Philosophy of GE

Undergraduate General Education

Statement of Philosophy

Why the need for General Education Courses?

The Azusa Pacific University mission statement affirms that we are dedicated to academic excellence in the liberal arts to help students develop a Christian perspective of truth and life. The General Education Program is essential in reaching that Christian perspective. How so? A general education aims to develop the whole person and by participating in a range of liberal arts courses you will:

• Cultivate the desire and ability to think, to learn, and to understand
• Better understand what it means to be a responsible citizen within a global community
• Better understand how all truth is interrelated

The various disciplines that are part of the GE curriculum are thus intended to broaden your understanding of your place in God’s Kingdom and to equip you for advancing that Kingdom.

Why this General Education Program?

First, the General Education Program at APU has been carefully cultivated to provide you with a range of practical skills, including competence in communication, quantitative reasoning, and an awareness of our physical condition. The required courses will also expand the your knowledge of a wide variety of disciplines and the courses are organized so you will see the interconnectedness of these various fields of study. Throughout the GE experience, because of a commitment to faith application and integration that permeates the program, you will be reminded that God is the author of all truth and beauty. Finally, the General Education curriculum will prepare you for and enrich the learning that will take place in your specific majors.

The Essential Outcomes (with Rationale and Explanation)

Because of the complexities of the modern age, after graduating from Azusa Pacific University you will most likely change jobs and possibly even careers several times during your life. If, therefore, you focus your education on a specialized skill or profession only, you will have more difficulty adapting to the changing realities of society in general and the job market in particular. This is one reason why a liberal education, encompassed in APU’s General Education Program is so crucial to your success. Rather than wanting to “get your GE requirements out of the way,” we desire that your embrace the life of the mind and become life-long learners for the cause of Christ. Most importantly, the intellectual and practical skills that are part of the APU educational experience, including critical thinking, communication, knowledge of the world, personal and social responsibility, and biblical and theological equipping, will prepare you to bring salt and light to a world in desperate need of hope and regeneration.

Building on the Essential Learning Outcomes of the American Association of Colleges & Universities (AAC&U), the General Education Program at Azusa Pacific University recognizes the following five outcomes as the heart of a liberal education:

I. Intellectual and Practical Skills

• Inquiry and analysis
• Critical and creative thinking
• Written and oral communication
• Quantitative literacy
• Information literacy
• Teamwork and problem solving

Practiced extensively, across the curriculum, in the context of progressively more challenging problems, projects, and standards for performance

We believe that obtaining a particular set of skills–how to think, write, speak, solve problems, research, and work with others–will enable you to deepen your higher education experience by increasing your understanding of and success in the many disciplines and courses you will encounter. Instruction in critical and creative thinking will be embedded throughout the curriculum, particularly in humanities and bible/theology/ministry courses. These types of critical thinking, scientific, communication, and analytic skills will give you confidence and competency to succeed in the many spheres of experience you will encounter in your post-college life.

Categories within this section:

A. First-Year Seminar

A 3-unit academic seminar under the direction of the First-Year Experience Coordinator

Required General Education Learning Outcomes (GELOs):

GELO 3 - Critically analyze arguments (e.g. for assumptions, presumptions, alternative viewpoints, and logical consistency) to draw reasoned conclusions

GELO 4 - Communicate in writing effectively (e.g. fluent use of thesis, argumentation, support, source materials, organization, language, diction, grammar, syntax, and formatting)

GELO 6 - Demonstrate information literacy skills (e.g. by locating, accessing, ethically using, and evaluating the relevance and reliability of information)

B. Writing

Description:

Courses in this category (Writing 1: The Art and Craft of Writing, Writing 2: Genre, Evidence, and Persuasion, and Writing 3: Writing in the Disciplines) progressively develop your skills in written communication.

