General Education Core Curriculum

The Illinois Transferable General Education Core Curriculum is a part of a transferable degree. It is not a workforce certificate nor industry-recognized credential. Successful completion of these core courses will facilitate transfer to any other participating associate or bachelor's degree program. In order to complete the Illinois Transferable General Education Core Curriculum, students are required to take at least 12 courses (37 to 41 semester credits). No more than two courses from any one discipline can be used to fulfill General Education Core Curriculum requirements. Refer to the general education requirements in your transfer degree (A.A., A.S., A.F.A., A.E.S.) for specific instructions in selecting courses. Students in Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) Degree programs should follow the courses listed in their program unless otherwise indicated.

The General Education Core Curriculum is divided into five categories:

Communications
Communication is the art of expressing and exchanging ideas in speech or writing. The complexities of modern life demand that individuals have a mastery of both written and oral communication skills. Therefore, L&C and the Illinois Transferable General Education Core Curriculum require competency in both skills. To fulfill the requirement, students should satisfactorily complete both ENGL 131 and ENGL 132 and one course in oral communication. Satisfactory completion of the writing courses means a grade of C or better. Because communication skills provide a foundation for success in later academic work, general education communication courses should be completed early in a student's degree program, and communication skills should continue to be developed and refined across the undergraduate curriculum.
Mathematics
The mathematics component of general education focuses on quantitative reasoning to provide a base for developing a quantitatively literate college graduate. Every college graduate should be able to apply simple mathematical methods to the solution of real-world problems. A quantitatively literate college graduate should be able to:
• interpret mathematical models such as formulas, graphs, tables and schematics, and draw inferences from them;
• represent mathematical information symbolically, visually, numerically and verbally;
• use arithmetic, algebraic, geometric and statistical methods to solve problems;
• estimate and check answers to mathematical problems in order to determine reasonableness, identify alternatives and select optimal results; and
• recognize the limitations of mathematical and statistical models.
Courses accepted in fulfilling the general education mathematics requirement emphasize the development of the student's capability to do mathematical reasoning and problem solving in settings the college graduate may encounter in the future. General education mathematics courses should not lead simply to an appreciation of the place of mathematics in society, nor should they be merely mechanical or computational in character. To accomplish this purpose, students should have at least one course that emphasizes the foundations of quantitative literacy and solidifies and deepens this foundation to enable the student to internalize these habits of thought.
Physical and Life Sciences
The purpose for the study of science is to:
• develop students' understanding of the methods of scientific inquiry, including the formulation and
• familiarize students with selected scientific principles in the physical and life sciences;
• enable students to make informed decisions about personal and societal issues.

To achieve this purpose, students are expected to satisfactorily complete a minimum of two courses (7 to 8 semester credit hours) to fulfill the Illinois Transferable General Education Core Curriculum science requirement.
In order for students to understand the methods of scientific inquiry, including the development of the skills and disposition necessary to become independent inquirers about the natural world, at least one general education science course must include a laboratory component that meets a minimum of two hours per week, in which students will be expected to:
• formulate or evaluate questions (hypotheses),
• plan and conduct experiments (test hypotheses),
• make systematic observations and measurements,
• interpret and analyze data,
• draw conclusions,
• communicate the results (orally and/or in writing).

