General Education (Baccalaureate Programs and Associate in Arts Program)

The general education program at Pensacola State College provides the student with a broad range of knowledge and skills that have enduring value, no matter what path in life a student pursues. The foundation built through the general education courses prepares individuals not only for a baccalaureate or associate degree but for lifelong learning as well.

All baccalaureate and associate degree programs at the College include a general education component, which is a substantial part of each degree. Thirty-six credit hours of general education courses are required in the Bachelor of Applied Science in Supervision and Management, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and the Associate in Arts degree. Associate in Science degrees require a minimum of 15 college credit hours of general education courses.

The general education requirements at Pensacola State College are designed to ensure breadth of knowledge. Coursework in Communications, Humanities, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences is required. No course in the general education program may narrowly focus on skills, techniques, or procedures specific to a particular occupation or profession; instead, general education courses serve as an introduction to a wide range of knowledge and a broad overview of various disciplines and subject matters.

Global Learning Outcomes

Each student who completes the general education program at Pensacola State College will have achieved the following outcomes:

  1. CRITICAL THINKING: Evaluate the validity of ideas, developing informed opinions or defensible conclusions.
  2. COMMUNICATION: Effectively communicate knowledge and ideas.
  3. SCIENTIFIC AND MATHEMATICAL LITERACY: Properly identify and apply scientific or mathematical principles and methods.
  4. INFORMATION LITERACY: Effectively locate, evaluate, and apply information from a variety of sources.
  5. CULTURAL LITERACY: Demonstrate an understanding of human culture and its diversity.

Minimum Grades

An AA student must maintain an overall GPA of 2.0 or higher and must earn a minimum grade of C or better in each course meeting a general education writing emphasis requirement and in each mathematics course meeting the general education requirement. An overall GPA includes the Pensacola State College cumulative GPA as well as any transfer courses earned prior to enrollment at Pensacola State College.

Non-Traditional Credits

An AA student may not earn more than 15 credits hours of the general education course work through non-traditional credits. Non-traditional credits include the following: credits earned through CLEP, departmental exemption examination, PLA, and all other credits described under “Non-Traditional Credits” in the Registration and Credits section.

Excess Hours Advisory Statement

Florida Statutes establishes an “excess hour” surcharge for a student seeking a baccalaureate degree at a state university. It is critical that students, including those entering Florida State colleges, are aware of the potential for additional course fees.

“Excess hours” are defined as hours that go beyond 120% of the hours required for a baccalaureate degree program. For example, if the length of the program is 120 credit hours, the student may be subject to an excess hour surcharge for any credits attempted beyond 144 credit hours (120 x 120%).

All students whose educational plan may include earning a bachelor’s degree should make every effort to enroll in and successfully complete those courses that are required for their intended major on their first attempt. Florida college students intending to transfer to a state university should identify a major or transfer program early and be advised of admission requirements for that program, including the approved common prerequisites. Course withdrawals and/or repeats as well as enrollment in courses non-essential to the intended major may contribute to a potential excess hours surcharge.

Foreign Language Requirement

A student who is enrolling in college for the first time (not a transfer student) in Fall 2014, or thereafter, and anticipates earning a baccalaureate degree or an Associate in Arts degree must meet the foreign language requirement. The foreign language requirement may be met with two years of the same foreign language in high school, two semesters of the same foreign language in college, the second semester of a freshman-level foreign language course, or appropriate scores on an external test for a foreign language.

An alternate method for students to demonstrate equivalent foreign language competence is by credit awarded on the basis of scores on the foreign language subject matter examinations in the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) as indicated in 6A-10.024(5)(b), F.A.C., which shall count toward the eight to ten semester hours. The examination, minimum scores for awarding credit, and maximum credit to be awarded are as follows:

    Examination Minimum
    Score
    Maximum
    Credit
    French 50  12 cc 
      46 9 cc 
      42 6 cc 
    German 55  12 cc 
      52 9 cc 
      43 6 cc 
    Spanish 55  12 cc 
      48 9 cc 
      45 6 cc 

A student who received an Associate in Arts degree prior to September 1, 1989, or who enrolled in a program of studies leading to an Associate in Arts degree from a Florida state college prior to August 1, 1989, and has maintained continuous enrollment shall be exempt from this admissions requirement. Any lower division student admitted without meeting the foreign language requirement must earn such credits prior to admission to the upper division of a state university. Any Associate in Arts degree graduate from a public community college admitted without meeting the foreign language requirement must earn such credits prior to graduation from a state university.

Writing Emphasis Requirement

Per State Board of Education Rule 6A-10.030, hereafter referred to as the Writing Emphasis Requirement, prior to receipt of a baccalaureate or Associate in Arts degree from a public college or university, a student shall earn a grade of C or higher in at least twelve (12) college credit hours in which the student is required to demonstrate college-level writing skills through multiple assignments.

The student pursuing a baccalaureate or Associate in Arts degree is required to complete ENC 1101C, ENC 1102, and one literature course within the general education curriculum. These required courses satisfy nine (9) of the required writing emphasis credits. The remaining three (3) college credit hours of writing emphasis coursework must be earned through the completion of a second literature course or one of the courses listed below with a grade of C or higher.

Writing Emphasis Courses

Humanities Writing Emphasis Courses

HUM 2020Introduction to Humanities

3 cc

DAN 2100Dance Appreciation

3 cc

MUH 2110Introduction to Music History

3 cc

PHI 2010Introduction to Philosophy

3 cc

PHI 2600Ethics

3 cc

Social Sciences Writing Emphasis Courses

AMH 2010American History to 1877

3 cc

AMH 2020American History from 1877

3 cc

EUH 1001European History II

3 cc

PSY 2012General Psychology

3 cc

General Education Requirements

The student seeking a baccalaureate or the Associate in Arts degree must complete 36 college credit hours of General Education Coursework as indicated in the following table.

