General Education

302 MSRB, PO Box 22600, (801) 378-3038

Dean: Paul A. Cox, Professor, Botany and Range Science
Associate Dean: Steven Benzley, Professor, Civil Engineering
Associate Dean: Susan Easton Black, Professor, Church History and Doctrine
Associate Dean: James E. Faulconer, Professor, Philosophy
Assistant Dean: Neal W. Kramer

Undergraduate Education at BYU

There are three components to an undergraduate education at Brigham Young University: religious education, major education, and general education. Religion courses are provided at BYU so that students may progress in their religious understanding and convictions simultaneously with their educational progress in secular fields. Education in the major provides students with depth in a particular academic discipline. It introduces them to the type of thinking, language, and skills that prepare them for a career or further study in postgraduate or professional programs. General education is intended to provide students with intellectual breadth. General education covers the range of human accomplishments: the development of language and civilization; the arts; and the social, behavioral, physical, and biological sciences. These three aspects of the baccalaureate degree—religious education, major education, and general education—are described briefly below.

Religious Education

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believes secular understanding and skill are important attainments in life and will better serve the individual when accompanied by religious convictions, attitudes, and standards of behavior. Please refer to the Religious Education section of this catalog for more detail.

Major Education

BYU offers nearly 150 undergraduate major programs. Most of these programs are centered in the more than 50 academic departments, but several interdisciplinary programs are also available. The complete list of these degrees is given in the Alphabetical List of Undergraduate Majors at Brigham Young University section of this catalog. Of the 128 credit hours required as a minimum for the baccalaureate degree, the major program typically comprises between 40 and 60 credit hours, with some exceeding 60 credit hours. Requirements for major programs are detailed under specific departments in this catalog. Students need not feel undue pressure to declare a major immediately upon entering the university, and they may wish to enroll in general education courses that can introduce them to possible areas for major study. However, some majors, including those in the natural sciences, engineering, music, and visual arts, are tightly structured. Efficient graduation from these programs requires students to undertake degree requirements during the first semester of their freshman year. Students who are considering these programs are encouraged to begin them as soon as possible. The academic departments and college advisement centers can provide advice about particular degree requirements and selection of a major.

General Education

The General Education (GE) Program at Brigham Young University complements the other two areas of a university education. Through its perspective, we gain vantage points from which to view the development of our own culture and to see its relation to others.

GE courses teach one to think critically, and they pose questions that foster the development of moral judgment and aesthetic and cultural sensitivities. At Brigham Young University these courses are taught in the context of the restored gospel and the implications that the gospel of Jesus Christ holds for knowledge, truth, and society.

Revisions in the requirements of the GE Program have been approved for students who entered BYU fall 1995 or later. Students who entered prior to fall 1995 have the option to continue with their original GE program (if it is still in effect) or to switch to the new program. They are encouraged to meet with their college advisement center or faculty advisors to discuss the optimal program, given their current status.

Description of the GE Program

The GE Program has categories called Languages of Learning, Liberal Arts Core, and Arts and Sciences Electives. Both the Languages of Learning and the Liberal Arts Core provide for multiple ways to satisfy individual requirements. The number of courses and credit hours needed to satisfy a requirement will vary with the particular option chosen and/or the student's previous preparation.

The objectives for each of the three areas are explained below. Brief statements of the ways to satisfy the requirements of the GE program are provided in the accompanying table. Detailed information concerning the mechanisms available to complete each requirement is given in the General Education Courses section of the current class schedule.

Languages of Learning

In our modern, complex society, the ability to communicate effectively is deemed a critical skill. Under the Languages of Learning category are grouped the areas of writing, mathematics, foreign languages, and music, each of which represent an important way to convey information and understanding. Because writing at the college level is considered essential to success at the university, students are asked to complete a first-year writing course. Later, once they have identified an area for major study, they are provided with an opportunity to develop writing skills in that discipline. To function in a technological society, a basic knowledge of mathematics as a means of communication and problem solving is essential. All students, upon admission, are asked to certify a basic level of numeracy, either with an appropriately high score on the Mathematics section of the ACT or SAT exams or by completion of a BYU course. We then ask that students exhibit a mastery of either mathematics, music, or a foreign language at an advanced level. At this level students achieve an exposure to cultures and to the ways in which practitioners of the language structure their knowledge.

