Oct 13, 2024  
2018-2019 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2018-2019 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

General Education



Foundation of Knowledge

The general education program guides students to become independent learners, innovative thinkers, and responsible citizens. The program gives students a foundation of values, knowledge, and skills that empower them to discover their personal potential, communicate effectively, work in diverse communities, and solve problems in a global society. Courses invite students to expand the lifelong practice of asking questions, seeking new points of view, applying principles of reason, adjusting ideas in relation to new situations, and taking reflective action.

Associate’s Degree Foundation of Knowledge Checklist

Bachelor’s Degree Foundation of Knowledge Checklist

Foundation of Knowledge Core Competencies

A - Critical Thinking
  Students will demonstrate the ability to gather, process, interpret, and evaluate information; to develop a plan to apply that information appropriately to a variety of situations; and to assess the appropriateness and relevance of its application.
 
B - Perspectives
  Students will demonstrate the ability to analyze and understand multiple historical and contemporary perspectives and cultural identities.
 
C - Communication
  Students will demonstrate the ability to communicate a depth of understanding of that information through written, spoken, and visual media appropriate to audiences.
 
D - Science and Technology
  Students will demonstrate an understanding of the scientific method in observing, evaluating, analyzing, and predicting phenomena in the natural and physical world.
 
E - Personal Responsibility and Community
  Students will demonstrate an understanding of the ethical, moral, and pragmatic consequences of their choices and decisions, including the roles and responsibilities of citizenship.

Assessment of Core Competencies

All NKU students will be required to participate in a formal assessment of the core competencies at a minimum of two points during their academic career. Results will be used by the administration and faculty to ensure the continuous improvement of the educational experience provided to NKU students and to provide evidence that graduates have attained those competencies.

Program Requirements: Associate Degree Candidates

Associate degree candidates must satisfy the requirements listed here. The courses that satisfy each program category are listed after the program requirements for bachelor’s degree candidates.

Program Categories Credit Hours
Communication  
       Oral 3
       Written 3
Scientific and Quantitative Inquiry  
       Natural Sciences (must be a lab course)
       Note: All NKU lab courses are currently four hours.
3-4
       Mathematics and Statistics 3
Culture and Creativity
(Arts and Humanities)*
– OR –
Global Viewpoints
3
Self and Society
(Social and Behavioral Sciences)*
3
TOTAL HOURS 18-19

 *Kentucky Transfer Policy category.

Program Requirements: Bachelor’s Degree Candidates

Bachelor’s degree candidates who begin their postsecondary education at NKU must satisfy the requirements listed below; transfer students may be able to receive credit for some or all of the general education requirements through the Kentucky Transfer Policy.

General Education Categories Credit Hours
Communication  
       Oral 3
       Written 6
Scientific and Quantitative Inquiry  
       Natural Sciences (including one lab course) 7
       Mathematics and Statistics 3
Culture and Creativity
(Arts and Humanities)*
6
Self and Society
(Social and Behavioral Sciences)*
 
       Cultural Pluralism 3
       Individual and Society 6
Global Viewpoints 3
TOTAL HOURS 37

*Kentucky Transfer Policy category.

General Information about Taking Courses

  1. Students should consult the Foundation of Knowledge website (http://gened.nku.edu) to determine if there have been any changes in the courses approved for each category.
  2. For three of the categories - scientific and quantitative inquiry, culture and creativity, and self and society - students may take only one course from the same discipline (for example, biology, mathematics, sociology, theatre). This restriction does not apply to communication or global viewpoints.
  3. Global viewpoint courses can be explored from both the perspective of the arts/humanities and the social/behavioral sciences.
  4. Students cannot use a single course to satisfy the requirements of two categories.
  5. If a course approved for general education credit has a prerequisite or is limited to students meeting prescribed academic qualifications (such as a minimum level of performance on ACT or placement examinations), students must satisfy those requirements before taking the course.
  6. Students who earn transfer credit within one semester hour of that necessary for completion of a general education course requirement will be considered to have completed that course requirement.
  7. Some majors require specific general education courses. Students should consult the catalog or contact an advisor for more information.
  8. Students should complete communication and mathematics requirements before the completion of 45 semester credit hours.

