General Education Curriculum

Curriculum: General Education (GE)

The purpose of the General Education (GE) requirement is to introduce students to areas of study that mature the mind, open new vistas of appreciation and understanding, enrich social relationships, and develop skills and aptitudes that can aid in furthering personal growth and social involvement. A liberal arts education is designed to create a broad base upon which to build one's continuing education.

The requirements for Biola University differ slightly from most community colleges, University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) systems. Therefore, completing all of the GE requirements or an Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree at a community college does not necessarily mean that Biola GE requirements have been met.

To determine if a course from another institution will meet one of Biola’s GE requirements, refer to the Transfer Guidelines or contact your Education Center.

General Education courses must be selected from the following areas:

A. Behavioral Science (3 units)

Introductory course in Psychology, Sociology, or Cultural Anthropology. If you are not transferring in a course that meets this requirement, you may satisfy the requirement through ORLD 340 or CPSY 406. [see Borrowing Units]

B. Communication (3 units) *

A basic speech course, such as public speaking, small group communications, argument and debate, oral interpretation. You may have the background and experience (such as teaching, sales, leading small groups, etc.) to be able to meet this requirement through Credit for Prior Learning. This course may not be taken via Distance Education.

BOLD Program course: COMM 100

C. English Composition I (3 units) *

This is the first semester freshman English course. This course may not be taken via Distance Education.

BOLD Program course: ENGL 110A

D. English Composition II (3 units) *

This is the second semester of freshman English. This course may not be taken via Distance Education. If you are not transferring in a course that meets this requirement, you may satisfy the requirement through ORLD 490 or CPSY 320. [see Borrowing Units]

E. Fine Arts (3 units)

Appreciation/history of music, art, drama or theater. The course must be historical and academic in nature, not an applied skill or experiential course.

BOLD Program course: ARTS 100L

F. Foreign Language (4-12 units)

TDepending on their degree program, Students must complete either 4 units of foreign language for the B.S. in Organizational Leadership or 12 units for the B.A. in Psychology. If using high school courses toward the completion of their foreign language requirement (see chart), students must continue in that same language. Combining units from 2 or more languages is not allowed.

If the high school courses taken will fulfill the requirement, then college level coursework will not be necessary. In this situation, units will _not_ be granted; the requirement will be noted as “waived”.

Years completed in H.S.	BA Requirement	BS Requirement
1 year	must take an additional _12_ units	must take an additional _4_ units
2 years	must take an additional _8_ units	Requirement fulfilled
3 years	must take an additional _4_ units	Requirement fulfilled
4 years	Requirement fulfilled	Requirement fulfilled

Note:Conversational language courses may be used toward the B.S. but not the B.A. requirement. A classical or conversational language must be taken through level 102 for a B.S. degree.

Other Option: If fluent in a language other than English, a student may opt to test out of the foreign language requirement by taking and passing a CLEP foreign language exam or an NYU foreign language proficiency exam.

BOLD Program courses: HUFS 101L, HUFS 102L, HUFS 201L

G. History (6 units total; one course in US History/Government and one course in World History)

U.S. History/American Government (3 units) The U.S. History/American Government course must contain one unit of content on the U.S. Constitution.
World History (3 units) Note: Western Civilization may only be taken if the community college does not offer a World History course.
BOLD Program course: HIST 470L

H. Literature (3 units)

American, English (British), or World Literature survey course. “Bible as Literature" and "Children's Literature" courses will _not_ satisfy this requirement. Courses titled "Introduction to Literature" are generally comparable to Biola's English 110B course and do not fulfill the GE requirement for Literature.

BOLD Program course: ENGL 282L

Philosophy (3 units)

Introductory course in logic, ethics, modern philosophy, or Greek and Roman philosophy. Philosophy of religion courses do not qualify. If you are not transferring in a course, you may satisfy the requirement through ORLD 450 or CPSY 450. [see Borrowing Units]

J. Math/Science (8 units total)

Math (3 units) ** Transferable courses must be considered as Pre-Calculus (or above) or Statistics. Algebra, Geometry, and Trigonometry courses will not transfer. If you are not transferring in a course, you may satisfy the requirement through ORLD 360 or CPSY 208. [see Borrowing Units]
BOLD Program course: MATH 120
Science (3 units) ** Introductory level course in Physical or Life Science (i.e. Biology, Geology, Astronomy, Chemistry, Physics, Geology, Oceanography); does not need to include a lab. BOLD Program course: BIOS 120
Math/Science (2 units) The remaining 2 units required for this area may be met by taking another course in either Math or Science.
* Course requirement may not be taken via distance education. ** Course must transfer in for a minimum of 3 units in order to satisfy this requirement.

Borrowing Units

Borrowing units is a term used in reference to the process of taking designated units from the major curriculum and applying them to a specific requirement in the GE area. This, in essence, helps to satisfy two course requirements (a major course and GE) having only taken (and getting credit for) one course.

