Business General Education Requirements

Students take a one-credit seminar or “Perspectives” course which provides an opportunity to learn about their profession and campus services and supports. Projects and teamwork provide opportunities to begin to develop relationships with faculty and classmates from their programs. 

Each student must successfully complete two semesters of college writing. Students may be exempt from these courses based on strong college entrance exam scores, or Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses completed in their high school programs.

Each student must complete at least four credits of quantitative reasoning. This area includes the ability to understand and evaluate arguments framed in quantitative or numerical terms; to analyze subject matter using quantitative techniques; to construct and evaluate quantitative arguments of one’s own; and to make reasoned judgments about the kinds of questions that can be effectively addressed through quantitative methods.

Choose one: 

Each student must complete three to four credits in the area of humanities. This area introduces students to people we have never met, places we have never visited, and ideas that have never crossed our minds. By showing how others have lived and thought about life, the humanities provides students with the ability to analyze texts and ideas that are contemporary and historical, personal and communal, and imaginative and reflective. Courses in modern languages, literature, history, religion, philosophy, and arts/music/theater history and theory will fulfill humanities requirements. 

Each student must complete three to four credits in the area of natural science. This area introduces techniques of observation and experimentation, the relation of data to hypotheses, and the practice of scientific reasoning. This work provides a model for relating concrete empirical information to abstract models, stimulating multidimensional and creative habits of thought. 

Each student must complete three to four credits in the area of social science. This area engages students in theory as well as empirical exploration and analysis of human transactions. They address the mental and behavioral activities of individuals, groups, organizations, institutions, and nations. Social science disciplines seek generalizable interpretations and explanations of human interaction. Courses in communications, psychology, political science, anthropology, sociology, criminal justice, and global studies are among those fulfilling social science requirements. 

Courses that have been determined to meet the general education requirements above and arts and science elective requirements for the College of Business and the School of Engineering carry the attributes “CoB: Humanities”, “CoB: Natural Science”, “CoB: Quant reasoning”, or “CoB: Social Science”, and may be found by searching for these attributes in “Courses.”  Please note some courses may not be offered each semester; see the class schedule on AU BannerWeb to determine availability of specific courses in a semester or other term.

In addition to the general education requirements, all students must complete additional liberal arts elective courses to complete degree requirements for the Bachelor of Science (60 liberal arts credits). The courses approved to fulfill general education and liberal arts requirements are designated with degree attributes of Written Communication, Quantitative Reasoning, Humanities, Natural Science, and Social Sciences. The entry-level liberal arts courses best suited for remaining general education requirements are 100 and 200 level courses. Please note that a minimum of 2 credits is required in each of the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences categories.