The Habits of Mind Experience Program

Plymouth State University provides opportunities for students to cultivate the mind in ways that will lead them to full awareness as adults, and to lives in which occupational achievement is balanced by social responsibility, cultural experience, and personal happiness. The University measures its excellence, not by the quality of students who enter its doors, but by the quality it adds to those who graduate. Because of this commitment, Plymouth State University believes that every student must engage with learning experiences that help them to develop strong Habits of Mind. The undergraduate Habits of Mind Experience (HoME) program gives students a broad perspective on ideas, an awareness of diverse human experiences and cultures, and the opportunity to develop the skills, confidence, and ways of engaging with the world that will allow them to make a difference.

The HoME program is meant to ensure that students develop the skills and dispositions necessary for academic success and lifelong learning, an appreciation of the various ways scholars consider and understand human experience, an appreciation of the process by which different approaches to scholarship can be brought to bear on the same problem, and an action-oriented approach to engagement with the world. Courses taken to ensure breadth of knowledge emphasize the relevance and application of methods of inquiry and content to students’ lives. The HoME program at Plymouth State University is designed to help students develop and practice four Habits of Mind.

Habits of Mind

Habits of Mind are a set of four usual ways of thinking or ways of engaging with the world. They will equip students well for life and work after college. In this General Education program, the following Habits of Mind are developed in meaningful contexts.

Purposeful Communication is a Habit of Mind characterized by the construction of meaning through interactions with texts and people and the creation of new messages. “Text” refers broadly to any communicative message including, but not limited to, messages that are spoken or written, read or listened to, nonverbal, and/or delivered through any form of media (digital, social, artistic, print, etc.). Construction of meaning and creation of messages are influenced by individuals’ prior experiences as well as cultural and historical contexts. Creation of messages involves the development and purposeful expression of ideas and is designed to increase knowledge, foster understanding, and/or promote change in others’ attitudes, values, beliefs, or behaviors. To be effective, messages must engage the perspectives of others and foster dialog among individuals and the community.

Problem Solving is a Habit of Mind that involves an iterative process of identifying, explaining, and exploring problems, describing challenges, envisioning possible solutions and their implication, and make decisions about how to proceed based on all of these considerations. Problem solving encompasses a broad array of activities and approaches. Problems range widely in scale and scope—small to large, local to global, well-defined to ambiguous, simulated to real-world—and problem solving may be undertaken individually or in collaboration with others. In all cases, engaging in problem solving requires the ability to think creatively, adapt and extend one’s thinking, acknowledge different contexts and incorporate different perspectives, embrace flexibility, consider potential implication, determine courses of action, persist and adapt despite failure, and reflect on the results. While the types of problems encountered and the strategies used to grapple with problems vary across disciplines, the problem solving Habit of Mind is relevant to all disciplines.

Integrated Perspective is a Habit of Mind characterized by the recognition that individual beliefs, ideas, and values are influenced by personal experience as well as multiple contextual factors—cultural, historical, political, etc. All human beings are interconnected through their participation in natural and social systems. An integrated perspective recognizes that individual decisions impact the self, the community, and the environment. Students will acknowledge the limitations of singular points of view and recognize the benefits of engaging with and learning from others in order to integrate multiple perspectives for effective communication, problem-solving, and collaboration.

Self-Regulated Learning is a Habit of Mind that encompasses the desire to learn, the ability to set personal goals for learning, and the capacity to engage in a self-monitored learning process. Self-regulated learners demonstrate strong commitment to the process of learning and take responsibility for their own learning. They take intellectual risks, persist in the face of challenges, and learn from their mistakes. They are able to organize and reorganize information, interpret information in new ways, and generate their own ideas. Self-regulated learners demonstrate metacognitive awareness (an understanding of the factors that influence their own learning) and cultivate the skills and confidence they need in order to be effective learners.

Components of the Program

In Plymouth State University’s Habits of Mind Experience (HoME) program, students take three First-Year Experience courses, which introduce the Habits of Mind. The Habits of Mind are then further practiced and refined in the other components of the program: the Directions courses, the Connections courses, and the Integrated Capstone, as well as in the major. Students must take one course in each of the Directions categories as well as an additional 4-8 credits of Directions (total of 20 credits of Directions). These courses are designed to excite students about learning and to give them breadth of knowledge and experience with different approaches to learning. Though taught by expert scholars in the various academic disciplines, Directions courses are required of no major and are open to all students. Connections courses help students connect their learning to some other aspect of their lives, as well as develop more advanced academic skills, appreciation of difference, and appreciation of wellness within specific academic contexts. Three of the six Connections must be explored within the context of the major; the other three may be explored in that context or in some other. The Integrated Capstone course is a culminating experience in which students from a variety of majors come together to demonstrate their development of the Habits of Mind while working on a collaborative project that has a real world impact.

