Overview

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:

• 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.