Office of the Provost and Academic Affairs

General Education 2023 and Later

Students who first matriculated at Purchase Fall 2023 and onwards, should follow the General Education 2023 requirements.

Please consult the current course search for approved courses in each category. Additionally, refer to courses that fulfill requirements.

Students are required to take 30 credits of General Education courses in the following categories listed below. Students should consult their degree progress report, course search, and meet with their advisor before making decisions regarding what counts under these requirements and register for the appropriate courses.

Students in BA and BS degree programs are encouraged to take:

At least 30 credits of SUNY General Education approved Liberal Arts and Sciences and complete all General Education requirements during the first 60 credits (first two years) of study.

Students in BFA and MusB programs are encouraged to take:

At least 30 credits of SUNY General Education approved Liberal Arts and Sciences, with at least 20 credits completed during the first 60 credits (first two years) of study. Students should also aim to complete the four General Education categories mandated by SUNY (Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning, Natural Sciences and Scientific Reasoning, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Social Justice, and Communication Written and Oral) by the end of their Sophomore year.

Freshmen complete WRI 1110/College Writing in their first year.

Student Learning Outcomes/Students will learn to:

Research a topic, develop an argument, and organize supporting details;
Demonstrate coherent college-level communication (written and oral) that informs, persuades, or otherwise engages with an audience;
Evaluate communication for substance, bias, and intended effect; and
Demonstrate the ability to revise and improve written and oral communication.

Students choose from a list of approved courses.

Student Learning Outcomes/Students will learn to:

Interpret and draw inferences from appropriate mathematical models such as formulas, graphs, tables, or schematics;
Represent mathematical information symbolically, visually, numerically, or verbally as appropriate;
Employ quantitative methods such as arithmetic, algebra, geometry, or statistics to solve problems.

Students choose from a list of approved courses.

Student Learning Outcomes/Students will learn to:

Describe the historical and contemporary societal factors that shape the development of individual and group identity involving race, class, and gender.
Analyze the role that complex networks of social structures and systems play in the creation and perpetuation of the dynamics of power, privilege, oppression, and opportunity; and
Apply the principles of rights, access, equity, and autonomous participation to past, current, or future social justice action.

For (a) freshmen who have not declared a major and (b) freshmen in the BA and BS degree programs in the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences (except those who have declared a major in biology, chemistry, environmental studies, or psychology), FRS 1200/Science in the Modern World; all other students choose from a list of approved courses.

Student Learning Outcomes/Students will demonstrate:

Understanding of the methods scientists use to explore natural phenomena, including observation, hypothesis development, measurement and data collection, experimentation, evaluation of evidence, and employment of mathematical analysis; and
Application of scientific data, concepts, and models in one of the natural (or physical) sciences.

Humanities

Student Learning Outcomes/Students will learn to:

Demonstrate knowledge of the conventions and methods of at least one of the humanities; and
Recognize and analyze nuance and complexity of meaning through critical reflections on text, visual images, or artifacts.

US History and Civic Engagement

Student Learning Outcomes/Students will learn to:

Demonstrate understanding of United States’ society and/or history, including the diversity of individuals and communities that make up the nation;
Understand the role of individual participation in US communities and government; and
Apply historical and contemporary evidence to draw, support, or verify conclusions.

Social Sciences

Student Learning Outcomes/Students will learn to:

Describe major concepts and theories of at least one discipline in the social sciences; and
Demonstrate an understanding of the methods social scientists use to explore social phenomena.

World History and Global Awareness

Student Learning Outcomes/Students will learn to:

Demonstrate knowledge of a broad outline of world history and/or the development of the distinctive features of at least one civilization or culture in relation to other regions of the world; and
Demonstrate an understanding of the structures, systems, and interrelationships among civilizations and cultures within historical and/or contemporary contexts, and their impact and wellbeing and sustainability.

World Languages

Student Learning Outcomes/Students will demonstrate:

basic proficiency in the understanding and use of a foreign language; and
knowledge of the distinctive features of culture(s) associated with the language they are studying.

SUNY General Education Core Competencies

Critical Thinking and Reasoning and Information Literacy:

All undergraduate degree-seeking students must demonstrate the required student learning outcomes in two core competencies, Critical Thinking and Reasoning and Information Literacy.

Critical Thinking and Reasoning Student Learning Outcomes/Students will be able to:

clearly articulate an issue or problem;
identify, analyze, and evaluate ideas, data, and arguments as they occur in their own or others’ work;
acknowledge limitations such as perspective and bias; and
develop well-reasoned (logical) arguments to form judgments and/or draw conclusions.

Information Literacy Student Learning Outcomes/Students will be able to:

locate information effectively using tools appropriate to their need and discipline;
evaluate information from a variety of sources with an awareness of authority, validity, bias, and origin; and
demonstrate an understanding of the ethical dimensions of information use, creation, and dissemination, whether from traditional sources or emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence.

At Purchase College, both of the above Core Competencies are currently satisfied by WRI 1110/College Writing, a required course that meets the Communication, Written and Oral General Education requirement.

Transfer students who fulfil the Communication, Written and Oral General Education requirement through a course other than WRI 1110/College Writing automatically fulfill the Core Competency requirements of Critical Thinking and Reasoning and Information Literacy when they fulfill the Communication, Written and Oral General Education requirement.

Civic Discourse:

As of Fall 2026 all incoming students are additionally required to complete a core competency in Civic Discourse.

Civic Discourse Student Learning Outcomes/Students will be able to:

deliberate ideas through reasoned inquiry that seeks new information and considers multiple viewpoints; and
practice ethical advocacy, dissent, and dialogue that constructively attends to points of conflict.

At Purchase College, this Core Competency is currently satisfied by courses approved to fulfill the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Social Justice General Education category (see above).

Transfer students who fulfill the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Social Justice General Education requirement through course work taken at another institution automatically fulfill the Core Competency requirement of Civic Discourse at Purchase College.

Health and Wellness

Students take 1-2 credits from a list of approved health, wellness, or physical education courses. These credits do not count toward the minimum of 30 credits required in the SUNY General Education requirements, but all students must complete this category as a local Purchase College requirement.