General Education

Courses Approved for General Education Distribution Credit

Catalog 2024-2025

Artistic Literacy

ART-102080 Masterpieces4
ART-2100Introduction to Drawing4
ART-2540Art and Power4
ART-2620Art and Death4
COM-2300Critical Analysis of Film and Television4
ENG-2210Poetry4
ENG-2250Novel4
ENG-3185Multicultural Literature for Children and Young Adults4
MST-1110Introduction to Museum Studies4
MUS-1550Exploring Music4
MUS-1560The History of Rock and Roll4
PHL-2700Art and Philosophy4
THE-1200Introduction to Theatre4
THE-1300Introduction to Acting4
THE-2510Design for the Stage4

Cultural Literacy

ASL-3050Deaf Culture4
BST-2010Introduction to Black Studies4
HIS-1200American History I (to 1877)4
HIS-1210American History II (since 1877)4
HIS-1300World History I (to 1500)4
HIS-1400World History II (since 1500)4
HIS-2370Black American History I (to 1877)4
HIS-2380Black American History II (since 1877)4
HIS-2620Russian History to 19174
HIS-2630Russian and Soviet History Since 19174
LTS-1200Introduction to Latino Cultural Studies4
NUR-1214Professional Nursing, Culture, and Health Care4
REL-1100Comparing Scriptures4
REL-1400Spirituality Today4
REL-2060Exploring Religion4
SOC-2150Cultural Anthropology4
SOC-3350Race, Ethnicity, and Culture4
SPN-1120Elementary Spanish I4
SPN-2200Intermediate Spanish I4

Human Inquiry

COM-2160Human Communication and Relationships4
CRJ-1010Introduction to Criminal Justice System4
ECN-2030Principles of Economics4
ENV-1000Introduction to Environmental Studies4
LTS-1300Latinos and Latinas in the United States4
PHL-1100Problems of Philosophy4
PHL-2100Ethics4
PHL-2250Origins of Greek Philosophy4
PHL-2400The Good Life?4
PHL-3500Philosophy of Love and Sex4
PSC-1300Introduction to U.S. Government4
PSY-1100General Psychology4
PSY-3350Child and Adolescent Development4
SOC-1100Introduction to Society4
SOC-3480Globalization and Social Change4

Scientific Inquiry

BIO-2200Humans and the Environment4
CHM-1200
1200Z
Principles of Chemistry
and Principles of Chemistry Laboratory
4
CHM-1310
1310Z
General Chemistry I
and General Chemistry I Laboratory
4
CSC-1010Introduction to Computer Science4
HAS-1200Introduction to Animal Science4
HLS-2650Essentials of Anatomy and Physiology4
NSM-1400Earth and Space Science4

Discovery and Reflection (ADC and Online students only)

ACC-2010Principles of Financial Accounting4
BUS-1020Foundations of Management4
SWK-2500Survey of Contemporary Social Work4

Ways to Satisfy the Quantitative and Formal Reasoning Requirement

As part of the General Education program, students will demonstrate quantitative and formal reasoning competency by coursework, or by performance on a university mathematical examination, or based on their ACT or SAT mathematics subscore. The General Education requirement may therefore be satisfied by any of the following:

  1. ACT mathematics subscore of 25 or higher, SAT mathematics subscore of 580 or higher (for tests taken prior to March 2016), or SAT mathematics subscore of 600 or higher (for tests taken after March 2016)
  2. A grade of “C” or better or transcribed credit in one of the following courses:
    FIN-2010Personal Finance4
    MTH-1030Dealing With Data4
    MTH-1100College Algebra4
    MTH-1310Precalculus4
    MTH-2100General Statistics4
    MTH-2210Calculus and Analytic Geometry I4
    PHL-1200Logic4
  3. A grade of “C” or better in a course within the students’ academic major program that has been approved to meet the quantitative and formal reasoning requirement.

