Academic Programs / General Education

General Education

As the 21st century advances, the amount of information available to us and the speed with which we can access information continues to expand at a stunning pace. General Education (GenEd) is a response to this reality: in a world where no one can hope to know it all, the best way to prepare for the future is to learn how information is linked and how pieces of information are interrelated.

GenEd is about making connections. GenEd classes draw connections between academic knowledge and current controversies. From global terrorism to global climate change, from digital mapping to the future of television, GenEd classes will involve looking at cutting edge issues from multiple perspectives. GenEd draws connections too with the city of Philadelphia, as classroom study is integrated with Temple's dynamic urban environment.

Find out more about General Education at www.temple.edu/gened.

For New Freshman Students

All new freshman students starting in academic year 2008-2009 and later are required to complete Temple University's new General Education (GenEd) curriculum.  (New transfer students starting in academic year 2008-2009 are required to complete the Core curriculum.)

The General Education curriculum introduces students to nine areas of learning and a total of eleven courses, divided into Foundation courses and Breadth courses.

Foundation Courses

Course Sequencing

Students are advised to take the three-semester sequence formed by Analytical Reading & Writing, Mosaic I and Mosaic II as soon as possible after entering Temple in order and in successive semesters.

In addition, GenEd considers Quantitative Literacy a foundational course, and thus, students are advised to take a GenEd Quantitative Literacy course as soon as possible after entering Temple and before enrolling in Science & Technology courses.

Breadth Courses

Finding GenEd Courses

Each GenEd area has a list of courses approved as satisfying the requirements for that area. Descriptions of the GenEd areas and their approved courses can be found by clicking on the links under the GenEd Areas menu to the left.

Descriptions of GenEd courses are available in the printed Undergraduate Course Descriptions published each spring before the registration period for fall courses, and online through the web version of this Bulletin (www.temple.edu/bulletin/ugradbulletin/ucd/ucdtoc.html). Because not all approved courses are offered every semester, each semester's Guide to Registration contains a list of GenEd courses being taught that term.

Current students can find courses that fulfill GenEd areas by using the following tools:

OWLnet (http://owlnet.temple.edu): Click on the "Register/Roster" tab, then click on the "find a course" button and choose a department. The two-character GenEd code for a course appears in the "Course ID (RCI)" column.

The Course Schedule (TUcourses): Select a semester, then click on the "View General Education Courses Only" option.  Alternatively, select a semester, then select a department and a GenEd area to display.

The Course Descriptions catalog (both in print and online): The GenEd courses are listed by GenEd areas in the front of the catalog, and the GenEd courses are listed in numerical order at the beginning of each department section.  The two-character GenEd RCI codes appear near the course titles within the course descriptions.

The Course Renumbering web site, (http://renumbering.temple.edu/courses.asp): Select an area in the "Required Course Identifier (RCI)" box and click "Search" to see a list of all courses offered in that GenEd area.

General Education Policies and Requirements

Incoming first-year students in the fall 2008 must complete GenEd requirements.

Students under the GenEd curriculum must complete a minimum of eleven courses in nine areas.

A GenEd course counts in one GenEd area only.

Core courses will not satisfy GenEd credit for incoming first-year students in fall 2008 or beyond. GenEd students may take Core courses for credits in their major or as electives.

All GenEd course numbers begin with "08XX." GenEd Honors courses begin with "09XX."

Departments, Majors and GenEd

GenEd courses may not be required introductions to a specific major. A GenEd course may be accepted by a major to fulfill elective requirements.

Departments and colleges may not single out a specific GenEd course as a requirement.

A curriculum or degree program may identify a GenEd course as part of an array for its majors. (An array is defined as a set of options from which the student may choose. The array must present at least three options for any one course chosen.)

A student may use no more than two courses from a single department to satisfy GenEd requirements. Foundation courses are excluded.

Grade Change and Repeat Policy

Students may wish to repeat a course in order to earn a higher grade, either to raise their grade point average or to receive a grade required by their major or to meet another requirement, such as achieving the minimum C- required for successful completion of the GenEd curriculum. A repeated course must be graded using the same grading system (pass/fail, credit/no credit, or letter grade) as when originally taken. If an undergraduate student takes a course more than once, (a) all occurrences of the course will appear on the student's transcript, but (b) all grades other than the lowest grade received will be used in calculating the student's grade point average. Credit for a given course will count toward graduation once.

Early Progress Reports

All GenEd course instructors will submit Academic Progress Reports.

Credit/No Credit

Students may not take GenEd courses for credit/no credit.

Withdrawal Policy

During the first two weeks of the fall or spring semester or summer sessions, students may drop a course with no record of the class appearing on the transcript. In weeks three through nine of the fall or spring semester, or during weeks three and four of summer sessions, the student may withdraw with the advisor's permission. The course will be recorded on the transcript with the instructor's notation of "W," indicating that the student withdrew. After week nine of the fall or spring semester, or week four of summer sessions, students may not withdraw from courses.

No student may withdraw from more than five courses during the duration of his/her studies to earn a bachelor's degree.

A student may not withdraw from the same course more than once.

In GenEd, courses may be offered in multiple departments. These courses, regardless of the sponsoring department, are the same course and will have the same number.

General Education Waivers

Quantitative Literacy (GQ)

Students considering undergraduate degrees with advanced mathematical or statistical requirements may satisfy the GenEd Quantitative Literacy requirement  through alternative coursework. Consult an academic advisor for details.

Arts (GA)

Students pursuing undergraduate degrees in the Boyer College of Music and Dance and the Tyler School of Art may be exempted from the GenEd Arts requirement upon completion of collegiate requirements. Consult an academic advisor for details.

Science & Technology (GS)

Many majors and programs of study require substantive studies of science to develop the expertise necessary in their fields. The sciences include studies of anatomy and physiology in human health, chemistry as the basis of human health, matter and motion, and natural phenomena. General Education would like to accommodate those students interested in pursuing such studies and have developed, in conjunction with the College of Science & Technology, a number of two-semester course sequences that would exempt students from the GenEd Science & Technology requirement.

Students considering undergraduate degrees with scientific, engineering or technical components may satisfy the GenEd Science & Technology requirement  through alternative coursework. Consult an academic advisor for details.

World Society (GG)

An approved summer or semester study abroad program will satisfy the World Society requirement. Consult an academic advisor for details.