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 fulfillrequirements.
Students are required to take 30 credits of General Education courses in the following categories listed below. A minimum of 3 semester hours of approved credit must be completed to satisfy each category. 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.
For BA and BS degree programs students are encouraged to take:
At least 30 credits of SUNY General Education approved Liberal Arts and Sciences during the first 60 credits (first two years) of study.
For BFA and MusB programs students 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.
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. Math fluency may be required as a prerequisite for certain courses (e.g., in mathematics and other natural science disciplines, in economics, and in new media).
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.
Students choose from a list of approved courses
Student Learning Outcomes/Students will learn to:
Demonstrate an understanding of at least one principal form of artistic expression and the creative process inherent therein.
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.
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.