• Writing 1: The Art and Craft of Writing – 100-level course housed in the English department, with a focus on the discipline of writing studies. The Art & Craft of Writing introduces you to the content of the field of writing studies, which treats writing as a historically-based, culturally-influenced phenomenon worthy of research and academic engagement. In this course, writing itself is the content. You will learn about writing studies–which includes writing processes, literacies, genre, and multi-modal composition, among other topics—through engaging and analyzing the theory, studying the art and craft of writing, and producing your own texts.
• Writing 2: Genre, Evidence, and Persuasion – A variety of 200-level courses from several schools/departments, such as Writing in Humanities, Writing in Natural Sciences, Writing in Social Sciences, Writing in Arts, Writing in Theology, Writing in Business, Writing in Nursing, etc. Courses introduce you to the genres of writing, rhetorical moves, and forms of evidence in the discipline. Writing instruction should be the primary focus, using discipline content as a vehicle for developing writing. Most Writing 2 courses are from broad perspectives, though some courses may be required for specific majors.
• Writing 3: Writing in the Disciplines – A variety of 300- or 400-level courses from most majors. Focus should be on preparing you to engage in an academic or professional discourse community as an independent thinker capable of constructing your own knowledge, including producing polished writing products in the genres of writing that you are likely to use in your future professions. Most courses in this category are required for specific majors.

Required GELOs:

GELO 3 - Critically analyze arguments (e.g. for assumptions, presumptions, alternative viewpoints, and logical consistency) to draw reasoned conclusions

GELO 4 - Communicate in writing effectively (e.g. fluent use of thesis, argumentation, support, source materials, organization, language, diction, grammar, syntax, and formatting)

C. Oral Communication

Description:

Courses in this category develop your skills in oral communication. Courses are typically at the 100- or 200-level. Oral communications in a variety of venues and to a variety of audiences may be included.

Required GELOs:

GELO 5 - Communicate orally effectively (e.g. strong organization, central message, language choice, supporting materials, and delivery techniques such as posture, gesture, eye contact, vocal expressiveness)

D. Personal Wellness

Description:

Courses in this category develop your personal wellness through physical activity.

Required GELOs:

GELO 15 - Articulate best practices for improved personal wellness

E. Quantitative Literacy

Description:

The primary purpose of courses in this category is to teach quantitative literacy. Courses may focus on specific mathematical skills or application of mathematical thinking. Typical courses in this category will be taught by the math department, though proposals from other departments may be considered.

Required GELOs:

GELO 7 - Demonstrate quantitative reasoning skills (e.g. by accurately representing, processing, and interpreting quantitative information)

II. Biblical, Theological, and Philosophical Formation

including

• Interpretation, analysis, and application of Scriptural principles

Incorporated in Bible, theology, philosophy, and ministry courses and through faith-integration practices across the curriculum

We believe that the Christian worldview incorporates all truth and that the knowledge and practices embedded within the Christian story are transformational in a variety of ways, and that scholarly engagement with Christian perspectives enriches learning (particularly regarding the activity of God within the academic concepts under consideration), supports the development of faith-oriented critical thinking, encourages engagement in service, emphasizes the necessity of Christian virtue, and provides you with a conceptual framework that supports an overall integrative Christian education.

Description:

All courses in this category will work in an integrated way to provide students the tools to thoughtfully discuss issues of faith. Courses in this category will be from the disciplines of biblical studies, theology, philosophy, or ministry.

Required GELOs:

GELO 3 - Critically analyze arguments (e.g. for assumptions, presumptions, alternative viewpoints, and logical consistency) to draw reasoned conclusions

GELO 10 - Make ethical decisions (e.g., by identifying, analyzing, and evaluating ethical issues in complex contexts and constructing an ethical framework) *required for lower-division ministry courses only*

GELO 11 - Interact with the breadth of Christian thought and practice by integrating at least two of the following: biblical texts, philosophical ideas, and theological traditions.

III. Knowledge of Human Cultures and the Physical and Natural World

Through study in

• Sciences and Mathematics
• Social Sciences
• Humanities
• History
• Languages
• The Arts

Focused by engagement with important questions, both contemporary and enduring

We believe that studying human accomplishments and exploring fundamental questions regarding the physical universe, human values, aesthetics, and literary expression will introduce you to different ways of analyzing and understanding the natural and cultural environment. Such study will stimulate reflective thinking, imagination, and creativity, increase civic and global responsibility, and cultivate moral and ethical action. Addressing important questions prepares you for life itself, for the pursuit of wisdom and virtue, spiritual maturity and growth that accompany a life well-lived. It also grounds you in your faith, helping you understand what you believe and why, in preparation for life in an ever-changing world.

