Center for Academic Advising

General Education Core Requirements

LEVEL III – Complete by graduation

8. Distribution Requirements

   It is expected that all graduates of Salem State will have deepened their understanding of the arts and sciences upon which human culture is based. To that end, 36 to 38 credit hours including the History Sequence and the full year sequence in laboratory science required in Level II shall be completed in the following three divisions:

   Division I Humanities Art, English, Foreign Language Literatures, Interdisciplinary Studies, Music, Philosophy, Speech Communication, Sport, Fitness and Leisure Studies, Theatre

   Requirements	Credits
   Full year sequence in literature	6 cr.
   Division I Electives Other Humanities courses	3-9 cr.

   Division II Natural Sciences and Mathematics Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Geological Sciences, Interdisciplinary Studies, Mathematics, Physical Geography, Physical Science, Physics, Sport, Fitness and Leisure Studies

   Requirements	Credits
   Full year sequence in laboratory science	6-8 cr.
   Division II Electives Other Natural Sciences & Math courses	3-9 cr.

   Division III Social Sciences Economics, Geography, Interdisciplinary Studies, History, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, Sport, Fitness and Leisure Studies

   Requirements	Credits
   History 101 & History 102	6 cr.
   Other Social Sciences courses	3-9 cr.

   Many courses for Interdisciplinary minors such as African-American Studies, Marine Studies, Urban Studies and Women's Studies may be used to fulfill distribution elective requirements. Credit should be counted in only one place.

   Total Distribution Credits 36-38 cr.

   As well as completing the full year sequences in literature, laboratory science, and history, the student must complete 18 additional semester hours of Electives to satisfy the Distribution Requirements. Within each division the courses (sequences and electives) must be drawn from at least two different disciplines. Courses which satisfy Distribution Requirements are designated "D" in the departmental course descriptions. The choice of additional courses is subject to the following limitations:

   1. The student must earn at least three, but not more than nine additional semester hours in each of the three divisions.
   2. Except for Distribution sequences shared between two departments, all courses used to satisfy Distribution requirements, both sequences and electives, must be in subject areas other than the student's major.
   3. No more than two courses in a sequence may be used to satisfy the Distribution Requirements.
   4. No skill course (e.g., writing, studio art, etc.), nor any course designed specifically for professional development (e.g., public relations, research methods, etc.) within a subject area may be applied to the Distribution Requirements.
   5. No seminars, directed studies, internships, departmental honors courses, etc. may be counted toward the Distribution Requirements. All courses satisfying distribution requirements must be approved through college governance and may include courses from any college department if appropriate. The literature sequence of Division I shall be completed in courses offered by the English Department or the Foreign Languages Department. Except for certain courses specified for Level I or II, the Distribution courses may be completed at any time during the student's four years. It should be noted, however, that it is impossible for any student taking supervised student teaching to complete a two-semester sequence in the senior year.
9. Diversity Requirement ("V")* (9 credits)

   History 101 and History 102, which will stress diversity in the syllabi (6 cr). One additional diversity-designated course can be taken either in the student's major or as an elective (3 cr).

   Goals of the Diversity Requirement:

   1. To increase the students' familiarity with cultures different from their own and different from that of the majority, white, Western culture of the United States.
   2. To increase students' awareness of the impact of prejudice, discrimination and oppression experienced by members of different groups because of their minority-group status.
   3. To increase students' ability to live comfortably in an increasingly multicultural world and interact respectfully with members of different groups.
10. Writing Requirement (College Level) ("W")* (3 credits)

    Every undergraduate degree candidate will satisfy the advanced writing requirement by completing at least one course at the 300 or higher level. This course can be taken either in the student's major or as an elective.

11. Quantitative Requirement (College Level) ("Q")* (3 credits)

    Students, in addition to the laboratory science sequence, must complete at least one college level course emphasizing quantitative analysis. This can be taken either in the student's major or as an elective.

    *To be designated with a "V", "W" or "Q", a course must first have approval of the College Curriculum Committee.

12. Foreign Language Requirement (0-12 credits, depending on placement)

    Who needs to satisfy the Foreign Language Requirement?

    All students in Bachelor of Arts programs (except for B.A. Art Majors with concentrations in Art Education, Graphic Design, Interactive Multimedia, Painting, Photography, Printmaking or 3-D Studio and B.A. History Majors with a concentration in Applied History).

Free Electives

Free electives should be carefully selected to complement overall program goals. Please note that no more than 55 credits in a student’s major field may be counted toward graduation. Exceptions to this regulation may be made for certain programs, but not for individual students. Students may want to use free electives to broaden knowledge of subject areas that relate to their major programs, professional goals, or cultural interests. A student may want to consider using free electives to establish a second minor or, together with other credits, to establish a second major.