Mission Statement

General Education complements your major’s academic work by fostering curiosity and helping you develop a broad range of interests as you explore courses and concepts across disciplines. By thinking about current issues through diverse disciplinary lenses, you will have the opportunity to develop the intellectual versatility required for all twenty-first century careers, as well as personal enrichment and self-awareness.

General Education at Framingham State is designed so that you, our students, can do the following: 

• Build a breadth of knowledge across numerous academic disciplines

• Explore majors and minors 

• Investigate current issues, especially equity and the ongoing antiracism movement, from different angles alongside your instructors and peers

• Develop skills for employability in a dynamic job market

Domain General Education Requirements

To fulfill the General Education requirement, students must complete 10 course-credits. Courses are listed as either a Core requirement or under each of three domains, with eight general education subdomains. Courses taken in the General Education subdomains must be taken outside of the student's major department. Students are not allowed to substitute nongeneral education courses for general education credit.

Each Domain is designed to emphasize different modes of thinking and problem solving. Students may choose courses from several departments within each domain. Students are additionally encouraged to consider following optional “Pathways” through the General Education program. Pathways are three or more courses linked by theme or subject that may set students up for a related minor with little additional coursework. Students should consult with their academic advisors to choose courses and potential Pathways that best match their interests and aims.

The General Education requirement is designed to help students achieve the following learning objectives:

Domain General Education Learning Objectives

Overarching Learning Objective: Solve Problems Using Critical Thinking

Students will demonstrate the ability to:

• Identify a problem, question, or issue;

• Evaluate the relevance of available information, data, evidence, or resources;

• Analyze or apply available information, data, evidence, or resources to generate meaning;

• Present conclusions, artifacts, or summary based on reflective consideration of applicable information, data, evidence, or resources.

Learning Objective 1: Communicate Effectively Orally

Students will demonstrate the ability to:

• Deliver an organized presentation to an audience that clearly conveys main ideas and incorporates contextual information;

• Deliver a message with appropriate grammar and clear articulation;

• Engage the audience using appropriate non-verbal communication techniques, such as gesture, facial expression, and/or tone of voice.

Learning Objective 2: Communicate Effectively in Writing

Students will demonstrate the ability to:

• Effectively convey a point or idea;

• Develop the point or idea with strategies appropriate to the discipline;

• Use a voice and style suited to the audience and purpose;

• Follow the structure and conventions appropriate to writing in a specific genre or discipline;

• Write clearly and grammatically.

Learning Objective 3: Solve Problems Using Quantitative Thinking

Students will demonstrate the ability to:

• Identify the quantity of a property, attribute, or quality (e.g., length, age, salary, population);

• Represent quantity numerically, symbolically, or graphically;

• Describe similarities and differences in quantity numerically, symbolically, graphically, or using words;

• Recognize, describe, or interpret relationships and patterns among the quantities of different properties, attributes, or qualities.

Learning Objective 4: Demonstrate a Critical Understanding of Human Diversity

Students will demonstrate the ability to:

• Demonstrate knowledge of the perspectives and life experiences of people from diverse groups and cultures;

• Articulate how an individual’s own cultural background and experiences shape that person’s own sense of identity;

• Articulate how an individual’s own cultural background and experiences shape that person’s ideas about, perceptions of, and interactions and relationships with people from other groups and cultures;

• Demonstrate an understanding of ways in which contributions by people from different cultures and groups contribute to individual or institutional enhancement and growth.

Learning Objective 5: Civic Literacy

Students will demonstrate the ability to:

• Describe formal and informal structures and processes of one or more systems of governance;

• Identify formal and informal ways in which individuals or groups participate/have participated in political processes and barriers to that participation;

• Critically analyze the local, national, and/or global implications of historical and contemporary civic actions and decision-making.

Learning Objective 6: Recognize Ethical and Social Responsibilities

Students will demonstrate the ability to:

• Identify ways in which individual and institutional decisions and actions affect the world;

• Evaluate the positive or negative implications of a particular decision or action on various groups or environments;

• Apply such evaluations to their own decision-making processes such that positive outcomes are maximized and negative consequences are minimized.

Learning Objective 7: Locate, Evaluate and Apply Information

Students will demonstrate the ability to:

• Access relevant information;

• Critically evaluate sources and types of information in terms of their merits and appropriateness in a given context;

• Apply information effectively to support and/or refute a position;

• Use information ethically and legally.

