General Education Mission Statement
General Education Hours: All Degrees
General Education Competencies
Baccalaureate degrees General Education (Common Core) Requirements
Total General Education Hours by Degree
General Education Transfer Policies
Core42
Tier Two Degree Requirements
English Proficiency
Fine Arts Courses
Foreign Language Requirement
Humanities Requirement
Mathematics Requirements
Analytical Skills Requirements
Science Requirements
Social Sciences Requirement 
Associate of Arts Degree Core Requirements
Associate of Science Degree Core Requirements

General Education Mission Statement

General Education at Central Methodist University provides a foundation of knowledge and skills that prepares graduates to be successful and reflective citizens and leaders, and to make a difference in local and global communities.  General Education incorporates core courses that focus on our University Learning Principles of Curiosity, Communication, and Community to build the groundwork for an educational experience that will empower students within a culture of engaged learning.

General Education Hours: All Degrees

The university learning principles and outcomes were adopted in Spring 2016.  Six of the 9 ULOs will be used to assess the general education common core (31-32 hours).   The ULOs are intentionally broad statements that guide a culture of learning and allow for a holistic approach to assessment.  The ULOs can be assessed through a selection of courses, standardized measures, and student experiences analyzed together, to build a truer picture of student life and learning.  The University understands education to be concerned with the formation of the self, not merely with providing information to an individual who is unchanged by it. Liberal education is formative as well as informative.

The educational program described in the following pages is intended to fulfill the mission of CMU by providing a curriculum that enables students to embody the mission of CMU through acquiring habits of mind, habits of heart, and habits of action that embody the university learning principles and outcomes. The development of such habits requires both knowledge and mental discipline in many fields of study. Our curriculum is designed to help students make responsible life choices with deep concern for the common good.   CMU graduates should be able to place themselves firmly in the statements of “I am, I can, I will,” built into the university wide assessment process, commonly known as the Wheel.

The implementation process for the new competencies will be developed fully during the 2016/17 academic year.  The information below does apply, but is by no means inclusive. General Education Competencies and Requirements: Additional Information

1. The 6 ULOs designated as General Education competencies are for the Common Core.
2. All baccalaureate degrees will be required to have the same 32 hour Common Core competencies and requirements.
3. Courses in the major will not count in the Common Core.
4. Each course taught as part of General Education meet the General Education competencies. Competencies met by each course will be listed on the course syllabus.

General Education Transfer Policies: Transfer credit will be accepted for courses generally equivalent to those in the General Education Program. Depending on hours transferred, students may be able to have some general education requirements waived. See the academic catalog for additional details.

All baccalaureate degrees will be required to satisfy the same Common Core competencies and require­ments. Also, courses in the major will not count in the Common Core.

General Education Competencies

Communication (articulate, multimodal)

1. Students are articulate, able to speak and write clearly and effectively.
2. Students are multimodal, able to interpret and express ideas through multiple modes of communication

Curiosity (discover, analyze)

1. Students can discover, explore, and seek solutions based on accumulated knowledge and current research.
2. Students can analyze, evaluate, interpret, and summarize data.

Community (serve, respect)

1. Students will serve others and be ethical and informed citizens.
2. Students will understand and respect diversity, including other’s viewpoints, positions, and beliefs

Baccalaureate degrees General Education (Common Core) Requirements

All baccalaureate degrees will be required to satisfy the same competencies and require­ments. Also, courses in the major will not count toward general education. Note:  Prerequisite coursework may increase the total hours, depending on student placement in courses.

1. All baccalaureate degrees will be required to have the same 32-hour Common Core competencies and requirements.
2. Courses in the major will not count in the Common Core.
3. Each course taught as part of General Education will meet the General Education competencies. Competencies met by each course will be listed on the course syllabus.
4. The core competencies are for the Common Core.
5. Assessment of additional General Education require­ments may be a part of the major or profes­sional program assessment.
6. Courses under the section "Understanding Human Nature and Exploring the Nature of the Universe" have specific competencies, but these courses should continue to emphasize information fluency and oral and written communications as part of the course. Where appropriate, these courses should also emphasize math literacy and wellness.

  Total General Education Hours by Degree

 ***Additional hours will be required if MA090 and MA103I or MA109I are required.

General Education Transfer Policies

Transfer credit will be accepted for courses generally equivalent to those in the General Education program. Depending on hours transferred, students may be able to have some general education requirements waived.

Core42

CORE 42 was also established to facilitate the transfer of those academic credits among other public and participating private institutions of higher education in the State of Missouri. Central Methodist University signed as an independent institution begining the 2019-2020 academic year. 

