South University faculty and staff recognize that citizens of the future need to be flexible and broadly knowledgeable in order to adapt to continuously changing technologies, growing diversity across peoples and value systems, and rapid social and cultural change. With this in mind, the University has developed general education requirements that expose students to knowledge from a variety of areas, each framed through the lens of its own history and methodology. Through these required courses, students delve into the worlds of math and science, the humanities and the arts, and the social and behavioral sciences. Students have the opportunity to develop competencies in these areas while also gaining exposure to a range of human knowledge.
South University's general education curriculum challenges the individual to develop a deep and meaningful set of personal values and high ethical standards, along with a commitment to lifelong learning. The curriculum is designed to enhance critical and analytical thinking skills, encourage creativity, and build oral and written communication skills. For South University students, using technology in coursework and developing skills in assessing the merits of various sources of online information is also an important part of the general education experience.
The General Education curriculum at South University seeks to develop in students competencies that will support them as they progress through their programs. These competencies include the following:
Student Learning Outcomes
Graduates will be able to:
- Communicate clearly, effectively, and sensitively in written, graphic, and oral modes appropriate to their fields.
- Demonstrate basic skills and abilities in mathematical reasoning and the basic sciences.
- Identify, locate, evaluate, and ethically utilize reliable information from a variety of sources.
- Illustrate the capacity to think critically, analytically, and logically across multiple fields of inquiry.
- Interpret and evaluate diverse historical, social, and cultural artifacts, systems, and events as products of the human experience.
Areas of Study
The general education requirements for South University comprise six areas. Each area represents a set of requirements designed to build basic skills and insights and to assure that each student experiences coursework in each of the areas of knowledge that together comprise the General Education curriculum. It is our belief that these components are directly associated with the qualities defining an educated professional and are necessary to seek entry-level employment in a fast-paced, changing world. The components are designed to reflect the needs and expectations expressed by many employers of college graduates.
The framework shown below reflects minimum requirements to be met by all South University students at either the associate's or bachelor's degree levels. Programs may identify specific courses needed in that field as a part of the general education program while others may leave choices open to the interests and abilities of the student. The specific areas and course requirements will include the following, but students must check their program for specific courses needed to satisfy general education requirements.
General Education Areas and Approved Courses
Professional Development
Credits : 4
Credits : 4
Explore the dynamic world of healthcare professions and enhance cultural competence in this comprehensive course. Gain insights into diverse health roles, understand and apply sensitive communication strategies, and develop collaborative and ethical practices crucial for modern healthcare.
Credits : 4
Credits : 4
Basic Communications
Credits : 4
Credits : 4
Credits : 4
Credits : 4
Credits : 4
Mathematics and Statistics
Credits : 4
Credits : 4
Credits : 4
Statistics provides students with lecture and extensive practice in the concepts of descriptive and inferential statistics. The course emphasizes practical calculation and application. It begins with sample statistics and population parameters, proceeds to measures of central tendency, dispersion, and position, introduces the least-squares best-fit line and several key probability distributions, and concludes with the sampling distribution of sampling means, and hypothesis testing. MyStatLab or a comparable resource may be required in the course.
Credits : 4
Natural Sciences
Credits : 4
Credits : 2
Anatomy and Physiology II is a continuation of Anatomy and Physiology I. BIO1013 is an introduction to the structure and functions of the human body including the endocrine system, circulatory system, respiratory system, GI system, urinary system, reproductive system, and genetics.
Credits : 4
Anatomy and Physiology II Lab is designed to support, amplify, and clarify the material presented in the theory class BIO 1013 through demonstration and exercises utilizing chart, models, tissues, and organs, as well as typical laboratory equipment. The second part of the term will include a whole specimen dissection, which will assist the comprehensive review of both BIO1011 and BIO1013. Laboratory topic content shall follow the theory class very closely.
Credits : 2
Principles of Biology I is the first in a two-course sequence in biology. The course introduces scientific methods, biological chemistry, cells, energy for life, basic genetics, biotechnology, and the principles of evolution. Students will also complete writing assignments that develop their skills as scientifically literate citizens.
