CAS General Education Curriculum Requirements

The College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) has different General Education Curriculum requirements depending upon a student's program of study. 

The following list of General Education Curriculum requirements pertains to all students with primary majors in the School of Science, Technology, and Mathematics, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the Department of Communication, Journalism and Media

College of Arts and Science students with majors in the departments listed below, or who are Continuing Education or Virtual students, will find the applicable General Education Curriculum using the following links
Departments of Media Arts and Performing Arts majors

Acting for Film, Television & Theatre, Arts and Entertainment Industries Management, Dance Studies, Dance Science, Film and Television, Game and Interactive Media Design, Music Production, Musical Theatre B.F.A., Musical Theatre: Musical Direction, Theatre

Westminster Choir College majors:
Continuing Education and Virtual Students 

Engaged Learning Graduation Requirement

In addition to completing the college's General Education Requirements, all Rider University students are required to complete an Engaged Learning Graduation requirement.  


General Education Curriculum:

For students with primary majors in the School of Science, Technology and Mathematics, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the Department of Communication, Journalism, and Media

Courses may satisfy both general education requirements as well as major or minor requirements when expressly permitted.

I. ESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES:
Reading and Writing:6
Seminar in Writing and Rhetoric
Honors Seminar: Great Ideas I
Select one of the following:
Seminar in Writing and Research
Honors Seminar: Great Ideas II
Literature and Composition
Mathematical Reasoning: 13-4
Select one of the following:
Finite Mathematics 6
Algebra and Trigonometry
Precalculus
Foreign Language Proficiency: 23-6
Select one or two Chinese courses depending on placement test:
Chinese I
Chinese II
Chinese III
Chinese IV
Or CHI 3-400 level course taught in Chinese
OR select one or two French courses depending on placement test:
French I
French II
French III
French IV
Or FRE 3-400 level course taught in French
OR select one or two German courses depending on placement test:
German I
German II
German III
German IV
OR select one or two Italian courses depending on placement test:
Italian I
Italian II
Italian III
Italian IV
OR select one or two Spanish courses depending on placement test:
Spanish I
Spanish II
Elementary Spanish II Abroad
Introductory Medical Spanish
Spanish III
Spanish IV
Or SPA 3-400 level course taught in Spanish
Oral Communication:3
Speech Communication
II. DISCIPLINARY PERSPECTIVES
Scientific Perspectives: 34-6
To fulfill the Scientific Perspectives requirement, students may take either a lecture/lab combination (4 credits) or two 3-credit non-lab courses (6 credits). Students who have taken a PSY course to fulfill the Social Perspectives requirement may not take a PSY course to fulfill the Scientific Perspective requirement.
A. Lecture/Lab Combination Courses
Chemistry in the Kitchen
and Chemistry in the Kitchen Lab
Introduction to Environmental Sciences
and Introduction to Environmental Sciences Lab
Earth Systems Science
and Earth Materials and Processes Lab
Oceanography
and Introductory Oceanography Lab
Introduction to Sustainability Studies
and Intro to Sustainability Lab
B. 3-Credit Non-Lab Courses
Chemistry and Conflict
Idea to Innovation
Honors Seminar: The Environment: a Conflict of Interest 4
The Rhetoric of Science 4
Nature and Nurture 4
Life Science
Life Science: Brain and Behavior
Chemistry & Society
Fundamentals of Computer Science
Future of Natural Resources
Introduction to Climate Change
Earth Systems Science
Geology of National Parks
Environmental Geology
Mesozoic Ruling Reptiles
Oceanography
Astronomy
The Science of Mental Illness 3
Introduction to Forensics
Social Perspectives:6
Select two of the following. The two courses selected in this category cannot be from the same academic department. Students who have taken a PSY course to fulfill the Scientific Perspectives requirement may not take a PSY course to fulfill the Social Perspectives requirement.
Nineteen Eighty-Four in Context: George Orwell’s Enduring Legacy 4
Under the Influence: Drugs, Deviance, and Culture 4
Honors Seminar:Politics/Literacy 4
Children and the Media
Creativity and Design Thinking
A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Play
Honors Seminar: The Environment: a Conflict of Interest 4
The Online Explosion: Radical Changes in Business and Communication
The Rhetoric of Science 4
The Law and Racial Progress
Mirrors of the Mind: The Interplay of Literature and Psychology 4
Honors Seminar: 20th Century European Ideologies 4
Modern European Ideologies: Social and Political Perspectives
Nature and Nurture 4
Genocide, Human Rights & Literature 4
Moral Psychology 4
Communication, Culture and Media
Global Film & Media Industries
Introduction to Gender Studies
Gender, War and Peace
Race, Class and Gender in Contemporary American Society
Power and Privilege in a Multicultural Society
U.S. Politics in Crisis
Power, Politics and Justice
Explorations in Psychology Honors 3
Psychology:The Science of Well-being 3
Psychology of Creativity 3
Psychology of Women 3
Sociological Imagination
Cultural Anthropology
Social Movements Abroad
Historical Perspectives:6
Pre-Modern World: Evolution to Revolution
World in the Modern Era: Exploration to Globalization
Contemporary World: Historical Perspectives
Cold War: A Global History
Aesthetic Perspectives:6
Select two of the following, one course in Fine Arts and one course in Literature.
A. Fine Arts
Depictions of Racism in American Literature, Music, and Film
American Identity in the Arts
Survey of Art History I
Survey of Art History II
The Fantastic in Literature, Art, and Media 4
Music and Literature 4
Shakespeare: Page, Stage & Screen 4
Presence of Mind — Artificial Intelligence and Human Creativity 4