Overview of the Four Components

Course Title Credits
First Year Experience
EN 1400Composition4
IS 1115Tackling a Wicked Problem4
MAMathematics Foundations 43-4
Directions
CTDICreative Thought3-4
PPDIPast and Present3-4
SIDIScientific Inquiry3-4
SSDISelf and Society3-4
Directions (choose from CTDI, PPDI, SIDI, SSDI) 14-8
Connections
DICODiversity 23-4
GACOGlobal Awareness 23-4
WECOWellness 23-4
QRCOQuantitative Reasoning in the Disciplines 3, 4
TECOTechnology in the Disciplines 3
WRCOWriting in the Disciplines 3
Integrated Capstone
INCP Integrated Capstone3-4
Total Credits42-47
1

Directions should total 20 credits (unless the major has a waiver for a specific Direction).  If the major has a waiver for a specific Direction, no courses from that Direction will count toward the student's Direction credits.

2

These Connections may be double counted with a major, minor, or any other General Education requirement.

3

These Connections are three or four-credit experiences taken as part of the major and hence add no credits to those required of the major.

4

Mathematics Foundations and QRCO must be fulfilled by two different courses.

Description of the Four Components

First Year Experience 

The goals of the First-Year Experience component are to connect students to life in an academic community and to introduce and practice in a meaningful context the Habits of Mind and skills listed above. The component consists of three courses (Composition, Tackling a Wicked Problem, and Mathematics Foundations) to be taken during the first year. Successful first-year students approach these courses with the special attention and effort they require and deserve. They are the foundation of the General Education program, the program which will instill in PSU students the hallmarks of a truly educated person.

Far from being merely introductory academic hurdles, the mastery of these three courses is a predictive barometer of students’ ability to make the transition from high school-level thinking—characterized by the elementary skills of merely absorbing and regurgitating facts, to college-level thinking—characterized by the ability to take ownership over and become fully engaged in one's own learning. Only when students embrace and persevere in the Habits of Mind will they have made the transition from high school to college; only then will they have taken the most important first steps toward becoming educated.

Plymouth State University places special emphasis on success in the first year. PSU is one of only 12 United States state institutions to hold the title of founding member of Foundations of Excellence in the First College Year™. To achieve this honor, the University participated in a two-year study in order to develop a model first-year experience to which it might aspire. Using this model, PSU continually makes efforts to improve the experience by refining its approach to the first-year philosophy, organization, recruitment methods, and faculty involvement. Additionally, Plymouth State University pays special attention to the individual needs of all students, student engagement, diversity, the roles and purposes of education, and the systematic assessment of its progress in all of these areas. 

Composition (4 credits)

The Composition requirement is intended to help students become responsible writers who can take charge of their own writing process. It is satisfied by the course Composition (EN 1400) or its equivalency.

Students learn how to draft, respond to feedback from peers and instructor, revise, and edit successful college prose. By the end of the course, they should be able to write essays that are unified by a central thesis, well-developed in carefully organized paragraphs with vivid details, and grammatically appropriate with effective sentence structure and correct mechanics.

Students also learn to read comprehensively and effectively in order to relate ideas and arguments to their writing and thinking. They are expected to summarize different kinds of texts, paraphrase the ideas of someone else, analyze others’ arguments and positions, compare and contrast ideas, and generate their own thoughts and ideas following research and observation. Students are required to engage in library research and to write papers based on their research. Thus the General Education Skills being given special emphasis in this course are writing, reading, conducting research, and collaborating with others.

Tackling a Wicked Problem (4 credits)

During the first year at Plymouth State, all first year students, including those transferring in fewer than 24 credits, take the course IS 1115 Tackling a Wicked Problem. This is a single semester course that introduces students to Plymouth State University's educational model focused on collaboratively creating projects that reach beyond the walls of the classroom in some way. Through this course, students learn about using their education to make a difference in the world. The course introduces the Habits of Mind that will be developed over the course of the General Education program at PSU. This course also provides students with their first experience with Plymouth State University's Integrated Cluster model of education.

Each section of the course is focused on a wicked problem, a societal issue that is difficult or impossible to solve. . Human trafficking, homelessness, food insecurity, ocean plastics, and climate change are a few examples of the kinds of problems these sections focus on. By working on a collaborative project to address some aspect of the wicked problem, students practice the Habits of Mind. The course culminates in a public gathering during which students share their work with an audience external to the class. 

Tackling a Wicked Problem is a cornerstone course, through which students begin to build the repertoire of intellectual skills needed for university-level work. The skills are not taught in isolation but rather in the context of the problem of the course. Assignments and activities introduce all of the skills listed above, but special emphasis is given to critical thinking, conducting research, working with information technology, writing, speaking and listening, and collaborating with others.

Mathematics Foundations (3-4 credits)

Through the Mathematics Foundations requirement, students become aware of the importance of mathematics and its application to fields as diverse as art, music, and science. It is satisfied by a mathematics course numbered Mathematics and the Humanities (MA 1500) or above, or by a mathematics course that is equivalent to Mathematics and the Humanities (MA 1500) or above, including credit-by-exam as explained below.

Mathematics Foundations courses focus on problem solving using the language of mathematics and on developing students’ ability to reason quantitatively in diverse contexts. Students learn to reduce complex problems to their fundamentals using algebra and geometry.

The Mathematics Foundations requirement enables students to make connections between mathematics and their own lives and to explore the roles of mathematics in society, culture, and politics. General Education skills given special emphasis are quantitative reasoning, critical thinking, and working with information technology.

Students may demonstrate proficiency in mathematics by recording under the credit-by-examination policy, credits for a satisfactory performance on an AP, CLEP, DSST, or IB examination (see Transferring Credits). Mathematics coursework for which equivalent AP, CLEP, DSST, or IB credit has been received will not be granted credit.

