General Education
Mission Statement
PLNU provides a foundational course of study in the liberal arts informed by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In keeping with the Wesleyan tradition, the curriculum equips students with a broad range of knowledge and skills within and across disciplines to enrich major study, lifelong learning, and vocational service as Christ-like participants in the world’s diverse societies and cultures.
General Education Learning Outcomes (GELO)
Context #1: Learning, Informed by our Faith in Christ
ILO1 #1: Students will acquire knowledge of human cultures and the physical and natural world while developing skills and habits that foster life-long learning.
GELO 1a. Written: Students will be able to effectively express ideas and information to others through written communication.
GELO 1b. Oral: Students will be able to effectively express ideas and information to others through oral communication.
GELO 1c. Information Literacy: Students will be able to access and cite information as well as evaluate the logic, validity, and relevance of information from a variety of sources.
GELO 1d. Critical Thinking: Students will be able to examine, critique, and synthesize information in order to arrive at reasoned conclusions.
GELO 1e. Quantitative Reasoning: Students will be able to solve problems that are quantitative in nature.
Context #2: Growing, In a Christ-Centered Faith Community
ILO #2: Students will develop a deeper and more informed understanding of self and others as they negotiate complex environments.
GELO 2a. Students will develop an understanding of self that fosters personal well-being.
GELO 2b. Students will understand and appreciate diverse forms of artistic expression.
GELO 2c. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the complex issues faced by diverse groups in global and/or cross-cultural contexts.
Context #3: Serving, In a Context of Christian Faith
ILO #3: Students will serve locally and/or globally in vocational and social settings.
GELO 3. Students will demonstrate an understanding of Christian Scripture, Tradition, and Ethics, including engagement in acts of devotion and works of mercy.
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ILO - Institutional Learning Objective
Committee
The General Education Program is approved and sustained by the faculty under direction of a faculty-led committee. The committee directs an on-going cycle of review and improvement based on established goals and objectives.
Prerequisites
Students are required to demonstrate basic competence in mathematics and writing based on standardized test scores. Any remedial courses, numbered below 1000, taken to satisfy competency requirements, are in addition to the minimum of 128 units required for graduation.
Divisions and Requirements
The General Education curriculum follows a threefold structure that exemplifies the ethos and practices of PLNU graduates. We desire those shaped by the PLNU General Education curriculum to process new information responsibly, communicate with purpose, and participate in communities in ways that foster a witness to the redemptive mission of God in the world. The groupings are far from distinct; we anticipate and celebrate the overlap between the perspectives, expressions, and embodiment of these aspects of faithful learning. The threefold division or clusters of desired outcomes are as follows: Reading Attentively, Communicating Effectively, and Living Communally.
The specific requirements in General Education, as established by the faculty, represent a broad-based experience in ideas, skills, and experiences. The following selection of courses is designed to guide the student toward a liberalizing educational experience in the arts and sciences while allowing for substantial choice in the development of that education.
Required First-Year Courses
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PSY 1001 | Psychology of Personal Development - First Year Experience (GE) | 3 |
| ENG 1010 | College Composition - First Year Experience (GE) 1 | 3 |
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All students must fulfill the 3-unit composition requirement by the end of their second semester.