Students may transfer MOTR courses in one of three ways:

• Students who complete the Associate of Arts degree and transfer to another public or participating private institution of higher education shall have completed all lower-division general education requirements at the receiving institution. Students shall receive full credit, including any prerequisites or requirements in the major, for all MOTR courses transferred.  The receiving institution cannot require the student take additional lower-division general education courses.  A student may, however, have to take additional lower-division courses to fulfill program or institutional requirements, including prerequisites to other required courses.
• Students who complete the CORE 42 general eduation block, at any public or participating independent institution of higher education, shall be considered as having completed all lower-division general education requirements at a receiving institution. Students shall receive full credit, including any prerequisites or requirements in the major, for all MOTR courses transferred. The receiving institution cannot require the student take additional lower-division general education courses.  A student may, however, have to take additional lower-division courses to fulfill program or institutional requirements, including prerequisites to other required courses.
• Students who complete individual MOTR courses, equivalent to CMU courses that comprise the CORE 42 are guaranteed to transfer one-to-one among all public and participating independent colleges and universities in Missouri.

NOTE: Courses that do not have the CORE 42 designation may still transfer, but students are encouraged to check the transfer equivalency website of the institution to which they plan to transfer in order to be sure.

CORE 42 Transfer Curriculum

The CORE 42 Transfer Curriculum is a block of at least 42 credit hours that will transfer as a block and be considered to have met all General Education requirements at all Missouri public colleges and universities, as well as independent Missouri institutions that have signed onto the agreement via the Missouri Department of Higher Education (visit https://dhe.mo.gov/core42.php).  Central Methodist University signed as an independent institution begining the 2019-2020 academic year. 

Students who complete the CORE 42 curriculum will meet the general education requirements. 

To complete the curriculum, students must earn a minimum number of credit hours in five knowledge areas. For students transferring in or out, at CMU the following satisfies the 42 hour block:

• Mathematical sciences – three credit hours
  • MA105; MA109; MA109I; MA103; MA103I
• Natural sciences – seven credit hours, including a course with a lab
  • BI105; BI105 w/ BI105L; BI101; BI101 w/ BI101L; CH111; CH111 w/ CH111L; GL105; GL105 w/ GL105L; BI106; BI106 w/ BI106L; SC101; SC101 w/ SC101L; PH111; PH111 w/ PH111L; PH205 w/ PH205l
• Humanities and fine arts – nine credit hours from at least two disciplines
  • AR111; AR186; AR188; MU188; PL106; RL122; SP101; SP102
• Social and behavioral sciences – nine credit hours, including a civics course*
  • CJ100; EC101; EC201; EC202; HI101; HI102; PY101; SO101; HI117*; HI118*; PS101
• Written communication - six credit hours
  • EN110; EN111
• Oral communications – three credit hours
  • CT101

Credits earned beyond the minimum in each Knowledge area count toward the 42-hour minimum. 

MOTR Course Equivalencies

For courses designated with a Missouri Transfer (MOTR) course number, this number guarantees the one-to-one transfer of these courses among all Missouri public institutions of higher education, as well as independent Missouri institutions that have signed onto the agreement. Students who have transferred to CMU or who plan to transfer to another Missouri institution may use the CMU Core42 worksheet as a guide.

Tier Two Degree Requirements

The second level of General Education Requirements (known as "Tier Two") differs from one degree program to the next. Before selecting any courses for Tier Two requirements, determine whether a degree program specifies what must be taken. If given a choice of courses to satisfy a Tier Two requirement, consult the following section. Students may not double-apply Common Core courses elsewhere; students may double-apply courses in Tier Two to the major or the minor. 

Additional Gen. Ed. Tier Two Degree Requirements

The second level of General Education Requirements (known as "Tier Two") differs from one degree program to the next. Before selecting any courses for Tier Two requirements, determine whether a degree program specifies what must be taken. 

Bachelor of Arts: Additional General Education Competencies

Bachelor of Science: Additional General Education Competencies

Bachelor of Accountancy: Additional General Education Requirements

Bachelor of Applied Science in Management: Additional General Education Requirements

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN-BSN): Additional General Education Requirements

English Proficiency

Each student must demonstrate proficiency in written and spoken English before receiving a degree. This may be accomplished by receiving a passing grade in either EN305, EN306 or EN350. Those who have successfully completed six hours in composition before entering CMU will receive credit for EN110/EN111 and must still take and pass EN305, EN306, or EN350. For spoken English, students must either successfully complete a proficiency examination, or CT101 (Public Speaking) or transfer in an equivalent course. 

Fine Arts Courses

Fine Arts courses include survey courses, which examine the monuments and major figures of a visual or performing art, examine the social and cultural contexts and influences on this visual or performing art, and provide sufficient study of and exposure to the visual or performing art to enable the student to begin to comprehend the aesthetic and to offer an informed response to the aesthetic. Fine Arts requirements also can be satisfied by studio art courses that include instruction in history and theory.