Transfer students may demonstrate proficiency in mathematics by recording mathematics transfer credits that are equivalent to Plymouth State University courses. In cases where there is no equivalent course, the transfer credits must be deemed to be at a level equivalent to Mathematics and the Humanities (MA 1500) or higher by the transfer and articulation specialist and the mathematics faculty. Mathematics course work at PSU for which equivalent transfer credit has been recorded will not be granted credit.

Mathematics Placement Assessment. The Department of Mathematics offers an online placement assessment. The goal of the placement assessment is to help students enroll in the math course most suited to their background. Students may take the assessment a total of two times. Students are encouraged to study before they take the assessment a second time. The placement level is primarily used to determine placement in the algebra/precalculus/calculus sequence, although not all students are required to take courses in this sequence.  Students may also receive a recommendation to complete Elementary Algebra (MA 1200) before taking any other required Mathematics Foundations course. The mathematics placement assessment is scored at four levels:

  • Level 0: The mathematics faculty recommends students who score at this level complete Elementary Algebra (MA 1200) prior to any other math courses.  Students may not be prepared for success in their Mathematics Foundations course and should consult with their academic advisor and the mathematics faculty before enrolling.  Students do not meet the prerequisites for Precalculus (MA 2130) and must take College Algebra (MA 1800) before taking PreCalculus. 
  • Level 1: Students are generally prepared for a variety of Mathematics Foundations courses, including Math and the Humanities (MA 1500), College Algebra (MA 1800), Statistical Literacy in Today’s Society (MA 1900), Finite Mathematics (MA 2200), Finite Math with Statistics (MA 2210), or Statistics 1 (MA 2300).  Students whose majors require Precalculus (MA 2130) and/or Calculus I (MA 2560) do not yet meet these prerequisites and must register for College Algebra (MA 1800). 
  • Level 2: Students meet the prerequisite for Precalculus (MA 2130) and all other Mathematics Foundations courses mentioned in level 1.
  • Level 4: Students meet the prerequisite for Calculus I (MA 2550) and all other Mathematics Foundations courses mentioned in level 1.

The mathematics placement assessment is available online for all registered students through Canvas.

Note: Elementary Algebra (MA 1200) does not satisfy Mathematics Foundations or any General Education requirement.

Students satisfy the Mathematics Foundations requirement (3-4 credits) by either successfully completing a three- or four-credit mathematics course at the level of Mathematics and the Humanities (MA 1500) or higher, OR by successfully completing a mathematics course that is specified by the student’s major. Note that the Mathematics Foundations requirement must be fulfilled by a different course than that used to fulfill the Quantitative Reasoning in the Disciplines requirement.

Directions

The Directions component of the General Education program is intended to introduce students to different ways of considering and understanding human experience which they can apply as they seek meaning in their lives. Directions courses challenge students to see how different perspectives shape the ways in which people interpret ideas and experiences to construct meaning. They emphasize connections between the world of ideas and the “real world.”

Rather than introducing a whole academic discipline, these courses focus on a particular issue or problem or topic of interest within the discipline, especially a topic relevant to students’ own lives. Ideally and whenever possible, alternative perspectives and approaches are woven into the course. No Directions course is required as part of any major.

The four Directions essentially represent four different approaches to learning, defined by a combination of method of inquiry and content. They are intended to further strengthen the academic skills upon which the First-Year Experience is based. Different Directions emphasize different of these, but among them all skills are included. Because these skills are useful in all academic work, students are encouraged to take Directions courses early. Ideally all should be completed by the end of the second year.

Students must take one course in each of the Directions categories as well as an additional 4-8 credits of Directions (total of 20 credits of Directions). Directions courses will be a minimum of three credits. Some, for example, Scientific Inquiry courses involving laboratory work, may be more.

Creative Thought (3-4 credits)

People need to be creative in order to thrive in our complex and changing world. People need to understand the creative processes that lead to the generation of ideas and to engage in new interpretations of existing ideas. Creative Thought courses encourage students to recognize beauty in its many manifestations and to become aware of formal elements of creative expression.

These courses also encourage students to view themselves as creative beings, to appreciate creativity in others, and to regard creativity as an essential component in all areas of human endeavor. In these courses, students develop and value perseverance and a tolerance for ambiguity. Students are challenged to appreciate aesthetic forms, to use their imaginations, and to develop the skills and attitudes that allow creativity to flourish: independence and non-conformity, the ability to organize and reorganize information, and the confidence to think in new ways.

Course Title Credits
ARDI 1250Creativity in Visual Art4
ARDI 1400The Art of Sketching3
ARDI 1405Art of Sketching - Online3
ARDI 2311Table Manners: Functional Pottery4
CMDI 1030Creativity and the Digital World4
CMDI 1105Creating Games4
CMDI 1300The Art of Video Blogging4
CMDI 2100The Digital Imagination3
CSDI 1200Web Expressions3
DNDI 2105Movement for Community4
ENDI 1402Writing and the Creative Process4
ENDI 2205The Art of Film4
ENDI 2235Creating Arguments4
ENDI 2400The Manifesto: Changing Our World4
GEDI 2400Mapping Our World: Creating Realities4
LIDI 2455Creating Language4
MUDI 1355American Popular Music: History and Creation4
PODI 1061Politics and Art4
PTDI 2200The Art of Photography3
PTDI 2450Digital Photography3
PYDI 2420Creative Solving of Ethical Problems4
THDI 1300The Theatrical Experience3

Past and Present (3-4 credits)

In order to comprehend the present and envision the future, we must understand the past. Cultures and societies discern time and construct chronologies of significant events to explain the past, comprehend the present, and envision the future. By examining issues and events that are currently impacting students’ lives, Past and Present courses explore how people interpret causes and effects within events.

