The General Education Curriculum Requirements
Overview of the College of Arts & Sciences General Education Curriculum (57 credits total)
The general education curriculum teaches students the value of broad intellectual inquiry and fosters the creativity and resilience essential to success. Through a carefully scaffolded learning pathway, the General Education Curriculum builds the foundational skills in reading, writing, communication, math and critical reasoning essential to college learning and success in advanced coursework.
In addition to fulfilling major requirements, Trinity students must complete the courses listed in the General Education Curriculum.
I. Foundational Skills (17 credits)
Students must complete designated courses in the following areas:
- Critical Reading and Writing (10 credits)
- CRS 101
- CRS 102*
- ENGL 107
- Quantitative Reasoning (choose one course for a total of 4 credits)**
- MATH 102
- MATH 108
- MATH 109
- MATH 123
- Critical Reasoning (3 credits)***
- COM 150/PHIL 150
*For students who matriculated before Fall 2016, ENGL 105 or ENGL 105S meets this requirement
**MATH 102 is for science and mathematics majors; MATH 108 is for education and health professions majors; MATH 109 is for humanities and social science majors. If competing an individualized major please consult with an advisor to determine the appropriate math requirement.
***Pre-health majors intending to apply to the nursing program are waived from this course. This learning goal is met in the nursing program.
II. Knowledge & Inquiry (25 credits)
Students must complete courses in the following areas:
- Social Sciences (choose one courses each in two different disciplines for a total of 6 credits)
- Economics
- ECON 101
- Psychology
- PSYC 101
- Sociology
- SOCY 100
- SOCY 105
- SOCY 131
- Political Science
- POLS 201
- POLS 211
- POLS 231
- POLS 241
- Economics
- Science (choose one course for a total of 4 credits)
- BIOL 101
- BIOL 113
- BIOL 114
- BIOL 121
- CHEM 111
- CHEM 113
- ENVS 101
- PHYS 111
- History, Arts, and Humanities (choose one each courses in three different disciplines for a total of 9 credits)
- History
- AFST 200
- HIS 128
- HIS 130
- HIS 132
- HIS 138
- HIS 238
- HIS 241
- HIS 242
- Fine Arts
- FNAR 101
- FNAR 102
- FNAR 145
- FNAR 241
- FNAR 243
- FNAR 247
- FNAR 253
- FNAR 311
- FNAR 313
- FNAR 315
- EDTE 232* (for students applying to the education major only)
- Literature
- ENGL 214
- ENGL 215
- ENGL 220
- ENGL 230
- ENGL 267
- ENGL 271
- ENGL 276
- ENGL 280
- ENGL 283
- ENGL 284
- ENGL 310
- ENGL 373
- SPAN 213
- History
- Foreign Language (choose two sequential courses in the same language for a total of 6 credits)
- Level I
- ASL 101
- FREN 101
- SPAN 101
- Level II
- ASL 102
- FREN 102
- SPAN 102
- Level I
Students may receive General Education credit for most foreign languages, including ASL, by taking Consortium courses or by CLEP Exam. Students may also receive language waivers by demonstrating proficiency on an assessment exam.
III. Values & Beliefs (6 credits)
Students must complete two courses in a different discipline from the following three areas:
- Global Affairs (3 credits)
- POLS 244
- Religious Studies (choose one course for a total of 3 credits)
- PHIL 235
- Any Religious Studies (RST) course
- Philosophy (choose one course for a total of 3 credits)
- PHIL 245
- PHIL 251
- PHIL 253
- PHIL 260
- PHIL 280
- PHIL 281
IV. Applications (6 credits)
Students must complete courses in the following areas:
- Civic Knowledge (Choose one course for a total of 3 credits)
- AFST 201
- ECON 102
- ENGL 475
- ENVS 280
- HIS 239
- HIS 345
- GLBL 201
- GLBL 322
- PHIL 227
- PHIL 231
- POLS 101
- POLS 405
- PSYC 201
- SOCY 201
- SNHP 220 (for pre-health and health services majors only)
- Leadership (Choose one course for a total of 3 credits)
- BADM 110
- COM 450
- COM 482
- EDTE 301 (for students applying to the education major only)
- HIS 343
- NSCM 499 (for science majors only; also fulfills senior seminar requirement)
- NURS 410 (for nursing majors only)
- POLS 213
- POLS 277
- SNHP 224 (for pre-health and health services majors only)
- WST 368
- WST 369
V. General Education Capstone Seminar (3 credits)
The General Education Capstone Seminar is taken in second semester of sophomore year, or after earning at least 40 credits.
- Capstone Seminar (Choose one course for a total of 3 credits)
- BIOL 219
- COM 375
- COM 388
- ENGL 202
- ENGL 389
- ENVS 281
- FNAR 317
- FNAR 321
- FNAR 399
- GLBL 250
- GLBL 310
- GLBL 322
- HIS 365
- HUMR 301
- INT 250
- MATH 299H
- POLS 250
- POLS 313
- PSYC 314
- PSYC 317
- PSYC 343
- PSYC 365
- SNHP 330 (for pre-health and health services majors only)
- SOCY 381
- SSC 207
- WST 250
- WST 301
- WST 321
Critical Reading and General Education Capstone Seminar Waivers
As part of completing the Foundational Skills area, incoming first-year students must complete the Critical Reading Seminar sequence at Trinity; transfer students matriculating with sophomore status or above are not required to complete the Critical Reading Seminar sequence. Additionally, incoming first-year and sophomore students must complete the General Education Capstone Seminar at Trinity; transfer students matriculating with junior status or above are not required to complete the General Education Capstone Seminar.
Advanced Standing for General Education Requirements
In certain instances, a waiver can be made to fulfill general education curricular requirements, although such waivers are non-credit bearing and students must make up the total number of credits to earn the 120 credits required for a Trinity degree. The following general education requirements may be waived by earning a satisfactory score on the appropriate placement examination(s):
- Written Communication (waived by placing above the ENGL 107 College Composition level)
- Foreign Language (waived by placing into the third semester of ASL, French, Spanish, or other approved language. Students who place into the second semester of a college-level language course need only complete the second semester of that language to fulfill the general education requirement).
- Quantitative Reasoning (waived by placing into MATH 125 Calculus I level).
Additionally, general education requirements may be fulfilled by credits earned through examination such as Advanced Placement or CLEP Examinations. Some general education requirements may be fulfilled through credits earned at other appropriately accredited institutions of higher education.
Courses Fulfilling Both General Education and Major Requirements
In general, a course may be counted to fulfill no more than one general education requirement, although a course may be counted to fulfill a general education requirement as well as a requirement in a student’s major.