Categories within this section:

A. Humanities: History, Literature, Fine Arts

Description:

Courses in this category examine the complex interplay of humans, ideas, forms of expression, institutions, and context that make up human culture. Courses in this category will focus on one discipline in the humanities, while examining the contributions of that discipline to human culture (cross-disciplinary perspectives encouraged). In addition to content knowledge from the discipline, courses in this category are expected to reinforce intellectual and practical skills (e.g. inquiry and analysis, critical and creative thinking, written and oral communication, quantitative literacy, quantitative literacy, information literacy, teamwork and problem solving) and/or draw integrative connections between the discipline and knowledge/concepts from other disciplines or from your experiences.

Required GELOs:

All Humanities courses must meet GELO1. History and Literature courses must also meet GELO 3. Fine Arts courses must also meet GELO 13 or GELO 14.

GELO 1 - Analyze the interactions of specific disciplines (e.g. science, mathematics, social science, humanities, history, languages, or arts) with human culture

GELO 3 - Critically analyze arguments (e.g. for assumptions, presumptions, alternative viewpoints, and logical consistency) to draw reasoned conclusions

GELO 13 - Utilize appropriate vocabulary, concepts, and knowledge systems of techniques to explain or demonstrate phenomena (e.g., in art, music, theater, film)

GELO 14 – Interpret, analyze, or produce sound, visuals, or speech (e.g. in music, art, theater, film, creative writing, etc.) for an aesthetic outcome

B. Social Sciences

Description:

Courses in this category examine the complex interplay of humans, ideas, forms of expression, institutions, and context that make up human culture. Courses in this category will focus on one discipline in the social sciences, while examining the contributions of that discipline to human culture, including methods of the social sciences (cross-disciplinary perspectives encouraged). In addition to content knowledge from the discipline, courses in this category are expected to reinforce intellectual and practical skills (e.g. inquiry and analysis, critical and creative thinking, written and oral communication, quantitative literacy, quantitative literacy, information literacy, teamwork and problem solving) and/or draw integrative connections between the discipline and knowledge/concepts from other disciplines or from your experiences.

Required GELOs:

GELO 1 - Analyze the interactions of specific disciplines (e.g. science, mathematics, social science, humanities, history, languages, or arts) with human culture

GELO 3 - Critically analyze arguments (e.g. for assumptions, presumptions, alternative viewpoints, and logical consistency) to draw reasoned conclusions

C. Natural Sciences

Description:

Courses in this category examine the complex interplay of humans, ideas, forms of expression, institutions, and context that make up human culture. Courses in this category will focus on one discipline in the natural sciences, while examining the contributions of that discipline to human culture, including scientific methods. In addition to content knowledge from the discipline, courses in this category are expected to reinforce intellectual and practical skills (e.g. inquiry and analysis, critical and creative thinking, written and oral communication, quantitative literacy, quantitative literacy, information literacy, teamwork and problem solving) and/or draw integrative connections between the discipline and knowledge/concepts from other disciplines or from your experiences. Courses in this category also must include or be partnered with a lab component.

Required GELOs:

GELO 1 - Analyze the interactions of specific disciplines (e.g. science, mathematics, social science, humanities, history, languages, or arts) with human culture

GELO 2 - Apply scientific vocabulary, data, methods, and/or principles to explain natural phenomena

IV. Personal and Social Responsibility

including

• Civic knowledge and engagement–local and global
• Intercultural knowledge and competence
• Ethical reasoning and action
• Foundations and skills for lifelong learning

Anchored through active involvement with diverse communities and real-world challenges

We believe that while education is intrinsically valuable, education should also produce responsible persons and citizens. You should be self-aware and self-reflective in order to make wise personal decisions. You should be knowledgeable of individual and cultural differences, in order to engage respectfully with others as you seek ethical solutions to societal problems.

Categories within this section:

A. Civic Knowledge and Engagement

Description:

Courses in this category equip you to understand civic institutions and processes and develop knowledge of and critical thinking about civic principles, or to make wise, informed decisions about effective civic action through engaging in civic activity and scholarly reflection. Forms of civic engagement addressed may include practical theology, public policy and advocacy, service-learning, etc. on local, regional, national, or international scales. Many courses in this category will approach civic problems from specific disciplinary perspectives. Many courses in this category will include service-learning, community or action-based research, or community service as a means of civic engagement.