These courses encourage students to realize that different times shape different views of the world. For students to realize that all fields of knowledge are subject to change, they need to study the changes that have taken place within those fields. They also need to understand the dialectic movement between the past and present: just as the past shapes the present, so does the present shape our understanding of the past. 

Course Title Credits
BIDI 1400Plagues and Peoples3
CJDI 2020Cons, Frauds, and Scammers4
CMDI 2025Sex and Cinema in the 20th Century (and Beyond)4
ENDI 1350Twice-Told Tales3
ENDI 1355Twice-Told Tales4
GEDI 1400Globalization and Diversity3
GEDI 1500Globalization & Local Diversity4
HIDI 1201War in US History4
HIDI 1212The American West4
HIDI 1213Creating a Nation: America 1600-18774
HIDI 1214Developing the Modern Nation: US History Since 18654
HIDI 1215US Society in the Vietnam Era4
HIDI 1330Treating "Madness": Mental Illness and Therapy in History4
HIDI 1340Facing Beasts: Animals in the Middle Ages and Beyond4
HIDI 1355Medieval Me: Your Life in the Past4
HIDI 1410The Deep Roots of Black Lives Matter: Exploring African American History4
HIDI 1420Magic, Then and Now4
HIDI 1455Roots of Current Global Conflicts4
HIDI 1610(Re)Considering the Holocaust in a Polarized Society4
LIDI 2505The History of the English Language4
MUDI 1005Jazz Styles: Past and Present4
MUDI 1310Exploring Music3
PODI 1045Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism4
PODI 1056Humanitarianism: Working in the Global Community4
PYDI 1305Religious Practices and Beliefs4
SPDI 2260Latino Culture in the US4
SPDI 2270Spanish Cinema4
WSDI 2505The F Word: Feminism in the United States3
WSDI 2510The F Word: Feminism in the United States4

Scientific Inquiry (3-4 credits)

The methods of science are powerful tools with which we can attain a clearer understanding of the world. In the modern world, science has real application to all people’s lives. Scientific literacy helps people to make sense of the explosion of information they encounter every day. Scientific Inquiry courses use scientific methodologies to examine relationships between events in the natural world and make students aware that science occurs in a social, cultural, political, and ethical context.

Use of scientific methods in laboratory or field settings is an integral part of these courses. As students plan investigations, collect, analyze, and interpret data, and develop their ability to propose answers, offer explanations, and make predictions, they come to see both the power and the limitations of science. Students investigate the distinctions between rational thinking and anecdotal argumentation and develop an understanding that answers are never final, but always subject to revision. 

Course Title Credits
ANDI 1205Artifacts, Customs & Fossils: Studying Humans through Anthropological Prespectives4
ANDI 2205The Science of Archaeology4
BIDI 1090Curiosity and the Nature of New Hampshire4
BIDI 1240Biology of the Northern Woods4
BIDI 2010Human Biology I4
CHDI 1600The Science of Crime-Solving4
CJDI 1500Profiling Criminal Behavior4
CMDI 2200The Science of Animation Programming4
CSDI 2200Exploring Innovation and Engineering3
CSDI 2930Robotics For Everybody4
ESDI 1100Resource Management - an Earth Systems Science (ESS) Approach4
ESDI 2500Environmental Science4
ESDI 2610Earth Systems Science: The Hazardous Earth4
GEDI 1200Environmental Geography3
LIDI 2850Forensic Linguistics: Using Language to Solve Crimes4
LIDI 2955Language Acquisition4
MTDI 1200Weather and Climate3
MTDI 1500Severe and Hazardous Weather3
PHDI 2300Astronomy3
PSDI 2030Mind, Brain, and Evolution3
PSDI 2195Quack Remedies, False Prophets, and Unwarranted Claims4
PYDI 2715Science or Pseudo-Science4

Self and Society (3-4 credits)

A rich and productive life encompasses an understanding of one’s self and one’s relationship to the world. An educated person must grapple with a question that has interested human beings for centuries: the relationship between self and society. To understand one’s self, one must understand and acknowledge the impact of society on the development of identity and the formation of beliefs. The needs of the individual sometimes conflict with the needs of society. Cultures differ in the relative value they give to the individual and to the group.

Using issues that impact on students’ lives, Self and Society courses explore questions of these sorts. They encourage students to inquire into multiple dimensions of self including the social, physical, emotional, and cognitive, and to investigate the interactions between individuals and the spatial, temporal, political, economic, and technological aspects of the social environment. 