Credits : 4
Principles of Biology II is the second course in a two course sequence in biology. This course continues the study of human biology with the role of endocrine and nervous systems in homeostatic regulation. Other topics covered are human reproduction, development, evolution, and advanced genetics. Ecological concepts are also discussed. The student will complete writing assignments that serve to increase knowledge of the scientific literature.
Credits : 4
CHM1010 is a survey course of general chemistry, organic chemistry and biochemistry. Fundamental concepts and principles will be presented including atomic theory, bonding, nomenclature, solutions, acids and bases, and an introduction to organic chemistry and biochemistry. Emphasis will be placed on the application of these topics in various health fields. This overview provides the health-care worker the ability to appreciate physiological and therapeutic processes at the molecular level. The course will also explore the role of chemistry in society today by applying a problem-solving approach to understanding chemistry.
Credits : 4
Arts and Humanities
Organized by period, genre and theme, this course explores global viewpoints as expressed in novels, poems, plays, short fiction, and philosophical and theological works from the very first written texts up until the middle ages. Parallels and contrasts will be drawn between cultures and across time.
Credits : 4
Organized by period, genre and theme, this course explores global viewpoints as expressed in novels, poems, plays, short fiction, and philosophical and theological works from the period of the late 17th century to the present day. Parallels and contrasts will be drawn between cultures and across time.
Credits : 4
Organized by period, genre, and theme, this course explores viewpoints expressed in American literature, including prose and poetry from 1845 to the present. Parallels and contrasts will be drawn both synchronically and diachronically among different genres and themes.
Credits : 4
Organized by period, genre and theme, this course explores contemporary viewpoints as expressed by select film screenings from the Criterion Collection through Alexander Street Press (subscription held by South University), which can range from the crusading pastiche by Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal (1957) to the sardonic humor of Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979) and even the postmodern and magical realism of Being John Malkovich (1999). Parallels and contrasts will be drawn between intellectual history and cultures across flexible time stamps. Further, this course is designed to provide a foundation for future film study; exposure to a wide range of cinematic styles and approaches; and to move the student from a passive observer toward a critical, active "reader" of film. Students will learn the elements of cinematic language (including narrative, mise-en-scene, cinematography, acting, editing, and sound) and will use that knowledge to analyze the way filmmakers convey information, story, and meaning, develop style, and elicit audience response within a single scene and over the course of an entire feature film. Students should be aware that that the films they will watch will hold a variety of ratings, from G to R, and that some films will contain scenes with sexual and violent content.
Credits : 4
Credits : 4
Credits : 4
Credits : 4
Credits : 4
Credits : 4
This course covers the major themes and events in world history from prehistoric times to 1500. The course will focus on history from a variety of perspectives: social, cultural interactions, environmental, political, economic, and the people and events that shaped our world's history. Various themes that appear across time will be explored from the perspective that all cultures and all events are influenced by the interactions with other peoples, geography, and the environment; and in turn these events influence and shape future events.
Credits : 4
This course covers the major themes and events in world history from 1500 to the present. The course focuses on history from a variety of perspectives: social, cultural interactions, environmental, political, economic, and the people and events that shaped our world's history. Various themes that appear across time will be explored from the perspective that all cultures and all events are influenced by the interactions with other peoples, geography, and the environment; and in turn these events influence and shape future events.
Credits : 4
This course will provide students with the theoretical and practical overview of traditional and contemporary philosophical approaches to ethics. Students will reflect upon the role of ethics in their personal and professional lives.
Credits : 4
This course introduces students to philosophical thinking. Students will confront fundamental questions of self and identity, of freedom and determinism, of belief and truth, and of ethics and morality. Critical thinking activities will challenge students to incorporate philosophy into their personal and professional lives by applying the questions of philosophy to themselves and their world.
Credits : 4
Credits : 4
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Credits : 4
Credits : 4
Credits : 4
This course introduces students to the American Government. By examining the struggle for power-the participants, the stakes, the processes, and the institutional arenas — this course introduces the students to the political struggles that drive democracy.
Credits : 4
Credits : 4
Credits : 4
Credits : 4