The Categories Comprising Foundation of Knowledge



Communication Category


The objectives of these courses are to teach students to effectively gather material relating to a focused topic using a variety of tools, sources, and search strategies; to demonstrate the ability to express ideas using oral communication skills with appropriate attention to topic and audience; to create and write coherent, grammatically-correct pieces for a variety of topics and audiences; to employ the principles of rhetorical communication; to comprehend college-level readings in various settings and disciplines; and to comprehend the ethical perspectives of responsibilities of individuals. The following courses are approved for this category:

Scientific and Quantitative Inquiry Category


The objectives of these courses are to teach students to develop evidence-based arguments; to apply scientific and quantitative reasoning through problem solving or experimentation and effectively communicate results through scientific, analytic, and quantitative methods; to identify major concepts of science behind technological innovations or applications in our daily lives; and to distinguish between scientific and non-scientific methods. The following courses are approved for this category:

Natural Sciences


Seven semester credit hours required for this category. One course must include a laboratory component; the two courses must be from different disciplines.

Self and Society Category


The objectives of these courses are to teach students to effectively gather material relating to a focused topic using a variety of tools, sources, and search strategies; to identify, interpret, and evaluate assumptions, evidence, conclusions, and theories; to understand economic, political, and social legacies of imperialism and colonialism, with reference to the linguistic or cultural diversity, for societies, groups, and individuals; to compare historical perspectives on the development of various cultures; to identify the connections and differences among local, national, and global communities; to demonstrate how literature and the arts reflect and influence cultures; to distinguish between scientific and  non-scientific explanations by employing scientific methods; to understand the influence of cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds in shaping attitudes and opinions (in themselves and others); and to demonstrate an understanding of the variety of influences on human behavior. The following courses are approved for this category:

Culture and Creativity Category


The objectives of these courses are to teach students to effectively gather material relating to a focused topic using a variety of tools, sources, and search strategies; to explore the implications and consequences of their initial conclusions and use them to generate new ideas, questions, and directions for further inquiry; to compare historical perspectives on the development of various cultures; and to demonstrate how literature and the arts reflect and influence cultures. The following courses are approved for this category:

Six semester credit hours required to satisfy this category


Each course must be from a different discipline. Bachelor’s degree candidates are limited to three credit hours (one course) of foreign language to satisfy this category. Associate degree candidates may not use a foreign language course to satisfy this category.

Global Viewpoints Category


The objectives of these courses are to teach students to understand economic, political, and social legacies of imperialism and colonialism, with reference to linguistic or cultural diversity, for societies, groups, and individuals; to compare historical perspectives on the development of various cultures; to identify connections and differences among local, national, and global communities; to demonstrate how literature and the arts reflect and influence cultures; to comprehend the ethical perspectives and responsibilities of individuals; to understand the influence of cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds in shaping attitudes and opinions (in themselves and others); and to demonstrate an understanding of the variety of influences on human behavior. The following courses are approved for this category:

Kentucky Transfer Policy

The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education and other Kentucky institutions developed and approved the Kentucky Transfer Policy to facilitate student progress to graduation and ease transfer between state institutions. Students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher to qualify for the Kentucky Transfer Policy.

Certification of General Education Blocks

For a student transferring from a public college or university of the commonwealth of Kentucky, there are three levels of general education certification. Each level is based on the number and category of courses taken. Students can complete general education courses in categories (also referred to as blocks), as a core component, and as a complete general education program. Each level of certification is identified below.

  1. General Education Category Certified. Students who have completed some but not all of the five categories in the Core Component will be “category certified” for purposes of transfer. Individuals in this situation must fulfill all of the remaining general education requirements of the receiving institution that have not been satisfied through category certification.
  2. General Education Core Certified. Students who have completed all of the categories - the core component - with a minimum of 30 unduplicated credit hours will be “core certified” for purposes of transfer. Individuals in this category must fulfill the remaining general education requirements of the receiving institution that have not been satisfied through the core component. At NKU, this means completing three credit hours in the Global Viewpoints category.
    Kentucky Transfer
    Policy Category
    Northern Kentucky University
    General Education Category
    Communication - six to nine credit hours Communication
             Oral - three credit hours
             Written - six credit hours
    Arts and Humanities - six to nine credit hours Culture and Creativity - six credit hours
    Quantitative Reasoning - three to six credit hours Mathematics - three credit hours
    Natural Sciences - three to seven credit hours Natural Sciences - seven credit hours
    Social and Behavioral Sciences - six to nine credit hours Self and Society - nine credit hours
      Global Viewpoints - three credit hours
  3. General Education Fully Certified. Students who have completed a general education program, with a minimum of 30 unduplicated semester credit hours or the equivalent (may include a SACS justification for fewer hours) which includes the core component and all additional institutional-specific general education courses, will be “general education fully certified” for purposes of transfer. If the receiving institution’s general education program requires a sum of hours that is less than the total the student has taken at the sending institution, the excess hours will be accepted for transfer by the receiving institution and evaluated for application toward degree requirements. There may be graduation requirements beyond general education requirements that a student will need to complete (e.g., senior year capstone experiences).