Important Notes

When borrowing, the major course will be used to satisfy the requirements for both the major and the GE course. However, the actual units will only be counted once towards the required units for graduation (OL major - 120 units; Psych major - 130 units). Thus, on the Assessment Sheet from your Academic Counselor, one of these major courses will be "zeroed-out". This indicates that the units will be borrowed and placed in the GE area, yet satisfy both requirements.
Only BOLD program major courses may be used to satisfy two requirements (a major course and GE) in the program. For example, a statistics course taken at a community college or at another institution may be used to either satisfy the GE Math requirement, or substitute for the Statistics course in the major, but not both.
A maximum of 9 units of major coursework may be used in borrowing.

The General Education course requirements that may be satisfied by borrowing specific, required courses in the major are as follows:

General Education Organizational Leadership Major
English Composition II	ORLD 490 Research Project
Philosophy *	ORLD 450 Organizational Ethics
Behavioral Science *	ORLD 340 Group & Organizational Behavior
Math *	ORLD 360 Statistical Methods & Research

General Education Psychology Major
English Composition II	CPSY 320 Experimental Psychology
Philosophy *	CPSY 450 Psychology & Ethics
Behavioral Science *	CPSY 406 Social & Cultural Psychology
Math *	CPSY 208 Statistics with Computer Applications

* _For Philosophy, Behavioral Science, and Math, only two of these three requirements may be satisfied through borrowing a module. The third requirement must be met separately/by taking the appropriate GE course._

Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)

GE requirements may be fulfilled prior to enrolling at Biola by completing the IGETC from either a California State University (CSU) or University of California (UC) school. IGETC is accepted with the following provisions:

• The current Foreign Language requirement will be retained. • The minimum number of units required for graduation remains 120 units for Organizational Leadership and 130 units for Psychology.

• The IGETC must be completed before enrolling at Biola University. If not completed, the Biola GE curriculum outline must be adhered to.

Note: IGETC courses may not substitute for major courses.

Options for Meeting General Education (GE) Requirements

Advanced Placement (AP) *

Biola recognizes the merits for the Advanced Placement (AP) program. AP credit for GE may be awarded if a 3 or higher was received on the exam taken during a student’s junior or senior year of high school. For a list of AP credit options, go to http://www.biola.edu/registrar/transfer/courses/.

BOLD Degree Completion Program

Many of the required General Education courses are offered through the BOLD Program in a compressed format. A list of these courses is available online at http://www.biola.edu/academics/professional-studies/bold/currentstudents/schedule/_ or from your Education Center. [see Adding a Course]

College Level Examination Program (CLEP) *

By taking these nationally administered exams, units applicable toward the GE requirements at Biola may be earned. A minimum passing score of 55 is required by Biola University on most of the exams. On some of the exams, the minimum score requirement is higher. For a list of exam options and minimum score requirements, go to http://www.biola.edu/registrar/transfer/courses/. Exams may only be taken for areas in which you have not previously attempted or taken a college level course, with the exception of foreign language. It is necessary to receive prior approval before signing up to take an exam.

Community Colleges and Other Local Institutions **

Before signing up, be certain that the school is accredited and that the course(s) selected will meet Biola’s GE requirements by checking with your Academic Counselor. To see a list of transferable courses from local community colleges go to http://www.biola.edu/registrar/transfer/courses/.

If a course is not listed on the Transfer Guideline sheet, however, appears to be comparable, you may submit a course description to your Education Center Director or Academic Counselor. If approved by the Registrar’s Office, you may receive credit for the appropriate GE course at Biola.

Credit for Prior Learning (CPL)

Up to 30 units may be earned through Credit for Prior Learning. CPL petitions and papers must be prepared with the consent and assistance of the CPL Coordinator. Evaluation will be handled by the appropriate Biola faculty members. [see Credit for Prior Learning]

Distance Education Courses **

Distance Education courses (e.g. correspondence, TV, online, and video), should be taken early in the program to ensure timely completion for graduation. A list of pre-approved schools and course options is accessible at Transfer Guidelines. Courses not on this list must be approved by the Registrar’s Office; contact your Academic Counselor.

Note: Communication, English 110A, or English 110B courses may not be taken via Distance Education.

Traditional Undergraduate Biola Courses

It is possible to take a traditional undergraduate course at Biola under the following conditions:

You are preparing for graduate school and/or teacher certification and need to take a specific course.
You need to complete a GE requirement and would rather not enroll in another school.
You desire to sit under the tutelage of a specific Biola professor not currently teaching in the BOLD Program.

In order to sign up for a traditional undergraduate course, you will need to file a request for Concurrent Enrollment by submitting the appropriate paperwork and a letter of explanation. The traditional undergraduate tuition rate will be assessed. To view the current rate, see the University Catalog.

* A maximum of 32 units may be awarded for all forms of advanced credit (i.e., AP, CLEP).

** Coursework taken outside of Biola will only be considered for transfer credit if a grade of a solid "C" (2.00 GPA) or above was received. Official transcripts must be received by Biola before credit may be given.