Foundational Component Areas

General Education Competencies

Critical Thinking Skills

Creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information.

Communication Skills

Effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral and visual communication.

Empirical and Quantitative Skills

Manipulation and analysis of numerical data or observable facts resulting in informed conclusions.

Teamwork

Ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal.

Social Responsibility

Intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities.

Personal Responsibility

Ability to connect choices, actions, and consequences to ethical decision-making.

 


Communication - SCH 6

Courses in this category focus on developing ideas and expressing them clearly, considering the effect of the message, fostering understanding, and building the skills needed to communicate persuasively.

Courses involve the command of oral, aural, written, and visual literacy skills that enable people to exchange messages appropriate to the subject, occasion, and audience.

Critical Thinking Skills

Required

Teamwork

Required

Communication Skills

Required

Social Responsibility

Optional

Empirical and Quantitative Skills

Optional

Personal Responsibility

Optional

Mathematics - SCH 3

Courses in this category focus on quantitative literacy in logic, patterns, and relationships.

Courses involve the understanding of key mathematical concepts and the application of appropriate quantitative tools to everyday experience.

Critical Thinking Skills

Required

Teamwork

Optional

Communication Skills

Required

Social Responsibility

Optional

Empirical and Quantitative Skills

Required

Personal Responsibility

Optional

Life and Physical Sciences - SCH 6

Courses in this category focus on describing, explaining, and predicting natural phenomena using the scientific method.

Courses involve the understanding of interactions among natural phenomena and the implications of scientific principles on the physical world and on human experiences.

Critical Thinking Skills

Required

Teamwork

Required

Communication Skills

Required

Social Responsibility

Optional

Empirical and Quantitative Skills

Required

Personal Responsibility

Optional

Language, Philosophy & Culture - SCH 3

Courses in this category focus on how ideas, values, beliefs, and other aspects of culture express and affect human experience.

Courses involve the exploration of ideas that foster aesthetic and intellectual creation in order to understand the human condition across cultures.

Critical Thinking Skills

Required

Teamwork

Optional

Communication Skills

Required

Social Responsibility

Required

Empirical and Quantitative Skills

Optional

Personal Responsibility

Required

Creative Arts - SCH 3

Courses in this category focus on the appreciation and analysis of creative artifacts and works of the human imagination.

Courses involve the synthesis and interpretation of artistic expression and enable critical, creative, and innovative communication about works of art.

Critical Thinking Skills

Required

Teamwork

Required

Communication Skills

Required

Social Responsibility

Required

Empirical and Quantitative Skills

Optional

Personal Responsibility

Optional

American History - SCH 6

Courses in this category focus on the consideration of past events and ideas relative to the United States, with the option of including Texas History for a portion of this component area.

Courses involve the interaction among individuals, communities, states, the nation, and the world, considering how these interactions have contributed to the development of the United States and its global role.

Critical Thinking Skills

Required

Teamwork

Optional

Communication Skills

Required

Social Responsibility

Required

Empirical and Quantitative Skills

Optional

Personal Responsibility

Required

Government/Political Science - SCH 6

Courses in this category focus on consideration of the Constitution of the United States and the constitutions of the states, with special emphasis on that of Texas.

Courses involve the analysis of governmental institutions, political behavior, civic engagement, and political and philosophical foundations.

Critical Thinking Skills

Required

Teamwork

Optional

Communication Skills

Required

Social Responsibility

Required

Empirical and Quantitative Skills

Optional

Personal Responsibility

Required

Social and Behavioral Sciences - SCH 3

Courses in this category focus on the application of empirical and scientific methods that contribute to the understanding of what makes us human.

Courses involve the exploration of behavior and interactions among individuals, groups, institutions, and events, examining their impact on the individual, society, and culture.

Critical Thinking Skills

Required

Teamwork

Optional

Communication Skills

Required

Social Responsibility

Required

Empirical and Quantitative Skills

Required

Personal Responsibility

Optional

Component Area Option - SCH 6

  • A minimum of 3 SCH must meet the definition and corresponding Core Objectives specified in one of the foundational component areas
  • As an option for up to 3 semester credit hours of the Component Area Option, an institution may select a course(s) that:
    • Meet(s) the definition specified for one or more of the foundational component areas; and
    • Include(s) a minimum of three Core Objectives, including Critical Thinking Skills, Communication Skills, and one of the remaining Core Objectives of the institution's choice

Critical Thinking Skills

Required

Teamwork

Optional

Communication Skills

Required

Social Responsibility

Optional

Empirical and Quantitative Skills

Optional

Personal Responsibility

Optional


Downloadable Guide