General Education and University Degree Requirements
General Education 2023 (GE 23) Program
Mission - The General Education 23 (GE23) is the general education program at Buffalo State. Serving as the university's liberal arts curriculum, GE23 promotes an understanding of the continuity of human history, the depth of inherited knowledge, the validity of diverse modes of inquiry, the value of artistic expression, and the richness of our collective experience. Its purpose is to develop the skills and habits of the mind required for a life of intellectual curiosity and civic engagement.
New and transfer undergraduates entering Buffalo State during the summer 2023 or fall 2023 and later must complete the General Education 2023 (GE 23) program. Transfer students are encouraged to submit transcripts from high school and other colleges as soon as possible.
Each student must complete a minimum of 33 credit hours of courses approved as GE 23 courses.
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Students entering Buffalo State before fall 2006 or who were readmitted in fall 2006 should consult with their adviser for general education requirements.
Students entering Buffalo State between fall 2006 and spring 2014 should consult with their adviser
andintellectualfoundations.buffalostate.edu/if-fall-2006- spring-2014 (http://intellectualfoundations.buffalostate.edu/if- fall-2006-spring-2014/) for general education requirements.
Students entering Buffalo State between summer 2014 and spring 2023 should consult with their adviser andintellectualfoundations.buffalostate.edu/if-fall-2006-
spring-2014 (http://intellectualfoundations.buffalostate.edu/if- fall-2006-spring-2014/) for general education requirements.
Students entering Buffalo State on or after summer 2023, general education is known as General Education 2023 (GE 23). For the most up-to-date information, consultgeneraleducation.buffalostate.edu (https:// generaleducation.buffalostate.edu/).
General Education 2023 Program Requirements
General Education 2023 (GE 23) program constitutes 33 of the 120 credit hours necessary for graduation, divided among 10 areas of knowledge and skills and 2 areas of core competencies. In each of the 10 areas of knowledge, students may select from lists of approved courses. These lists are updated each semester, and only those courses that appear on the list during the semester the student successfully completes those courses may be applied to the GE 23 requirements.
The 2 areas of core competencies in major courses or their equivalents.
The courses that meet the GE 23 requirement as of this printing are listed on the following pages with the specific categories and credit distribution. For up-to-date course listings: generaleducation.buffalostate.edu/courses-and- requirements (https://generaleducation.buffalostate.edu/ courses-and-requirements/).
If you have questions about the General Education 2023 requirements or which requirements you should be following, please consult your department office or the Academic Commons, E.H. Butler Library 149, (716) 878-5223. For the most current information about General Education requirements, visit: generaleducation.buffalostate.edu (https:// generaleducation.buffalostate.edu/).
General Education Categories and Credit Distribution
No more than two courses from the primary major can count any where in the General Education program.
Under the General Education 2023 requirements, a student must complete the requisite number of credit hours in the following categories:
6 Communication - Written and Oral: CWP 101 and CWP 102 or equivalent
3 Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning
Credits chosen from three of the following distinct categories 2:
3 Humanities
3 U.S. History and Civic Engagement
Additional Degree Requirements
In addition to the general education coursework described on the following pages, all undergraduate degree candidates must meet the following university wide graduation requirements:
• Successful completion of required coursework in the declared major
• Successful completion of at least 120 credit hours, of which at least 45 must be upper division. At least 32 credits must be taken at Buffalo State, including the last 16 credits
• Final minimum overall cumulative GPA of 2.0
• Final minimum major GPA of 2.0
• Final minimum cumulative GPA for courses taken in a minor is 2.0.
• Successful clearing of all I, N, or X grades
Course Coding System
A four-character code is used to identify which General Education 2023 requirement(s) a course fulfills. This information in printed in the legend of the online undergraduate class schedule. The codes are as follows:
AH23 U.S. History and Civic Engagement
BC23 Communication - Written and Oral
GA23 World History and Global Awareness
MQ23 Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning
SS23 Social Science
RE23 Critical Thinking and Reasoning
Department (Major) Requirements
A major consists of no fewer than 24 credit hours and usually no more than 42 credit hours in a particular field of study.
Each department sets its own requirements. To receive a degree in a particular major, students must complete at least 6 credit hours in their major at Buffalo State. Courses and sequences of a major are determined by individual departments with the approval of the College Senate, Academic Affairs, and the president.
Second Majors and Minors
Courses selected to satisfy the general education requirement may be used to fulfill any part of the requirements of a second major or a minor.
Each minor must have half of its credits from distinct coursework not used in the major.
Electives
The number of unrestricted elective courses varies according to the individual program. These courses are needed to make up the 120 credit hours required for graduation. Check the individual program requirements to determine the number of electives allowed. These courses are taken in addition to general education and departmental credit hours.
Upper-Division Course Requirements
All students must complete a minimum of 45 credit hours of upper-division coursework (300–400 levels) to be eligible for graduation. An exception may be made for certain major courses. Specific information can be obtained through the appropriate major departments.
Core Competencies and Skills
Critical thinking and reasoning and information literacy represent critical components of a Buffalo State education. These are infused within coursework applicable to the major programs.
Basic Writing Requirement
The university requires all matriculated students to demonstrate college-level skills in composition. For more information, see Basic Writing Requirement (p. 42) in the Academic Policies section of this catalog.
Academic Minors
Buffalo State academic minors are specially conceived sequences of courses designed to allow students to achieve important goals. A minor may be used to complement the major course of study, broaden and enhance career opportunities, gain expertise in an area of interdisciplinary studies, or provide in-depth study in a subject of special interest. While an academic minor is an optional study program, students often find it an excellent way to make strategic use of all college elective courses. Students may not elect a minor from the same discipline as their major program.
Each minor program consists of 18–21 credit hours of coursework. A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 is required for admission to a minor program, and at least three of the courses in each minor must be completed at the university. A minor must include at least 9 distinct credits (i.e., not overlap with primary major requirements or overlap with the requirements of a minor or concentrations). A minor may include no more than half of its credit hours at the lower division level. A maximum of three courses of transfer credit will be permitted. Students may declare up to two minors.
Students who complete the minor with a minimum GPA of 2.0 will have the minor recorded on their official transcript.
Students interested in selecting a minor program should contact the coordinating department as soon as possible and complete an Undergraduate Change or Commit Form (https:// registrar.buffalostate.edu/sites/registrar.buffalostate.edu/files/ uploads/MajorChangeFormWdropdownsrev7.11.2023.pdf) for Major, Certificate, Minor, Second Major, Dual Degree, and Microcredentials. A listing of all minors and requirements is available through each department and dean’s office. Only the coordinating departments provide advisement on their individual minors.