Music and Social Justice
Survey of Dance History
Introduction to Film and Television Production
Art of Teaching Music I
Survey of Music History I
Survey of Music History II
Music and Society
History of Pop and Rock Part I
History of Pop and Rock Part 2
Hip Hop and American Culture
Topics in Music History
Introduction to Musicianship
Theatre History to 1700
Theater History Since 1700
Theater Appreciation
American Theatre History
Contemporary Theatre
B. Literature
American Memoir and Autobiography
Poetry and Poetics in American Culture
Kurt Vonnegut’s America
Age of Shakespeare: A Study in Cultural History
Nineteen Eighty-Four in Context: George Orwell’s Enduring Legacy
Under the Influence: Drugs, Deviance, and Culture 4
Honors Seminar:Politics/Literacy 4
The Fantastic in Literature, Art, and Media 4
Music and Literature 4
Honors Seminar: Existentialism in Literature 4
Race, Gender, and Sexuality in the Age of Empire
Shakespeare: Page, Stage & Screen 4
Mirrors of the Mind: The Interplay of Literature and Psychology 4
Inclusive Education and Representations of Disability
Honors Seminar: 20th Century European Ideologies 4
Honors Seminar: The Bible as Literature and Philosophy 4
Latinx in the 21st Century
Genocide, Human Rights & Literature
Images of Women in Chinese Literature and Film
Understanding Literature
Arthurian Legends in Literature
Major American Authors
Major British Authors
Literature and Mythology
Monsters in Literature
Satire and Comedy
Introduction To Shakespeare
Literature and the Environment
Literature and Violence
Literature & Society
Literature and Psychology
Crime and Literature
Science Fiction
Black American Lit
Multi-Ethnic Literature in America
Women In Literature
Introduction to Poetry
The Short Story
Human Relationships in Literature (HONORS)
Global Literature
An Introduction to French Literature
Cultural Expression in French Film and Television
Portrait of the Hero in French Fiction
Mask & Reality in French Theater
Self in French Prose & Poetry
A Quest for Identity: Francophone Literature and Culture
Sex, Gender, and Fairy Tales
Masterworks of Western Literature I
Masterworks of Western Literature II
Introduction to Spanish Literature
Introduction to Latin-American/Latino Literature
The Hispanic Short Story: Transatlantic Connections
The Spanish Golden Age
From Colonies to Nations
Latin American/Latino Film and Fiction
Philosophical Perspectives:3
Honors Seminar: Existentialism in Literature 4
Presence of Mind — Artificial Intelligence and Human Creativity 4
Honors Seminar: The Bible as Literature and Philosophy
Moral Psychology 4
Plato and Aristotle
Philosophical Thinking
Logic and Language
Ethics
American Philosophy
Philosophies of Education
Political Philosophy
Social Philosophy
Asian Philosophy
Symbolic Logic
Environmental Ethics
Modern Philosophy
Philosophy of the Sexes
Special Topics in Philosophy
Medical Ethics
Problems in 20th-Century Philosophy
Existentialism
Philosophy of Science
Theories of Knowledge
Philosophy of Mind
Theories of Reality
Indian Philosophy
Chinese Philosophy
Contemporary Ethics
Japanese Philosophy
III. GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES3-4
Select one course that emphasizes an international, global, and/or non-U.S. cultural perspective and follows the Global Perspective (GP) designation.
Race, Gender, and Sexuality in the Age of Empire
A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Play
Honors Seminar: The Environment: a Conflict of Interest
Honors Seminar: 20th Century European Ideologies
Modern European Ideologies: Social and Political Perspectives
Latinx in the 21st Century
Genocide, Human Rights & Literature
Moral Psychology
Environmental Chemistry
Images of Women in Chinese Literature and Film
Chinese Culture and Civilization
Calligraphy As a Window to Chinese Language and Culture
Intercultural Communication
International Communication
Survey of Dance History
Global Literature
Introduction to Environmental Sciences
Future of Natural Resources
Introduction to Climate Change
Global Film History: Origins to 1960
Global Film History: 1961 to Present
French for Business
An Introduction to French Literature
French Culture
Cultural Expression in French Film and Television
Portrait of the Hero in French Fiction
Mask & Reality in French Theater
Self in French Prose & Poetry
A Quest for Identity: Francophone Literature and Culture
Global Film & Media Industries
Earth Systems Science
Environmental Geology
Mesozoic Ruling Reptiles
Understanding Global Relations
The Social Construction of Global Society
Politics of the Global Economy
Ethnographic Film
Global Perspectives on Health and Illness
Gender, War and Peace
Witch Hunts: Femicide Through Centuries
Seminar in Transcultural Gender and Sexuality
Global Health and Human Rights
Imperial Russia
Modern Russia
20th-Century Europe
The Era of World War II
Nazi Germany & Hitler's Europe
Ottoman Empire and the Balkans
Rise and Fall of Communism
Masterworks of Western Literature I
Oceanography
Philosophical Thinking
Asian Philosophy
Theories of Knowledge
Philosophy of Mind
Theories of Reality
Indian Philosophy
Chinese Philosophy
Japanese Philosophy
Great Buddhist Thinkers
Public Opinion
Global Politics
Nationalism in World Politics
European Politics
Sex & Gender in International Politics
The Student Global Village
Global Justice
American Political Film
Political Communication
Borders and the State
Global Issues
Model United Nations
Conflict Resolution
Politics of the Middle East
African Politics
Environmental Politics
Comparative Environmental Policy
Geopolitics of Energy
U.S. Foreign Policy and Security Policy
Human Rights in Global Context
Global Immigration
Disabilities Across Cultures
Cultural Anthropology
Social Movements Abroad
Spanish for Business
Advanced Communication and Popular Cultures
Spanish Culture & Civilization
Latin American and Latinx Cultures
Latinx Cultures
Introduction to Spanish Literature
Introduction to Latin-American/Latino Literature
The Spanish Golden Age
From Colonies to Nations
Latin American/Latino Film and Fiction
Latinx Community Engagement
Introduction to Sustainability Studies
Total Credits43-50
1.