In order for students to become familiar with selected scientific principles, at least one course must be selected from the life sciences and one course from the physical sciences.
Humanities and Fine Arts
The study in the humanities and fine arts develops an understanding of what it means to be human-the struggles and aspirations, comedies and tragedies, and achievements and failures of human beings; wrestles with the basic questions that confront all human beings in the course of their lives-identity, beauty, courage, love, truth, justice, and morality; and examines the dreams, traditions, and cultural expressions of peoples throughout time who have wrestled with these same questions. To understand what it means to be human, one must understand oneself in relation to the natural world and in relation to others, reflect on ideas and confront presuppositions from one's own and other cultures, and respond creatively. Thus, study in the humanities and fine arts focuses on intellectual and cultural expression approached through historical, hermeneutic, cultural, and aesthetic investigations.
Courses designed to fulfill the General Education Core Curriculum humanities and fine arts requirement involve students in the basic questions and substance of the humanities and fine arts, as well as in the methods used to approach these questions. Courses in philosophy, religious studies, literature, history, and the history and appreciation of the visual and performing arts are included. Because critical thinking, investigation, and reflection are necessary to the study of the humanities and fine arts, these processes-as embodied in writing (essays and essay examinations) and speaking (oral presentations and discussion)-are significant components of humanities and fine arts courses. Where appropriate, course readings and activities also reflect an awareness of the United States' multicultural inheritance: race, ethnicity, gender and class. By contrast, courses that primarily focus on developing a skill, such as performance or production courses in the arts, technique or professional courses in communications, and those foreign language courses that focus on learning to speak and write a different language at an elementary level, generally are not considered part of general education in the humanities and fine arts. To fulfill the humanities and fine arts requirement, students should select a minimum of three courses (9 semester credit hours) from the approved course list, selecting at least one from the humanities and one from the fine arts. Interdisciplinary courses encompassing both the humanities and the fine arts may be used for both categories.
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Through study in the social and behavioral sciences, students gain an appreciation of human continuity and change. Students learn to analyze the past, develop insight into contemporary social life, and understand the impact of individual and social actions on the future. Students are encouraged to develop a sense of global responsibility toward humanity and the environment. Study in the social and behavioral sciences will help students to:
• gain insight into individual behavior;
• develop an understanding of their own society and the world as part of larger human experience in time and place;
• analyze social, political, cultural, historical, and economic institutions and relationships that both link and separate societies throughout the world;
• develop analytical, critical thinking, and communication skills necessary to understand and influence the world in which they live;
• comprehend methods of inquiry employed by social and behavioral scientists.
Students are expected to complete satisfactorily a minimum of three courses (9 semester credit hours), selected from at least two disciplines, to fulfill the Illinois Transferable General Education Core Curriculum social and behavioral science requirement.

Assessment of General Education Learning Outcomes

Since fall 2000, the Lewis and Clark faculty have embedded general education learning assessment in courses across the curriculum. These general education learning outcomes are identified and defined by the faculty as follows:

Communication - Writing: effective skill in writing by creating a thesis and organizing argument with support, as well as editing and revising for clarity and critical thinking.

Communication - Speaking: effective skill in recognizing and employing criteria in formal speech presentations, including both verbal and nonverbal techniques, to enhance delivery.

Critical Thinking: effective skill in articulating and evaluating arguments using both deductive and inductive reasoning, utilizing rudimentary principles of the scientific method, and applying theses skills to problem solving. Components include: reasoning (inferential discourse and scientific reasoning) and practical problem solving.

Mathematical Reasoning: effective skill in basic mathematical computation and comprehension of quantitative information, including application in a variety of situations. Components include: number sense, statistics, and applied math.

Teamwork Skills: effective skill in self-understanding as evidenced by such traits as self-control, personal integrity and responsibility, and skill in associating with others as evidenced by such traits as tolerance, empathy, and awareness of common goals. Components include: self-knowledge and knowledge of others.

Global Awareness: effective skill in identifying, appreciating, and describing the interdependencies and conflicts of the global community on national, regional, local and/or personal levels. Components include: similarities, connection, and differences

The faculty purposefully include instruction in these skills within their discipline areas. General education learning assessment is a regular and on-going component of teaching and learning at Lewis and Clark.

General Education Core Curriculum Credential

Communications Courses (9 Credit Hours)

Three courses total: two courses in writing (with grade of "C" or better) and one course in oral communications.

Writing Sequence Courses

ENGL 131 - First-Year English I 3 credit hours *C1 900
ENGL 132 - First-Year English II 3 credit hours *C1 901R

Oral Communication Courses

SPCH 131 - Public Speaking 3 credit hours *C2 900
SPCH 145 - Public And Private Communication 3 credit hours *C2 900

Mathematics Courses (3-5 Credit Hours)

One course total: choose a course appropriate to your major. Check with your advisor to ensure the appropriate course is being selected.

