The curriculum includes a group of courses that are required of all students as prerequisite to the degrees conferred by Presbyterian College. It includes courses designed specifically for freshmen or new students and courses to broaden students' intercultural education as well as work in English composition and literature, fine arts, history, mathematics, natural sciences, physical education, religion, foreign languages, and social sciences. Drawing from the broad college goals, the goals of the general education program are as follows:

• To help students gain a basic knowledge of the humanities, natural sciences and mathematics, and social sciences and an ability to see these studies as part of the larger search for truth.
• To develop in students the ability to think clearly and independently, to make critical judgments, and to communicate effectively in both speech and writing.
• To foster in students an aesthetic appreciation of the arts and literature.
• To acquaint students with the teachings and values of the Christian faith.
• To assist students in gaining the perspective of the other and to become more aware of their global community.
• To encourage in students an appreciation for physical fitness and wellness that will contribute to lifelong health.
• To engage all first-year students with academic life and knowledge through the concepts of inquiry, critical thinking, and liberal learning.
• To provide experience that complements the traditional classroom environment in order to more intentionally connect students with the global community and with important issues that confront the human condition.
• To assist senior students in pulling together and integrating their educational experience and prepare to transition to life after college.

The general education requirements are the same for both the Bachelor of Arts and the Bachelor of Science degrees. A normal range of credit hours for general education requirements would be 46-60 hours while credit hours in the major field range from 30-54 hours. Therefore, a student would be able to choose a range of 10-51 hours of elective courses. The minimum requirements in general education are as follows:

Freshman Experience (1-3 hours)

All freshmen entering PC in the fall semester must take either a one-hour Freshman Seminar or a three-hour Introduction-to-Inquiry (i2i) course in their first semester. Topics vary each fall but all emphasize critical thinking, communication, and small group experiences. The goals for the first-year program were developed by the general education committee and include the following:

• To engage all first-year students at Presbyterian College with academic life and knowledge, including focusing on critical thinking and liberal learning.
• To create intentional groups of first-year students that can assist in all students finding their "place" at PC.
• To continue the development of the PC living/learning model.
• To enable faculty who might not advise freshmen to have purposeful contact with them.
• In general, to provide freshmen an experience that underscores that college is "far beyond the fifth year of high school."

Students who fail to complete the freshman experience during the fall of their freshman year as well as freshmen who enter PC in the spring of their freshman year will be required to take an interdisciplinary studies class at the 200-level or above. Students must take this class by the end of their sophomore year. In addition, students who fail the freshman experience and are on academic probation will be required to participate in two spring workshops, such as those on time management and study skills, offered by the Office of Career Services.

Intercultural/Internship Experience (4-6 hours)

All students must fulfill an intercultural or internship requirement by either studying abroad, completing coursework that provides an intercultural perspective, and/or completing a practicum experience that focuses on enhancing learning through internship opportunities. This experience will enable students to become more appreciative of the interconnectedness of the global community and the important issues that confront the human condition. By completing a four-to-six credit hours program, a student will:

• Incorporate his or her academic learning with a supervised experience outside the traditional classroom (internship, study abroad, research).
• Demonstrate transferable skills such as communication, critical thinking, adaptability, organization, and the ability to relate to others.
• Develop an appreciation for learning and prepare for a lifetime of personal and vocational fulfillment and responsible contribution to our democratic society and the world community.
• Gain self-awareness and respect for perspectives, communities, and value systems other than his or her own.

To satisfy this requirement, a student will earn four to six credit hours through intercultural or internship courses. These hours may be met within the major requirements. A student may choose from (1) a combination of classroom and experiential courses or (2) a study abroad or an extensive internship experience. A student may select one option from column 1A and one from column 1B for a total of 4-6 hours:

Or, a student may select from one of the following:

Humanities (21-28 hours)

English: All students must satisfactorily complete 6 hours of English by completing English 110 and 111. Students whose preparation in English needs strengthening are required to take English 109 before taking English 110 or 111. However, English 109 does not count toward general education credit.

Fine Arts: All students must satisfactorily complete three hours of fine arts chosen from courses in the Department of Music or the Department of Art, Theatre, and Dance. Courses recommended are: Art 101, 251, or 255; Theatre 120, 220 or 221; or Music 102 or 212.

Foreign Language: All students must satisfactorily complete up to 7 hours of a foreign language sequence, completing 151/102 and 201 courses in French, German, Portuguese, or Spanish. Students who received 2 or more high school units will be placed in 151/102 or higher or, based on placement scores, may elect to take the 101 course. However, the 101 course does not count toward general education credit. Students may elect to start a language not previously studied. Language may also be completed through PC's Greek sequence through 401 for a total of 9 hours or by transfer of course work through 201 from a regionally accredited institution in any other language approved by the department.

History: All students are required to take 6 hours of history by completing History 121 and 122.

Religion: All students are required to satisfactorily complete 6 hours of religion by completing Religion 101 and 110.

Social Sciences (8-9 hours)

Social Sciences: All students must satisfactorily complete a minimum of six semester hours chosen from two departments. Courses must be chosen from the following: Economics 201 or 202, Education 201 or 202, Geography 301 or 302, Political Science 200 or 202, Psychology 201, and Sociology 201 or 207. Students electing to major in a social sciences discipline may count a general education course toward the major if a department lists the course as a major course.

Physical Education: All students are encouraged to fulfill their general education requirement in physical education during the freshman year. The requirement of 2-3 hours in physical education can be completed by taking either (1) Physical Education 1001 for 1 hour and one additional activity course offering of 1 hour or (2) Physical Education 225, a 3-hour course. Designated activity course offerings include Physical Education 1002 through 1013.

Natural Sciences (11 hours)

Science: The student is required to take any two 3-hour courses plus the associated 1-hour lab for a total of 8 hours from the menu of all general education courses in biology, chemistry, or physics. These courses are: Biology 101 and 101L, Biology 102 and 102L, Biology 111 and 111L, Biology 112 and 112L, Chemistry 101 and 101L, Chemistry 102 and 102L, Physics 121 and 121L, or Physics 122 and 122L. The prerequisite restrictions on some of these courses must be met.

Mathematics: Students are required to take one math course except for Mathematics 105 and 200. Mathematics 105 is only offered on a pass/fail basis to students who need additional instruction before taking more advanced courses. Mathematics 200 is required for early childhood education majors. Neither course counts toward the general-education requirement in mathematics.

Senior Capstone (1-3 hours): In addition to the above general education requirements, all students must complete a one-to-three-semester hour capstone course. Each major will identify a capstone course. Capstone courses may be taught in a single discipline or, if departments choose to do so, as an interdisciplinary experience.