General Education Requirements
The Learning Environment
 Lake Erie College recognizes that education occurs in a wide range of settings; the institution is supportive of a variety of teaching and learning styles. The College’s size allows for personal attention to the educational experience, and the institution views itself as a community of learners where interaction of disciplines is encouraged. It seeks to provide students with an environment which promotes the development of personal values, individual responsibility for action, and a recognition that learning continues throughout life.
Graduation Requirements
Lake Erie College awards the degrees of Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Science in Education, and Master of Business Administration. General education requirements are the same for all bachelor’s degrees; the degree awarded is determined by the student’s major field of study. It is the responsibility of the student to be sure that all degree and major requirements are fulfilled by graduation.
Candidates for all bachelor’s degrees must:
- Complete 128 semester hours of credit with a cumulative and major grade point average of 2.0 or higher; 32 semester credits of the student’s last 36 semester credits must be taken at Lake Erie College.
- Complete the general education requirements (basic proficiencies and core requirements) described in this section of the catalog.
- Complete the requirements for the major field of study identified in the section of the catalog entitled Requirements for the Academic Major.
Candidates for graduation must apply by completing the required forms which are available in the Registrar’s Office. The deadline is October 1st for December graduation, March 1 for May graduation and July 1 for September graduation. Only students who have successfully completed all of their graduation requirements are permitted to participate in the commencement ceremony in May.
The Educational Process
The College’s course of study is built upon basic proficiencies in written expression, speech, mathematical computation, computer applications, and familiarity with a second language. These basic proficiency courses may be waived through the placement process. Courses designated to fulfill the basic proficiencies are listed below:
Basic Proficiencies: (20 Semester Hours)
Goal: To enhance the basic academic skills necessary for success in college and beyond. EN 101 Principles of Composition and Research (4 SH)
CI 101 Computers and Information Processing (2 SH)
CM 105 Fundamentals of Public Speaking (2 SH)
FR/GR/IT/SP 106 and 107: Beginning Language I and II (4, 4 SH)
MT 107 College Algebra (4 SH) or MT 109 College Mathematics I (4 SH)
(MT109 is strongly recommended for math and science majors)
Beyond these proficiencies, the curriculum is focused on the acquisition of that information and those abilities and experiences which enable students to be successful in college and lead to a liberal education. The College seeks to equip students with the abilities necessary for careers, the flexibility to face change, and the habits and values conducive to lifelong learning. Many of the courses in the General Education Core are interdisciplinary. Others may employ interdisciplinary components within the process of teaching, learning, and research. Students are encouraged to think how each General Education choice relates to other courses within the core curriculum and in their major.
The core requirements are designed to meet a series of specific educational goals; these goals and the courses designated to fulfill them are listed below:
Core Requirements: (24-25 Semester Hours)
Goal: The ability to exercise skills in critical thinking through an interdisciplinary approach to the liberal arts. (4 SH)
One of the following:
HU 120 Travels Through Time and Space (4 SH)
HU 125 Critical Thinking through Controversy (4 SH)
Goal: The ability to carry out careful analysis of sophisticated texts. (4 SH)
One of the following:
EN 140 Principles of Critical Analysis (4 SH)
PR 111 Issues in Western Culture (4 SH)
PR 101 Introduction to Philosophy (4 SH)
EN 130 Introduction to Contemporary Literature (4 SH)
Goal: An awareness of the foundations of cultures and values, both of their own and those of other societies. (4 SH)
One of the following:
FR/GR/IT/SP 203 Communicating in a Foreign Language (4 SH)
FR/GR/IT/SP 220 Conversation (4 SH)
HI 204 Asia, Africa, and the Middle East (4 SH)
IS 200 Peoples and Cultures in Contrast (4 SH)
IS 300, 301 Intercultural Relationships (2, 2 SH)Note: The requirement for this goal may also be fulfilled by an approved overseas experience or study abroad tour of four credit hours.
Goal: Experiences with aesthetic forms both in theory and practice. (4 SH)
One of the following:
AT 104 Experiencing the Visual Arts (4 SH)
DN 104 Dance in its Time (4 SH)
FA 101 Arts and Their Interrelations (4 SH)
MU 104 Introduction to the Art of Music (4 SH)
TH 104 Introduction to Theater (4 SH)
Goal: Experiences with the principles and applications of scientific inquiry. (4-5 SH)
One of the following:
BI 100 Biology Today (4 SH)
PC 104 Introduction to Environmental Science (4 SH)
SC 120 Trying Science (4 SH)
CH 103 General Chemistry (5 SH)
Goal: An understanding of the techniques and strategies appropriate to analysis within the behavioral or social sciences. (4 SH)
One of the following:
EC 200 Principles of Economics (4 SH)
PS 101 General Psychology (4 SH)
SO 111 Introduction to Sociology (4 SH)
SO 112 Contemporary Social Issues (4 SH)
First Year Experience Course
The course is designed to equip first year students with the skills and attitudes necessary to adapt to the demands of college life and academic success. This is an elective course; however, all freshmen are strongly encouraged to take this course in their freshman year.
The Major Field of Study
The major field of study is a carefully structured sequence of courses in a single subject or a combination of closely related subjects. Basic or introductory courses are generally not included in the major. No more than 64 semester hours in a single subject designator may be counted towards graduation. A minimum of 20 semester hours of the major field must be completed at Lake Erie College. Degree options and requirements for individual majors are specified in the section of the catalog entitled Requirements for the Academic Major. Opportunities also exist for the design of an individualized major with the assistance and approval of a faculty advisor.
Selecting an Academic Major
Students are encouraged to declare a major before the end of their sophomore year. Students entering with an associate’s degree or with 64 or more semester hours of transfer credit are expected to declare a major upon admission. A student who wishes to earn a double major must complete all the requirements of each major before graduation. A second major cannot be earned after a student has graduated. Earning a double major does not mean earning a second degree. |