MATH 138 - General Education Mathematics 3 credit hours *M1 904
MATH 145 - General Education Statistics 4 credit hours *M1 902
MATH 152 - Math For Elementary Teachers II 3 credit hours *M1 903
MATH 165 - Calculus for Busn & Social Science 4 credit hours *M1 900-B
MATH 171 - Calculus And Analytic Geometry I 5 credit hours *M1 900-1
MATH 172 - Calculus & Analytic Geometry II 5 credit hours *M1 900-2
MATH 235 - Statistics 4 credit hours *M1 902
MATH 271 - Calculus And Analytic Geometry III 4 credit hours *M1 900-3

Physical and Life Sciences Courses (7-8 Credit Hours)

Two courses total: one from the life sciences group and one from the physical sciences group. In addition, one of the courses must be a lab course.

Life Sciences Lab Courses

Students not majoring in Biology should choose from one of the following:

BIOL 130 - Fundamentals Of Biological Science 4 credit hours *L1 900L
BIOL 132 – Human Biology 4 credit hours *L1 904L

Students majoring in Biology may use one of the following courses from the IAI BIO 910 sequence to fulfill the GECC life sciences requirement:

BIOL 131 - Biology: A Contemporary Approach 4 credit hours *L1 910L
BIOL 134 - General Botany 4 credit hours *L1 910L
BIOL 135 - General Zoology 4 credit hours *L1 910L

Life Sciences Non-Lab Courses

BIOL 145 - Natural Resources & Environmental Sci 3 credit hours *L1 905
BIOL 162 - Human Inheritance 3 credit hours *L1 906
BIOL 164 - Microbes And Society 3 credit hours *L1 903
BIOL 165 - Ecological Principles 3 credit hours *L1 905
BIOL 173 - Evolutionary Theory 3 credit hours *L1 907

Physical Sciences Lab Courses

CHEM 130 - Fund Of Gen, Organic & Biochemistry 4 credit hours *P1 903L
CHEM 131 - Introduction To Chemistry I 4 credit hours *P1 902L
CHEM 132 - Introduction To Chemistry II 4 credit hours *P1 904L
CHEM 141 - General Chemistry I 5 credit hours *P1 902L
PHSC 130 - General Physical Science 4 credit hours *P9 900L
PHSC 131 - Physical Geography 4 credit hours *P1 909L
PHYS 130 - Concepts Of Physics 4 credit hours *P1 901L
PHYS 131 - Introduction To Physics I 4 credit hours *P1 900L
PHYS 141 - General Physics I 5 credit hours *P2 900L

Physical Sciences Non-Lab Courses

PHSC 135 - Environmental Geography 3 credit hours *P9 901
PHSC 141 - Introduction To Astronomy 3 credit hours *P1 906
PHSC 145 - Intro Geology & Physical Geography 3 credit hours *P1 907

Humanities and Fine Arts Courses (9-10 credit hours)

Three courses total: one course from the humanities group and one course from the fine arts group. The additional course is the student's choice or as directed by your advisor.

Humanities Western Culture Courses

FREN 232 - Intermediate French II 4 credit hours *H1 900
GERM 232 - Intermediate German II 4 credit hours *H1 900
HIST 141 - African American History 3 credit hours *H2 909D †
LITT 132 - Shakespeare's Comedies 3 credit hours *H3 905
LITT 133 - Shakespeare's Histories 3 credit hours *H3 905
LITT 134 - Shakespeare's Tragedies 3 credit hours *H3 905
LITT 135 - Women In Literature 3 credit hours *H3 911D †
LITT 136 - Mythology 3 credit hours *H9 901
LITT 140 - Children's Literature 3 credit hours *H3 918
LITT 144 - Eastern Mythology - Red Sky Heroes 3 credit hours *H9 901
LITT 234 - Multicultural American Literature 3 credit hours *H3 910D †
LITT 235 - American Literature I 3 credit hours *H3 914
LITT 236 - American Literature II 3 credit hours *H3 915
LITT 241 - British Literature I 3 credit hours *H3 912
LITT 242 - British Literature II 3 credit hours *H3 913
PHIL 131 - Introduction To Philosophy 3 credit hours *H4 900
PHIL 231 - Fundamentals Of Logical Reasoning 3 credit hours *H4 906
PHIL 240 - Contemporary Moral Problems (Ethics) 3 credit hours *H4 904
SPAN 232 - Intermediate Spanish II 4 credit hours *H1 900

Humanities Non-Western Culture Courses

HUMN 231 - Comparative Religion I 3 credit hours *H5 904N†
LITT 233 - Literature Of Non-Western Cultures 3 credit hours *H3 908N†
PHIL 132 - Eastern Philosophy 3 credit hours *H4 903N†

