Director, R. Peterson-Veatch, Associate Academic Dean

The Goshen College general education program provides a core of common courses and activities for students in every major. Central to Goshen College general education is the Study-Service Term (SST), with its strong emphasis on international, intercultural education. As a Christian liberal arts college, Goshen also gives Bible and religion studies a prominent place in its liberal arts core. Convocation and chapel programs offer opportunities for shared learning and worship experiences that explore the core values of the college. Students are required to attend an average of one convocation or chapel program per week.

What is a liberal arts education?

At the heart of the liberal arts tradition is the assertion that only an educated person – one who is aware of self and of the other; one capable of independent discernment, analysis and judgment; one gripped by the quest for truth – can be truly free. The Bible also reflects this notion in Jesus’s words, “You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
The basic question that drives all liberal arts inquiry is “What is truth?” Since different disciplines offer different angles on truth, the general education core at Goshen College gives students courses and experiences in a wide range of disciplines: communication skills, mathematics and natural science, history and social science, physical education, humanities, Bible and religion, and international education. As the Goshen College learning community explores the connections between different approaches to truth, our aim is to develop “informed, articulate, sensitive, responsible Christians.”

Summary of course requirements

Orientation (1 credit hour)

Communication skills (5-6 credit hours)

International/intercultural education (12-13 credit hours)

Bible, religion, philosophy, and peace studies (9 credit hours)

Mathematics and natural science (6-8 credit hours)

Two courses, selected from any two separate areas below:

History and social science (6 credit hours)

Physical Education (1 credit hour)

Humanities (4 credit hours)

Total credit hours44-48

Exceptions and modifications

Education: All students seeking elementary or secondary education certification must take PJCS 210 for the PJCS/Phil requirement. Psychology of Education course meets the social science general education requirement for education majors. See the education department pages for additional modifications for elementary education majors.
Nursing: Details about general education modifications for nursing students are available in department catalog pages.
DAES: Information about modified general education requirements is available from the DAES program director.
Other majors: See major planning guides for general education recommendations or requirements. Some courses can simultaneously meet requirements in both general education and a major or minor.

Internship and seminar in the senior year

Students in nearly every major partcipate in an internship during the senior year in which they apply academic learning to practical problem-solving or a position of employment. In addition, seniors enroll in a senior seminar appropriate to their major. Senior seminars integrate and synthesize learning from the entire college experience and guide students in exploring future vocations. Senior seminars also address ethical issues in the major field from a Christian perspective and sometimes include a major research project.

Descriptions and advising notes

Colloquium

All first-time first-year students enroll in a colloquium course in the fall semester at Goshen College. Colloquium, a one-credit-hour course attached to another 1-4 credit course, is a set of activities that introduces students to academic life. Most of the courses with colloquium attachments meet a general education core requirement. Class size is limited to 20 students, giving them close contact with a small group of other students and the professor.

Colloquium students learn about the resources and values of Goshen College, process the changes that happen at college and find encouragement to grow socially, spiritually, psychologically and academically. The colloquium class introduces competency requirements in information literacy and begins to document students’ academic learning. The colloquium professor serves as academic adviser to students in the colloquium class for the first semester at Goshen College. Required of all transfer students with fewer than 15 credits of college courses.

Communication skills

Courses in this area build a solid foundation in reading, writing, speaking and thinking skills to be used throughout students’ academic careers. Close, careful reading and effective speaking and writing are essential skills for academic success. The English classes include readings in classical and contemporary literature and writing instruction. Most students will select Engl 110. Engl 210 is for students with SAT Critical Reading or Writing scores of at least 630 or ACT English scores of at least 28 or for students who have earned AP or CLEP credit, but desire a stronger foundation in college-level reading and writing. Students with SAT Critical Reading or Writing scores of 430 or below or ACT English scores of 19 or below must take Engl 105 before Engl 110. The oral communication class involves practical speaking experiences from public speaking to interpersonal communication. Attention is given to communicating in a culturally diverse society and to an educated audience.