Learning Objective 8: Solve Problems Using Creative Thinking

Students will demonstrate the ability to:

• Produce a creative work or solution based on familiarity with current and/or historical modes of creative expression or traditional methods of problem solving;

• Express an idea or emotion through the production of a creative work or solution;

• Present, explain, and/or defend the creative work and/or process by which it was created.

Learning Objective 9: Demonstrate Technological Competency

Students will demonstrate the ability to:

• Identify the functions of computer applications, which may include word processors, spreadsheets, databases, and/or presentation software;

• Apply appropriate computer applications to complete a task.

Learning Objective 10: Work Collaboratively and Independently

Students will demonstrate the ability to:

• Make a substantive individual contribution to a product created by a group;

• Work with others to integrate individual contributions into a cohesive final product.

Domain General Education and Major Requirements

In all majors, where upon completion of all requirements a degree is awarded, one general education subdomain is considered satisfied through completion of the major program requirements. One exception to this is the major in Liberal Studies, where completion of all subdomains is required.

Domain General Education

Common Core Requirements Two (2) Course-Credits Required

• ENWR 110 Composition II

• MATH xxx College-Level Mathematics Course

Any course used to fulfill this requirement cannot be used to fill any other General Education Requirement. Note: A 200-level mathematics courses that is not General Education may be used to satisfy this requirement.

Notes about Courses in the Common Core

• Writing: The Common Core writing requirement must be completed within the first year of matriculating at the university.

• Math: The specific core math course students must take will be dependent on major requirements. This requirement must be completed within the first two years of matriculating at the university.

Domain I - Three (3) Course-Credits Required

The study of representations of human experience.

A. One (1) course in Creative Arts

The study of creative expression through the practice of artistic problem solving.

ARTS 110 Introduction to Drawing

ARTS 111 Introduction to Sculpture

ARTS 120 Introduction to Painting

ARTS 140 Introduction to Graphic Design

ARTS 167 Introduction to Studio Art

ARTS 168 Introduction to Animation

ARTS 188 Introduction to Photography: Black and White

ARTS 200 Drawing Fundamentals

ARTS 205 Photography of Architecture

ARTS 222 Color and Design

ARTS 241 Ceramics

ARTS 246 Printmaking

ARTS 290 Study Tour: Art & Architecture

COMM 107 Effective Speaking

COMM 214 Introduction to Acting

COMM 226 Writing for Visual Media

COMM 262 Television Studio Production

COMM 280 Introduction to Film Production

CSCI 108 HTML, JavaScript Programming, and Web Site Development

CSCI 140 Introduction to the Internet, Graphics, and Multimedia

ENGL 282 Creative Writing

ENGL 284 Writing Fiction and Creative Nonfiction

MUSC 222 Music Technology and Production I

MUSC 280 Performative Exploration of Music

RAMS 103EN First-Year Seminar: Creative Thinking through Creative

B. One (1) course in Humanities

The study of artistic, literary, and philosophical works through analysis and interpretation.

ARTH 160 Introduction to the World of Art

ARTH 222 Sex, Drugs, and Suicides: The Artist in Popular Culture

ARTH 226 History of Photography

ARTH 273 Modern Art History

ARTH 282 American Art

ARTH 290 Study Tour: Art & Architecture

CHIN 118 Chinese Writing System and Calligraphy

COMM 130 Visual Communication

COMM 201 Oral Interpretation of Literature

COMM 259 African Americans in Television and Radio

ENGL 111 Reading Literature

ENGL 118 Monsters

ENGL 132 Alternate Pasts

ENGL 150 Rebels and Revolution

ENGL 186 Banned Books

ENGL 201 Mythology and Folklore

ENGL 207 The Language of Film

ENGL 220 Shakespeare

ENGL 228 Disability in Literature

ENGL 232 Irish Literature

ENGL 233 American Multi-Ethnic Young Adult Fiction

ENGL 242 The Graphic Novel

ENGL 243 The American Short Story

ENGL 261 American Writers I

ENGL 262 American Writers II

ENGL 275 Contemporary Latinx Literature

HSTY 120 American Lives

HSTY 123 Beasts, Battles, and Ballads: Life, Literature, and Art in Medieval Europe

MUSC 121 Music Appreciation

MUSC 136 Pathways to Musical Understanding

MUSC 141 American Musics

MUSC 248 History of Rock Music to the 1970s

MUSC 275 History of Rock Music from the 1970s to Today

PHIL 101 Invitation to Philosophy

PHIL 118 Introduction to Philosophy of Science

PHIL 158 Reimagining Fashion Through Philosophy

RAMS 102ED First-Year Seminar: Education on Page and Screen

RAMS 101EN First-Year Seminar: Explorations in Literature

RAMS 103HI First-Year Seminar: Topics in Cultural History

RAMS 102PH First-Year Seminar: Philosophy

C. One (1) Language course

The study of language in its cultural contexts.

