General education program
Through the General Education program students hone the skills that employers want and informed citizens need.
The General Education Program at the University of Michigan-Flint fulfills an important academic role in the student’s total educational experience. The program is designed to provide training in reasoning and critical thinking, and to introduce the fundamental disciplines through which people seek to understand themselves, their surroundings, and cultures different from their own. In accordance with the university’s mission, the program aims to educate all students in an environment that emphasizes literacy, critical thinking, and humanistic and scientific inquiry.
The General Education Program reports to the Office of the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs.
University-Wide Program Details
General Education requirements apply to all students pursuing bachelor’s degrees offered by the University of Michigan-Flint.
Requirements include a minimum of 30 General Education designated credits in:
- English Composition
- Communication/Composition
- Quantitative Literacy
- Fine Arts
- Humanities
- Natural Science
- Social Sciences
12 program outcomes focus on four areas:
- Integration into the Learning Community of the University of Michigan-Flint, involving reflection on one’s own learning, facility with research methods, critical thinking, and creative thinking
- Enhanced Communication Skills, including competent written work, respectful dialogue and listening, and use of visual and non-verbal tools
- Enhanced Breadth that Interconnectedness of Knowledge, including the use of multiple perspectives to solve real or hypothetical problems
- Engaged Citizenship: Local to Global, including investigation of the nature of citizenship, and the application of knowledge to complex issues
The General Education outcomes exemplify qualities that prepare students for a successful and satisfying life. General Education encourages all students to gain an understanding of the world around them, to make informed decisions and engage in informed actions, to effectively communicate their reasoning to a wide audience, and to practice skills and dispositions of flexible and meaningful life-long learning that makes one a valuable contributor on the job and in our local and global communities. Our goals are informed by employer priorities confirmed in research of the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) and career readiness competencies outlined by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), as well as the expertise and experience of our faculty leadership in supporting the success of graduates. Students can expect any course at the 100-400 level that is designated as General Education to include at least three General Education Learning Outcomes among other content and discipline-based goals of the course.
General Education Program Leadership
Rajib Ganguly, PhD
Director of General Education Program
[email protected]
Dr. Ganguly was appointed as the Director of the General Education Program in July 2023. He is also an Associate Professor of Physics.