Northwest State General Education Requirements

General Studies courses provide instruction that is essential to a well-rounded education, including written and oral communications, humanities, natural sciences, mathematics, and social and behavioral sciences. Every degree program requires a core of these general education courses to insure that our graduates are not only academically prepared but also better citizens. Arts & Sciences courses help the students develop ways of approaching information and experience that strengthen their reasoning capacity, their awareness of relationships and responsibilities in a social and civic context, and their attention to values and moral issues.

As part of the graduation requirements for the Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, Associate of Applied Business, Associate of Applied Science, Associate of Individualized Study, and Associate of Technical Study degrees, a student must complete at least five courses of general studies. These courses are distributed within five core categories. Students must take at least one course from each of the five categories as listed below. Students should consult their degree program for specific requirements within this core.

Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees are recommended primarily for students who plan to transfer to a four-year college or university. The planned program of instruction is generally equivalent to the first two years of a baccalaureate degree program.