A. The Chart below shows the differences between the old and new curriculum.
| Old JSU General Education Core Requirements (Before Fall 2022) | New JSU General Education Core Requirements (Fall 2022-Current) |
|
Communication – 15-18 semester hours
|
Communication – 6 semester hours What changed? Reduced Communication requirement to 6 semester hours to match IHL’s requirements; Requirements now include:
|
| Mathematics – 3 semester hours MATH 111 College Algebra – 3 hours |
Mathematics – 3 semester hours What changed? College Algebra is no longer required for all students; Implemented a Math Pathway with the following options:
|
| Science Option – 3 semester hours Computer Literacy – 3 semester hours |
Natural Science Options – 6 semester hours What changed? Increased Natural Science Option to 6 semester hours to match IHL requirements. CSC 115 is no longer required for all students; CSC 115 is now an Information and Data Literacy Pathway option |
|
Philosophy Option – 3 semester hours Fine Arts Option – 3 hours |
Humanities & Fine Arts Options – 9 semester hours What changed? Humanities and Fine Arts requirement is restructured to match IHL’s requirement of 9 semester hours; to satisfy requirement, students can take courses in history, philosophy, and some English courses, along with fine arts courses |
| History of Civilization – 6 hours Social Science Option – 3 hours |
Social & Behavioral Science Options – 6 semester hours What changed? Eliminated History of Civilization requirement as it is not an IHL requirement; included History courses as Humanities options and as Global Pathway options Increased Social & Behavioral Science requirement to 6 hours to match IHL’s requirements |
| Health and Physical Education – 2-3 semester hours |
What changed? Eliminated Health and Physical Education requirement as it is not an IHL requirement; Some courses are included as part of the Health Pathway. |
| UNIV 100 |
What changed? Retained UNIV 100 requirement; UNIV 100 will be redesigned as a part of the QEP. |
A: Degree maps for JSU undergraduate programs can be found at: https://www.jsums.edu/studentsuccess/degree-and-majors/
A: Yes, students who started at JSU as a new student in Spring 2022 or Summer 2022 can switch to the new General Education curriculum if it is advantageous to them. Students who entered the University in Spring 2022 or Summer 2022 and wish to switch to the new General Education should use the following form: https://www.jsums.edu/registrar/files/2022/08/Catalog-Change-Request-8-7-2022.pdf
A: The new General Education curriculum was designed in a way that provides students with more course options. Advisors should not unilaterally choose course options for students but instead, should work with each student to choose their General Education courses. As students consider the options, students may want to think about what interests them, what they hope to learn, and what connects to their career goals. Students should also think about the course schedule (e.g., days, times) and delivery (online, in-person, hybrid).
A: No; The new General Education curriculum was designed to allow students to choose Pathways that align with their interests, which may or may not be similar to their major. We recognize that students have broad interests and may want to take courses in areas outside of their major and the Pathways allow for this. For example, a student who has a major in Public Health may have goals of creating Public Health newsletters so taking courses in the Discourse Pathway may be of interest to this student.
A: No, the same course cannot satisfy both requirements. In some cases, a course that is in the General Education curriculum may also be a required course for a student’s major. In these cases, the advisor will help the student to select an option that will count for General Education.
A: No. Since Foreign Language courses are no longer required for all students, high school Foreign Language courses will no longer be put on transcripts and will no longer substitute for college-level Foreign Language courses. This change does NOT mean that there is no value in taking Foreign Language courses. Students who wish to learn French or Spanish are encouraged to explore a major in these areas or take courses in these areas as their Humanities & Fine Arts options or as part of the Global Pathway.
A: The new General Education curriculum is transfer-friendly in that it is designed to make use of courses that students have completed at other colleges and universities. Students who transfer to JSU can use three of their 3-hour courses that are not being used to satisfy any other requirements and apply them to a pathway. Ideally, these courses should be thematic. For example, if you are transferring to JSU and you have taken the following three courses that are not being used to satisfy any other requirements, (1) JSU XXX Leadership in Practice; (2) JSU XXX Foundations of Leadership, and (3) JSU XXX Principles of Sports Coaching, these three courses can be used to create a pathway called Leadership that is specific to you. With the completion of the proper paperwork, these courses will be noted on your degree map and transcript with the prefix UNIV.
