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Academic Catalog > General Information > Curriculum > General Education Core

Competency Requirements

Incoming students are expected to demonstrate competency in three areas: writing, mathematics, and modern foreign language. Students who do not demonstrate proficiency in any of these areas will take courses to help them reach the level of competency required for successful performance at the University level.

Mathematics competency may be demonstrated in one of the following ways:

1. achieving a score of at least 550 on the math portion of the SAT taken within the last two years.
2. receiving a passing grade in a college-level math course of three hours or more taken within the last three years.
3. receiving a grade of C- or higher in MATH-105 Intermediate Algebra.
4. passing the department placement test at the MATH-105 level.
5. earning a passing grade in high school or college calculus.
6. and, for students whose major requires no mathematics beyond MATH-108, receiving a passing grade (MP) in MATH-090 Elementary Algebra or passing the department placement test at the MATH-090 level.

Writing competency may be demonstrated through one of the following:

1. Prior education experience consisting of all three (a, b, and c) of the following:
1. a score of 420 or higher on the verbal section of the SAT.
2. a "B" average or higher in junior and senior high school English courses.
3. an overall grade point average in high school of 2.7.
2. Placement in ENGL-101 through the placement exam.
3. Completion of ENGL-100 Basic Writing with a grade of C or higher.

Modern foreign language competency (101 level or above) for general education in the schools of Education, Business, and Nursing may be demonstrated through one of the following:

1. prior education experience as demonstrated by the successful completion (passing grade) of two years of the same modern foreign language in high school.
2. achievement of the recommended score on the placement exam.
3. completion of a modern foreign language at the 101 level.

The modern language requirement for the College of Arts and Sciences is proficiency through 102 for a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Science, or Bachelor of Social Work degree and through 201 for a Bachelor of Arts degree. Competency for either of these two levels can be demonstrated through the placement exam or through the appropriate course. (See the Modern Languages section of the catalog for further information about language requirements.)