Liberal Arts Core

A traditional university education has included introductions to the core or fundamental areas of knowledge. These have typically covered the biological and physical sciences and aspects of cultures and civilizations. Here at BYU we also include as part of our core an introduction to the political and economic foundations of the American democratic system and a requirement to assist in developing one's physical and mental well-being.

For every requirement in the core, with the exception of History of Civilization, there are two pathways to complete the requirement—a one-course option and a multiple-course (two or three) option. The multiple-course series are structured to cover much of the same material that is included in the one-course options but in greater depth.

The options for different core requirements are independent of each other. That is, one may choose the two-course sequence to satisfy the Biological Science core requirement but choose the one-course option for the Physical Science, American Heritage, and Wellness requirements. In general, students will find it most efficient to take the one-course options for a given requirement. However, students in some majors will find that a particular core requirement can be satisfied using the multiple-course pathway with courses they are already taking for their major. Students with career or personal interests outside their major may find that the multiple-course options better serve their needs. For example, the philosophy or language major who hopes to become a physician may satisfy the Physical and/or Biological Science core requirement by virtue of the science courses required for admission to medical school.

Arts and Sciences Electives

The Arts and Sciences electives are divided into three categories: Arts and Letters, Natural Sciences, and Social and Behavioral Sciences. These three divisions encompass the spectrum of human endeavors. The objective of elective courses certified to satisfy this requirement is to introduce students in a little more focused way than the core courses to specific disciplines or areas of study. Students must take one course from each of the three areas. Unless the major program dictates a specific course, students are free to select from a large list of approved courses. These courses are certified for approval by a faculty council, and students are encouraged to check a current class schedule for an up-to-date list of approved courses.

Some courses are approved as both Arts and Sciences electives and as one of the multiple-course sequences for the alternate option to the Liberal Arts Core requirements. The same course cannot be used for both the elective requirement and to partially complete the core requirement.

Because a significant objective of general education is to provide breadth to the student's education, we recommend that elective courses be taken outside the major. However, once a course certified to satisfy an elective is completed, the GE requirement will be considered satisfied. Changes in majors will not affect the student's progress toward completion of the GE program. Nevertheless, the new major may impose additional requirements, such as a particular Advanced Writing course.

Where variable numbers of courses or credit hours are indicated, the effort required to complete the requirement depends upon the student's level of preparation. The complete list of courses currently certified to satisfy a particular requirement and additional details of how to complete the requirements are given in the General Education Courses section of the current class schedule.

Selection and Timing of GE Classes

To gain approval to meet a GE requirement, a course is subjected to a rigorous evaluation. Such approval is not granted lightly, and students should ensure that the courses they select are, in fact, approved for GE credit. This information is updated each semester and term and is published in the current class schedule.

The Honors Program offers a number of courses that satisfy both GE and honors requirements. These courses provide a deeper, more intense exposure to the subject matter for the student who is interested in a challenging experience. Additional information concerning these courses may be obtained from 102A MSRB, telephone (801) 378-5976, or by consulting the University Honors Program Course Guide.

Although the time to complete GE requirements varies according to the major, students should complete the First-Year Writing and Precollege Mathematics requirements during the freshman year. Students planning to satisfy the Biological Science, Physical Science, and American Heritage core requirements with the one-course options (e.g., Biol 100, PhyS 100, and AHtg 100) should also complete these during the freshman year. History of Civilization courses are designed as sophomore-level courses, although some programs include them during the freshman year. Advice as to when to complete the other GE requirements can be obtained at college advisement centers or department offices.

Ways to Complete GE Requirements Other Than by Course Work

There are several mechanisms by which students may satisfy the components of the GE Program: passing special examinations at the university; transferring acceptable credit from other academic institutions; or receiving credit from Advanced Placement (AP) examinations or from the College Level Examination Program (CLEP).

Special GE Examinations

General education requirements can be accomplished by successful completion of a special examination. Two types of examinations are available, exemption and challenge exams. Exemption exams do not, as a matter of course, carry academic credit or grades. A passing score on an exemption exam shows on the Advisement by Computer (ABC) form only as a completion of the requirement.

Challenge exams as a group always carry academic credit and a letter grade. The student's transcript and grade point average reflect the score obtained on the exam. A schedule for taking exemption and challenge exams can be found in the current class schedule.