Fine Arts Western Culture Courses

ART 130 - Introduction To The Visual Arts 3 credit hours *F2 900
ART 140 - The Art Of Film 3 credit hours *F2 908
ART 141 - History Of Art I 3 credit hours *F2 901
ART 142 - History Of Art II 3 credit hours *F2 902
ART 146 - Women In Art 3 credit hours *F2 907D †
MUSI 130 - Appreciation Of Music 3 credit hours *F1 900
MUSI 137 - Introduction To American Music 3 credit hours *F1 904
MUSI 138 - Introduction To Music Literature 3 credit hours *F1 901
MUSI 232 - Jazz In Multicultural America 3 credit hours *F1 905D †

Fine Arts Non-Western Culture Course

ART 153 - Non-Western Art 3 credit hours *F2 903N †
MUSI 134 - Non-Western Music 3 credit hours *F1 903N †

Interdisciplinary Humanities Courses (Courses in this category are considered a western culture humanities course.)

HUMN 133 - History of Riverscapes 3 credit hours *H9 900

Interdisciplinary Humanities/Fine Arts Courses (courses in this category may be considered either western culture fine arts or western culture humanities)

HUMN 131 - Introduction To Humanities I 3 credit hours *HF 902
HUMN 132 - Introduction To Humanities II 3 credit hours *HF 903

† Satisfies Human Relations requirement

Social and Behavioral Sciences Courses (9 credit hours)

Three courses total: courses must be from at least two different disciplines (ANTH, ECON, GEOG, HIST, POLS, PSYC, SOCI, SOSC).

Social and Behavioral Sciences Western Culture Courses

ANTH 231 - Introduction To Physical Anthropology 3 credit hours *S1 902
ECON 131 - Introduction To Economics 3 credit hours *S3 900
ECON 151 - Principles Of Macroeconomics 3 credit hours *S3 901
ECON 152 - Principles Of Microeconomics 3 credit hours *S3 902
GEOG 132 - Geography By World Regions 3 credit hours *S4 906
HIST 131 - Western Civilization I 3 credit hours *S2 902
HIST 132 - Western Civilization II 3 credit hours *S2 903
HIST 231 - American Republic: Beginnings - 1877 3 credit hours *S2 900
HIST 232 - American Nation: 1877 - Present 3 credit hours *S2 901
POLS 131 - American Government 3 credit hours *S5 900
POLS 132 - State And Local Government 3 credit hours *S5 902
POLS 231 - International Relations 3 credit hours *S5 904
POLS 235 - Comparative Political Institutions 3 credit hours *S5 905
PSYC 131 - General Psychology 3 credit hours *S6 900
PSYC 232 - Human Development 3 credit hours *S6 902
PSYC 233 - Child Psychology 3 credit hours *S6 903
PSYC 243 - Adolescent Psychology 3 credit hours *S6 904
PSYC 253 - Adult Development And Aging 3 credit hours *S6 905
PSYC 260 - Social Psychology 3 credit hours *S8 900
SOCI 131 - Introduction to Sociology 3 credit hours *S7 900
SOCI 132 - Social Problems 3 credit hours *S7 901
SOCI 150 - Racial And Ethnic Relations 3 credit hours *S7 903D †
SOCI 155 - Introduction To Sex And Gender 3 credit hours *S7 904D †
SOCI 240 - Marriage And The Family 3 credit hours *S7 902

Social and Behavioral Sciences Non-Western Culture Courses

ANTH 232 - Cultural Anthropology 3 credit hours *S1 901N †
GEOG 205 - Human Geography 3 credit hours *S4 900N †
HIST 135 - World History I 3 credit hours *S2 912N †
HIST 136 - World History II 3 credit hours *S2 913N †
HIST 138 - History Of Latin America 3 credit hours *S2 920N †
HIST 171 - Middle East History 3 credit hours *S2 920N †

Social and Behavioral Sciences Interdisciplinary Courses (courses in this category are considered a western culture social and behavioral sciences course)

SOSC 132 - The Science of Happiness 3 credit hours *S9 900
SOSC 133 - River in Social Context 3 credit hours *S9 900
SOSC 135 - Helping Skills for a Changing World 3 credit hours *S9 900