General Education Requirements
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The College’s general education program serves the University’s mission to offer its diverse community of learners a challenging and individualized education shaped by a deep-rooted culture of mentoring and thoughtful engagement with the world beyond its campus. Students discover their passions by exploring a rich and varied curriculum that fosters a deep understanding of the world while simultaneously immersing themselves in a specific area of interest to develop disciplinary or interdisciplinary expertise. Our commitment to experiential learning encourages students to actively engage with the academic and co-curricular communities on-campus by learning through action. Students actively engage the world beyond the gates of the university by taking what they have learned in the classroom and on campus and applying it in local and/or global academic and professional settings. Drew’s proximity to New York City and our innovative international programs provide multiple opportunities for students to apply their theoretical knowledge to everyday practice and real-world contexts.
The general education curriculum is purposefully designed to give students flexibility and choice; there is no single path all Drew students will follow, though all students will gain the knowledge, skills, and collaborative capacities they need to navigate a complex world. Students shape their own education, with the support of dedicated faculty mentors who serve as academic advisers. By graduation, Drew students will be ready for a life of continued learning, community involvement, and professional leadership.
General Education Requirements
To complete the Drew bachelor’s degree, a student’s cumulative grade point average, both overall and in the major, must be at least 2.0. Students must also complete the following:
128 credits, of which at least 48 must be earned at Drew;
64 intermediate and upper-level credits, of which at least 32 must be at the upper level;
credits in certain course categories:
Required Course Categories
With the guidance of an academic adviser, students map their own path to their Drew degree, developing and mastering the goals of the general education program along the way. Paths through the requirements are varied, and students are encouraged to explore in more depth any areas that pique their curiosity. By graduation, students will have completed a selection of courses from the above required categories.
Goals of the General Education Program
The general education requirements reflect six primary goals:
Critical Analysis and Reasoning
a) Students will be able to develop a comprehensive analysis or synthesis through evaluating information and thoroughly questioning experts’ viewpoints.
b) Articulate a coherent and well-supported position.
c) Use existing information or material to create a novel or unique idea, question or product.
Oral and Written Communication
a) Use appropriate and convincing information to communicate expertise.
b) Students’ communications will demonstrate understanding of the audience and purpose.
c) Students’ communications will follow accepted communication norms.
Quantitative Reasoning
a) Define problems in a quantitative way and select appropriate data and/or techniques to investigate those problems.
b) Interpret, assess, and critique quantitative information and reasoning in context.
Information Literacy
a) Find needed information and evaluate its appropriateness.
b) Use appropriate information to accomplish a specific purpose.
Engaging Difference
a) Analyze systems of power and privilege and the differential outcomes and access they create.
b) Describe one's own location within system of power and privilege.
c) Analyze global systems and structures and their impact on particular nations, communities, or the world.
d) Evaluate the implications of individual and institutional actions and decisions in a global context.
Experiential Education and Professional Development
Immersive Experiences
As a result of completing an Immersive Experience, students should be able to:
a) Describe how the Immersive Experience connects to at least two transferable skills.
b) Reflect on how the experience helped further their personal goals, professional goals, and ability to contribute in a broader context.
c) Explain to an external audience how the specific knowledge, skills, or abilities learned during the experience are relevant to future endeavors.
Experiential Learning and Professional Development target the development of these transferable skills:
TRANSFERABLE SKILLS:
Interpretation - Closely examining material to extract meaning and demonstrate comprehension
Critical Thinking - Forming an argument or reaching a conclusion supported with evidence by evaluating, analyzing, and/or synthesizing relevant information
Problem Solving - Analyzing a complex issue and developing a viable strategy to address it.
Ethical Thinking - Analyzing the ethical implications of actions or decisions, with consideration of sociocultural, professional, political, and/or philosophical perspectives
Creative Thinking - Responding to existing ideas, images, or expertise to create an innovative or imaginative product
Quantitative Reasoning - Interpreting quantitative information and critically analyzing quantitative arguments or phenomena
Collaboration - Interacting with others in a mutually supportive way and building on each other’s individual contributions to a common goal
Written Communication - Conveying information and ideas to an intended audience through written materials
Oral Communication - Conveying information and ideas to an intended audience through a prepared presentation
Interpersonal Communication - Exchanging information and meaning through verbal and non-verbal expression
Engaging Difference - inquiring into, analyzing, and reflecting upon one’s own and others’ place within social, economic, cultural, and political systems, in order to build inclusive and equitable relationships and work effectively with others of different identities and locations