General Education Requirements

The General Education Program is based on a set of first principles that define the characteristics of a Chapman graduate. A Chapman graduate is expected to be competent in the following basic skills:

• Language expression (oral and written) and critical thinking
• Mathematical and quantitative reasoning
• The use of technology to access, organize, analyze and present information

Dedicated to the breadth that a liberal arts education provides, Chapman University also expects its graduates to achieve an understanding of the following concepts:

• Fundamental issues in ethics and morality and the use of ethical analysis and moral reasoning in the pursuit of a more just and humane world;
• The historical, philosophical and political wellsprings of contemporary American society;
• Other cultures in order to contribute to a world where societies with different or divergent values and perspectives increasingly come into contact;
• The fundamental processes of nature and the methodologies of science by which humankind has come to understand these processes;
• The creative process in the fine and performing arts;
• Works of literature and the other humanities;
• The interdependence of disciplines, particularly the connections between a chosen major and those areas of study encountered in the general education core curriculum and electives;
• The competency required by a major field or discipline;
• The ability to integrate personal expectations and prior learning with degree planning and career objectives.

I. Basic Skills (12 credits)

Writing and Critical Thinking Skills: (6 credits)

ENGU 103

ENGU 104

Oral Expression and Critical Thinking: (3 credits)

Communication or a college level course in critical thinking

Quantitative Skills: (3 credits)

MATU 104 or higher or any statistics course

Using Technology:

(Embedded throughout the curriculum)

II. Breadth Requirements (30 credits)

Humanities (12 credits from a minimum of three areas)

English, Foreign Languages

Fine Arts

Humanities/Liberal Studies

Philosophy

Religious Studies

Natural Sciences (6 credits)

Social Sciences (12 credits from a minimum of three areas)

Economics/Organizational Leadership

History

Political Science

Psychology

Social Science/other related areas

Sociology/Criminal Justice

III. University College Foundations: (3 credits)

LBSU 300

IV. Writing Proficiency Requirement:

Successful passing of the Junior Writing Proficiency Examination (JWP) after completion of a minimum of 60 credits and ENGU 104 or documentation of passing an equivalent mid-point Writing Proficiency Exam from another accredited university.

Students who receive a score of "failing" on the JWP Exam must enroll in ENGU 300 and pass it with a grade of C "2.0" or higher.

Students who receive a score of "deficient" on the JWP Exam may either retake the test and receive a "passing" score or enroll in ENGU 300 and pass it with a grade of C "2.0" or higher. The test may be taken more than once and the requirement should be completed by the time the student achieves senior standing.