From the origins of intellectual study to the present, general education has been a key to a fulfilling life of self-knowledge, self-reflection, critical awareness, and lifelong learning. General education has traditionally focused on oral and written communication, quantitative reasoning and mathematics, studies in culture and society, scientific reasoning, and aesthetic appreciation. Today, general education also assists students in their understanding of technology, information literacy, diversity, and global awareness. In meeting all of these needs, general education provides college students with their best opportunity to experience the breadth of human knowledge and the ways that knowledge in various disciplines is interrelated.

In the University System of Georgia, general education programs consist of a group of courses known as the Core Curriculum as well as other courses and co-curricular experiences specific to each institution. The attainment of general education learning outcomes prepares responsible, reflective citizens who adapt constructively to change. General education programs impart knowledge, values, skills, and behaviors related to critical thinking and logical problem-solving. General education includes opportunities for interdisciplinary learning and experiences that increase intellectual curiosity, providing the basis for advanced study in the variety of fields offered by today's colleges and universities.

Approved by the Council on General Education, October, 2004
Approved by the Chief Academic Officers, December, 2004

General Education at Valdosta State University

General Education courses (courses at the 1000- and 2000-level) are designed to help students make the transition from high school to college-level work and to introduce students to a core set of skills and broad-based knowledge that they will need not only in their majors but also in their lives and careers. With those aims in mind, all general education courses at VSU meet one or more of VSU’s General Education Outcomes.

 The Core Curriculum at Valdosta State University

VSU’s Core Curriculum follows the guidelines mandated by the University System of Georgia’s Core Curriculum Principles and Framework .  It is comprised of a specialized set of courses drawn from five general areas (Areas A-E) and one area specific to the major (Area F).  This balanced set of courses ensures that all students take courses focusing on essential skills in writing and mathematics as well as in the key academic divisions: the humanities and fine arts, science and mathematics, and the social sciences.  While some courses are required for all students, a number of options are also available so that students may explore their own interests. VSU’s core offers over 100 possible courses drawn from at least twenty-two different departments. Each course meets one or more of the eight general education outcomes.

Oversight and assessment of VSU’s core curriculum is the responsibility of the