Notes about Courses in this Domain

• Language: Students should consult the World Language section of Placement testing to determine which course they are eligible to enroll it.

ASGN 101 American Sign Language I

ASGN 102 American Sign Language II

CHIN 101 Elementary Chinese I

CHIN 102 Elementary Chinese II

CHIN 201 Intermediate Chinese I

CHIN 202 Intermediate Chinese II

FREN 101 Elementary French I

FREN 102 Elementary French II

FREN 201 Intermediate French I

FREN 202 Intermediate French II

PORT 101 Elementary Portuguese I

PORT 102 Elementary Portuguese II

PORT 110 Elementary Portuguese for Spanish Speakers

PORT 201 Intermediate Portuguese I

PORT 225 Business Communication in Portuguese

RUSS 101 Elementary Russian I

RUSS 102 Elementary Russian II

SPAN 101 Elementary Spanish I

SPAN 102 Elementary Spanish II

SPAN 201 Intermediate Spanish I

SPAN 202 Intermediate Spanish II

SPAN 210 Cinema for Spanish Conversation

SPAN 225 Business Communications in Spanish

SPAN 234 Music and Culture in the Hispanic World

Domain II - Three (3) Course-Credits Required

The study of problem-solving, scientific discovery, logical reasoning, and quantitative analysis.

Notes about Courses in this Domain

• The specific Mathematics course used to satisfy the Common Core requirement cannot be used to fulfill Domain II-A.

• Sciences: Students must take two (2) sciences courses, one of which must be a lab science course. The two courses may not have the same subject prefix code.

A. One (1) course in Analysis, Modeling, and Problem Solving

The study of analytical, quantitative, and/or formal reasoning methods involving the manipulation of numbers or other symbols to solve problems.

BUAN 204 Analytical Techniques for Business

CRIM 218 Crime Mapping

CSCI 111 Computational Thinking: Building Robots and Games

CSCI 120 Introduction to Information Technology

CSCI 130 Computer Science I Using Java

DASC 110 Introduction to Data Analytics using R

DGHM 110 Introduction to Digital Humanities

DGHM 146 Introduction to Data Analysis in the Humanities

FINA 100 Principles of Financial Literacy

GEOG 111 Visualizing Social and Environmental Justice

MATH 105/105R Math for Modern Society

MATH 110/110R Mathematics for Elementary Educators I

MATH 120 Mathematics for Elementary Educators II

MATH 123/123R Introduction to Functions

MATH 180 Precalculus

MATH 217 Business Calculus

MATH 219 Calculus I

MUSC 201 Theory I: Materials of Music

PHIL 103 Introduction to Logic

PHIL 131 Critical Reasoning

QUAN 201 Quantitative Modeling for Business and Economics

RAMS 101DH First-Year Seminar: Explorations in Digital Humanities

RAMS 102FI First-Year Seminar: Topics in Finance

RAMS 101MA First-Year Seminar: Mathematical Perspectives

STAA 127 Statistics for Social Sciences

STAT 107/107R Business Statistics

STAT 117/117R Introduction to Statistics

STAT 157 Probability and Statistics

STAT 203 Statistics for the Natural Sciences

B. Two (2) courses in Natural Sciences

(The two courses must be from two different subject codes; at least one of the courses must be a lab science course)

The study of classical and modern principles of life and physical sciences, together with a critical appreciation of how scientific knowledge has been constructed, including methods of validating the results of scientific inquiry.