CMU's faculty designated these as "Fine Arts" courses:

• AR111 Art Appreciation (3)
• AR116 Basic Photography (3)
• AR121 Basics of Design (3)
• AR130 Studio Art (3)
• AR186 Art History I (3)
• AR188 Art History II (3)
• EN212 Introduction to Cinema (3)
• MU145 History of Jazz (3)
• MU188 Music Appreciation (3)
• MU202 Musical Theatre and Opera on DVD/Video (3)
• TA103 Basic Principles of Theatre (3)
• TA111 Acting I (3)
• TA113 Script Analysis (3)
• TA120 Acting for the Camera I (3)
• TA211 Acting II (3)
• TA220 Acting for the Camera II (3)
• TA245 Oral Interpretation (3)
• TA250 Stage Makeup (3)
• TA253 Stagecraft (3)
• TA384 Theatre History I (3)
• TA386 Theatre History II (3)

Foreign Language Requirement

The BA degree requires six to eight hours of a single for­eign language. Students whose native language is other than English who seek a degree requiring for­eign lan­guage have the following options:

1. fulfill the foreign language degree requirement stated by the degree;
2. take six (6) hours of 300-level literature in their native lan­guage if that language is offered at CMU; or
3. take six (6) hours in oral and written commu­nications in addition to the general education requirements of EN110/111; EN222; EN305/306/350; and CT 101.

*The Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies is exempt from this requirement.

Humanities Requirements

Some degree programs designate which course(s) a student must take to fulfill the Humanities courses for Tier Two of the General Education curriculum. If no such designation exists, students may not count courses taken as part of the Common Core but instead must select courses from the following:

• ENGLISH (EN): EN212 (or satisfies "Fine Arts" requirement), EN216, EN224, EN236, EN238, EN334, EN312, EN323, EN324, , EN335, EN340, EN342,  and EN348. EN190/ 290/390/490 satisfy Tier Two requirements unless otherwise indicated. EN160/260/360/460 do not satisfy Tier Two requirements.
• PHILOSOPHY (PL): PL102, PL106, PL225 (cross-listed with RL225), PL306, PL310, PL311, PL321 (cross-listed with RL321) and PL340 (cross-listed with RL340). PL190, 290, and 390 satisfy Tier Two requirements unless otherwise indicated. PL 160/260/360/460 do not satisfy Tier Two requirements.
• RELIGION (RL): RL201, RL202, RL203, RL225 (cross-listed with PL225), RL301, RL302, RL303, RL310, RL321 (cross-listed with PL321), RL331 (only offered online), RL332 (only offered online), and RL336, RL340 (cross-listed with PL340). Unless otherwise indicated, RL190/290/390/490 satisfy Tier Two requirements. RL160/260/360/460 do not satisfy Tier Two requirements.
• SPANISH (SP): SP203 and SP204. Unless otherwise indicated, SP190/290 satisfy Tier Two requirements. SP160/260 do not satisfy Tier Two requirements.
• FOREIGN LANGUAGE (FL): FL190/290/390 satisfy Tier Two Requirements
• THEATRE (TA): TA388

Mathematics Requirements in Tier 1

To fulfill Mathematics requirements, students must take courses with the MA (Mathematics) prefix.

Policy for Math Placement

Analytical Skills Requirements

An analytical skills course is defined as a course whose primary focus is abstract reasoning or quantitative reasoning. Abstract reasoning courses typically involve the classification and creation of abstract models, as well as problem solving using a process of abstraction, manipulation, and reinterpretation of the solution in the context of the problem. Quantitative reasoning courses typically involve problem solving using analysis, interpretation and visualization of data to make conclusions and predictions.

Some degree programs designate which course(s) a student must take to fulfill Analytical Skills courses for Tier Two of the General Education curriculum. Unless otherwise designated, students pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree must select from these courses:

• BU225 Computer Applications in Business
• PL102 Critical Thinking
• a course in Research Methods (CJ/HI/PS/PY/SO 331 and PS/PY/SO 334 have been designated for students majoring in the Social Sciences.)
• a Math above MA103
• an Applied Computer Skills course
• courses approved by the division chair

Students may not apply any SC160/260/360/460 courses for the Analytical Skills requirement. Students may not count courses taken as part of the Common Core.

Science Requirements

Some degree programs designate which course(s) students must take to fulfill Science requirements in Tier Two of the General Education curriculum. If no such designation exists, students must take courses with the AS (Astronomy), BI (Biology), CH (Chemistry), ES (Environmental Science), GL (Geology), or PH (Physics) prefix or SC101 and SC103 (but no other SC courses unless specified)-excluding courses numbered 160/260/360/460. Students must have met all prerequisites for these courses. Students may not count courses taken as part of the Common Core.

Social Sciences Requirements

Some degree programs designate which course(s) students must take to fulfill Social Sciences requirements in Tier Two of the General Education curriculum. If no such designation exists, students must take courses with the CJ (Criminal Justice), CT (Communication), EC (Economics), HI (History), PS (Political Science), PY (Psychology), or SO (Sociology) prefix — excluding any Social Science 190/290/390/490, 160/260/360/460, and 268/368/468. Students may not count courses taken as part of the Common Core.

Associate of Arts Degree Core Requirements

Associate of Arts Degree Additional General Education Competencies

AA1. Students will understand the historical, cultural, and social contexts of the humanities and of the fine arts.

AA2. Students will articulate a critical response to works in the humanities and in the fine arts.

AA3. Students will enlarge their experience through the study of works in the humanities and in the fine arts.

AA4. Students will build on their foundational skills in science and in social science to prepare them to be informed citizens.

Associate of Arts Degree: Additional General Education Requirements

Associate of Science Degree Core Requirements