Overview

Foundational Skills and Dispositions (10-13 credits)

Courses listed under this category are intended to provide you with the basic skills necessary for intellectual development and to succeed in your studies at UW-Stevens Point, including critical thinking, quantitative literacy, information literacy, written and oral communication, and wellness. You will complete 10-13 credits in this area, depending on your Written Communication placement. The subcategories are as follows:

Written Communication (3-6 credits, depending on placement)

These courses provide an essential starting point for the more specialized writing you will be expected to do in the future within your field of study.

Oral Communication (3 credits)

Effective communication in today’s society requires more than the acquisition of oral presentation skills. UW-Stevens Point expects you to develop skills in using visual communications technologies and other media tools in order to enhance presentations and connect more meaningfully with audiences.

Quantitative Literacy (0-3 credits, depending on placement)

Quantitative literacy is knowledge of and confidence with basic mathematical concepts and operations required for problem-solving, decision-making, economic productivity and real-world applications. Such skills are essential for citizens living in today’s global society.

Wellness (1 credit)

Wellness is an essential attribute of a well-rounded, liberally educated person and of strong societies. Understanding the dimensions of wellness and their impact on individuals, families, and societies is essential to being a responsible global citizen.

Human Cultures and the Sciences (24 credits)

Building on the skills and knowledge from the Foundational Skills and Dispositions, courses in the Human Cultures and the Sciences category are intended to encourage students to acquire broad knowledge of the world in which they live, as well as the various disciplinary methods by which this knowledge is produced. Students must complete 24 credits in Human Cultures and the Sciences by completing a minimum of three credits in each subcategory below and a maximum of nine credits in any one category.

Arts (3 credits minimum, 9 credits maximum)

The arts challenge us to understand creativity and the distinctive intellectual process of the human imagination.

Humanities (3 credits minimum, 9 credits maximum)

The humanities explore the fundamental ideas and values shaping cultures and civilization, and help us to understand a variety of worldviews and ideas.

Historical Perspectives (3 credits minimum, 9 credits maximum)

By exploring the evolution of human societies—their institutions, ideas, and values—we gain a framework for understanding ourselves and the world.

Social Sciences (3 credits minimum, 9 credits maximum)

The social sciences provide us with an understanding of humans and their behavior as individuals and within communities, institutions, and social structures.

Natural Sciences (3 credits minimum, 9 credits maximum)

Individuals today must be sufficiently knowledgeable about scientific facts, science applications, and the process of scientific inquiry in order to make reasoned decisions concerning their use in addressing society’s problems.

Social and Environmental Responsibility (0-9 credits*)

Courses in this category foster greater awareness of cultural and environmental issues that currently shape today’s world as a means of better preparing us for responsible citizenship.

Global Awareness (0-3 credits)

Global Awareness courses examine the unique cultural, political, economic, intellectual, and/or religious components of societies, countries, regions, and peoples prepare us to act thoughtfully and responsibly in a global society.

U.S. Diversity (0-3 credits)

U.S. Diversity courses introduce the role of diversity in American life and prepare us to act thoughtfully and responsibly as a U.S. citizen in a global society.

Environmental Responsibility (0-3 credits)

An understanding of the individual, social, cultural, and natural factors that influence and contribute to environmental sustainability and ecosystem function is, therefore, essential to responsible global citizenship.

*Courses in the Social and Environmental Responsibility category can be simultaneously satisfied by courses in the Human Cultures and the Sciences category, which is why the credit count for Social and Environmental Responsibility courses can be zero to three credits.