Institutin: University f Pittsburgh Website: http://www.pitt.edu/ General Educatin Prgram Summary Overview: The University f Pittsburgh has undergraduate prgrams in the schls f: Arts and Sciences, Business, Engineering, Cllege f General Studies, Infrmatin Sciences, Nursing, Scial Wrk, and Internatinal Studies. They als have an Hnrs Cllege which functins in cnjunctin with the ther undergraduate units. Each schl has its wn set f general educatin requirements that appear custmized t the individual prgram. All schls require students t take curses that develp cmpetencies in written cmmunicatin, analytical reasning and sme distributin acrss the areas f the humanities, scial sciences and natural sciences. Schl f Arts and Sciences Website: http://www.as.pitt.edu/undergraduate/requirements/gened.html Prgram Overview Gal: The gal f the Schl f Arts and Sciences is t prvide liberal arts and pre-prfessinal educatin fr undergraduate students that is grunded in schlarly excellence, and ffers yu the knwledge, understanding, analytical tls, and cmmunicatin skills yu need t becme perceptive, reflective, and intellectually self-cnscius citizens within a diverse and rapidly changing wrld. Our General Educatin Requirements are at the cre f that gal. (Pitt website) Cre Requirements (54-57 hurs) Writing (9 hurs) Intrductry Cmpsitin (3 hurs) (May Test ut) Writing Intensive Curses (6 hurs) Quantitative/Frmal Reasning (3 hurs) 1 mathematics curse fr which algebra is prerequisite Or apprved curse in statistics r mathematical/frmal Lgic Must be cmpleted in A&S Department Distributin Requirements (45 hurs) Literature Curse Arts Curse Secnd Literature, Arts r Creative Expressin curse Philsphy Scial Science Curse Histrical Change Curse Three Natural Science Curses Tw Freign Language Curses Three Freign Culture/Internatinal Curses Nn Western Culture Curse
Apprved List f Curses With the exceptin f the Intrductry Cmpsitin Curse, the general educatin requirements d nt prescribe specific curses. There is a list f apprved curses that meet the specific requirements. Students are free t chse frm any apprved curses. AACU Principles Fster Brad Knwledge f Human Culture and Natural Wrld The A&S prgram requires student t take a minimum f 4 curses fcusing n human cultures and 2 semester f a freign language Student are required t take 3 curses in natural Sciences Students are required t cmplete a distributin requirement Research pprtunities, while nt part f the general educatin requirements, are available. These include: Seeking ut faculty t wrk with. First Experiences in Research Prgram Carnegie Endwment fr Internatinal Peace The Research Abrad Prgram Strengthen Intellectual and Practical Skills Students are required t cmplete 2 writing intensive curses N First Year Seminar Requirement Math r Lgic Requirements N ral cmmunicatins requirement Deepening Persnal And Scial Respnsibility Curses in Freign Cultures Ethics curse available but nt required Integrative and Applied Learning Research pprtunities available but nt required N Capstne Requirements Prgram Assessment The A&S requirements ffer a fairly traditinal distributin f requirements. Students are expected t develp skills in writing, analytic reasning, and t have brad expsure main academic disciplines. The prgram lacks a specific requirement in ral cmmunicatin. (-) The prgram requires students t cmplete 2 writing intensive curses. (+) The prgram allws flexibility in student interests/schedules by prviding a list f apprved curses fr each f the curse requirements. (+) The prgram has a heavy cncentratin f curses fcused n freign/nn-western curses. (+) The prgram des nt ensure integratin f infrmatin between required curses (eg n big picture fcus) (-) The Undergraduate prgram prvides pprtunities fr student research (+)
Schl f Business Website: http://www.business.pitt.edu/cba/prgrams/arts-and-sciences.html Prgram Overview Gal: These basic skills curses prepare students fr future curses. The basic-skills requirements include curses in English Cmpsitin, Freign language, algebra, calculus, statistics, ecnmics, and psychlgy. (web site) Cre Requirements English Cmpsitin 600 r better verbal ACT Placement test if 599 r belw verbal ACT 1 f three English Cmpsitin Curses Freign Language three years f study f a single freign language in high schl, passed with an average f C r better ver the three years; placement int Level III f a freign language n a University f Pittsburgh language placement test; placement int Level II f a freign language n a University f Pittsburgh language placement test and cmpletin f the apprpriate curse frm the Secnd Curse list belw; cmpletin f ne f the tw-curse sequences Algebra 600 r better ACT Algebra Placement Required Curse Calculus Required Curse Statistics Required Curse Ecnmics Tw Required Curses Psychlgy Required Curse Literature Chse frm List f Curses Art Chse frm List f Curses Philsphy Chse frm List f Curses Scial Sciences Chse 2 curses frm List f Curses Natural Sciences Chse 2 curses frm List f Curses Freign Culture 2 Curses frm List f Curses
AACU Principles Similar t A&S Requirments Assessment The general educatin requirements between A&S and the Schl f Business are similar but nt exactly the same. Students are required t cmplete the 54 credit hurs frm A&S t meet the general educatin requirements. The Business Schl requirements are mre heavily weighted tward mathematics. There are fewer culture/language requirements. The catalg states that the purpse f the general educatin requirements is t prepare students fr further cursewrk. T the student, this likely translates that these are just remedial curses that prepare nly prepare yu fr the curses that yu really want t take. There is n discussin f the imprtance f the curses preparing students fr the wrld. Students may earn dual A&S/Business Majrs Students changing majrs late in their career culd face additinal general educatin requirements. Schl f Nursing Website: http://www.nursing.pitt.edu/academics/undergraduate_curriculum.jsp Prgram Overview Gals: The schl f nursing has the clearest set f gals and bjectives fr its prgram. They include: Objectives The graduate f the baccalaureate prgram will: 1. Synthesize knwledge frm nursing, biphysical, and scial sciences in the practice f prfessinal nursing. 2. Demnstrate skills in critical thinking and decisin making in the use f the nursing prcess with individuals, families, grups, and cmmunities experiencing cmplex health prblems. 3. Intervene therapeutically t prmte, restre, and maintain the maximum health ptential f individuals, families, grups, and cmmunities. 4. Manage nursing care fr grups f clients. 5. Prvide health educatin fr individuals, families, grups, and cmmunities. 6. Evaluate research findings t guide nursing practice. 7. Assume respnsibility and accuntability fr wn decisins and actins in the practice f nursing. 8. Incrprate prfessinal values, including ethical and legal aspects, int the practice f nursing.
9. Cmmunicate effectively in interactins with individuals, families, grups, and cmmunities. 10. Demnstrate evlving cmpetence in multicultural interactins. Cre Requirements The nursing curriculum is mre prescribed than the A&S r Business Degrees. In additin t their nursing curses, student must cmplete the fllwing: Chemistry (4 hurs) English Cmpsitin (3 hurs) Psychlgy (3 hurs) Art (3 hurs) PsyEd: Lifespan (3 hurs) Scilgy (3 hurs) Anthrplgy (3 hurs) Speech (3 hurs) Assessment/AACU principles The schl f nursing has the fewer distributin hurs in nn-nursing related curses than A&S r Business The prgram requires a cmmunicatin skills curse in additin t the writing cmpsitin curse. The prgram des require curses in scilgy and anthrplgy The prgram lacks a specific requirement in ethics, thugh it is likely part f the central curriculum. Given that this is a prfessinal degree, there are fewer curses aimed at human cultures.