ASTR 128 Solar System Astronomy

ASTR 130 Search for Life in the Universe

ASTR 230 Stars and Galaxies

BIOL 101/101L Biological Concepts with Lab

BIOL 103 Biological Perspectives on Environmental Issues

BIOL 109/109L Introduction to Biological Science with Lab

BIOL 114 A Human Perspective on Genetics

BIOL 130/130L Principles of Biology with Lab

BIOL 142/142L Introduction to Human Biology with Lab

BIOL 203 Plants and Society

CHEM 101 The Chemistry of Life

CHEM 103/103L Introductory Chemistry with Lab

CHEM 107/107L Principles of Chemistry with Lab

CHEM 108/108L Principles of Chemistry and Quantitative Analysis with Lab

EASC 101 Climate Change is Now: An Introduction to Earth Systems

EASC 108 Understanding the Weather: Introduction to Meteorology

EASC 118 Our Blue Planet: An Introduction to Oceanography

FDSC 151 Principles of Food Science

FDSC 161/161L Introduction to Food Science and Technology with Lab

GEOL 108/108L Our Dynamic Planet: Introduction to Physical Geology with Lab

NUTR 110 Fundamentals of Nutrition Science

PHSC 109 Introduction to Physical Science with Lab

PHYS 111/111L Physics, Nature, and Society with Lab

PHYS 201/201L Physics with Applications to Earth and Life Systems with Lab

PHYS 211/211L Principles of Physics I with Lab

RAMS 101BI First-Year Seminar: Biological Perspectives

RAMS 101CH First-Year Seminar: Topics in Chemistry

RAMS 101ES First-Year Seminar: Earth Science Perspectives

RAMS 101FS First-Year Seminar: Topics in Food Science

RAMS 101HW First Year Seminar: Health and Wellness Perspectives

RAMS 101NE First-Year Seminar: Topics in Neuroscience

Domain III - Three (3) Course-Credits Required

The study of human behavior, cultures, and societies.

A. One (1) course in Perspectives on the Past

The study of human behavior, culture, and expression through explorations of the past.

ANTH 172 Interpreting the Past: Archaeological Perspectives

ANTH 203 Human Origins

ANTH 206 Forensic Anthropology

ANTH 222 Anthropologies of Art and Creativity

ANTH 231 Great Discoveries in Global Archaeology

ARTH 270 History of Art I

ARTH 272 History of Art II

ECON 106 American Economic History

ENGL 236 Desire and Power in Early Western Literature

FSHN 223 History of Costume

FSHN 226 History of Textiles

HSTY 105 Europe and the World to circa 1450

HSTY 106 Europe and the World since circa 1450

HSTY 111 United States History to Reconstruction

HSTY 112 United States History since Reconstruction

HSTY 133 Latin America, Independence to the Present

HSTY 165 Slavery, Race, and Rights in American History

HSTY 169 Sex and the Sixties

HSTY 176 Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness? The Age of Revolutions, 1750-1850

HSTY 186 History of Modern Violence

HTMG 128 Exploring Massachusetts Heritage Tourism

MUSC 151 History and Literature of Jazz

MUSC 220 Women in Music

MUSC 273 Beats, Bars, and Breaks: Hip-Hop Music in the United States

PHIL 201 History of Ancient Philosophy

POSC 206 Constitutional Law: Powers of the Government

POSC 209 The American Supreme Court

POSC 211 Political Theory: Justice, Law, and Order

POSC 223 Bureaucratic Politics and Power

POSC 270 Race, Politics, and the Law

POSC 272 Gender, Politics, and the Law

RAMS 101FN First-Year Seminar: Food, Nutrition, and Society

RAMS 101HI First-Year Seminar: Explorations of the Past

B. One (1) course in Perspectives on the Contemporary World

The study of human behavior, culture, and expression through explorations of the present.

ANTH 161 Cultural Anthropology

ANTH 243 Indigenous Cultures of North America

ANTH 253 Gender Across Cultures

ANTH 258 Critical Approaches to Men and Masculinities

CFST 118 Child, Family, School, and Community: Connections and Collaborations

COMM 115 Human Communication

COMM 180 Introduction to Theatre Studies

COMM 207 Interpersonal Dialogue

COMM 215 Science Communication

CRIM 121 Sociological Perspectives on Criminology

CRIM 201 White Collar Crime

CRIM 211 Crime and Inequality

CRIM 224 Juvenile Delinquency

CRIM 240 Drugs, Social Control and the Law

CRIM 270 Social Deviance

CSCI 135 Information, Technology, and Society

DFST 101 Introduction to Deaf Studies

ECON 100 Contemporary Economic Problems and Issues

ECON 102 Principles of Microeconomics

ENGL 203 Contemporary Global Literature

ENGL 240 LGBTQ Literature

FSHN 110 Fashion: Designer to Consumer

FSHN 208 Sustainability in the Fashion Industry

GEOG 101 Introduction to Human Geography

GEOG 180 Native Americans: The Original Injustice on American Soil

GEOG 211 Cultural Geography

GEOG 237 Geopolitical Economy of Global Climate Change

HLTH 110 Wellness for Life

HSTY 146 Feminism Then and Now: What does the Future Hold?

