Associate of Arts – General Education

Northeast State requires a core of general education courses as part of each degree program. In compliance with the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) approved general education core, each associate of arts and associate of science emphasis includes 41 semester hours of general education as preparation for entering a baccalaureate program. Each associate of applied science degree program includes 15-16 semester hours of general education to prepare graduates for the expectations of employers.

The purpose of the general education core is to ensure that college students have the broad knowledge and skills to become life-long learners in a global community that will continue to change. Northeast State faculty designed the general education core courses to emphasize a breadth of understanding and not a set of skills, techniques, or procedures associated with a specific occupation or profession.

As a member of the Tennessee Board of Regents System, Northeast State adheres to the philosophy that general education should provide critical thinking skills for inquiry and analysis, assimilation of facts and knowledge, and problem solving. Specifically, the general education core at Northeast State is grounded on these principles:

Educated people

• Practice and are literate in the various methods of communication.
• Recognize individual roles in history, culture, and diverse heritages of Tennessee, the United States, and the world.
• Appreciate the web of commonality of all humans in a multicultural world and are prepared for responsibilities of an engaged citizenship.
• Recognize the ethical demands of life.
• Demonstrate the skills and knowledge of the social and behavioral sciences to analyze the contemporary world.
• Are familiar with the history and aesthetics of the fine arts.
• Understand and practice the scientific and mathematical views of the world.

To ensure that TBR goals and learning outcomes are met, general education core courses have been reviewed and approved through both institutional and statewide processes. The general education core categories include communication (written and oral), humanities and/or fine arts, social/behavioral sciences, natural sciences, mathematics, and history. Degree requirements for the associate of arts/sciences and the associate of applied science degree programs are listed below.

For a complete listing of the goals and learning outcomes for Northeast State’s general education core, please go to the following link www.NortheastState.edu/AcademicAffairs/GenEdCoreLearningOutcomes.pdf.