Course Title Credits
AHDI 2000Fashion Statements4
ARDI 1300Myths, Masks, and Identity3
BIDI 1500Insects and Society3
BIDI 2050Plants and Society3
BUDI 2350Personal Financial Planning4
BUDI 2400Personal Financial Planning4
BUDI 2840Career Exploration4
CJDI 1030The Individual and the Law4
CMDI 2015"Deviants" in Film and Society4
CSDI 1500Computers: Fact, Fiction, Fantasy, and Film3
ENDI 1320Murder, Mayhem, and Madness: Reflections of the Self and Society in Literature4
ENDI 1440Social Justice and American Literature4
ENDI 1450The Outsider3
ENDI 1455The Outsider4
ENDI 1555Wilderness Literature4
ENDI 2105The Story4
HIDI 1306Childhood in American History4
HIDI 1320Cultural Contact in World History4
HIDI 1361Beyond Mockingbird: Reading Race, Class, & Identity in 20th-Century US History4
HIDI 1430Making Sense of "Madness:" Diagnoses and Data4
ISDI 2100Issues in Sustainability3
LIDI 2025Queer Language, Culture, and Identity4
LIDI 2750Language & Identity4
MUDI 2050Your Unique Voice4
PODI 1051Global Problems, Power and Politics4
PODI 1110Conspiracies v.s. Conspiracy Theories4
PODI 1600Being an American4
PYDI 1030Thinking for Yourself3
PYDI 1135Ethics in Everyday Lives4
SODI 2205Exploring Social Life4
SPDI 2200Latin American Literature in English Translation3
SPDI 2250The Latino Boom: A Survey of US-Latino Literature3

Connections

The Connections component is intended to tie general education to the rest of the curriculum, including the majors, by helping students develop attitudes shared by educated people and more advanced academic skills within specific academic contexts. Three of the seven Connections are tied explicitly to the majors in that students take courses required by the major which advance their writing, quantitative, and technological skills in ways appropriate to the major. In many cases, one or more of the other four Connections may be tied to the major as well.

Diversity1 (3-4 credits)

Becoming educated involves developing awareness of, sensitivity to, and appreciation for viewpoints other than those to which we have been acculturated. Through such development comes increased respect for those different from oneself.

Students take a three or four-credit Diversity (DICO) course (either within the major or not) designed to broaden and deepen awareness and appreciation of differences and commonalties of sub-cultural groups in the US society defined by differences in race, ethnicity, ability, social class, religion, politics, gender, or sexual orientation. International courses do not address diversity in US society so DICO credit is omitted from international courses. Diversity courses do this by exposing students to the life stories and the voices of members of different groups and by exploring issues of equity, opportunity, and justice.

Course Title Credits
AE 2660Planning and Pedagogy for a Diverse World4
AH 3735Gender, Representation, and the Visual Arts4
BI 3240Conservation3
BUS 1200Business Law and Ethics4
CJ 3075Race, Class, Crime and Justice4
CJ 3157Society, Ethics, and the Law4
CJ 3515Women and Crime4
CM 3006Analyzing Screen Media4
CS 4520CyberEthics3
ED 3000Identity in a Diverse Society4
EN 2440Rethinking Early American Literature4
EN 2460Rethinking Modern American Literature4
ENDI 1440Social Justice and American Literature4
ESP 3800Food Systems: Social, Economic and Environmental Impacts of Modern Agriculture4
FR 1011French Language and Culture Studies I4
FR 1012French Language and Culture Studies II4
FR 2023French Language and Culture Studies III4
FR 2024French Language and Culture Studies IV4
FR 4815The Diversity of Franco Communities in the United States3
HI 3145Antebellum America, 1815-18604
HI 3351Women, Gender, and Sexuality in American History4
HI 3359Law and Society in US History4
HI 3526The Great Depression in Film, Print, and On Stage: An Interdisciplinary History4
HI 3535Home Front, USA: The WWII Era in the United States4
HI 3571Interrogating US History4
IS 4360Cultural Diversity and American Society3
LIDI 2025Queer Language, Culture, and Identity4
LIDI 2750Language & Identity4
MGM 3450Organizational Behavior & Team Development4
MU 3250Global Jazz3
MU 3460Music In Context I - Music and Identity in the Americas3
NR 3020Introduction to Patient-Centered Care3
PE 3610Adapted Physical Education3
PO 2025Public Administration4
PS 3200Psychology of Women3
PY 3157Society, Ethics, and the Law4
PY 3330Business Ethics3
PY 3370Ethics and Communication3
PY 3725Lizzie Borden Took an Axe4
SL 2950American Sign Language I3
SL 2960American Sign Language II3
SO 2225Foundations of Sociology4
SO 3185Sociology of Deviance4
SO 3375Sociology of Race and Ethnicity4
SP 1011Spanish Language and Culture Studies I4
SP 1012Spanish Language and Culture Studies II4
SP 1013Conversational Spanish I4
SP 1080Spanish for Criminal Justice I3
SP 1090Spanish for Criminal Justice II3
SU 3112Social Science Perspectives on Sustainability4
SW 3430Diversity and Oppression3
TE 3305Foundations of Multilingual Multicultural Studies4
TH 3430American Theatre4

Global Awareness1 (3-4 credits)

Educated people are aware that human beings are interdependent members of a world community, that there are both similarities and differences in the societies and cultures of the world, and that the manners in which people live their lives need not be exactly alike.