Required GELOs:

GELO 8 - Apply disciplinary knowledge in order to evaluate principles and practices of civic engagement and make informed decisions

B. Intercultural Competence

Description:

Because APU believes that diversity is an expression of God’s image, love, and boundless creativity, intercultural competence is essential to fulfill our role in the world. Courses in this category will equip you to engage with others from diverse cultures with compassion and respect. Based on this framing, these courses will help you achieve higher levels of personal and social responsibility, seeking transformation of the head, the heart, and the hands. The following are the goals in this category:

1. Students will understand the world’s diversity and complexity

● Through balanced study and analysis of diverse individuals, groups and/or systems, historic and/or contemporary, global and/or local

2. Students will affectively engage with diversity

● Through learning processes that encourage students to reflect critically and personally on their own identities in the context of complex human relationships with other human cultures or systems

3. Students will act to fulfill God’s design for reconciliation

● Through experiential learning that encourages students to utilize personal and collective learning to transform real-world situations

Courses in this category may involve study away, service-learning, or community-based research.

Required GELOs:

GELO 9 - Engage with people and ideas from their own and other cultures (e.g. by seeking to understand with curiosity, grace, humility, respect, and compassion)

V. Integrative and Applied Learning

including

• Synthesis and advanced accomplishment across general and specialized studies

Demonstrated through the application of knowledge, skills, faith, and responsibilities to new settings and complex problems

We believe that knowledge within all disciplines is interrelated and that discipline-specific knowledge achieves its greatest significance in larger context. Moreover, if knowledge is not integrated it is much less likely to be transferrable outside the classroom. Therefore, you should be prompted to integrate your knowledge whenever possible. Integration of knowledge is a skill that requires explicit instruction. We believe that tasks that require application of knowledge are particularly beneficial in helping you integrate your knowledge.

Description:

Courses in this category guide you in actively identifying connections between skills, knowledge, and methodologies that you have learned through various disciplines, the co-curriculum, and/or life experience. Successful courses in this category will require you to use skills, knowledge, and methodologies to synthesize connections or solve problems in new situations. Courses in this category will typically be taught in the upper-division. Course formats may include practica, internships, or capstone projects. Co-curricular experiences in research, internships, service-learning, ministry, or study away may also be certified to fulfill this GE requirement. Many courses and co-curricular experiences in this category will include work within multidisciplinary teams. All courses and co-curricular experiences in this category should include reflection on your own learning.

Required GELOs:

GELO 12 - Synthesize and/or apply learning from multiple contexts and/or between classroom and non-classroom experiences

You will participate in assignments and activities that involve directed reflection on the ways in which your undergraduate learning is integrated and applied.

General Education Program Learning Outcomes

GELO 1 - Analyze the interactions of specific disciplines (e.g. science, mathematics, social science, humanities, history, languages, or arts) with human culture

GELO 2 - Apply scientific vocabulary, data, methods, and/or principles to explain natural phenomena

GELO 3 - Critically analyze arguments (e.g. for assumptions, presumptions, alternative viewpoints, and logical consistency) to draw reasoned conclusions

GELO 4 - Communicate in writing effectively (e.g. fluent use of thesis, argumentation, support, source materials, organization, language, diction, grammar, syntax, and formatting)

GELO 5 - Communicate orally effectively (e.g. strong organization, central message, language choice, supporting materials, and delivery techniques such as posture, gesture, eye contact, vocal expressiveness)

GELO 6 - Demonstrate information literacy skills (e.g. by locating, accessing, ethically using, and evaluating the relevance and reliability of information)

GELO 7 - Demonstrate quantitative reasoning skills (e.g. by accurately representing, processing, and interpreting quantitative information)

GELO 8 - Apply disciplinary knowledge in order to evaluate principles and practices of civic engagement and make informed decisions

GELO 9 - Engage with people and ideas from their own and other cultures (e.g. by seeking to understand with curiosity, grace, humility, respect, and compassion)

GELO 10 - Make ethical decisions (e.g. by identifying, analyzing, and evaluating ethical issues in complex contexts and constructing an ethical framework)

GELO 11 - Interact with the breadth of Christian thought and practice by integrating at least two of the following: biblical texts, philosophical ideas, and theological traditions.

