General Education Program
General Education provides a foundation for study across many areas of knowledge. All students are required to complete the General Education program as an essential component of the baccalaureate degree.
The Purpose of General Education
General education at MSU Billings is designed to advance students as participants in the ongoing accumulation of human knowledge and understanding. General education courses promote the development of respect for diversity, along with skills in problem solving, critical thinking, and communication necessary for students to be productive and responsible members of their communities.
General Education Minimum Satisfactory Course Grade
By action of the University’s Academic Senate, the minimum satisfactory grade students must earn in a General Education course is “C-” or better. However, students must earn an overall GPA of 2.0 in the General Education core. (11/10/05 memo #473 p. 1770)
General Education Programmatic Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the General Education Program at MSUB, students will successfully be able to:
| Respect Diversity | Problem Solve | Think Critically | Communicate Effectively |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Express the impact of inequity on the human experience | 3. Use statistical or mathematical methods to solve problems | 6. Locate and evaluate information from multiple sources | 8. Apply communication strategies for specific purposes and audiences |
| 2. Synthesize multiple perspectives in contemporary and historical contexts | 4. Use scientific methods to solve problems | 7. Synthesize evidence to construct logical arguments | 9. Utilize interpersonal skills to collaborate toward a common purpose |
| 5. Use quantitative and qualitative information to provide solutions to social and/or ethical problems |
Categorization
Students will complete 31 credits of General Education, distributed in the following categories.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| I. Global Academic Skills | ||
| A. Mathematics | 3 | |
| B. English | 3 | |
| C. Communication & Information Literacy | 3 | |
| D. Skills for College Success 1 | 1 | |
| II. Natural Sciences 2 | ||
| A. Life Sciences | 3 | |
| B. Physical Sciences | 3 | |
| Includes lab exercises | ||
| III. Social Sciences and History | ||
| A. Social Sciences | 3 | |
| B. History | 3 | |
| IV. Cultural Diversity | 3 | |
| V. Arts and Humanities | ||
| A. Fine Arts | 3 | |
| B. Humanities | 3 | |
| Total Minimum Credits | 31 | |
- 1
In addition to the MUS Transfer Policies (see MUS Core Curriculum), transfer and re-admit students who transfer in 30 or more credits are not required to meet this category.
- 2
Some majors are required to take specific science labs as part of their requirements. Please speak with an advisor for more information.
Category Descriptions
Global Academic Skills
Global Academic Skills include assessing sources of information, reading, writing, and calculating.
Natural Sciences
Natural science is devoted to discovering the principles that rule the physical universe.
Social Sciences and History
Social sciences represent those disciplines that apply scientific methods to study the network of human relationships and organizations. History involves the interpretation of diverse sources to understand past societies and events.
Cultural Diversity
Courses in the cultural diversity category facilitate understanding of and interaction between distinct human communities.
Arts and Humanities
The expressive arts include visual, performing, and language-based activities. The humanities include the study of philosophy, literature, and art history.
General Education Category Learning Objectives
- Global Academic Skills
- Mathematics
- Demonstrate ability to solve problems with quantitative information using mathematical and/or statistical methods.
- Think critically, analytically and independently about mathematical situations.
- Communicate using mathematical terminology and symbols in support of an argument or solution method.
- English
- Exhibit competency in the use of formal writing conventions, including mechanics, syntax, style, cohesion, and organization.
- Select and apply effective writing strategies for specific purposes and audiences.
- Integrate primary and secondary source material in original work with appropriate documentation.
- Communication & Information Literacy
- Engage in research to gather, evaluate, and synthesize information from multiple sources to express ideas.
- Access and use information ethically, with appropriate citation, in oral and written communication.
- Design audience-centered informative or persuasive messages.
- Mathematics
- Natural Sciences
- Life Science
- Demonstrate an understanding of living systems by describing their nature, organization, and evolution.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the scientific method and how it is used to increase our knowledge of living things.
- Make logical connections between key concepts in the life sciences and describe the interaction between human lives and other living things in order to understand the ways the environment impacts humanity and how human actions affect the environment.
- Physical Science
- Demonstrate an understanding of the physical universe and planet earth, including its origin and physical processes.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the scientific method and how it is used to solve problems and increase our knowledge of the physical world.
- Make logical connections between key concepts in the physical sciences and human life, including the interactions between the two and their impacts on one another.
- Life Science
- Social Sciences and History
- Social Sciences
- Analyze historical and cultural significance in human behavior, ideas, and institutions.
- Synthesize multiple perspectives to understand human behavior.
- Contextualize information from multiple points in time and place to understand society.
- History
- Explain historical events and ideas in appropriate context.
- Analyze and organize a variety of sources to construct historical knowledge.
- Express a historical argument in written form.
- Social Sciences
- Cultural Diversity
- Articulate an understanding of differences across ethnicities, genders, generations, and other groups of people.
- Analyze how cultural differences impact interactions in society.
- Describe effective methods to communicate across cultures.
- Arts and Humanities
- Fine Arts
- Demonstrate an understanding of the diverse roles the fine arts play in human culture.
- Identify and analyze artistic techniques used in aesthetic expression.
- Demonstrate an appreciation of the ways in which the arts enrich life.
- Humanities
- Explain the interrelationship between the humanities and other disciplines.
- Describe the ways in which the humanities influence culture and society.
- Analyze issues surrounding life, death, ethics, and morality.