HTMG 101 Introduction to Hospitality and Tourism

MUSE 110 Introduction to Museum Studies

MUSC 171 World Music Cultures

NUTR 212 Food System Sustainability

PHIL 105 Introduction to Political and Social Philosophy

POSC 110 Introduction to American Politics

POSC 200 Model United Nations

POSC 213 Political Parties and Interest Groups

POSC 218 The American Presidency and Congress

POSC 229 Public Policy Analysis

POSC 250 American Legal Systems

PSYC 101 General Psychology

PSYC 200 Psychology of Development

RAMS 101CM First-Year Seminar: The Power of Communication

RAMS 102EN First-Year Seminar: Literature and the Contemporary World

RAMS 101EV First Year Seminar: Environmental Science and Policy Perspectives

RAMS 101EO First Year Seminar: Topics in Economics

RAMS 101FA First-Year Seminar: Topics in Fashion

RAMS 101GY First-Year Seminar: Geographical Perspectives

RAMS 102HI First-Year Seminar: Commemoration and How We Remember the Past

RAMS 101PO First-Year Seminar: Political Perspectives

RAMS 101PS First-Year Seminar: Psychological Perspectives

RAMS 101SO First-Year Seminar: Social Dynamics, Culture, and Society

SOCI 101 Introduction to Sociology

SOCI 130 Social Problems

SOCI 212 Sociology of Families

SOCI 230 Law and Society

SOCI 263 Social Inequality

SOCI 264 Black Communities and Institutions

SOCI 282 Society, Technology, and the Future

C. One (1) course Global Competency, Ethical Reasoning, and/or Human Diversity

The study of global systems and issues, ethical principles, and/or differences and commonalities among groups of people. Courses in this group can incorporate any or all of these topics.

ANTH 207 Global Issues in Anthropology

ANTH 290 Non-Western Cultural Studies Tour

ARTH 200 Art and Social Values

ARTH 285 The Art of Asia

ARTH 288 Latin American Art

CHIN 186 Through the Dragon’s Eyes: Modern China’s Cultures and Traditions

COMM 202 Global Media

CSCI 138 Information, Technology and the Environment

ECON 101 Principles of Macroeconomics

ECON 200 The Economics of Globalization

EDUC 246 Sheltered English Immersion in Secondary Education

ENGL 124 Literature and Social Justice

ENGL 231 Contemporary African American Cinema

ENGL 248 Literature of the Harlem Renaissance

ENGL 260 American Ethnic Literature

ENGL 263 African American Women Writers

ENGL 264 African American Literature

FSHN 229 Cultural Dress

GEOG 110 World Regional Geography

GEOG 206 Political Geography

GEOG 222 Geographic Perspectives on Globalization

GEOG 250 Geography of the United States and Canada

GEOG 252 Geography of Europe

GEOG 254 Geography of Monsoon Asia

GEOG 255 Geography of Sub-Saharan Africa

GEOG 256 Geography of the Middle East

GEOG 258 Geography of the British Isles

GLST 101 Introduction to Global Studies

HSTY 102 The Comparative History of World Civilizations

HSTY 134 Pharaohs, Slaves, and Cacao: Africa and the World

HSTY 149 Twentieth Century China

LING 110 The Languages of the World

LING 200 Language and Linguistics

PHIL 102 Introduction to Ethics: Why be Moral?

PHIL 222 Bioethics

POSC 120 Introduction to World Politics

POSC 216 Film and Politics

POSC 220 The Politics of Globalization

POSC 246 Comparative Politics

POSC 269 Building Peace After Conflict

RAMS 101AH First-Year Seminar: Storytelling through Art History

RAMS 102BI First-Year Seminar: Biological Science and Society

RAMS 101ED First-Year Seminar: Diverse Perspectives in Education

SOCI 203 Introduction to Critical Race Theory

SOCI 210 Latinxs in the United States

SOCI 213 Social Class

SOCI 220 Sport in Society

SOCI 245 Race and Ethnicity

SOCI 288 Immigration in the United States

GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJORS IN ELEMENTARY EDUCATION AND EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

The Domain General Education courses, with subjects related to the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks, are required for students in the Coordinate Major in Elementary Education.

Common Core: ENWR 110 Composition II

MATH 110 Mathematics for Elementary Educators I

Domain I-A: ____ Any Course from Domain I-A

Domain I-B: ____ Any Course from Domain I-B

Domain I-C: ____ Any Elementary or Intermediate Language Course

Domain II-A: MATH 120 Mathematics for Elementary Educators II

Domain II-B (Two (2) courses required): BIOL 101 Biological Concepts

PHSC 109 Introduction to Physical Science

Domain III-A: HSTY 111 United States History to Reconstruction

Domain III-B: PSYC 200 Psychology of Development

Domain III-C: GEOG 110 World Regional Geography