The College of Arts and Sciences General Education Curriculum (CAS GEC) provides the opportunity for exploration across a broad array of disciplinary offerings. Balancing structure with choice, students will examine the complex worlds in which they live from a variety of perspectives.
Courses may satisfy both general education requirements as well as major or minor requirements when expressly permitted.
The following pertains to all students with primary majors in the School of Science, Technology and Mathematics, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the Department of Communication, Journalism, and Media. CAS students with majors in other departments will find the applicable General Education Curriculum under Additional Resources.
General Education Curriculum:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| I. ESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES: | ||
| Reading and Writing: | 6 | |
| Seminar in Writing and Rhetoric | ||
or BHP 100 | Honors Seminar: Great Ideas I | |
| Select one of the following: | ||
| Seminar in Writing and Research | ||
or BHP 150 | Honors Seminar: Great Ideas II | |
| Literature and Composition | ||
| Mathematical Reasoning: 1 | 3-4 | |
| Select one of the following: | ||
| Finite Mathematics 6 | ||
| Algebra and Trigonometry | ||
or MTH 106 | Precalculus | |
| Foreign Language Proficiency: 2 | 3-6 | |
| 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 | ||
or SPA 102 | Elementary Spanish II Abroad | |
or SPA 103 | 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: 3 | 4-6 | |
| 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 | ||
| Nature and Nurture 4 | ||
| Moral Psychology 4 | ||
| Communication, Culture and Media | ||
| Global Film & Media Industries | ||
| Introduction to Gender Studies | ||
| 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 | ||
| Social Movements Abroad | ||
| Historical Perspectives: | 6 | |
| World History to 1500 | ||
| World History Since 1500 | ||
| 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 | ||
| Hip Hop and American Culture | ||
| American Identity in the Arts | ||
| Survey of Art History I | ||
| Survey of Art History II | ||
| Shakespeare: Page, Stage & Screen 4 | ||
| Presence of Mind — Artificial Intelligence and Human Creativity 4 | ||
| Music and Social Justice | ||
| Survey of Dance History | ||
| 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 | ||
| Theatre History to 1700 | ||
| Theater History Since 1700 | ||
| Theater Appreciation | ||
| American Theatre History | ||
| 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 | ||
| Honors Seminar: Existentialism in Literature 4 | ||
| Race, Gender, and Sexuality in the Age of Empire | ||
| Honors Seminar: Love and Chivalry in the Arthurian Tradition | ||
| Shakespeare: Page, Stage & Screen 4 | ||
| Mirrors of the Mind: The Interplay of Literature and Psychology 4 | ||
| Honors Seminar: 20th Century European Ideologies 4 | ||
| 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 | ||
| Major Poets | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
| Medical Ethics | ||
| Problems in 20th-Century Philosophy | ||
| Philosophy of Science | ||
| Theories of Knowledge | ||
| Philosophy of Mind | ||
| Theories of Reality | ||
| Indian Philosophy | ||
| Chinese Philosophy | ||
| Contemporary Ethics | ||
| Japanese Philosophy | ||
| III. GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES | 3-4 | |
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
| The Student Global Village | ||
| 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 | ||
| History of Socialism | ||
| 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 | ||
| Global Justice | ||
| American Political Film | ||
| Political Communication | ||
| 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 | ||
| Global Immigration | ||
| Disabilities Across Cultures | ||
| Social Movements Abroad | ||
| Spanish for Business | ||
| Advanced Communication and Popular Cultures | ||
| Spanish Culture & Civilization | ||
| Latin American 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 Credits | 43-50 | |
- 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.
- 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.