Students take a three or four-credit Global Awareness (GACO) course (either within the major or not) designed to expose them to the important societal issues facing the world and to encourage them to develop the ability to appreciate and think about issues from different points of view. Global Awareness courses focus on the forces that have shaped peoples, cultures, nations, and regions of the world. They increase students’ understanding of each person’s position, participation, obligations, and responsibilities within the world community.

Course Title Credits
AH 1150Art History Foundations: Prehistory to 14004
AH 3000Contemporary Art Since 19404
AHS 3305Epidemiology and Evidence Based Medicine4
AN 2100Foundations of Anthropology4
AN 3005Great Archaeological Discoveries4
AN 3120Anthropology of Migration4
AN 3405Anthropology of Sub-Saharan Africa4
BI 3240Conservation3
BUS 1400Principles of Economics4
CJ 3515Women and Crime4
CM 3485Global Perspectives in the Media4
CN 1015Fundamentals of Chinese I3
EN 3515Currents in Global Literature4
ESP 3325Climate, Risk, and Adaptation3
ESP 3326Climate, Risk, and Adaptation3
ESP 3900Oceanography3
FR 1011French Language and Culture Studies I4
FR 1012French Language and Culture Studies II4
FR 2023French Language and Culture Studies III4
FR 2024French Language and Culture Studies IV4
FR 3035French Popular Culture and Technology4
HI 2006Ancient and Medieval Civilizations4
HI 2011Modern World History, 1500 to Present4
HI 3210History of China4
HI 3220Sex, Slavery, and Empire in Global History4
HI 3230Topics in European History4
HI 3465The British Empire in World History4
HI 3485The French Revolution and Napoleonic Era, 1789-18154
HI 3590Religious Conflict in Early Modern Europe4
HI 3775Islamic Empires4
HI 3825Topics in World History4
MT 2000Fundamentals of Meteorology and Climatology3
MU 3250Global Jazz3
MU 3470Music In Context II - Philosophy and Music3
NR 4020Global Health and Population-Based Health Care3
PO 1035World Politics4
PO 3005Politics and Conflict in the Middle East4
PO 3085Model United Nations4
PO 3255Model United Nations4
PO 3305Latin American Politics4
PO 3505Politics and Conflict in the Middle East4
PY 1010Ultimate Questions3
PY 3345Military Ethics3
PY 3560Philosophical Perspectives on War and Peace3
PY 3825Understanding Existentialism4
SP 1011Spanish Language and Culture Studies I4
SP 1012Spanish Language and Culture Studies II4
SP 1013Conversational Spanish I4
SP 1014Conversational Spanish II4
SP 1080Spanish for Criminal Justice I3
SP 1090Spanish for Criminal Justice II3
SP 2025Intermediate Spanish4
SP 3030Advanced Spanish3
SP 3500Advanced Spanish4
SU 3112Social Science Perspectives on Sustainability4
SU 3115Economic and Ecological Sustainability4
SW 3300Mental Health and Society3
SW 3500Health and Society3
TMP 2010Introduction to Travel and Tourism4

Wellness1 (3-4 credits)

To be fully educated, people need respect for and understanding of how health, physical activity, and wellness contribute to mental acuity and emotional well-being. Awareness of and attention to the physical can enhance the cognitive and emotional aspects of life.

Students take a three or four-credit Wellness (WECO) course (either within the major or not) designed to increase their understanding of the connection between mind and body.

These courses expose students to the theory and practice of life-span wellness and fitness activity, and to the knowledge, attitudes, habits, and skills needed to live well. Their goal is to help students cultivate life skills, which will promote mental, physical, and emotional well-being.

Course Title Credits
AN 3505Illness, Wellness, and Healing4
AN 3510Illness, Wellness, and Healing4
AR 3221Multi-Media: Ceramic Concepts4
BI 2270Integrative Biology4
BIDI 2010Human Biology I4
BU 3720Career Development3
BUDI 2400Personal Financial Planning4
CM 3515Communication, Media, and Wellness4
DN 3071Moving Intelligence and Body Design4
ED 2400Child and Youth Development in Context4
EN 1555Adolescent Development and Teaching Humanities3
ER 2155Play and Learning in Early Childhood4
ESP 3550Environment and Health3
ESP 3700Medical Geology4
ESP 3800Food Systems: Social, Economic and Environmental Impacts of Modern Agriculture4
HE 2900Disease, Safety, and Environment3
HE 3110Eating Disorders and Disordered Eating3
HE 3200Stress Management3
HE 3210Mental Health Issues3
HE 3670CPR/AED & First Aid; Basic and Instructor Training3
HE 3700Drug Behavior3
HE 3730Sex and Family Living3
HE 4100Women's Health Issues3
HI 3355Health and Illness in American History4
MUDI 2050Your Unique Voice4
NR 3070Health and Wellness of Older Adults3
PE 2860Adventure Programming for Physical Educators3
PE 2880Adventures in Wellness3
PEHE 2000Wellness Choices for Healthy Living3
PY 3310Environmental Ethics3
PY 3325Medical Ethics3
PY 3365Ethics and Psychology4
SO 3505Illness, Wellness, and Healing4
SO 3510Illness, Wellness, and Healing4
SO 3605Sustainability in Practice4
SSE 1550Adolescent Development and Teaching Humanities3
SW 3050Perspectives on Aging3
SW 3500Health and Society3
TH 2820Acting I3
TMP 2303Stay Work Play : Wellness in Hospitality Management4

Quantitative Reasoning in the Disciplines2 (3-4 credits within the major)

Mathematics finds application in all fields of scholarship. All disciplines make use of quantitative reasoning in some way and to some extent.

