General Education Program & Requirements
UNH College of Professional Studies-Online Division, Undergraduate Degree Programs
The general education program is founded on fostering intellectual curiosity and preparing people to realize their full potential in a complex and changing world. Students explore major fields of knowledge and engage with ideas through action and application. With commitment to and respect for adults of all ages, the general education program will offer students opportunities to:
Communicate, particularly
- Write with clarity.
- Create digital or visual content.
- Communicate interpersonally.
Think critically and comprehensively, particularly
- Evaluate information.
- Reason with numbers.
- Think analytically.
- Define complex problems.
Apply knowledge to workplace and community, particularly
- Engage with diverse individuals, groups, and cultural frameworks.
- Participate in citizenship and community.
- Solve challenging problems using disciplinary knowledge.
- Reflect on learning to guide professional practice.
Communicate
Three required courses.
In transfer, a minimum of 3 credits is required to meet each course requirement.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENG 420 | The Writing Process | 4 |
| COM 460 | Interpersonal Communication and Group Dynamics | 4 |
| COM 480 | Visual Communication | 4 |
| Total Credits | 12 | |
Think Critically and Comprehensively
Three required courses.
In transfer, a minimum of 3 credits is required to meet each course requirement.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CRIT 501 | Introduction to Critical Inquiry | 4 |
| CRIT 602 | Advanced Critical Analysis and Strategic Thinking 1 | 4 |
| MTH 402 | Math for Our World | 4 |
| or MTH 504 | Statistics | |
| or MTH 510 | Pre-Calculus | |
| Total Credits | 12 | |
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CRIT 602 Advanced Critical Analysis and Strategic Thinking is not required at the associate level. CRIT 602 Advanced Critical Analysis and Strategic Thinking will not be waived for transfer students holding associate degrees but will be waived for students with an earned bachelor’s degree in another field. CRIT 602 Advanced Critical Analysis and Strategic Thinking must be taken at Granite State College and cannot be satisfied through transfer credit, testing, or other forms of prior learning assessment.
Apply Knowledge to Workplace and Community
Four required courses. Select one course from each of the below areas.
In transfer, a minimum of 3 credits is required to meet each course requirement.
Knowledge of Human Behavior and Social Systems: Social Sciences Disciplines
Courses in this area recognize how changes occur in human development, behavior, social values, groups, and/or institutions.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CRIM 410 | Introduction to Criminology | 4 |
| CRIM 425 | Juvenile Justice | 4 |
| CRIM 555 | The Criminal Justice System | 4 |
| CRIM 600 | Crime Prevention and Control | 4 |
| CRIM 645 | Crime Victim Rights and Remedies | 4 |
| CRIM 680 | Corrections, Probation and Parole | 4 |
| CRIM 707 | Constitutional Law | 4 |
| ECO 470 | Principles of Economics | 4 |
| ECO 580 | International Economics | 4 |
| ECO 635 | Economics of Artificial Intelligence | 4 |
| POL 450 | American Government and Politics | 4 |
| POL 554 | Law and Society | 4 |
| POL 690 | The US in World Affairs | 4 |
| PSY 410 | Introduction to Psychology | 4 |
| PSY 470 | Child Development | 4 |
| PSY 480 | Infant and Toddler Development | 4 |
| PSY 525 | Human Development | 4 |
| PSY 530 | Social Psychology | 4 |
| PSY 602 | Theories of Personality | 4 |
| PSY 603 | Crisis Intervention | 4 |
| PSY 626 | Educational Psychology | 4 |
| PSY 630 | Psychology of Adulthood | 4 |
| PSY 646 | Psychology of Occupational Stress | 4 |
| PSY 654 | Counseling Theories | 4 |
| PSY 665 | Principles of Assessment | 4 |
| PSY 685 | Principles of Psychopathology | 4 |
| PSY 725 | Cognitive Psychology | 4 |
| SLA 506 | Language Acquisition | 4 |
| SOCI 410 | Introduction to Sociology | 4 |
| SOCI 601 | Society and the Individual | 4 |
| SOCI 603 | Work and Society | 4 |