International/Intercultural education

The core requirement in international/intercultural education provides students with an opportunity to learn about the values and assumptions of their own and other cultures. Most students choose to meet this requirement by participating in the unique Study-Service Term, or SST program. International SST is a full semester of service learning in a country significantly different from the United States. Domestic SST is a new option centered on the Latino community in northern Indiana. SST groups average about 20 students and are led by a Goshen College professor. International SST students live with host families; domestic SST students relate to local Latino families. Both groups study the language and culture of the host community and also engage in service placements. International SST units currently operate in Cambodia, China, Egypt, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Peru, Senegal and Tanzania. This core general education requirement may also be met through alternate intercultural coursework on campus. See a fuller description of both SST and other alternatives in the international education section of the catalog.

Study-Service Term abroad (13 credits)

Requires the following language proficiency as a prerequisite:
• French, Arabic, and Spanish SST units: 102-level in the language of the country; 102-level also required for American Sign Language unit in Jamaica.
• China, Cambodia and Tanzania: one elementary language course in the language of the country and either one course from the list of prerequisite courses in the international education pages or other foreign language competency at the 101 level or higher.

Domestic SST (12 credits)

Requires Spanish proficiency at the 102-level as a prerequisite.

Alternate SST (12 credits)

Requires one of the following ways to demonstrate language proficiency
• 102-level language proficiency or
• Comm 206, Communicating Across Cultures and 101-level language proficiency or
• two 101-level language courses (or proficiency).
In addition, students select 12 credits of courses from the approved list in the international education section of the catalog.

Bible/religion/philosophy/peace studies

Because Goshen College considers biblical literacy to be a foundational requirement for a well-rounded education, all students take a Bible survey course, either Bibl 100 (for students with little or no past experience with the Bible) or Bibl 200 (for students who are already familiar with biblical stories and concepts). For course descriptions, see the Bible, religion and philosophy department pages of this catalog. Placement tests are available at the beginning of each semester to help uncertain students determine which level is most appropriate for them. In addition to a Bible survey course, all students select one more Bible or religion class of their choice. Also, all students select at least one of the philosophy or peace/justice/conflict studies classes in the list of general education courses. Each of these courses broadens the knowledge base and cultivates critical thinking skills in students as they face both current and perennial issues. Note: The preferred PJCS course for students not majoring in PJCS or related fields is PJCS 210.

Mathematics and natural science

The core requirement in natural science is designed to help students understand the scientific approach to the pursuit of knowledge and the nature of the scientific community. Courses include laboratory experiences as well as classroom instruction. Since the ability to think quantitatively and reason accurately from data is a fundamental skill for every educated person, all students must meet a mathematics competency requirement. Competency may be established in three ways: SAT math score of 550 or ACT math score of 23, college credit in mathematics at the pre-calculus level or higher, or a passing score on the Goshen College math competency exam. Students who do not meet the minimum competency requirement must pass Math 105, Understanding Our Quantitative World, before taking general education courses in mathematics or natural science. All students choose at least one course from two of the three areas in the list of general education courses.

Note: The preferred mathematics course for students who do not have a mathematics requirement in their major is Math 110. Also note: Biol 112 and Phys 204 may be taken without Biol 111 or Phys 203 as prerequisites.

History and social science

Historical study reveals the roots of modern civilization. History is a form of inquiry and a way of knowing both the world and one’s place in it. The social science core requirement allows students to become familiar with at least one approach to understanding human behavior in the context of contemporary society. Students select at least one of the history courses and at least one of the social science courses in the general education list.

Physical education

Everyone has both the challenge and the opportunity to improve and preserve health in body, mind and spirit. Toward this end, all students take PhEd 100, Wellness as part of the general education core. This course explores wellness in many dimensions: physical, mental and spiritual. It is taught in the physical education department in collaboration with Student Life professionals.

Humanities

The humanities – art, music, literature, theater and other fine arts – have long been a central part of a liberal arts education because they offer both an expression of and an inquiry into human experience. These interdisciplinary courses give students an opportunity to study the history of artistic expression while participating in artistic activities and examining the relationship between the arts and their own lives. Students select one humanities course from the general education list. Two or three courses will be offered each year.