GELO 12 - Synthesize and/or apply learning from multiple contexts and/or between classroom and non-classroom experiences

GELO 13 – Utilize appropriate vocabulary, concepts, and knowledge systems or techniques to explain or demonstrate phenomena (e.g. in art, music, theater, or film)

GELO 14 – Interpret, analyze, or produce sound, visuals, or speech (e.g. in music, art, theater, film, creative writing, etc.) for an aesthetic outcome

GELO 15 - Articulate best practices for improved personal wellness.

Methodology of the GE Program

The General Education Program of Azusa Pacific University also endorses and encourages the adoption/increased practice of all the High Impact Practices of the AAC&U and already incorporates some of these practices in the GE curriculum.

Practices currently utilized at Azusa Pacific University:

Collaborative Assignments and Projects

Collaborative learning combines two key goals: learning to work and solve problems in the company of others, and sharpening one’s own understanding by listening seriously to the insights of others, especially those with different backgrounds and life experiences. Approaches range from study groups within a course, to team-based assignments and writing, to cooperative projects and research.

Writing-Intensive Courses

These courses emphasize writing at all levels of instruction and across the curriculum, including final-year projects. Students are encouraged to produce and revise various forms of writing for different audiences in different disciplines.

Undergraduate Research

Undergraduate Research allows students the exciting opportunity to explore unforeseen possibilities in their particular fields of study and to present their scholarship in various academic venues, including local or national academic conferences. In addition, students benefit by working closely with professors on individual or collaborative research projects and increasing the chances of acceptance into graduate school.

Diversity/Global Learning

Azusa Pacific University emphasizes courses and programs that help students explore cultures, life experiences, and worldviews different from their own. These studies–which may address U.S. diversity, world cultures, or both–often explore “difficult differences” such as racial, ethnic, and gender inequality, or continuing struggles around the globe for human rights, freedom, and power. Frequently, intercultural studies are augmented by experiential learning in the community and/or by study abroad.

Service Learning, Community-Based Learning

In these programs, field-based “experiential learning” with community partners is an instructional strategy–and often a required part of the course. The idea is to give students direct experience with issues they are studying in the curriculum and with ongoing efforts to analyze and solve problems in the community. A key element in these programs is the opportunity students have to both apply what they are learning in real-world settings and reflect in a classroom setting on their service experiences. These programs model the idea that giving something back to the community is an important college outcome, and that working with community partners is good preparation for citizenship, work, and life.

Internships

Internships are another increasingly common form of experiential learning. The idea is to provide students with direct experience in a work setting–usually related to their career interests–and to give them the benefit of supervision and coaching from professionals in the field. If the internship is taken for course credit, students complete a project or paper that is approved by a faculty member.

Capstone Courses and Projects

These culminating experiences require students nearing the end of their college years to create a project of some sort that integrates and applies what they’ve learned. Besides the Senior Seminar required of all students as part of the General Education Program, some disciplines also require a performance, a portfolio of “best work,” or an exhibit of artwork.

First-Year Seminars and Experiences

Many schools now build into the curriculum first-year seminars or other programs that bring small groups of students together with faculty or staff on a regular basis. The highest-quality first-year experiences place a strong emphasis on critical inquiry, frequent writing, information literacy, collaborative learning, and other skills that develop students’ intellectual and practical competencies. First-year seminars can also involve students with cutting-edge questions in scholarship and with faculty members’ own research.

Practices we would like to see adopted or expanded at Azusa Pacific University:

Common Intellectual Experiences

The older idea of a “core” curriculum has evolved into a variety of modern forms, such as a set of required common courses or a vertically organized general education program that includes advanced integrative studies and/or required participation in a learning community (see below). These programs often combine broad themes–e.g., technology and society, global interdependence–with a variety of curricular and co-curricular options for students.

Learning Communities

The key goals for learning communities are to encourage integration of learning across courses and to involve students with “big questions” that matter beyond the classroom. Students take two or more linked courses as a group and work closely with one another and with their professors. Many learning communities explore a common topic and/ or common readings through the lenses of different disciplines. Some deliberately link “liberal arts” and “professional courses”; others feature service learning.

Requirements

About the Program

APU’s general education requirements include

• Intellectual and Practical Skills
• Biblical, Theological, and Philosophical Formation
• Knowledge of Human Cultures and the Physical and Natural World
• Personal and Social Responsibility
• Integrative and Applied Learning.

All of these requirements must be met by approved classes.

