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Guide to General Education For Students Seeking a SUNY Bachelor’s Degree

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The SUNY General Education Requirement (SUNY-GER) enables students to acquire knowledge and skills that are useful and important for all educated persons, regardless of their jobs or professions.  (SUNY Board of Trustees Resolution, January 2010)


If you enter SUNY in fall 2010 or later as a beginning or transfer student, to earn a SUNY bachelor’s degree, you must meet a 3-part requirement: 

 PART 1.  Earn 30 credits in courses in at least 7 of the following 10 SUNY-GER areas:  

2 required areas*

    Basic Communication        Mathematics

Any 5
of these 8 areas*

    American History               Other World Civilizations
    Foreign Language              Social Sciences
    Humanities                        The Arts
    Natural Sciences                Western Civilization

 PART 2.  Meet the general education requirements of your bachelor’s degree campus and your specific major – if those requirements are not the same as PART 1. 

 

PART 3.  Demonstrate competency in the following two SUNY-GER areas in ways permitted by your bachelor’s degree campus:

2 required areas

    Critical Thinking                  Information Management

*If you entered SUNY between fall 1998 and fall 2009, you may need to complete courses in each of the ten areas, but your advisor may tell you about other options.  If you entered SUNY before 1998, the SUNY-GER may not apply.

 

Your academic advisor can help you plan a path to meeting your general education requirements.  For the specific major(s) you intend to complete, find out about: 

  • Specific SUNY-GER courses you should take.  Every SUNY-GER course counts toward meeting the SUNY-GER at every SUNY campus.  However, there may be a difference between meeting the SUNY-GER and meeting local campus requirements and specific major requirements.  In addition, you may be able to meet parts of the SUNY-GER, local and major requirements with AP, IB, CLEP, DANTES or ACTFL exams, or prior college credits. 
  • Course grades required.  If you earn a grade of C or higher in a SUNY-GER course, the course is guaranteed to satisfy the SUNY-GER at every SUNY campus.  However, a campus or major may require a higher grade in some SUNY-GER courses, or it may accept any passing grade. 

If you plan to transfer within SUNY to earn a bachelor’s degree, you may want to complete as many SUNY-GER courses as you can before you transfer.  Try to complete courses in at least 7 SUNY-GER knowledge and skills areas, including the 2 required areas before you transfer.  If you earn 30 credits in 7 or more SUNY-GER areas, including the 2 required areas, before you transfer, you will have met that part of the SUNY-GER at every SUNY campus.  If you complete SUNY-GER courses that fit your transfer campus and major, you will be making good progress toward your bachelor’s degree.

 

Search for general education requirements at each SUNY campus awarding bachelor’s degrees at http://www.suny.edu/student/campuses_complete_list.cfm. 

 

10/26/2010


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Last Update - 10/27/10