GE4 requirements apply to students who matriculated at New Paltz from fall 2019 through spring 2023.
General Education 4 (GE4) provides students with a broad foundation for academic and professional development and for personal exploration. It encourages students to take chances in new and unfamiliar fields and to develop a broad knowledge base and essential communication skills that they will draw upon throughout their lives.
GE4 is organized around three categories of knowledge:
Category I: Foundation Skills - develops skills in basic communication, mathematics, and foreign language.
- Mathematics (one course)
- Basic Communication (one course; a prerequisite course may be required based on placement level)
- Foreign Language (two consecutive elementary courses OR one elementary and one intermediate course in a single language, OR one intermediate course; requirement depends on language placement level)
Category II: Exposure to the Disciplines - introduces art, the humanities, and the natural and social sciences and the different "ways of knowing" that these disciplines represent.
- The Arts (one course, minimum 3 credits)
- Humanities (one course)
- Natural Sciences (one lab science course or two non-lab science courses)
- Social Sciences (one course)
Category III: Regions of the World - explores questions about identity and encourages students to become informed, engaged, and thoughtful citizens of the world.
- United States Studies (one course)
- Western Civilization (one course)
- World Civilizations (one course)
