All students studying toward a baccalaureate degree at Shawnee State are required to complete the University’s General Education Program (GEP). This group of courses gives students the opportunity to acquire the characteristics of an educated person—something quite distinct from the goals of other courses associated with the degree programs offered by Shawnee State. Most courses required for a specific degree program are meant to give students the opportunity to study a particular discipline and the ability to practice a profession. The goal of Shawnee State University, however, goes beyond professional education to preparing you to function effectively in the multiple roles demanded by contemporary life. In this respect, the General Education Program supports the University’s mission statement.
The GEP is a combination of required and elective courses, grouped in categories, each chosen for the contribution it makes to the skills or knowledge characteristic of university graduates.
For More Information
Phil Blau, Ph.D., Director
General Education Program
Vern Riffe Center for the Arts, Room 313
Shawnee State University
940 Second Street
Portsmouth, Ohio 45662-4344
Phone: 740.351.3443
Fax: 740.351.3501 (Provost’s Office)
E-mail: pblau@shawnee.edu
Our Commitment to Your Success
Shawnee State’s General Education Program is committed to:
- Providing an undergraduate education that includes competence in written communication, oral communication, scientific and quantitative reasoning, critical analysis, and logical thinking.
- Providing a breadth of knowledge that goes beyond education for a specific discipline or profession.
- Providing a breadth of experience that includes knowledge and understanding of multicultural factors.
- Ensuring that you have the ability to reflect carefully upon ethical issues and can enter into reasoned dialogue about these issues.
- Preparing you to become an independent and continuing learner.
As part of our commitment to the success of our students, Shawnee State University has adopted the goal of integrating information literacy and computer literacy into the courses included in the General Education Program.
General Education Program Requirements by Content Category
The GEP requirements are arranged in two levels. You should complete requirements at the Foundational Level before you take courses that satisfy the Integrative Level of the program. Also, it is suggested that you begin by taking courses in English and mathematics and continue to take courses in these areas until you have completed requirements in English composition and quantitative reasoning.
A more complete description of each category follows. Specific course descriptions are found in their own section of this catalog.
| Foundational Level: |
| English Composition |
Minimum 6 Hours |
| Quantitative Reasoning |
Minimum 3 Hours |
| Fine and Performing Arts |
3 Hours |
| Social Sciences |
3 Hours |
| Natural Sciences |
Minimum 7 Hours |
| |
|
| Integrative Level: |
| Cultural Perspectives |
Minimum 6 Hours |
| Ethics |
3 Hours |
| Capstone |
3 Hours |
| |
|
| Total Hours Required |
34 Hours |
|
Note: It should be noted that in cases where a single course meets requirements of the General Education Program and the major, the total number of hours required for the GEP will be reduced by the number of related course hours. The minimum credit hours required for the baccalaureate degree shall not, however, be less than 124.