    General Education Category  College Credits Required
     Communications  6 cc
     Humanities  6 cc
     Mathematics  6 cc
     Natural Sciences  6 cc
     Social Sciences  6 cc
     General Education Electives  6 cc

Communications (6 cc)

Required core course

ENC 1101CEnglish Composition I

3 cc

Required general education course

ENC 1102English Composition II

3 cc

Communications electives

CGS 1570Computer Concepts and Applications

3 cc

LIS 2005Information and Internet Research

3 cc

MMC 2000Survey of Mass Communication

3 cc

SPC 1608Public Speaking

3 cc

SPC 2300Interpersonal Communication

3 cc

Humanities (6 cc)

Choose one core course.

ARH 2000Humanities Art

3 cc

HUM 2020Introduction to Humanities

3 cc

MUL 2010Music Appreciation

3 cc

PHI 2010Introduction to Philosophy

3 cc

THE 2000Theatre Appreciation

3 cc

Choose one literature course.

AML 2010American Literature to 1870

3 cc

AML 2020American Literature from 1870

3 cc

AML 2600Introduction to African American Literature

3 cc

ENL 2012English Literature to 1800

3 cc

ENL 2022English Literature from 1800

3 cc

LIT 2090Contemporary Literature

3 cc

LIT 2110World Literature to 1650

3 cc

LIT 2120World Literature from 1650

3 cc

Humanities electives

ARH 1002Art for Non-Majors

3 cc

ARH 1050Art History I

3 cc

ARH 1051Art History II

3 cc

ASL 1150American Sign Language II

4 cc

CLT 1500Classical Mythology

3 cc

DAN 2100Dance Appreciation

3 cc

FRE 1121Beginning French II

4 cc

GER 1121Beginning German II

4 cc

HUM 2454African-American Humanities

3 cc

ITA 1121Beginning Italian II

4 cc

LAT 1121Beginning Latin II

4 cc

MUH 2110Introduction to Music History

3 cc

PHI 2100Logic and Critical Thinking

3 cc

PHI 2600Ethics

3 cc

PHI 2701Introduction to the Philosophy of World Religions

3 cc

SPN 1121Beginning Spanish II

4 cc

Mathematics (6 cc)

A student who is required to complete developmental or intermediate algebra before enrolling in a higher level mathematics course is strongly encouraged to enroll in such courses during the first semester at Pensacola State College.

Choose two courses.

MAC 1105College Algebra

3 cc

MAC 2311Analytic Geometry and Calculus I

4 cc

MGF 1106Mathematics for Liberal Arts I

3 cc

MGF 1107Mathematics for Liberal Arts II

3 cc

STA 2023Elementary Statistics

3 cc

MAC 1114Plane Trigonometry

3 cc

MAC 1140Precalculus Algebra

3 cc

MAC 1147Precalculus Algebra/Trigonometry

4 cc

MAC 2233Calculus with Business Applications I

3 cc

MAC 2312Analytic Geometry and Calculus II

4 cc

MAC 2313Analytic Geometry and Calculus III

4 cc

MAP 2302Differential Equations

3 cc

Mathematics elective

COP 1510Programming Concepts

3 cc

Natural Sciences (6 cc)

Choose one core course, either biological science or physical science.

If a biological science is chosen from the core, the second natural sciences course must be a physical science course (elective or core). If a physical science is chosen from the core, the second natural sciences course must be a biological science course (elective or core).

Biological Sciences core courses

BSC 1005Introduction to Biology

3 cc

BSC 1010Principles of Biology

3 cc

EVR 2001Introduction to Environmental Science

3 cc

Biological Sciences electives

BSC 1011Principles of Biological Diversity

3 cc

BSC 1080Essentials of Anatomy and Physiology

3 cc

HUN 1201Elements of Nutrition

3 cc

OCB 2000Marine Biology

3 cc

ZOO 2010General Zoology

3 cc

Physical Sciences core courses

AST 1002Descriptive Astronomy

3 cc

CHM 1045General Chemistry I

3 cc

ESC 1000Earth Science

3 cc

PHY 1053General Physics I

3 cc

PHY 2048Physics I with Calculus

4 cc

Physical Sciences electives

CHM 1025Introduction to College Chemistry

3 cc

GLY 1010Physical Geology

3 cc

MET 1010Introduction to Meteorology

3 cc

OCE 1001Oceanography

3 cc

PHY 1025Introduction to Fundamentals of Physics

3 cc

Social Sciences (6 cc)

Choose one core course

AMH 2020American History from 1877

3 cc

ANT 2000Introduction to Anthropology

3 cc

ECO 2013Macroeconomics

3 cc

POS 2041American National Government

3 cc

PSY 2012General Psychology

3 cc

SYG 2000Introduction to Sociology

3 cc

Choose one course from the Social Sciences core or below.

AMH 2010American History to 1877

3 cc

AMH 2091African-American History and Culture

3 cc

ANT 2410Cultural Anthropology

3 cc

CCJ 1020Introduction to the Criminal Justice System

3 cc

DEP 2004Human Growth and Development

3 cc

EUH 1000European History I

3 cc

EUH 1001European History II

3 cc

EUH 2010A History of Greece and Rome

3 cc

GEA 2000World Regional Geography

3 cc

HLP 1081Concepts of Life Fitness

3 cc

INR 2002Introduction to International Relations

3 cc

General Education Electives (6 cc)

Each student must choose any two additional general education courses from the general education courses listed.

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