Students take a three or four-credit Quantitative Reasoning (QRCO) course specified as required for their major. This course may be taught within the major discipline or not. It might teach quantitative techniques used as primary or secondary tools within the discipline, or might be a course in which students of less quantitative disciplines come to deepen their appreciation of the relevance of quantitative reasoning to us all.

Note that the Quantitative Reasoning in the Disciplines requirement must be fulfilled by a different course than that used to fulfill the Mathematics Foundations requirement.

Course Title Credits
ACC 4100Accounting Info Systems and Analytics4
AG 3800Publication Design4
AHS 3305Epidemiology and Evidence Based Medicine4
AR 3060Multi-Media: Design for the Body4
AR 3160Multi-Media: Objects and Design4
BI 4050Ecology4
BU 2240Business Statistics3
CH 2335General Chemistry I4
CJ 3260Data Analysis for Criminal Justice4
CM 4655Communication Research Methods4
DAT 3000Intro to Data Analytics4
EN 1600Studies in English4
FIN 3100Financial Analytics4
GE 2050GIS I: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems4
HI 2223Methods, Theories, and Careers in History4
MA 1500Mathematics and the Humanities3
MA 1900Statistical Literacy in Today's Society3
MA 2120Mathematics for Grades 4-6 Educators4
MA 2130Precalculus4
MA 2210Finite Math with Business Statistics4
MA 2300Statistics I3
MA 2550Calculus I4
MA 2560Calculus II4
MGM 3190Business Operations Analytics4
MKT 3120Marketing Research and Consumer Insights4
NR 4060Research Process and Evidence-Based Practice3
PE 3565Measurement and Assessment in Physical Education3
PS 3115Research Methods and Statistics I4
PY 2310Elements of Logic3
SS 3705Social Statistics4
SU 3115Economic and Ecological Sustainability4
SW 3705Social Statistics4
TH 2500Stagecraft Fundamentals3

Technology in the Disciplines2 (3-4 credits within the major)

In the modern world, technology has application to every academic discipline, and educated people must have an understanding of technology that will allow them to adapt to rapid technological change.

Students take a three or four-credit Technology in the Disciplines (TECO) course specified as required for the major. This course may be taught within the major discipline or not. The course will help students examine the role of technology within their own discipline and within a larger societal and cultural context. The TECO course will provide students with hands-on experience using current technologies; with a broad understanding of the concepts underlying current technology; with an understanding of the potential ethical issues involved with the use of technology; and with an understanding of forces, based in the needs and values of our culture, that drive technological innovation.

Course Title Credits
ACC 4100Accounting Info Systems and Analytics4
AG 2100Design Software Basics4
AN 4415Methods of Social Research4
AP 3101Immersion Wilderness Expedition4
AR 1080Art Foundations: Digital and New Media4
BI 1110Biological Science I4
BUS 1300Digital Information Technologies4
CD 1000Children and Youth in Schools and Community3
CH 3550Instrumental Analysis4
CJ 3260Data Analysis for Criminal Justice4
CJ 3450Technology in criminal justice4
CM 2000Studies in Communication and Media4
CM 2775Media and Cultural Studies4
CM 3095Technical Communication4
CM 3675Journalism in the Digital Age4
CS 2010Computing Fundamentals3
DAT 3000Intro to Data Analytics4
ED 2800Inclusive Education and Technology4
ED 3350Classroom Planning, Management, and Organization for Middle School and Secondary Educators3
EN 2440Rethinking Early American Literature4
EN 2490Rethinking Modern British Literature, 1660-19454
ESP 3335Environmental Geology4
FIN 3100Financial Analytics4
FR 3035French Popular Culture and Technology4
GE 2050GIS I: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems4
HE 3220Applied Nutrition for Healthy Living3
HI 3571Interrogating US History4
HI 4455History Capstone Seminar4
IP 4500Interdisciplinary Studies Senior Seminar4
MA 3355Introduction to Mathematical Modeling4
ME 3500Technology for Music Educators3
MT 4280Synoptic Meteorology4
MT 4405Numerical Weather Prediction3
MU 2105Introduction to Music Technology4
MU 3240Technology in Music Performance4
NR 4600Leadership, Collaboration & Quality Health Care Systems3
PBH 2200Assessment and Communication in Public Health4
PE 2550Foundations of Physical Education3
PO 3065Political Analysis and Policy4
PO 3125Political Parties, Elections, and Interest Groups4
PS 3115Research Methods and Statistics I4
PTDI 2450Digital Photography3
PY 3380Humans and Humanoids: Ethics in Technology3
PY 3610Philosophy of Technology3
SO 4415Methods of Social Research4
SP 3030Advanced Spanish3
SW 4020Social Work Research Methods3
TH 2100Technology for Theatre Professionals3

Writing in the Disciplines2 (3-4 credits within the major)

 Students take a three or four-credit Writing course (within a major) that contains significant writing experiences appropriate to the discipline. These experiences must include Writing Across the Curriculum activities that facilitate student learning and help students become better writers. At a minimum these activities demonstrate three specific aspects.

