What are General Education Requirements?

General Education represents knowledge about the world that helps us communicate, make informed decisions about the many aspects of our lives, and participate as citizens in local, national and global matters.   In the belief that all students who earn a degree from Montgomery College should exhibit both breadth and depth of knowledge, the College requires a General Education component in all degree programs. This program meets the Maryland Higher Education Commission’s Academic Regulations on General Education and Transfer and the Middle States General Education guidelines. 

Competency (skills) in English composition, mathematics, speech communication, health, the arts, humanities, behavioral and social sciences, and natural sciences help us understand ourselves, our neighbors, other cultures and times, and the principles governing the natural world and the universe. In general education courses, students gain fresh perspectives, methods and tools for understanding know principles and new discoveries.

The general education curriculum is organized around eight distribution areas: English composition, speech communication, health, arts, humanities, mathematics, behavioral and social sciences, and natural sciences (both physical and biological).  These categories mirror general education programs required at most 2- and 4-year institutions nationwide.  These requirements may also be called "core requirements" or "general university requirements."

Students who arrive without a definite plan of study (a normal state for most) are asked to begin taking courses within the General Education Program to explore new subject areas.  Most often, classes within General Education will generate some interest; "I don't want to go further in this direction" or "I had no idea I'd enjoy the field of ... so much!"  These classes allow an introduction to a field without a full commitment.

General Education is not so much a matter of taking class A, B, C and D from a list and emerging with greater life skills.   General Education competencies are important abilities taught in all classes and not expecting just those on the Gen Ed List. The responsibility  of teaching effective writing, for example, lies with all professors, not just those teaching English writing classes.  An anthropology professor has just as much responsibility to expect papers will be completed with both correct form and content as does an English teacher.  

There are two important parts of General Education

1. Exposure to new subject areas and ways of finding information in those areas (for example, science and the scientific method)
2. Emphasis on skills that are introduced and reinforced in all college courses -
   communication, critical thinking, the ability to solve problems, and skills to face the issues and responsibilities that arise from living in a culturally diverse, globally interdependent world.

• Description of the Distribution Areas

The goal of the General Education Program is to provide to all students, in both career and transfer curricula, the foundations for living a productive life, being a citizen of the world, appreciating aesthetic values, and engaging in life-long learning in a continually changing world. For this reason, the General Education Program requires courses across the arts and humanities, behavioral and social sciences, and biological sciences and physical sciences; it requires competence in communication, critical thinking, and analytical skills appropriate for an educated person; and it provides skills to face the issues and responsibilities that arise from living in a culturally diverse, globally interdependent world.

• General Education courses at Montgomery College include Foundation Courses and Distribution Courses.

• Printable list of General Education Courses from the 2008-2009 MC Catalog, with Transfer Advising Notes.

The Structure of the General Education Program 

The General Education program consists of seven distribution areas:   English Composition, Mathematics, Arts and Humanities, Behavioral and Behavioral Sciences, Natural Sciences, Speech Communication, and Health.  This structure is based on based on the Code of Maryland (COMAR), Title 13B.06.01.03 General Education Requirements for Public Institutions. www.dsd.state.md.us/comar/13b/13b.06.01.03.htm

In every general education course, relevant skills of the five General Education Competencies and two Proficiency Areas described previously should be applied as essential to the process of mastering content and making applications. 

Montgomery College General Education Program Structure

Distribution	Number of Credits Required
	A.A. Associate of Arts	A.A.S. Associate of Applied Sciences	A.A.T. Associate of Arts in Teaching	A.F.A. Associate of Fine Arts	A.S. Associate of Science
English Composition *	3	3	3	3	3
Health†	1	1	1	0	1
Mathematics‡	3	3	3	3	3
Speech**	3	3	3	0	3
Arts	3	0	3	3	3
Either arts or humanities	3	3	3	3	0
Behavioral and social sciences	6††	3	6	3	6††
Humanities	3	0	3	3	3
Natural sciences	7‡‡	4‡‡	7	3	8
Total Credits	32	20	32	21	30

Note: In all A.A. and A.S. curricula, students are required to select at least one course that is designated as a Global and Cultural Perspectives course on the distribution list.

