General Education Requirements

Bloomsburg University’s General Education program consists of two distinct components. Within the first component there are five specific areas; Communication, Quantitative/Analytical Reasoning, Values, Ethics, and Responsible Decision Making, Fitness and Recreation Skills and Diversity Requirements. The second component consists of Distribution Requirements from each of the three general academic areas of Humanities, Social Sciences and Natural Sciences and Mathematics. For a complete understanding of the General Education Requirements click on the Official General Education Requirements Policy below:

For related information on Undergraduate Degree requirements, visit

PRP 3604 Undergraduate Graduation Requirements.

For more specific information on the various components of the General Education Policy, visit the appropriate link below:

Specific Requirements - Communication (Goal 1 - Nine Credits)

Specific Requirements - Quantitative/Analytical Reasoning (Goal 2 - Three Credits)

Specific Requirements - Values, Ethics and Reasoning (Goal 3 - Three Credits)

Specific Requirements - Fitness and Recreation Skills (Goal 4 - Two Credits)

Specific Requirements - Diversity Requirements (Goal 7 and 10 – Six Credits)

Distribution Requirements - Group A (Humanities) (Goal 5, 6, 9 and 10 - Twelve Credits)

Distribution Requirements - Group B (Social Sciences) (Goal 5, 7, 9 and 10 - Twelve Credits)

Distribution Requirements - Group C (Natural Sciences and Mathematics) (Goal 5, 8, and 9 - Twelve Credits)

PRP 3612 - General Education Requirements

Issued By: Dr. Patrick J. Schloss, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Effective Date: Fall 2003

NOTES: For all incoming freshmen; amended by the Bloomsburg University Curriculum Committee, September 19, 1990. Approved by BUCC 2/28/96. Presented to the University Forum April 3, 1996. Revised by BUCC 11/19/97. Presented to the University Forum February 11, 1998. Revised and approved by BUCC 4/18/01. Presented to the University Forum, May 2, 2001. Approved by BUCC 11/13/02. Presented to the University Forum, November 20, 2002.

The goals of the present general education program at Bloomsburg University are to develop:

1. an ability to communicate effectively;

2. an ability to think analytically and quantitatively;

3. a facility to make independent and responsible value judgments and decisions according to high ethical values and life-long goals;

4. an appreciation of the need for fitness and life-long recreation skills;

5. a capacity for assessing the validity of ideas and an understanding of the approaches used to gain knowledge through development of critical thinking abilities;

6. a greater appreciation of literature, art, music, and theater through stimulation of one's creative interests;

7. an understanding of our society and the relative position of an individual in this society;

8. an understanding of the relationship between an individual to her/his physical and biological environments;

9. a familiarity with the major contributions of human knowledge in the humanities, social sciences, and mathematics;

10. an awareness and global understanding of the relative position of the individual in the world community.

Specific Requirements:

1. Communication (Goal One) Nine Credits

a. Two courses (six credits) consisting of Composition 1 (20.101) and one of the University approved second level writing or writing-intensive literature courses.

b. one additional course (three credits) from the approved list of communication courses.

2. Quantitative/Analytical Reasoning (Goal Two) Three Credits

Three credits from the approved list of quantitative/analytical reasoning courses.

3. Values, Ethics, and Responsible Decision-Making (Goal Three) Three Credits

Three credits from the approved list of values, ethics, and responsible decision-making courses.

4. Fitness and Recreation Skills (Goal Four) Two Credits

Two credits from the approved list of fitness and lifelong recreation skill courses.

5. Diversity Requirement (Goals Seven and Ten) Six Credits

Six credits (two courses from different departments) which are from an approved list of diversity focused courses. Diversity courses are to focus wholly on topics related to gender, race, ethnicity, religion, language, and/or global perspectives that provide an in-depth knowledge and understanding of cultural diversity. Diversity courses may be taken in general education, in the major, or as free electives.

Distribution Requirements:

Thirty six (36) credits are required with 12 credits required from each of the three general academic areas of humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences and mathematics. No more than six credits from a given academic major may count toward this distribution requirement.

At most one course which an individual uses to satisfy the Specific Requirements in communication, quantitative/analytical reasoning or, values/ethics, may be used to satisfy distribution requirements in the Distribution Requirements Humanities (A), Social Sciences (B), or Natural Sciences and Mathematics (C). The Bloomsburg University Curriculum Committee (BUCC) or an individual academic department with the approval of the BUCC may exclude any of its courses from being counted as a distribution requirement.

Group A--Humanities, 12 Credits - Twelve credits from courses developing an understanding of approaches to gain knowledge in the humanities (Goal Five), creative interests in and appreciation of art, literature, music, and theater (Goal Six), knowledge of major contributions in the humanities (Goal Nine), and global awareness (Goal Ten). At least three different humanities departments must be represented in these 12 credits with two or more credits taken from each department selected. Humanities departments include Art, Communication Studies and Theatre Arts, English, History, Languages and Cultures, Mass Communications, Music, and Philosophy.

Group B--Social Sciences, 12 Credits -Twelve credits from courses developing an understanding of approaches to gain knowledge in the social sciences (Goal Five), an understanding of our own society and the place of an individual in that society (Goal Seven), knowledge of the major contributions in the social sciences (Goal Nine), and global awareness (Goal Ten). At least three different social sciences departments must be represented in these 12 credits with two or more credits taken from each department selected. Social sciences departments include Anthropology, Economics, Geography, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology and Social Work and Criminal Justice.

Group C--Natural Sciences and Mathematics, 12 Credits- Twelve credits from courses developing an understanding of approaches to gain knowledge in the natural sciences (Goal Five), an understanding of the relationship of the individual to her/his environment (Goal Eight), and knowledge of the major contributions in the natural sciences and mathematics (Goal Nine). At least three different natural sciences and mathematics departments must be represented in these 12 credits with two or more credits taken from each department selected. Natural sciences and mathematics departments include Biological and Allied Health Sciences, Chemistry, Geosciences, Mathematics and Computer Science , and Physics and Engineering Technology.