Philosophy of General Education

The philosophy of the General Education requirement rests on the conviction that AUBG graduates should be prepared to act responsibly as participants in a democratic society and to find fulfillment in the enjoyment of the moral, intellectual, and artistic achievements of the human enterprise—both past and present.

AUBG graduates should possess a breadth of general knowledge that is not simply a collection of facts emanating from specialized investigations, but a genuine understanding of the intellectual experience of the practitioners of the various disciplines as they observe, experiment, and conduct research. Consequently, the emphasis of the General Education Program is less on surveying the current factual information in a field than it is an effort to introduce students to the major modes of inquiry.

In addition, although graduates will become specialists in one or more disciplines, a well-educated person needs a broad understanding of all fields in order to communicate successfully with non-specialists.  In a complex society, where debates among experts often have a bearing on issues of broad social concern, an educated person should be capable of evaluating the competing arguments of specialists in other fields. Moreover, since the world and our knowledge of it are interrelated, the General Education Program places special emphasis on how to bring interdisciplinary perspectives to investigations of important issues.

Foundation Courses

Foundation courses in verbal and mathematical skills are to be completed in the first year.

ENG 101 Exposition
ENG 102 Persuasion
STA 105 Statistics
MAT 100 Introductory Mathematics*

* The requirement in Introductory Mathematics may be satisfied upon admission by designated scores on the SAT exam or during the first semester at AUBG by placement examination.

Modes of Inquiry

General Education courses in the several branches of human intellectual endeavor, called Modes of Inquiry, introduce students to a variety of perspectives upon the world and several methods for exploring it.

Aesthetic Expression

Courses in Aesthetic Expression engage students in direct encounters with a significant number of existing works of art or in creative or performance activity.

Historical Analysis

A two course sequence that introduces students progressively to various issues in history and equips them to recognize, interpret and present information about the past. A course in Historical Sources is prerequisite to a course in Historical Research (for students entering AUBG after Spring 2007).

Literary Analysis

A two course sequence that introduces students progressively to interpretive methods and terminology for both formal (aesthetic, stylistic) and contextual (cultural, historical, philosophical) study of literature. A course in Principles of Literary Analysis is prerequisite to courses in Case Studies in Literary Analysis (for students entering AUBG after Spring 2007.)

Moral and Philosophical Reasoning

Courses in Moral and Philosophical Reasoning engage students in developing their abilities in moral or philosophical reasoning.

Quantitative Reasoning

Courses in quantitative reasoning develop sound thinking, both inductive and deductive, based on systematic use of logic and numbers in constructing and applying models of the phenomenal as well as the noumenal world. They provide a basic foundation and a broad-based knowledge in problem-solving and abstract thinking and develop the ability to analyze and apply abstract knowledge in various contexts.

Scientific Investigation

Courses in Scientific Investigation examine natural phenomena empirically and systematically. They develop students' grasp of scientific methodology; including observation, modeling, rigorous quantitative analysis, and the prediction of natural phenomena. The importance of science with its technological, environmental, philosophical, social, and personal implications is emphasized.

Social and Cultural Analysis

Courses in Social and Cultural Analysis provoke us to better understand people, societies and the social logics that they create. They help us better understand what happens as societies interact, both peacefully and confrontationally, in the context of a larger society.

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