  1. Students in the course do substantial writing that enhances learning and demonstrates knowledge of the subject or the discipline. Writing assignments should be an integral part of the course and account for a significant part (approximately 50 percent or more) of the final grade.
  2. The course demonstrates an approach to writing as a process where students have the opportunity to submit and receive feedback on multiple drafts of major assignments.
  3. Students have the opportunity to write for formal and informal, graded and ungraded occasions throughout the course with an emphasis on the use of writing as a mode of learning.
Course Title Credits
AG 3450History of Graphic Design4
AH 3000Contemporary Art Since 19404
AHS 3305Epidemiology and Evidence Based Medicine4
AN 4605Seminar: Theory, Practice, and Careers4
AP 3320Adventure Education Philosophy and Theory3
BI 4050Ecology4
BI 4150Developmental Biology4
BI 4170Ecology and Development4
BI 4770Animal Physiology4
BI 4780Neurobiology4
BUS 2300Business Writing and Presenting4
CH 3410Physical Chemistry: Thermodynamics and Kinetics4
CH 3550Instrumental Analysis4
CJ 3225Research Methods in Criminal Justice4
CJ 3450Technology in criminal justice4
CJ 4805Criminal Justice Seminar4
CM 3095Technical Communication4
CM 3645Communication Theory4
CM 3675Journalism in the Digital Age4
CS 4520CyberEthics3
ED 2600Learning and Development4
EN 1600Studies in English4
ESP 2305Foundations of Environmental Policy4
ESP 4550Environmental Science and Policy Seminar4
EX 4770Exercise Physiology for Special Populations3
EX 4840Research Methods in Exercise Science3
FR 3135Advanced French Composition4
HI 2223Methods, Theories, and Careers in History4
IP 4500Interdisciplinary Studies Senior Seminar4
MA 2700Introduction to Mathematical Proof Writing3
MA 4140Abstract Algebra3
MT 4725Meteorological Remote Sensing3
MU 3320History and Literature of Music II3
MU 3470Music In Context II - Philosophy and Music3
NR 4060Research Process and Evidence-Based Practice3
PBH 3400Program Planning for Public Health4
PE 3565Measurement and Assessment in Physical Education3
PO 3060Political Analysis and Policy4
PO 3065Political Analysis and Policy4
PO 3305Latin American Politics4
PS 3125Research Methods and Statistics II4
SO 4605Seminar:Theory, Practice, and Careers4
SP 3220Advanced Spanish Composition3
SU 3333Environmental Humanities4
SW 4550Social Work Integrative Seminar3
TH 3430American Theatre4
TMP 4010Tourism Development4
1

These Connections may be double counted with a major, minor, or any other general education requirement.

2

These Connections are three or four-credit experiences taken as part of the major and hence add no credits to those required for the major.

Integrated Capstone (3-4 credits)

The Integrated Capstone (INCP) component of the General Education program is intended to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their development of the Habits of Mind. It is satisfied by the course IS 4220 Signature Project or its equivalency.  An INCP course is a capstone to the General Education program and, as such, is separate from any capstone experience in the major. Because it belongs to no single major, it brings together students from different disciplines to work on interdisciplinary, integrated projects that make a lasting difference in the world.  

Students take a 3 or 4 credit Integrated Capstone course in which they bring both their disciplinary expertise from their major and the Habits of Mind developed via General Education program together with other students to articulate, develop, plan, and implement signature projects that address a significant problem, issue, or question. A signature project:

  • Is transdisciplinary: The project integrates knowledge from multiple disciplines and sources to create something new that could not be created without all of them.
  • Is completed collaboratively: The project is large and complex enough that it requires input and work from more than one person to be successful.
  • Is student-driven: While faculty, staff, and community partners provide guidance and coaching, student agency and independence move the project forward.
  • Requires metacognitive reflection: Students reflect on what and how they learn and how their learned knowledge, skills, and dispositions might be transferable to other contexts.
  • Reaches beyond the walls of the classroom: The work of the project touches the world outside the classroom in some way.
  • Has an external audience for project results: The results of the project are presented to someone who is outside of the class.
  • Is completed ethically and respectfully: Work on the project engages internal/external audiences and/or partners with mutual benefit.

Transfer of General Education Courses

A course, or courses, must fulfill the transfer criteria established by Plymouth State University. When discrepancies occur, the transfer and articulation specialist shall consult with the department chair for clarification on details of course description or the amount of credit to be honored. In cases where a clear decision is not apparent, or where students make a challenge of a decision, it shall become the responsibility of the academic affairs office to make a decision.

Courses that are transferred into Plymouth State University receive General Education designation in one of the following ways:

  • The appropriate department declares the course to be equivalent to a PSU course that carries the General Education designation.
  • The transfer and articulation specialist assigns the designation as part of the initial evaluation of transfer credit or as part of the review of the Transfer Credit Approval form.
  • The academic affairs office approves a Student Request for such designation (this option provides a mechanism of appeal of the first two).

Writing Across the Curriculum

Plymouth State University believes in Writing Across the Curriculum, activities that engage students in the process of writing in many places throughout the curriculum.  As students write to learn, they learn to write.