You’re just starting college, looking over your course requirements and the college course catalog to choose your first semester’s classes. You can’t wait to dive into the subjects for your major and build the foundation for your career.
Unfortunately, your advisor informs you that you have a certain number of requirements to meet before you can earn your degree or even get into your degree-specific courses. You may be wondering why you have to take these unrelated “filler” courses, how they serve your major, and what you have to gain from them.
Are gen ed courses filler? No, not at all. In fact, your gen ed courses are what help define your bachelor’s degree and college-level education. Let’s take a deeper look at this topic.
What Are General Education Courses?
General education courses are a range of classes in specific categories that meet educational criteria. Typically, these courses include history, social sciences, natural sciences, math, English, arts and humanities, and foreign languages.
These courses are usually taken in the first two years of a four-year degree program and may encompass about a third to a half of the total degree credits. While there are exceptions, it’s recommended that you complete some or all of your gen ed credits before you start working on the core requirements for your major.
Why Are General Education Courses Required?
There are several reasons that colleges and universities include general education courses, and it’s not just to fill out your schedule, charge more tuition, or make a degree take longer.
The original US college curriculum had its origins in medieval universities of England. This classical education was based on the seven liberal arts (grammar, rhetoric, logic, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music), as well as the three philosophies (natural, moral, and mental).
The purpose of these varied studies was to learn the thought and method of scholasticism and instill respect for the authorities of the discipline. Though universities and colleges would eventually offer majors and minors to focus on a profession, a comprehensive education in the liberal arts remains.
The purpose of maintaining the liberal arts isn’t merely because of tradition, however. While some gen ed courses will likely always be part of the curriculum, such as English composition, some of the gen ed courses may shift according to trends and values in society – such as diversity and inclusion.
Gen ed courses also set colleges and universities apart from professional and vocational trading. With the latter, the curriculum is focused on specialized knowledge to perform a specific job. With the former, the education is a blend of comprehensive fields and broad knowledge with a specialty in one discipline.
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Benefits of General Education Courses
Build a Knowledge Base
Virtually all colleges and universities have a set of general education requirements in a cross-section of subjects that ensure students develop a broad base of knowledge.
While the goal of your degree program is to prepare you for that field with an advanced education, having a learning foundation in a wide range of topics – including the arts and humanities, natural sciences, and math – can help you succeed in your career.
Enhance Communication
Communication is essential to any career, not just the obvious choices like journalism and marketing. In the rapidly evolving, largely digital, and often multinational business environment, written and oral communication skills are some of the most important soft skills you can bring to the table.
Most universities and colleges include some basic communication courses, such as English composition 101, public speaking, and journalism, but you can expand your knowledge even further with courses like professional writing, technical writing, grant writing, and visual communications.
Improve Critical Thinking
Part of the college experience is gaining new skills and perspectives. Critical thinking is a key part of that, which requires you look at a situation from all sides, consider the available information, and come to a sound and rational conclusion. This is more complex than simply developing opinions.
Many gen ed courses teach and improve critical thinking skills, such as history, social sciences, political science, and math. These courses focus on analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing information and learning how to navigate problems and solve them more efficiently.
Gain Soft Skills
When you graduate and go out to look for a job, your prospective employers will be looking at more than just your academic accomplishments and technical skills related to your field. Soft skills, also known as people skills, are a crucial part of being successful in a job role – any job role.
Good communication, interpersonal skills, teamwork, time management, and problem solving are all considered soft skills. These skills aren’t necessarily related to a specific field. Instead, they’re applicable to nearly every job.
Gen ed courses develop a wide range of different soft skills. For example, English and literature teach communication and presenting persuasive arguments in writing. Social sciences and natural sciences enhance critical thinking, analytical skills, and scientific literacy.
Explore Different Majors
Gen ed courses are a good opportunity to try out different topics and subjects to see if they interest you. Some students go into college undecided on their major or choosing between a few options.
Taking gen ed courses gives you exposure to different subjects to see if a major is really right for you – before you spend a lot of time and money on required courses. Otherwise, you may take degree-specific courses and decide you want to change your major, leaving you with courses that may not count toward your new degree.
Ready to Start Your Educational Journey?
Love them or hate them, gen ed courses are an important part of getting a well-rounded education, supporting your degree path, advancing your career, and honoring centuries of academic tradition.
With the evolving landscape of higher education, you have more options than ever to complete your gen ed courses in a way – including online options like Sophia. With a convenient subscription plan, you can knock out your gen ed courses online, at your own pace, and transfer your eligible courses to a four-year program. Start your free trial and explore our courses!
