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All universities have general education requirements. At PSU, we call ours University Studies. It consists of First Year Inquiry, Sophomore Inquiry, Junior Cluster and Senior Capstone. These are requirements that you have to complete in addition to the requirements for a Bachelor of Science / Arts degree (Math, Science, Second Language, etc.) and the requirements for the CCJ major.
Students who begin PSU with fewer than 30 quarter credit hours are required to complete First Year Inquiry.
Sophomore Inquiry Requirement
Sophomore Inquiry Requirement
Students who transfer into PSU with fewer than 90 quarter credit hours are required to complete additional University Studies (UNST) courses called Sophomore Inquiries (SINQ). SINQ courses are gateway classes that introduce students to the concepts, questions, methods and other content that are to be further explored in their Junior/Upper Division Cluster.
The number of SINQ courses required is based on the number of transfer credits you have when you start PSU and your catalog year.
Students using the 2022-2023 catalog year or newer:
75 to 89 credits = 1 SINQ
30 to 74 credits = 2 SINQs
Students using the 2021-2022 catalog year or older:
75 to 89 credits = 1 SINQ
60 to 74 credits = 2 SINQs
30 to 59 credits = 3 SINQs
CCJO students who need to take a SINQ course MUST take UNST 234 Healthy People/Healthy Places if they are using the 2021-2022 or older catalog and if they plan on completing their Upper Division Cluster using CCJO’s three USP courses. UNST 234 is highly recommended for those that need to take a SINQ class and are using the 2022-2023 or newer catalog.
Online SINQ courses are available every term through the general PSU Schedule of Classes. These are not managed by the CCJ Online program. Please note that students taking online classes outside of the CCJ Online program will be assessed standard university tuition and fees rather than the CCJ Online rate. For out-of-state students in particular, this will mean considerably higher costs.
Upper Division/Junior Cluster Requirement
Upper Division/Junior Cluster Requirement
If you transferred to PSU with fewer than 135 credits, you are required to complete a 12-cr Upper Division Cluster, three approved courses around a specific theme or "cluster" separate from your major.
You can complete a “Health People/Healthy Places” Upper Division Cluster through CCJ Online using the below classes, or choose to pursue a different cluster on your own outside of CCJ Online. However, not all clusters are guaranteed to be online. Also, be aware that courses you complete outside of CCJ Online will result in the regular in-state/out-of-state tuition & fee rate.
In CCJO, we offer three classes from the Healthy People / Healthy Places Junior Cluster. The classes are:
USP 313U Urban Environmental Issues - Fall
INTL 372U Post-Colonial Studies of Africa - Winter
USP 324U Healthy Communities - Spring
Classes from your major (CCJ classes) cannot count towards the Junior Cluster.
Senior Capstone Requirement
Senior Capstone Requirement
All students seeking their first bachelor's degree are required to complete a Senior Capstone.
In Senior Capstone courses students bring together the knowledge, skills and interests developed to this point through all aspects of their education to work on a senior project. Students collaborate with faculty and community leaders to understand and find solutions for issues as engaged citizens.
CCJ Online students have the opportunity to complete their UNST 421 Senior Capstone requirement through a fully online course offered in the Spring exclusively to our students. No pre-planning or pre-approval is required.
For a step by step guide to interpreting your DARS report and the degree requirements in detail, access this PDF presentation:
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