General Education
I. Reading Attentively
Reading is a crucial pathway for encountering new ideas and diverse ways of seeing the world. Students will learn faithful methods for interpreting sacred and non-sacred texts, pursue truth through philosophical methods, and explore the multifaceted beauty of literature.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| A. Christian Scripture 1 | ||
| BIB 1001 | Old Testament History and Religion (GE) | 3 |
| BIB 1002 | New Testament History and Religion (GE) | 3 |
| B. Philosophy | ||
| PHL 2001 | Introduction to Philosophy (GE) | 3 |
| or PHL 2011 | Ethics (GE) | |
| C. Literature | ||
| Choose one (1) course from the following: | 3 | |
| Diverse Voices of World Literature (GE) | ||
| Diverse Voices of Cinema (GE) | ||
| Diverse Voices of American Literature (GE) | ||
| Diverse Voices of Women Writers (GE) | ||
| All materials for the following options are written in a foreign language: | ||
| Survey of French Literature (GE) | ||
| Francophone Literature (GE) | ||
| The following options will be taught in English and course materials will be available in translation: 2 | ||
| Archetypes and Stereotypes: The Portrayal of Women in Spanish Literature and Film (GE) | ||
| "Sí, se puede": Political Resistance of Latin America and/or Spain (GE) | ||
| Crossover: Latin American Best Sellers in the US (GE) | ||
| Caribbean Beats: Music, Poetry and Politics (GE) | ||
| Beyond Borders: Latinos in the US (GE) | ||
| "Oh Mother Land- Oh Madre Patria": The History of Contemporary Spain Through Representations of Motherhood in Spanish Literature and/or Film (GE) | ||
| From Texts to Reels: Contemporary Latin American Culture through Literature and Film (GE) | ||
| "Viva la Revolución": A Mexican Perspective Through its History, Literature, and Art (GE) | ||
| Line in the Sand: Understanding the U.S.-Mexico Border through Literature and Art (GE) | ||
| D. Seminars at the Intersection of the Humanities | 3 | |
| Food, Water, and Death in History (GE) | ||
| "And It Was Very Good": Scriptural and Scientific Perspectives on the Human Body (GE) | ||
| Pursuing Truth: How Science and Stories Reveal Reality (GE) | ||
| Rock and Roll and American Culture: 1955-1970 (GE) | ||
| Poetry and Song (GE) | ||
| Borderlanders: Exploring Theology and Policy for Neighboring Well (GE) | ||
| The Chemistry of the Environment (GE) | ||
| God Among Heroes and Villains: Theology, Ethics, and Comics (GE) | ||
| Contemporary Issues in Philosophy and Art: Beauty and Justice (GE) | ||
| Dreams, Myths, and Monsters: Fantasy Literature and the Psychology of Imagination (GE) | ||
| Exploring Strange New Worlds: Science Fiction and the Frontiers of Science (GE) | ||
| Retelling the Bible: A Multi-Genre Writing Workshop (GE) | ||
| Rhetorics of Women Preachers (GE) | ||
| The History of Surfing and Surf Culture (GE) | ||
| Literature and the Environment (GE) | ||
| Total Units | 15 | |
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Students transferring to the university for the first time with 48 or more units, none of which are in religion, may choose between BIB 1001 and BIB 1002.
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Spanish majors should register for SPA 4055-4063.
II. Communicating Effectively
The ability to communicate is vital for human relationships, cross-cultural exchange, and meaningful work. Whether through writing, visual art, music, quantitative expression, or speech, students will learn impactful ways to share information and perspectives.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| A. Communication | ||
| COM 1000 | Principles of Human Communication (GE) | 3 |
| B. Writing and Research 1 | ||
| ENG 1010 | College Composition - First Year Experience (GE) | 3 |
| C. Languages | ||
| Choose one (1) sequence from the following: 2 | 6 | |
| Elementary Chinese (Mandarin) I (GE) and Elementary Chinese (Mandarin) II (GE) | ||
| Elementary French I (GE) and Elementary French II (GE) | ||
| Elementary German I (GE) and Elementary German II (GE) | ||
| Biblical Greek I (GE) and Biblical Greek II (GE) | ||
| Biblical Hebrew I (GE) and Biblical Hebrew II (GE) | ||
| Elementary Italian I (GE) and Elementary Italian II (GE) | ||
| Elementary Foreign Language I (GE) and Elementary Foreign Language II (GE) | ||
| Elementary Spanish I (GE) and Elementary Spanish II (GE) | ||
| D. Quantitative Reasoning | ||
| Choose one (1) course/sequence from the following: | 3-4 | |
| Pre-Calculus (GE) | ||
| Calculus with Applications (GE) | ||
| Mathematical Analysis for Business and Economics (GE) | ||
| Calculus I (GE) | ||
| Business Calculus (GE) | ||
| Fundamentals of Elementary Mathematics I (GE) 3 | ||
| Problem Solving (GE) | ||
| E. Artistic Expression | ||
| Choose a minimum of three (3) units from the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Art (GE) | ||
| Fundamentals of Art (GE) | ||
| History of Art I (GE) | ||
| History of Art II (GE) | ||
| Class Piano I (GE) | ||
| Class Piano II (GE) | ||
| Introduction to Music (GE) | ||
| Chamber Orchestra (GE) | ||
| Concert Band (GE) | ||
| Choral Union (GE) | ||
| Chorale (GE) | ||
| Concert Choir (GE) | ||
| Point Loma Singers (GE) | ||
| Jazz Band (GE) | ||
| Total Units | 18-19 | |
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All students must fulfill the 3-unit composition requirement by the end of their second semester.
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Both classes must be in the same language. For more information about placement tests and transfer policies, please visit the Office of the Registrar website.