| SOCI 675 | Child Abuse and Neglect | 4 |
| SOSC 445 | Race & Diversity in the U.S. | 4 |
| SOSC 602 | Men and Women in Cross-Cultural Perspectives | 4 |
| SOSC 630 | Aspects of Aging in a Modern Society | 4 |
| SOSC 675 | Dynamics of Family Relationships | 4 |
| SOSC 680 | Stress and the Family | 4 |
| SOSC 710 | Social Stratification and Inequality | 4 |
Knowledge of Human Thought and Expression: Humanities Disciplines
Courses in this area allow students to ask and explore a variety of questions about human thought and experience.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ART 401 | Introduction to Drawing | 4 |
| ART 403 | Introduction to Watercolor | 4 |
| ART 512 | Fundamentals of Design | 4 |
| ART 515 | Digital Photography | 4 |
| ART 550 | Art History: Western World | 4 |
| ENG 450 | Introduction to Literature | 4 |
| ENG 505 | Introduction to Language and Linguistics | 4 |
| ENG 545 | The Media and Its Messages | 4 |
| ENG 555 | Children's Literature | 4 |
| ENG 565 | Modern American Writers 1865 to the Present | 4 |
| ENG 585 | Short Fiction | 4 |
| ENG 604 | Creative Writing | 4 |
| ENG 610 | War Writing in the 21st Century | 4 |
| ENG 615 | Young Adult Literature | 4 |
| ENG 620 | Multicultural Perspectives through Literature | 4 |
| ENG 625 | Readings in World Literature | 4 |
| ENG 645 | Disability in Literature and Culture | 4 |
| ENG 675 | Survey of Classic Literature Through Film | 4 |
| ENG 730 | The Graphic Novel | 4 |
| HIS 402 | Great Civilizations | 4 |
| HIS 410 | United States History to 1865 | 4 |
| HIS 411 | United States History: 1865 to the Present | 4 |
| HIS 512 | European History: Renaissance through the Industrial Revolution | 4 |
| HIS 590 | Historical Methods | 4 |
| HIS 602 | History of New England | 4 |
| HIS 611 | Themes in World History | 4 |
| HIS 718 | History of World War II | 4 |
| HIS 727 | Vietnam War: An Historical Perspective | 4 |
| HUMN 470 | World Religions | 4 |
| HUMN 480 | Introduction to Ethics | 4 |
| HUMN 502 | American Popular Culture | 4 |
| HUMN 560 | Introductory Spanish I | 4 |
| HUMN 565 | Introductory Spanish II | 4 |
| HUMN 625 | Introduction to Cultural Theory | 4 |
Knowledge of Physical and Natural World: Natural Sciences Disciplines
Courses in this area allow students to develop an understanding of the basic facts, principles, theories, and methods of physical and/or biological science.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PSY 710 | The Biology of Addiction | 4 |
| PSY 740 | Biopsychology | 4 |
| SCI 412 | Introduction to Astronomy | 4 |
| SCI 470 | Physical Geography | 4 |
| SCI 480 | Introduction to Oceanography | 4 |
| SCI 490 | Human Biology | 4 |
| SCI 502 | Nutrition and Health | 4 |
| SCI 508 | Issues in Women's Health | 4 |
| SCI 509 | Disease Prevention and Health Promotion | 4 |
| SCI 528 | Natural History of Northern New England | 4 |
| SCI 541 | Introduction to Environmental Science | 4 |
| SCI 550 | Wellness and the Human Body | 4 |
| SCI 604 | Principles of Exercise Science | 4 |
| SCI 610 | Contemporary Issues in Personal and Global Health | 4 |
| SCI 615 | Fitness and Health | 4 |
Interdisciplinary Seminar
This upper-level seminar’s specific topic varies by individual course section.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| IDIS 601 | Interdisciplinary Seminar 1 | 4 |
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Note: IDIS 601 Interdisciplinary Seminar should be taken after all other general education requirements are completed. IDIS 601 Interdisciplinary Seminar is not required at the associate level. IDIS 601 Interdisciplinary Seminar will not be waived for transfer students holding associate degrees but will be waived for students with an earned bachelor’s degree in another field. IDIS 601 Interdisciplinary Seminar must be taken at Granite State College and cannot be satisfied through transfer credit, testing, or other forms of prior learning assessment.
Transfer Policy
Students with a conferred Associate Degree from a regionally accredited post-secondary institution will have their lower level General Undergraduate Education requirements waived.