A teacher presents to a class.

General Education

Manhattanville is a community of learners — our students and faculty alike. We exist for our students, seeking to help them develop themselves personally through their own intellectual growth. We do this through the close mentoring relationships between students and their faculty advisors, through the structure and fulfillment of our Manhattanville Portfolio system, through our focused academic programs (our majors, minors, and other programs), and through our curriculum for General Education.

In fashioning our General Education requirements, the faculty seeks to ensure that our students develop core abilities, ones characteristic of students completing a liberal arts and sciences education and preparing for life in the 21st century.

General Education Requirements

Please select below to view details and requirements for your general education requirements:

General Education 2016 Capability Information and Worksheet:

For students who have matriculated at the College in  Fall 2016 or later, the following General Education 2016 requirements are:

I. Take: One-semester First Year Seminar and Two semesters of First Year Writing. Transfer Students: This requirement may also be fulfilled by:

  • Submitting proof of award of an Associate of Arts (AA) or Associate of Science (AS) degree.  AAS degrees are not eligible
  • Receiving 30 or more approved transfer credits at Manhattanville. Check with your advisor and your Degree Audit for details

II. Select and declare a major by the end of the Sophomore year and complete the course requirements for the major by graduation.

III. Complete: 

  • A minimum of 90 credits in liberal arts for a B.A. degree
  • A minimum of 60 credits in liberal arts for a B.S. degree
  • A minimum of 30 liberal arts credits for a B.F.A. or B.Mus. degree

IV. Earn: At least 120 course credits overall with a cumulative GPA of 2.000 (C) or better.

All undergraduates following General Education 2016 must also successfully fulfill the FOUR PILLARS of the Manhattanville General Education 2016 Program named INQUIRY:

INQUIRY (noun | in*qui*ry): "A seeking or request for truth, information or knowledge"

INQUIRY consists of four pillars: INVESTIGATOR, INVENTOR, INTERNATIONAL CITIZEN, and INTERPRETER. These pillars enable students to obtain the tools necessary for navigating the complexities of life in today’s global society. This unique blend of liberal arts and sciences, founded upon the College’s historic core values of critical inquiry, social action and engagement, prepares students for success in the modern workplace.

INVESTIGATOR:

Students learn to apply the skills of scientific, mathematical, humanistic, and social science reasoning to articulate clear, precise, and well-organized ideas. This pillar enables students to use the knowledge they have attained to interpret arguments, reason persuasively, and draw conclusions. Requirements:

  • Scientific Reasoning — 6 credits
  • Mathematical Reasoning — 6 credits
  • Humanistic Reasoning — 6 credits
  • Social Scientific Reasoning — 6 credits  
INVENTOR:

Students are encouraged to produce creative works that are personal in nature, while drawing upon historical and contemporary references. Manhattanville INVENTORS are able to articulate the relationship between works produced in a particular culture or time, and the religious, political or socio-economic circumstances of their production. Requirements:

  • Creative and Aesthetic — 6 credits (Min. 3 credits of Applied coursework, but can include 3 credits of Analysis coursework for total of 6)
INTERNATIONAL CITIZEN:

Each student takes the opportunity to reflect on his or her own background, values, goals and achievements in the context of the diverse community of Manhattanville, taking special advantage of the wide range of applied liberal learning experiences the College has to offer. The INTERNATIONAL CITIZEN is able to establish connections with others and recognize his or her responsibilities to the broader community. Requirements:

  • Global Systems and Civilizations:
  1. U.S. Diversities — 3 credits
  2. West (outside the U.S.) — 3 credits
  3. Africa, Asia, and Middle East — 3 credits
  • Second Language - Minimum of 6 introductory-level credits in one language or demonstration of equivalent competency by transfer, AP, TOEFL (score 80 or higher), IELTS (score 6.5 or higher), CLEP or placement exam
  • Applied Liberal Learning — 1 credit
INTERPRETER:

Students perfect their competencies in written and oral communication, as well as proficiency in digital literacy - the skills essential for success in every profession. Above all, as INTERPRETER, students learn to recognize the importance of interpretation in the ongoing quest to understand their place in the world. Requirements:

  • Written Communication — 9 credits. This includes 6 credits that may be fulfilled by meeting the freshman writing requirement
  • Oral Communication — 3 credits
  • Digital Literacy — 3 credits

 

IMPORTANT ITEMS

  • A minimum C- letter grade must be earned in any general education 2016 capability to fulfill a requirement.
  • Check your progress toward completion of your general education requirements now using your WebAdvisor Degree Audit! Visit the Degree Audit information page for instructions to access Degree Audit in WebAdvisor.

General Education 2009 Competency Information and Worksheets:

General Education 2009 Distribution Information and Worksheets: 

For students who have matriculated at the College since (or in) the Fall 2009 semester through the Spring 2016 semester, the following General Education requirements are fulfilled by taking course that meet these competencies:

  • Critical Analysis and Reasoning — 6 credits
  • Written Communication — 6 credits
  • Quantitative Reasoning — 6 credits
  • Scientific Reasoning — 6 credits
  • Second Language — through the introductory level
  • Oral Communication — 3 credits
  • Technological — 3 credits
  • *Information Literacy — 1 credit (*NOTE: Not required for students joining the College in Fall 2014 or later)

To ensure breadth of education, students are required to meet the following distribution requirements:

  • Fine Arts — 6 credits
  • Scientific — 3 credits
  • Mathematics — 3 credits
  • Humanities — 6 credits
  • Social science — 6 credits

 

IMPORTANT ITEMS:

  • A minimum C- letter grade must be earned in any general education 2009 competency or distribution course to fulfill a requirement.
  • Check your progress toward completion of your general education requirements now using your WebAdvisor Degree Audit! Visit the Degree Audit information page for instructions to access Degree Audit in WebAdvisor. 
Important Message: Updated General Education Guidelines Beginning Fall 2013

Effective Fall 2013, a course no longer must fulfill a Gen Ed Competency in order to then fulfill a Distribution area requirement. This change applies to all current students who matriculated into the College at any time since Fall 2009. It is retroactive to any course work completed since then. Courses can count toward Distribution even if they do not fulfill a Competency requirement! This adjustment provides increased flexibility for students as they may now use additional courses to satisfy Gen Ed Competency and Distribution. It is still beneficial for students to take courses that satisfy BOTH Competency and Distribution areas as this will minimize the overall number of course needed to complete General Education.