Exemption Examinations. Exemption examinations are offered in the Testing Center (265 HGB) for Precollege Mathematics and Physical Science. These are given early each semester/term so that students may drop classes that their performance on an exam demonstrates are unnecessary and register for others. Consult the Testing Center and advisement centers for the specific dates of these exams. First semester/term students are permitted to take the First-Year Writing and Precollege Mathematics exams free of charge one time. All other attempts will be subject to a fee, payable at the Testing Center.

First-Year Writing. Those wishing to complete First-Year Writing by special examination may begin by taking an examination in the Testing Center. In addition to passing this exam, students will need to complete an essay exam, take three tests in the Harold B. Lee Library, and submit samples of their writing to the English Composition Office for evaluation. All parts of the process must be completed within the period of the examination dates. Students who wish academic credit for successful completion of the First-Year Writing requirement may purchase the academic credit and have a grade recorded on the transcript. The Reading/Writing Center (1010 JKHB) is available to assist students who are preparing for the First-Year Writing exam.

Physical Science. While offered primarily as an exemption exam, students may elect, after completion of the exam, to purchase academic credit for the course and have the grade from the exam posted to the transcript.

Precollege Mathematics. Since the Precollege Mathematics requirement is typically satisfied by a course (Math 97) that carries no credit, the option to purchase academic credit is not available for this examination.

Challenge Examinations. Some challenge exams are offered through the Testing Center and others must be arranged through departments. There is a fee to take each examination. In addition, to satisfy the GE requirement, students must request academic credit in order to have a letter grade posted to the transcript and reflected in the grade point average. The procedure to take exams and request academic credit is described below.

Receiving Course Credit. For examinations given at the Testing Center, go to the Testing Center on one of the scheduled examination dates (see current class schedule for examination dates), pay the required fee, and take the test. Upon successful completion of the exam, obtain a Class Credit Request Form from the Testing Center and have it validated there. Students who pass the First-Year Writing exam must obtain this form from the English Composition Office (3110 JKHB) and have it signed by the coordinator of composition. Take the validated form to the Records Office (B-150 ASB). The form must be submitted to the Records Office within one year after completing the exam.

Students enrolled in the course whose exam they have just passed must also complete a Change of Registration Form and drop this course. Failure to officially drop it before the university deadline will cause the grade given by the course instructor to appear on the transcript rather than the grade based upon the challenge exam performance.

For examinations not given in the Testing Center, contact the department that offers the course during the first two weeks of the semester/term, complete the Special Examination Form available there, and arrange a date to take the test. Go to the Cashiers' Office (D-155 ASB) pay the required fee, and have the form validated there. Present the validated form to the departmental examiner at the time of the test; have the grade and credit recorded on that form by the departmental examiner after the test has been taken and scored. Present the completed form to the Records Office (B-150 ASB) The form must be submitted within one year after completing the exam.

Transfer Credit

The application of transfer credit to GE requirements is handled by the Transfer Evaluation Office (B-238 ASB). Consortium agreements have been reached with several junior and community colleges to facilitate the transfer process for students who have completed certain associate degrees. The Transfer Evaluation Office can be contacted for up-to-date information regarding the status of those agreements with a particular junior or community college.

Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate Credit

The results of some Advanced Placement (AP) exams may be used to waive certain GE requirements and to obtain general university credit. AP credit posted to a transfer institution will be evaluated upon BYU's standards and not those of the transfer institution. A policy regarding international baccalaureate (IB) credit is now under review. The Academic Advisement Office (B-238 ASB, [801] 378-3641) can be contacted for details regarding credit hours and exemption from GE requirements for both AP and IB exams.

College Level Examination Program

BYU will grant credit for the College Level Examination Program (CLEP). For each general examination on which a student scores 610 or higher, the university will grant 3 hours of credit. Students can contact the Admissions Office (A-153 ASB, [801] 378-2507) for additional information.

General Education Program

Note: This list is subject to change each semester. Some classes listed here have approval on a trial basis and may be removed from the list at a later date. Please consult a current class schedule each semester/term to ensure that the class you take is still approved for GE. Some requirements can also be satisfied via AP or IB credit. Check with the Academic Advisement Office, B-238 ASB, telephone (801) 378-3641, for the current mapping of AP/IB exams to ensure GE requirements.

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