  4. Elementary Education, Early Childhood Special Education with Bilingual/ESL, and Special Education majors meet the quantitative and formal reasoning requirement via MTH-1210 Mathematics for Elementary Teachers I, MTH-1220 Mathematics for Elementary Teachers II, and NSM-2500 Integrated Mathematics and Science for Teachers.

  5. Demonstrated competency via an AU mathematical examination (students may earn a maximum of four credit hours total through this process).

Additional General Education Course Planning Considerations

  1. A new first-year student is expected to take IDS-1200 Discover What Matters and IDS-1150 First Year Experience in the first semester at Aurora University. All students will take IDS-3500 Junior Mentoring Program I/IDS-3550 Junior Mentoring Program II during their third year at Aurora University.
  2. First-year students wishing to meet the ENG-1000 Introduction to Academic Writing requirement via CLEP or AP credit must have official score results submitted to the Office of the Registrar prior to the beginning of their first term of attendance, or registration in ENG-1000 Introduction to Academic Writing will be required during the first year of study. 
  3. A single course may be used to satisfy a major requirement and a General Education requirement. 
  4. No single course may be used to satisfy more than one General Education requirement. 
  5. New transfer students will be advised as to the best timing to take any required IDS courses (see “General Education Requirements for Transfer Students”). They will otherwise follow the progression outlined above. 
  6. Transfer students entering without having completed an English Composition course equivalent to ENG-1000 Introduction to Academic Writing must complete the requirement as early in their Aurora University career as possible. Transfer students who have transferred in the equivalent of ENG-2010 Introduction to Research Writing need not take ENG-1000 Introduction to Academic Writing. (No credit will be given for ENG-1000 Introduction to Academic Writing.) Under no circumstances should a transfer student earn more than nine semester hours at Aurora University or accumulate a total of 84 semester hours toward graduation without enrolling in ENG-1000 Introduction to Academic Writing if this General Education requirement has not already been met by transfer credit, CLEP credit, or AP credit. Transfer students wishing to meet the ENG-1000 Introduction to Academic Writing requirement via CLEP are required to take the examination during their first term of attendance. Once a transfer student has enrolled at Aurora University, the ENG-1000 Introduction to Academic Writing requirement must be met via CLEP and/or appropriate Aurora University coursework.

General Education Requirements for Transfer Students

  1. General Education requirements for students who hold an associate’s (AA/AS) degree from a regionally accredited college or who have completed the IAI core or who have 60 or more hours of transfer credit accepted by Aurora University: 
    1. Participation in the junior-year mentoring, and assessment process (IDS-3500 Junior Mentoring Program I and IDS-3550 Junior Mentoring Program II).
    2. Completion of the ENG-1000 Introduction to Academic Writing and quantitative and formal reasoning requirements through appropriate transfer credit or at Aurora University.
    3. Completion of IDS-3040 Global Justice (online General Studies students only).
  2. General Education requirements for students who have at least 30 but fewer than 60 semester hours of transfer credit accepted by Aurora University (without having completed an associate’s degree or the IAI core):
    1. Participation in the junior-year mentoring, and assessment process (IDS-3500 Junior Mentoring Program I and IDS-3550 Junior Mentoring Program II)
    2. Completion of the ENG-1000 Introduction to Academic Writing and quantitative and formal reasoning requirements through appropriate transfer credit or at Aurora University
    3. Must demonstrate that the distribution requirements have been met through appropriate transfer credit or at Aurora University (a transfer course equating to at least 2.50 semester hours will satisfy a category)
    4. Completion of IDS-3040 Global Justice (online General Studies students only)
  3. Requirements for students who have fewer than 30 semester hours of transfer credit accepted by Aurora University:
    1. All General Education requirements apply
  4. Requirements for students who hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college:
    1. There are no General Education requirements for a student holding a baccalaureate degree.
  5. Any student transferring in credit but deemed by Admissions as a “First Time Freshman” is required to take IDS-1150 First Year Experience (does not apply to online students).