The General Education curriculum is designed to provide USCB students with a well-rounded education. Students receive instruction and practice in effective oral and written communication, cultivate an understanding of the liberal and fine arts, broaden their historical and cultural awareness, and develop proficiency in a foreign language. Students study the social and natural sciences, acquire technological and information literacy, and build skills in numerical and analytical reasoning. This program of study, to be completed largely during the student's first two years at the University, serves as a foundation for later upper-division work within the student's major. It also ensures that students who successfully complete the General Education program have a broad, well-rounded education that will enable them to succeed in their future studies or the workplace.
USCB's general education program is committed to assessment and continuous improvement and it is committed to ensuring that all students completing the program meet the following student outcomes.
USCB seeks to ensure that all students who complete the General Education program are able to ...
- Formulate a thesis, organize complex ideas, support ideas with appropriate evidence, and render them in coherent, grammatical and properly punctuated written English.
- Read and think carefully, analytically, and critically.
- Communicate effectively in spoken English.
- Find, evaluate, and appropriately use information.
- Effectively use common computer hardware and software.
- Perform basic mathematical calculations and interpret data intelligently.
- Understand the scientific method and the fundamentals of the physical or life sciences.
- Understand and appreciate literature and the fine arts and their place in the culture.
- Understand the development of a culture over time and use a broad historical perspective to understand their position in the world.
- Understand human behavior from the perspective of at least one of the social/behavioral sciences.
- Demonstrate a working knowledge of at least one foreign language.
- Recognize and value diversity and understand global and cultural perspectives.
Rising Juniors Assessment
Each semester, USCB requires all new and transfer students who have earned 45-60 collegiate hours to participate in the Rising Juniors Assessment. This assessment is focused on evaluating the extent to which General Education outcomes have been achieved and in no way impacts student course grades or GPA. Since effective assessment is predicated on accurate testing results, the University asks students to make a serious effort on the assessment. If a student fails to participate in this required assessment activity, s/he will not be able to register for future semesters until the assessment is completed.
For additional information, please contact the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Research at (843) 521-4178.