The general education program at Minot State University provides students with a broad base of knowledge and essential skills that facilitate the exploration of personal interests, potential career trajectories, and opportunities for professional growth. To navigate an increasingly complex life and work environment, students learn how to evaluate information and data, think critically and creatively, communicate effectively, and appreciate different perspectives.

General Education Program Purposes

General education programs are specified by the following objectives:

1. Develop Core Competencies: Enhance students' written, oral, and quantitative competencies.
2. Broaden Intellectual Horizons: Expose students to diverse ways of thinking and acquiring knowledge.
3. Cultivate Broad Interests: Empower students to explore their passions and interests.
4. Foster Engagement: Enable students to engage in a variety of social, academic, and community activities that foster personal growth, academic success, and civic responsibility.

These objectives will be developed by courses in the Core, Growth, Choice, and First-Year Experience content areas of the Minot State University general education program, totaling 38 credit hours.

Core Content

To enhance students' written, oral, and quantitative competencies, they must take core courses in oral and written communication (9 cr.) and quantitative reasoning (min 3 cr.).

Growth Content

To expose students to diverse ways of thinking and acquiring knowledge, students must take growth courses in academic areas distributed across the arts, humanities, and history (6 cr.), natural sciences and technology (min 6 cr.), and social sciences (6 cr.).  The prefixes of each of the growth courses must be distinct from each other. At least one science laboratory course must be taken.

Choice Content

To empower students to explore their passions and interests beyond their major field of study, students are encouraged to take choice courses (6 cr.) from the core or growth content areas that are outside their major field of study. 

Digital Literacy

In addition, students must demonstrate knowledge in digital literacy; defined as the ability to use technology to find information, evaluate sources, create content, and communicate with others effectively. It’s a skill set used to navigate the new technological paradigm in which society operates. Students meet this requirement by successfully completing ENGL 120 College Composition II at Minot State or transferring an ENGL 120 College Composition II equivalent course from a nationally or regionally accredited institution. If a student completes a different course to meet their Foundational Content written communication requirement, they may complete ENGL 95 Digital Literacy to meet this requirement. If a student transfers to Minot State University with their general education requirements met, the student's digital literacy requirement will have been met as well.

Assessment

To ensure continuous improvement, general education courses will undergo regular assessment. Core Content courses will utilize discipline-appropriate rubrics for evaluation (eg: Written Communication, Oral Communication, Quantitative Reasoning). Other General Education courses will be assessed on their effectiveness in fostering Creative Thinking, Critical Thinking, Global Learning, and Information Literacy competencies in a discipline-specific context. Data collected from student work will be analyzed annually by faculty to inform possible program and rubric adjustments and enhance student learning. 

Transfer Students

If a student transfers to MSU and is considered complete in their general education requirements under one of MSU's agreements, the student will be considered to have met the requirements for the core, growth, and choice areas. 

First-Year Seminar Within the FYE

Students must take the general education course, UNIV 110 First Year Seminar (2 cr.), as part of the required First-Year Experience (FYE) to inspire students in their transition to university life and learning through unique learning communities, peer mentors, and opportunities to engage with the campus and larger student community.

Students transferring to Minot State University who have earned 24 or more credits toward graduation, excluding credits earned through early/dual prior to graduating from high school and credits earned through examination, are not required to take UNIV 110 First Year Seminar but need to complete any required courses not yet completed in all sections of the Minot State University General Education requirements.