 Music History II
• MUS3300 Survey of the Music of Worship

Successful students comprehend aesthetic principles and demonstrate creative thinking and skills, including innovation and meaning-making, to produce or contribute to artistic works.

• ART1305 Two-Dimensional Design
• ART1303 Drawing I
• THA1361 Introduction to Acting
• ART3306 Art and Children
• ENG3305 Introduction to Creative Writing

8. Intercultural Competence (IC): 3 hours

Successful students understand other cultural worldviews, including their histories, values, communication styles, beliefs, biases, and practices, and exhibit self-awareness of their own cultural values, rules, and biases.

• PSY2340 Psychology of Diversity
• ENG3321 African-American Literature
• GBC3310 Global Experience
• MIS3312 Intercultural Engagement
• REL3301 World Religions
• REL3313 World Christianity

Successful students effectively interact with others through open, curious, empathetic, and appreciative modes of communication that exhibit cross-cultural respect. 

• FOL courses
• COM3372 Intercultural Communication
• LIN2302 How Language Works

Shaping Our World 

These courses survey specific Christian, Social, Political, and Historical contexts, how they developed and their characteristics, and offer guidance for engaging our own world wisely and effectively (18 credit hours).

9. Christian Wisdom (CW): 12 hours

Successful students comprehend and appreciate the meta-narrative of the Christian Scriptures. (6 hours)

• BIB1310 Introduction to the Old Testament
• BIB1312 Introduction to the Old Testament - Majors
• BIB1320 Introduction to the New Testament
• BIB1322 Introduction to the New Testament - Majors

Successful students recognize and discern Christianity's influence throughout history. (3 hours)

• BIB3305 Christian Heritage
• HTH3311 Christian History and Theology I

Successful students engage the foundational beliefs and practices of Christian living. (3 hours)

• BIB3310 Christian Life
• MIN2322 Christian Spiritual Formation

Transfer students must take a Bible courses at the university equal to 10% of the courses taken at the university but no fewer than 6 hours.

10. Civic Engagement (CE): 3 hours from CE or CTAE

Successful students comprehend the civic processes and responsibilities of their current environment; Successful students promote their community’s quality of life through political and non-political processes. 

• ECO2301 Macroeconomics
• ECO2302 Microeconomics
• GOV2301 National Government
• GOV2302 Texas State and Local Government
• HIS courses

11. Critical Thinking & Ethical Awareness (CTAE): 3 hours from CE or CTAE 

Successful students comprehend significant ethical and philosophical concerns as framed by Western intellectual culture, carefully evaluate and assemble relevant evidence, and use justifiable approaches to engage the issues meaningfully. 

• PHI2304 Introduction to Philosophy
• PHI3305 Ethics

12. Human Experience (HE): 3 hours

Successful students evaluate source materials and human activities within their historical contexts; Successful students use causal reasoning to interpret the influences of the past upon the present. 

• ENG2301 Masterpieces of Literature
• HIS1315 World History and Geography I
• HIS1316 World History and Geography II
• HIS2301 History of the United States I
• HIS2302 History of the United States II
• HUM2300 Exploring Human Experience
• MUS3304 Music History II

Additional General Education Requirements 
(1 credit hour)

• UNI1170 University Seminar
• UNI2000 University Skills

First-time beginning undergraduates must take UNI1170 (University Seminar) during their first semester of attendance. Students transferring to the university with postsecondary transfer credit totaling 30 or more hours are exempt from UNI1170 (University Seminar). 

See each degree program for specific core course requirements.
 

Requirements for Associate Degrees

• Completion of 60 semester hours or more depending on the prescribed requirements
• Achieve an overall GPA of at least 2.00
• Complete at least 25% of hours required for the degree in residence
• Completion of course requirements and examinations specified by the major department and the university
• Completion of an application for graduation, submitted to the office of the registrar before the deadline
• Requirements for the degree must be completed within 7 years of original enrollment in the university

Requirements for Baccalaureate Degrees

• Completion of 120 semester hours or more, depending on the prescribed requirements. At least 39 hours must be from upper level courses
• Achieve an overall GPA of at least 2.00
• Completion of at least 25% of the hours required for the degree from the university. Residency requirement must be completed after achieving senior status and at least 15 of the hours required for residency must be upper level
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing students must complete at least 25% of their hours at the university
• Completion of major courses with a GPA of at least 2.0
• At least 18 hours of the major must be from upper level courses
• Completion of course requirements and examinations specified by the major department and the university
• Completion of an application for graduation, submitted to the office of the registrar by the deadline
• Requirements for the degree must be completed within seven years of original enrollment at the university
• Students seeking a second baccalaureate degree must complete the requirements for both degrees and earn a minimum of 24 semester hours in addition to those required for the first degree

Requirements for Minors

Minors are a cohesive set of courses selected to complement a major or to explore areas of interest unrelated to a major. Students are not eligible to pursue minors in the same discipline as their majors. Completion of an approved application for a minor must be submitted to the office of the registrar before the deadline to apply for graduation.

• Completion of 18 semester hours or more from a specific area of study, 9 of which must be upper level
• No more than 12 transfer hours may be counted towards a minor
• Completion of minor courses with at least a 2.0 GPA except for the Honors Minor which requires a 3.0 GPA

Graduation Commitment

It is the responsibility of students to know their academic plan and to register for and complete courses that fulfill the academic plans. Degrees will be awarded only when students satisfactorily complete the conditions of their academic plans and meet all other requirements for earning a degree. Students must complete the application for graduation when registering for their last semester. Students have one year from the intended graduation date to complete the graduation requirements; if they do not complete graduation requirements within one year, they must re-apply for graduation. Students needing longer periods of time must secure dean approval.

To participate in commencement exercises, students must have successfully completed, or be currently enrolled in and completing, all program requirements for the degree during the term in which they intend to graduate.

Graduating Catalog

Students are entitled to graduate under the curriculum of the catalog in effect at the time of their first completed semester of enrollment with the following exceptions.

• Students may not use a catalog older than seven years
• Students who interrupt their enrollment, for reasons other than involuntary military service, for more than one calendar year shall be covered by the catalog in effect at the time of the re-entry
• Students who change their major from one department to another within the university shall be governed by the degree requirements that are in effect at the time the change of major becomes effective