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Students must be Liberal Studies majors to enroll in the course to maintain the focus on preparing prospective K-8 teachers to teach mathematics.
For information regarding Language Placement Test options, visit the LJWL Advising page.
III. Living Communally
We never exist in isolation. We participate in natural, global, local, and faith communities. When we understand ourselves and our world more fully, we are better equipped to seek justice, enact mercy, and to walk humbly with our fellow creatures.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| A. Personal Development | ||
| Choose one (1) course from the following: | 3 | |
| Psychology of Personal Development - First Year Experience (GE) (Freshmen) 1 | ||
| General Psychology (GE) (All Others) | ||
| B. Thinking Historically | ||
| HIS 1010 | World Civilizations I (GE) | 3 |
| or HIS 1011 | World Civilizations II (GE) | |
| C. Power and Society | ||
| Choose one (1) course from the following: | 3-4 | |
| Survey of Economics (GE) | ||
| Principles of Macroeconomics (GE) | ||
| Principles of Microeconomics (GE) | ||
| Understanding the Political World (GE) | ||
| U.S. Democracy (GE) | ||
| The Politics of Race, Class, and Gender (GE) 3 | ||
| Introduction to Sociology (GE) | ||
| Cultural Anthropology (GE) | ||
| Living Justly in Contemporary Society (GE) | ||
| D. Theology and Church History | ||
| Choose one (1) course from the following: | 3 | |
| Women in the Christian Tradition (GE) | ||
| The Christian Tradition (GE) | ||
| Christian Faith and the Natural Sciences (GE) | ||
| Christian Life as Vocation (GE) | ||
| Global Christianity (GE) | ||
| E. The Natural World | ||
| Choose one (1) sequence from the following: | 4-5 | |
| Biological Science | ||
| Human Biology and Bioethics (GE) and Human Biology and Bioethics Lab (GE) | ||
| Introduction to Biology (GE) and Introduction to Biology Lab (GE) | ||
| Ecology and Conservation (GE) and Ecology and Conservation Lab (GE) | ||
| Human Anatomy and Physiology I (GE) and Human Anatomy and Physiology I Lab (GE) | ||
| Cell Biology and Biochemistry (GE) and Cell Biology and Biochemistry Lab (GE) | ||
| Ecological and Evolutionary Systems (GE) and Ecological and Evolutionary Systems Lab (GE) | ||
| Physical Science | ||
| Chemistry in our Everyday Lives (GE) and Chemistry in our Everyday Lives Lab (GE) | ||
| Introduction to General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry (GE) and Introduction to General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry Lab (GE) | ||
| General Chemistry I (GE) and General Chemistry I Lab (GE) | ||
| The Science of Sound and Music (GE) and The Science of Sound and Music Lab (GE) | ||
| General Physics I (GE) and General Physics I Lab (GE) | ||
| University Physics I (GE) and University Physics I Lab (GE) | ||
| Astronomy (GE) and Astronomy Lab (GE) | ||
| F. Health and Wellness | ||
| Choose one (1) course from the following: | 2 | |
| Fitness Through Movement (GE) | ||
| Optimal Health (GE) | ||
| Lifestyle as Medicine (GE) | ||
| Health and Well-Being (GE) | ||
| Choose one (1) course from the following: | 1-2 | |
| Any one (1) unit activity course 2 | ||
| Team Sports Fundamentals and Strategies (GE) | ||
| Individual and Dual Sports Fundamentals and Strategies (GE) | ||
| Total Units | 19-22 | |
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Required for all first-time freshmen through age 20 (at the start of the Academic Year) who have taken fewer than 24 transferable units after graduation from high school. This course must be completed by the end of the second semester.
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Courses numbered KIN 1010-KIN 1084. Note: KIN 1070-KIN 1084 are for varsity athletes. only.
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Nursing majors only may take either POL 1090 or SOC 3060 to fulfill the Power and Society GE requirement.
IV. Course Tags
Course tags give general education credit for a wide range of upper-division course options, including those that overlap with a major, minor, elective, or other GE courses. These tags demonstrate that the skills, competencies, and values explored through general education courses are interconnected with students’ vocational pursuits and career paths at the upper-division level and beyond.
Students must complete each of the four (4) course tags in order to graduate. Any course with one or two tags will count toward this requirement. If a student takes a course with two tags, both tag requirements will be satisfied.
- Diverse Perspectives
- Service and Action
- Sustainability
- Writing Instructive