General Education
A broad education can help you to succeed professionally and contribute to society while enriching your personal life.
Adelphi’s General Education program, required of all undergraduates, provides a broad and rich educational experience while helping students to develop the skills and knowledge that will enable them to thrive in and contribute to today’s changing society.
Requirements
Students must fulfill the General Education requirements to graduate. It is suggested that students complete the requirements within the first two years of study.
(Unless enrolled in the Honors College, Levermore Global Scholars, or General Studies Learning Community which have their own set of required courses.)
- First Year Seminar (FYS) (0952-110)
This four-credit course introduces first-year students to intellectual life at Adelphi University by providing them with a learning experience that exposes them to exciting and challenging ideas in a seminar format with professors teaching in their area of expertise. Learn more about the First Year Seminar. - English Composition (ENG 0122-107)
Taken in the first year, this three-credit course helps develop and improve writing skills that are essential to clear thinking and to success in college and beyond.
See the University Bulletin for a detailed explanation of requirements
- Two courses in the Arts (A)
- Two courses in the Humanities (H)
- Two courses in the Social Sciences (SS)
- One course in Natural Science (NS)
- One course in Mathematics, Computing, and Logic (MCL)
- Two courses in Communication. One in Oral Communication (CO) and one in Written Communication (CW)
- Two courses in Quantitative Reasoning (Q)
- Two courses in Global Learning/Civic Engagement (G)
- One course in Information Literacy (L)
Every undergraduate is required to complete a capstone course or project as part of the major. See the section at the end for a fuller explanation. The specific capstone requirement for each major is given in the program of study for the major.
Our intention is that these requirements will both ensure that all students receive some instruction in these areas, and focus students’ attention to the teaching and learning in these areas that occurs in many of our courses.
Download General Education Requirements Worksheet (PDF)
See the University Bulletin for a detailed explanation of requirements, including:
- General Education Requirements for students who began at Adelphi as first year students prior to fall 2011 and for transfer students who began at Adelphi prior to fall 2012
- Transfer Student exemptions
- Undergraduate Language Requirements
- Undergraduate Capstone Requirement
Important Notes
- A student must complete at least 30 credits in courses carrying a General Education designation.
- Some courses fulfill more than one of the General Education requirements (e.g., both a course distribution and a learning goal requirement, or two learning goal requirements). Students may satisfy up to 2 learning goals in any single course.
- Some courses that meet requirements for majors also fulfill General Education requirements.
- After a student matriculates at Adelphi, courses taken at other institutions may not be used to satisfy a Learning Goal requirement.
- Courses that meet distribution and/or learning goal requirements for General Education are indicated by letters such as SS (Social Science) or Q (Quantitative Reasoning) in the course listing in CLASS. CLASS can be searched for courses that meet specific learning goal or distribution requirements.