- Fine Arts
General Education Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| I. Global Academic Skills | ||
| Regarding Global Academic Skills, students are required to take 1 course from Mathematics, 1 course from English, 1 course from Communication & Information Literacy, and 1 course from Skills for College Success | ||
| A. Mathematics | ||
| Select three credits from the following: | 3 | |
| Contemporary Mathematics | ||
| Extended Technical Mathematics | ||
| College Algebra | ||
| College Trigonometry | ||
| Math for Elementary Teachers I | ||
| College Math for Healthcare | ||
| Finite Mathematics | ||
| Survey of Calculus | ||
| Calculus I | ||
| Intro to Statistical Concepts | ||
| Introduction to Statistics | ||
| B. English | ||
| Select three credits from the following: | 3 | |
| College Writing I | ||
| Intro to Technical Writing | ||
| Intro to Business Writing | ||
| C. Communication & Information Literacy | ||
| Select three credits from the following: | 3 | |
| Cyber Security & Electronic Co | ||
| Intro to Public Speaking | ||
| Intro to Interpersonal Comm | ||
| Communication in Small Groups | ||
| Honors Inquiry and Research | ||
| Research in the Info Age | ||
| D. Skills for College Success | ||
| Select one credit from the following: 1 | 1 | |
| The College Experience | ||
| II. Natural Sciences | ||
| Regarding Natural Sciences, students are required to take one course from Life Sciences and one course from Physical Sciences, which include lab exercises. 2 | ||
| A. Life Sciences | ||
| Select three credits from the following: | 3 | |
| Discover Biology 3 | ||
| Discover Biology Lab 3 | ||
| Fund of Bio Plants & People 3 | ||
| Fund of Bio for Allied Health | ||
| Fund Bio: Nature of Nutrition | ||
| Principles of Living Systems and Principles Living Systems Lab 3 | ||
| B. Physical Sciences | ||
| Select three credits from the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Astronomy | ||
| Introduction to Astronomy Lab 3 | ||
| Intro to General Chemistry and Intro to Gen Chem Lab 3 | ||
| College Chemistry I and College Chemistry I Lab 3 | ||
| Intro to Physical Geology and Intro to Physical Geology Lab 3 | ||
| Montana Geology | ||
| Spatial Sciences Tech and Appl | ||
| Spatial Sciences & Tech Lab 3 | ||
| Our Physical World 3 | ||
| Our Physical World Lab 3 | ||
| College Physics I and College Physics I Lab 3 | ||
| A and B. Integrated Sciences | ||
| Integrated Sciences I 3^ | ||
| Integrated Sciences Lab I 3^ | ||
| Integrated Sciences II 3^ | ||
| Integrated Science Lab II 3^ | ||
- 1
In addition to the MUS Transfer Policies (see MUS Core Curriculum), transfer and re-admit students who transfer in 30 or more credits are not required to meet this category.
- 2
Some majors are required to take specific science labs as part of their requirements. Please speak with an advisor for more information.
- 3
Course includes lab exercises.
- ^
Elementary Education majors can satisfy Natural Sciences by taking SCIN 101 and SCIN 103.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| III. Social Sciences and History | ||
| Regarding Social Sciences and History, students are required to take one course from Social Sciences and one course from History. | ||
| A. Social Sciences | ||
| Select three credits from the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Business | ||
or BGEN 105B | Introduction to Business | |
| Comm in a Dynamic Workplace | ||
| Principles of Microeconomics | ||
| Principles of Macroeconomics | ||
| Education and Democracy | ||
| Personal Health and Wellness | ||
| Intro to American Government | ||
| Intro to Comparative Govt | ||
| Intro to Psychology | ||
| Introduction to Sociology | ||
| Social Problems | ||
| B. History | ||
| Select three credits from the following: | 3 | |
| American History I | ||
| American History II | ||
| World History to 1500 CE | ||
| Modern World History | ||
| Intro to International Rel | ||
| IV. Cultural Diversity | ||
| Regarding Cultural Diversity, students are required to take one course from the following: | 3 | |
| Culture & Society | ||
| Global Visual Culture | ||
| Intro to Intercultural Comm | ||
| Human Geography | ||
| Global Health Issues | ||
| World Lit Survey | ||
| World Music | ||
| Intro Native American Studies | ||
| Native Americans in Contmp Soc | ||
| Intro to Diversity in Counslng | ||
| The Religious Quest | ||
| The Hispanic Tradition | ||
| Women, Culture & Society | ||
| V. Arts and Humanities | ||
| Regarding Arts and Humanities, students are required to take one course from Fine Arts and one course from Humanities. | ||
| A. Fine Arts | ||
| Select three credits from the following: | 3 | |
| Visual Language-Drawing | ||
| Visual Language-2-D Fndtns | ||
| Visual Language-3-D Fndtns | ||
| Ceramics for Non-Majors | ||
| Intro Creative Writing Wrkshp | ||
| Introduction to World Cinema | ||
| Film & Lit | ||
| Enjoyment of Music | ||
| Band: MSUB Symphonic | ||
| Jazz Ensemble I: MSUB | ||
| Choral Ensemble: Univ Chorus | ||
| Exploring Digital Photography | ||
| Introduction to Theatre | ||
| B. Humanities | ||
| Select three credits from the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Art History | ||
| Perspectives and Understanding | ||
| Intro to Literature | ||
| Montana Literature | ||
| Introduction to Ethics | ||
| Philosophies of Life | ||
| People and Politics | ||
| Total Minimum credits | 31 | |