All courses approved to satisfy general education requirements are identified in the Class Schedule and are included on the list of approved general education courses. This list is found in Undergraduate Enrollment Services Center and in the Academic Success Center for traditional undergraduate students (Azusa), and in the Graduate and Professional Center for professional undergraduate students (regional centers and online). Additional courses may be approved in the future. Students are encouraged to take their general education courses throughout all their years at APU.

Even though students work closely with a faculty advisor in determining their general education requirements, the responsibility of fulfilling these general education requirements is solely that of the student. For further information, please see Undergraduate Enrollment Services Center, the Academic Success Center, or the Graduate and Professional Center, as appropriate to the student.

Special note: Biology, Biochemistry, Applied Health, and Nursing majors are not required to take Personal Wellness/Fitness for Life.

Special note: Bachelor of Music majors are not required to take Personal Wellness/Fitness for Life, Oral Communication, foreign language, math, or the Humanities: Fine Arts. This statement does NOT apply to Bachelor of Arts music majors.

All students are required to access their Web-based degree audit (through home.apu.edu) for information regarding their major and general education requirements (and fulfillment of these requirements). Any questions about the application of transfer classes for course requirements should be directed to Undergraduate Enrollment Services Center, or to the Graduate and Professional Center.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a general education program?

This educational program provides courses in the liberal arts that develop skills, cultivate understanding, and provide experiences that lead to moral, intellectual, social, civic, and spiritual maturity.

What is a liberal education?

A liberal education cultivates the mind–open to new perspectives, appreciative of the past, able to effectively communicate with others–so that students will make a significant contribution in our world.

What are the liberal arts?

In ancient Greece, the Trivium, meaning the meeting of three ways, brought together grammar, logic, and rhetoric studies from the literary and verbal arts.

Another major component in Greece was the Quadrivium, meaning the meeting of the four ways, as found in mathematics and the wisdom arts. Greek students studied arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy.

How do various courses today align with the Greek liberal arts?

Today’s courses that follow the Trivium are language, literature, foreign language, communication, logic, history, ethics, and politics. These courses make up a major portion of the skills and integrative core of the General Education Program. In alignment with the Quadrivium, today we study music and art, algebra, geography, psychology, and the natural sciences, including physics, astronomy, geology, biology, and chemistry.

Why are general education courses in the liberal arts important for my education?

Jesus understood that knowing the truth was foundational to freedom (John 8:32). In a similar way, the liberal arts serve to free the mind by liberating us from prejudice, small-mindedness, and limited perspectives. The liberal arts support the aim of the Christian tradition, in preparing us to serve, lead, and live a meaningful life.

How do the liberal arts relate to professional studies?

In ancient times, the liberal arts were known as leisure arts because they were pursued for intellectual development, not due to necessity of war or for making a career. So although these studies do enhance one’s abilities for successful careers, they do not teach directly to one’s major professional development. They do, however, teach critical thinking and other skills that are valuable in all walks of life.

What skills are central to our APU General Education Program?

We seek to develop academic skills in rhetoric–that is, in writing and public speaking. Information competency and analytical and critical thinking are foundational to sound rhetorical skills. Math serves to develop quantitative reasoning, and foreign language skills enhance cultural and grammar skills. In addition, because we are so fearfully and wonderfully made, we promote knowledge and experience of physical and emotional health as part the education of the whole person.

Why aren’t all classes in liberal arts subject areas counted toward General Education requirements?

Courses approved for General Education credit must meet the objectives for each area, providing depth and breadth in the subject area. Not all liberal arts courses fulfill these objectives.

How are classes approved for General Education credit?

Courses are proposed by an academic department and submitted to the General Education Council for approval.

What should incoming students do about their General Education courses?

First year students should schedule 100-level Skills and God’s Word courses into their first two semesters as much as possible. These courses are foundational to an APU education. Transfer students should schedule General Education courses as early as possible, adding them to the courses required by the chosen major.

How do I know whether classes I’ve taken at another university will fulfill APU’s General Education requirements?

You can check online for transferable courses at Undergraduate Enrollment Services if you are a traditional undergraduate student (Azusa), or with the Graduate and Professional Center if you are a professional undergraduate student (regional campus or online).

Note: Please refer to the General Education requirements at APU for more specific expectations from this program of education. More details can be found in the APU Academic Catalog at https://catalog.apu.edu/general-education.