General Education

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General Education at SUNY Ulster defines a set of common learning goals for all students in all curricula. It provides students with the skills and knowledge essential for continuing intellectual development beyond their college experience and creates a learning environment sensitive to the needs of students, the community, and society. General Education endeavors to equip students with the intellectual skills needed for them to perform as productive workers and leaders in their chosen fields and as effective and ethical citizens in a democratic society.

Learning Goals of General Education

1. MATHEMATICS
   Students will demonstrate the ability to interpret and draw inferences from mathematical models such as formulas, graphs, tables, and schematics; represent mathematical information symbolically, visually, numerically, and verbally; employ quantitative methods such as arithmetic, algebra, geometry, or statistics to solve problems; estimate and check mathematical results for reasonableness; and recognize the limits of mathematical and statistical methods.
2. NATURAL SCIENCES
   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 sciences.
3. SOCIAL SCIENCES
   Students will demonstrate understanding of the methods social scientists use to explore social phenomena, including observation, hypothesis development, measurement and data collection, experimentation, evaluation of evidence, and employment of mathematical and interpretive analysis; and knowledge of major concepts, models, and issues of at least one discipline in the social sciences.
4. AMERICAN HISTORY
   Students will demonstrate knowledge of a basic narrative of American history: political, economic, social, and cultural, including knowledge of unity and diversity in American society; knowledge of common institutions in American society and how they have affected different groups; and understanding of America’s evolving relationship with the rest of the world.
5. WESTERN CIVILIZATION
   Students will demonstrate knowledge of the development of the distinctive features of the history, institutions, economy, society, culture, of Western civilization; and relate the development of Western civilization to that of other regions of the world.
6. OTHER WORLD CIVILIZATIONS
   Students will demonstrate knowledge of either a broad outline of world history, or the distinctive features of the history, institutions, economy, society, culture, of one non-Western civilization.
7. HUMANITIES
   Students will demonstrate knowledge of the conventions and methods of at least one of the humanities in addition to those encompassed by other knowledge areas required by the General Education program.
8. THE ARTS
   Students will demonstrate understanding of at least one principal form of artistic expression and the creative process inherent therein.
9. FOREIGN LANGUAGE
   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.
10. BASIC COMMUNICATION
    Students will produce coherent texts within common college-level written forms; demonstrate the ability to revise and improve such texts; research a topic, develop an argument, and organize supporting details; develop proficiency in oral discourse; and evaluate an oral presentation according to established criteria.

In addition, two competencies are infused throughout the General Education program:

1. CRITICAL THINKING (REASONING)
   Students will identify, analyze, and evaluate arguments as they occur in their own or others’ work; and develop well-reasoned arguments.
2. INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
   Students will perform the basic operations of personal computer use; understand and use basic research techniques; and locate, evaluate, and synthesize information from a variety of sources.

General Education Requirements for the A. A. and A. S. Degrees

SUNY Ulster faculty have adopted the General Education requirements of the State University of New York (SUNY). In part, this is to provide a seamless transition from SUNY Ulster to a SUNY four-year institution. Students are required to take one or more courses carrying at least 3 credits from 7 of 10 Knowledge Areas and one course from each of 2 Skills Areas. Specific courses currently offered by SUNY Ulster that will satisfy each of these areas are listed below. Students should check the up-to-date listing at www.sunyulster.edu.

At SUNY Ulster, students in the Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degree programs must complete 21 of the required 30 credits as a condition of graduation. Students must complete a minimum of five categories, including the required mathematics and basic communications categories, and can select a maximum of two courses from any category.

General Education Requirements for the A.A.S. Degree

SUNY Ulster’s faculty members have adopted the following General Education requirements for students pursuing Associate in Applied Science degrees:

SUNY Ulster’s Programs of Study

SUNY Ulster is authorized by the Board of Regents of the State of New York to offer the following degrees and programs. Enrollment in other than registered or otherwise approved programs may jeopardize a student’s eligibility for certain student aid awards.

A Higher Education General Information Survey code (HEGIS) precedes each program. These represent a taxonomy of instructional programs in higher education created for, and maintained by, the National Center for Education Statistics. The NYSED code is the New York State Education Department code for that program.

Certificate Programs

Diploma Programs

Associate in Arts (A.A.) Programs

Within this program, courses are available in the following disciplines:

Associate in Science (A.S.) Programs

Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) Programs

Electives

When electives are specified in the curriculum listings on the following pages, electives may be chosen from the,following:

Humanities Electives

Any course from the following disciplines:

Art (ART)
Communications and Media Arts (COM)
200-Level English (except ENG 227 ) (ENG)
French (FRE)
German (GER)
Humanities (HUM)
Music (MUS)
Philosophy (PHI)
Sign Language (SGN)
Spanish (SPA)
Theater (THE)

Math Electives

Math electives are curriculum-specific. Refer to the curriculum for your program.

Science Electives

Any course in the following disciplines:

Astronomy (AST)
Biology (Except BIO 100 ) (BIO)
Chemistry (Except CHE 100 ) (CHE)
Earth Science (ESC)
Physics (PHY)
Science (SCI)

Social Science Electives

Any course from the following disciplines:

Economics (ECO)
History (HIS)
Political Science (POS)
Psychology (PSY)
Social Science (SOS)
Sociology (SOC)

Liberal Arts Electives

Any courses listed above under the following:

Humanities
Math
Social Sciences
Science
Also Computer Science (CSC) and Geography (GEG)

Open Electives

Any credit-bearing courses except Physical Education courses (PED)