* If a curriculum does not require a specific course, students may take either EN 102 or EN 109 to fulfill the English distribution requirement.
† If a curriculum does not require a specific course, students may take any health (HE) course to fulfill the health distribution requirement. Note that HE 204 is a multicultural course.
‡ If a curriculum does not require a specific course, students may take any mathematics (MA) course numbered 110 or higher to fulfill the mathematics distribution requirement.
** If a curriculum does not require a specific course, students may take SP 108, SP 112, or SP 212 to fulfill the speech communication distribution requirement.
†† The two three-credit-hour courses must be from different disciplines.
‡‡ At least one lab science course must be taken to fulfill this requirement.

• General Education courses at Montgomery College include Foundation Courses and Distribution Courses.

• Printable list of General Education Courses from the 2008-2009 MC Catalog with Transfer Advising Notes.

• List of General Education Programs at MD and DC Schools: 

American University, DC Bowie State University Catholic University, DC Columbia Union College Frostburg State University Georgetown University, DC George Washington University, DC Howard University, DC

Morgan State University St. Mary’s College of Maryland Salisbury University Towson University UMBC - University Of Maryland Baltimore Co. UMES - University Of Maryland Eastern Shore UMUC - University Of Maryland University College UMCP - University Of Maryland College Park

• For Maryland public colleges and universities:  Montgomery College students may follow Montgomery College's General Education Requirements Program (32 credits) OR the specific General Education requirements of individual Maryland public colleges and universities. 
  
  To find the General Education Requirements programs of individual Maryland colleges & universities, click on the red AREA lines on ARTSYS Recommended Transfer Programs pages for a list of MC courses that fulfill requirements.
  
• Refer to the Maryland Higher Education Commission's (MHEC) Guide to Student Transfer to view  transfer policies regarding courses taken at Maryland public colleges.  The "Frequently Asked Questions" section answers many concerns, including:

  • Q: How do I get a transcript sent from one college or university to another?  

  • Q: How can I know if the courses I am considering will transfer to the four-year campus I want to attend? 

  • Q: What courses should I take to major in my chosen field? 

  • Q: May I earn the associate degree at a community college while taking courses needed for transfer for a recommended transfer program at a specific four-year college?

  • Q: Is it better to get the associate degree or to transfer early?

  • Q: How many credits will transfer?

  • Q: How many requirements for graduation at my chosen four-year college will I have met when I receive my associate's degree?

  • Q: How long will it take to complete a degree after I transfer?

  • Q: What class standing will I have?

  • Q: Will grades of "D" be accepted in transfer?

    A: "D" grades will be accepted in transfer if the college to which you are applying also accepts a "D" for native students. A "D" grade earned in a general education course that meets a general education requirement at a sending institution, which has designated that course as meeting a general education requirement, will transfer and meet a general education requirement at the receiving institution.

    Q: Which institutions have the major I want?

    A: Consult ARTSYS and your academic advisor or transfer counselor, or access individual campus home pages or the Maryland Higher Education Commission web site at http://www.mhec.state.md.us. Under the "Colleges and Universities" section, the "list of higher education institutions" links to each available campus home page (see the "Contacting Your Transfer Counselor" section for campus web site addresses). The "academic programs" link lists campuses and approved programs offered by institution; programs can also be found under "Publications".
    

• The MC General Education Program does NOT satisfy the general education requirements of private schools or out-of-state public institutions. For private or out-of-state institutions not included in the ARTSYS database, look for a "General Education Requirements" or "Core Curriculum" section in each school's catalog.  With an MC adviser, discuss which MC courses sound like reasonable equivalents.  Refer to the MC General Education Page with Transfer Advising Notes for details.

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