Degree Requirements
I. General Education Requirements
The general education requirements described below were approved by the faculty to become effective for new students who entered in Fall 1999 and thereafter. Anyone who changes to the 1999 or later catalog must meet all these requirements. Courses are continually being reviewed to meet the criteria for general education certification.
Philosophy
The UTC faculty believes that this curriculum can expand our students’ fundamental knowledge, abilities, and aesthetic sensibilities, leading to a social awareness essential for individual and societal development.
Graduates of The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga should have the knowledge and ability to:
- Think analytically, logically, creatively, reflectively, and sensitively about the human condition;
- Think analytically, logically, creatively, and reflectively about natural and abstract structures;
- Collect, process, interpret, and use quantitative and qualitative information using up-to-date methods, to define and defend viewpoints, solve problems, and make decisions;
- Communicate effectively, especially in speech and in writing; engage in civil debate; and collaborate on common tasks;
- Incorporate into their world views a comparative, historical, and global perspective on the diversity of the human experience, including the complex factors that shape individuals, societies, civilizations and knowledge.
Transfer General Education Module
On January 18, 2001, the UTC Faculty Senate approved the following motion:
The UTC General Education Committee recommends that courses specifically meeting common general education category requirements at Tennessee public institutions satisfy the comparable general education category requirements when transferring to UTC. Required competencies including laboratory science and unmet category requirements must still be satisfied.
Later that spring, the Tennessee Legislature approved a bill defining a Transfer and Articulation Module of 60 hours that public universities in Tennessee must accept as transferable from other public colleges and universities in the state.
Fortunately, the common general education requirements for Tennessee Board of Regents colleges and universities and the general education component of the transfer module parallel our own requirements rather closely. In most of the general education categories, transfer of credit can be handled on the basis of course equivalencies. There are two categories, however, in which a different approach is necessary:
(1) The transfer module includes two courses in mathematics, a category which presumably includes courses in statistics. UTC requires one course in mathematics and one in statistics. Students who transfer two mathematics courses which meet the general education requirement at their original institution must be given credit for meeting UTC requirements in mathematics and statistics, though they may also need to take statistics to meet the requirements of their major.
(2) The TBR general education core includes six hours in history and nine in humanities and fine arts. The transfer module includes 15 hours in history, humanities, and fine arts without mandating a distribution of courses. Students who have taken general education courses in history, humanities, and fine arts at other public colleges and universities in Tennessee must accordingly be given credit for them as meeting our requirements in Cultures and Civilizations/ Humanities and Fine Arts even if these courses are not distributed as the UTC requirements specify. Any 15 hours in history, humanities, and fine arts must be accepted as meeting our General Education requirements.
Categories of Study
The curriculum outlined in the following categories provides a reasoned plan to achieve this purpose. It is comprised of courses both outside and within students’ majors; includes the key disciplines developed by human beings to pursue knowledge of themselves and the universe; and maintains a balance between specific essential courses and sets of courses which provide flexibility for individual interests.
The categories of general education and University requirements are described below, along with lists of courses that currently meet the criteria for these categories. Students should check the schedule of classes on the UTC Website for the most complete list of courses being offered for the coming semester. Also, students should check major requirements before choosing courses, since specific courses in each category are often required for a particular major.
1. RC: Rhetoric and Composition I and II
(6 hours)All students must complete Rhetoric and Composition I and II, with grades of C or better, within the first 42 attempted hours of college work.
Rhetoric and Composition I (3 hours)
An intensive writing course designed to develop skills essential for effective communication. Students will be sensitized to the structure, beauty, and complexities of Standard American English as they refine their abilities to write logically and clearly. This course must be completed with a grade of C or above. Prerequisite: appropriate placement level.
Rhetoric and Composition II (3 hours)
A more advanced writing and oral communication course, emphasizing the composition of extended and persuasive essays and research papers, and the use of computers to gather and prepare information. This course must be completed with a grade of C or above. Prerequisite: English 121 with a grade of C or above or appropriate placement level.