Appropriate mathematics and science courses may be substituted if required by the major.  Students may also fulfill this requirement by taking an upper-level MTH course. (e.g., MTH 210, MTH 211)

2.

Students who place at the 101-level or above are required to take a minimum of 3 credits at the level of placement.  Students who are native speakers of languages not offered at Rider University may have their requirement waived upon documentation of proficiency. This documentation could be in the form of a transcript on letterhead sent by the accredited institution abroad, or fee-based proficiency tests. To initiate a request for a waiver, students should see the chairperson of the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures.  Students beginning a new language must complete the language placement form and are not required to take a placement test. Once completing the form, they will have met the prerequisites to register for CHI/FRE/GER/ITA/SPA-100.  Culture courses taught in English do not satisfy the language requirement. These courses include FRE 311: French Culture, SPA 310: Spanish Culture and Civilization, SPA 311: Latin American/Latino Culture, SPA 312 Latinx Cultures, CHI 310: Chinese Culture and Civilization, CHI 311: Calligraphy, CHI 307: Images of Women in Chinese Literature and Film.

3.

Students who choose a Psychology course to fulfill a requirement for Scientific Perspectives may not choose a Psychology course to fulfill a requirement for Social Perspectives, and vice versa.

4.

Due to the interdisciplinary nature of BHP classes, upper-level seminars may satisfy two different categories from the Disciplinary Perspectives. For courses that satisfy more than one DP category, BHP students much choose which general education requirement they would like the course to fulfill.

5.

SPA 102 runs for 8 weeks in total, 7 weeks at Rider online and 1 week abroad. During the 7 weeks of online instruction students will gain linguistic skills and cultural knowledge related to the country-destination. These skills and knowledge will prepare the students for the 1 week abroad experience.

6.

Students enrolled into MTH 102 will be given a brief test, prepared by the Department of Mathematics, during the first five business days of the semester. Those placing below a minimum score set by the Department of Mathematics on the test will be required to participate in one hour of structured tutoring once per week concurrent with taking MTH 102. All others enrolled in the class are strongly encouraged to participate in available tutoring.

Mandated structured tutoring will include: an embedded tutor in each class section, a one-hour per week group study session, and will impact the student's grade as determined by individual faculty.