Frequently Asked Questions

To read more questions and answers, and to get answers to your own questions, visit the General Education Discussion Pages

What is General Education?

The General Education curriculum at SUNY Geneseo provides the broad knowledge and fundamental skills that are the necessary possession of an educated citizen and the proper foundation for specialized study in a particular discipline. In so doing, Geneseo's General Education curriculum advances the Mission of the College and reflects the Principles and Goals of a Geneseo Undergraduate Education.

I've heard that there are new General Education requirements on all SUNY campuses. How do these new requirements affect Geneseo?

In 1998, the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York instituted a requirement that all SUNY candidates for the baccalaureate show at least 30 hours of coursework in General Education. The new requirement applies to all SUNY students who began their undergraduate degree programs in or after Fall 2000.

An advisory committee to SUNY Provost Peter Salins drew up implementation guidelines for the new requirement. These guidelines detail knowledge, skill, and competency outcomes in ten distinct General Education areas.

By completing the Geneseo General Education curriculum and the requirements of a Geneseo major, every Geneseo student automatically meets the General Education requirements set forth by the Board of Trustees.

However, the Geneseo General Education curriculum goes beyond the minimum standards established by the Board. That is because, with the exception of the U.S. History Requirement, SUNY Geneseo's General Education curriculum owes its existence and design to the Geneseo faculty. The learning outcomes encompassed by that curriculum, the number of courses required to complete the curriculum (for example, two lab courses in natural science), and the nature of those courses (for example, the comprehensive and sequential nature of Humanities) reflect the Geneseo faculty's view of what is demanded, not by the SUNY Board of Trustees, but by a rigorous and complete liberal education.

Will a course in my major discipline count toward General Education?

In most cases, courses in a student's major discipline may not be used to complete the General Education curriculum. There are some exceptions, however. You may use courses in your major discipline to fulfill the Non-Western Traditions, Numeric/Symbolic Reasoning, and US History portions of the General Education curriculum.

Will a course in my minor count toward General Education?

Yes.

I'm majoring in two disciplines. Will courses in one of these count toward General Education?

Yes. Courses in the discipline on record as your second (or third, or fourth, etc.) major may be counted toward General Education.

Can I use one course to fulfill more than one portion of the General Education curriculum?

A few courses in the General Education curriculum may be counted toward more than one area. These courses appear in the Undergraduate Bulletin with double prefixes (S/M, S/U).

Can I use two courses with the same department prefix to fulfill the two-course curriculum in Natural Science, Social Science, or Fine Arts?

For most students, the answer is "No." Exceptions are made only for certain transfer students. More information is available in the Dean's Office.

I'd like to take two Art Department courses for the Fine Arts portion of the curriculum. Are ArtS and ArtH different prefixes?

As long as you are not majoring in either ArtS (Art Studio) or ArtH (Art History), you can treat the two prefixes as different and complete the curriculum with one course in ArtS and one in ArtH. However, all Art majors, whether ArtS or ArtH, are excluded from applying Art Department courses to the General Education curriculum in Fine Arts.

I started at Geneseo before Fall 2000. How much of the General Education curriculum must I complete?

You must complete the Natural Science, Social Science, Fine Arts, Humanities, and Non-Western Traditions portions of the General Education curriculum. You need not complete the Critical Writing/Reading, US History, or Foreign Language portions.

I started at Geneseo before Fall 2000. What happened to the two-course Critical Reasoning Requirement that was in place when I got here?

The two-course Critical Reasoning Requirement was eliminated in Fall 2000. You do not have to complete it.

I'm a new transfer student. How much of the General Education curriculum must I complete?

If you enrolled in your previous institution before Fall 2000, you must complete the Natural Science, Social Science, Fine Arts, Humanities, and Non-Western Traditions portions of the General Education curriculum. If you enrolled in your previous institution in Fall 2000 or after, you must complete the entire Geneseo General Education curriculum.

If I take courses at another institution while matriculated at Geneseo, can I count them toward General Education?

In most cases, yes. However, before a taking a non-Geneseo class for transfer credit, you should complete a Transfer Course Approval Form and submit it to the Dean's Office. All transfers of credit are subject to Dean's Office approval.