General Education
As a liberal arts college, Benedictine College is dedicated to providing a liberal arts education by means of academic programs based on a core of studies in the arts and sciences. Through these programs, the college guides students to refine their capacity for the pursuit and acquisition of truth, to appreciate the major achievements in thought and culture, and to understand the principles that sound theoretical and practical judgment require.
The general education program seeks to achieve these goals by dividing the general education requirements into three categories: Core, Foundations, and Skills/Perspectives.
The Core
The Core courses are classes that all students take. They are courses designed both to lay the foundation for a successful academic career and to clearly and explicitly communicate the mission of the College.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| English Composition With Review | ||
| English Composition | ||
| Honors English Research Seminar | ||
| THEO-1100 | Introduction to Theology | 3 |
| EXSC-1115 | Wellness for Life 4 | 1 |
| PHIL-2100 | Principles of Nature 3 | 3 |
| Foreign Language 1 2 | 4 | |
| Foreign Language 2 2 | 4 | |
| Total Hours | 18-19 | |
- 1
Honors Scholars are required to complete HONR-1030 Honors English Research Seminar, in place of either of the English Composition courses.
- 2
Students are required to have competency through the second semester of the same foreign language. Students who successfully complete ESLG-2930 Public Speaking will have completed the College Foreign Language general education requirement. Non-native English language speaking students who demonstrate advanced English language proficiency prior to admission will satisfy the general education Foreign Language requirement upon approval of the ESL Director. American Sign Language 1 and 2 may be transferred to complete the Foreign Language requirement.
- 3
PHIL-2310 Philosophy of Nature, also satisfies the college’s core requirement in philosophy.
- 4
NURS-3200 Foundations of Nursing, for Nursing Majors.
Approved Fitness Courses
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| EXSC-1100 | Physical Fitness | 1 |
| EXSC-1101 | Aerobics-FITNESS | 1 |
| EXSC-1105 | Beginning Gymnastics & Body Mechanics | 1 |
| EXSC-1106 | Beginning Swimming | 1 |
| EXSC-1107 | Beg Weight & Circuit Training -FITNESS | 1 |
| EXSC-1108 | Intermediate Swimming- Fitness | 1 |
| EXSC-1109 | Karate (FITNESS) | 1 |
| EXSC-1111 | Varsity Sport Activity | 1 |
| EXSC-1114 | Aikido (FITNESS) | 1 |
| EXSC-1116 | Lifestyle FIT | 1 |
| EXSC-1117 | Brazilian Jiu Jitsu I | 1 |
| EXSC-1126 | Zumba (FITNESS) | 1 |
| EXSC-1128 | FITNESS Swimming | 1 |
| EXSC-1129 | Pickleball | 1 |
| MILS-1160 | Foundations of Officership | 1 |
| MILS-2160 | Individual Leadership Studies | 2 |
| MILS-3160 | Leadership & Problem Solving | 3 |
Foundations
The Foundations are where Benedictine College most explicitly focuses on transmitting the specific purposes of the general education program: to refine students’ capacity to pursue and acquire truth; to help them to appreciate the great achievements of thought and culture; and to develop their capacity to understand the principles of sound practical and theoretical judgment. The College does not require courses to be from specific departments (for example, history), but rather looks at the subject of the course (for example, art history or economic history also provide students with an “historical inquiry” and thus fulfill the foundation). Benedictine College believes that it is essential that students are exposed to a wide variety of perspectives, thus even though a course may be listed in two different Foundations, each course can only be applied to one Foundation.
Students must take courses that meet the following foundations:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Faith | 6 | |
| Aesthetic Foundation | 6 | |
| Historical Inquiry Foundation | 6 | |
| Mathematical Reasoning Foundation | 3 | |
| Person and Community in the Contemporary World | 3 | |
| Philosophical Inquiry | 6 | |
| Understanding the Natural World (including one lab) (Must be taken in two different disciplines.) | 7-8 | |
| Total Hours | 37-38 | |
Skills and Perspectives
The Skills and Perspectives courses are designed to ensure that the students are exposed to a variety of perspectives and learn the essential skills they will need for a successful life after college. Because the College believes that these things can be accomplished in a variety of ways and in almost any discipline, the intention is that they can be met through the general education program or the major, without any additional required hours. Students can be credited with up to three Skills and Perspectives (and one Foundation) in one course.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Skills and Perspectives | ||
| Global Perspective (1 course) | 1 | |
| Oral Communication (1 course) | 1 | |
| Scientific Method (1 course) | 1 | |
| Visual Communication (1 course) | 1 | |
| Western Perspective (1 course) | 1 | |
| Written Communication (2 courses) | 2 | |
Transfer Students
Transfer students who have an Associate of Arts degree, an Associate of Science degree, or who transfer in 60 or more credit hours when they begin their studies at Benedictine College can complete the general education requirements as follows. (Note that none of these 60 hours may be from A.P., I.B., CLEP, or placement exams. All must be earned from a college or university.)
(Beginning freshmen who matriculate first to Benedictine College after high school graduation, even if they have an associate’s degree or transfer in 60 or more hours, are responsible for completing the entire general education program.)
General Education requirements for transfer students with an Associate’s degree (A.A. or A.S.) or who transfer in 60 or more hours:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| English Composition | ||
| English Composition With Review | ||
| Honors English Research Seminar | ||
| THEO-1100 | Introduction to Theology | 3 |
| EXSC-1115 | Wellness for Life | 1 |
| PHIL-2100 | Principles of Nature | 3 |
| Foundations | ||
| Each course may meet one requirement: | ||
| Aesthetic Foundation | ||
| Mathematical Reasoning Foundation | ||
| Historical Inquiry Foundation | 3 | |
| Person and Community Foundation | 3 | |
| Understanding the Natural World | 3 | |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Perspectives | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
Global Perspective (1 course) | ||
Foreign Language | ||
| Total Hours | 25-27 | |
Courses in the above areas taken for college credit prior to transferring to Benedictine College will usually be accepted and will reduce the general education hours required for graduation accordingly.