Approved courses

As of September 2023. Courses are added on an on-going basis.

[Important note:  A course approved in multiple general education categories may only be used in a single category.  Be sure to consult your academic advisor to determine where it is best for the course to fit in your overal general education program.]

American history

AMS 100 - Introduction to American Studies
BRC 200 - Social History of American Radio and Television
ECO 326 - American Economic History Before 1900
ECO 327 - Issues in American Economic History Since 1900
EDU 210 - History of Education in the United States Since 1865
ENG 235 - American Literature/Nationality: to the Civil War
HIS 202 - The United States to 1865*
HIS 203 - The United States since 1865
HIS 248 - Women in American History to 1865*
HIS 249 - Women in American History to the Present*
JLM 101 - History of American Journalism
MUS 316 - American Music
POL 205 - American Government and Politics (effective Fall 2023)*
THT 268 - History of American Theatre (effective Spring 2007)
*This course is approved in multiple general education categories but can only be used in one category.

Computer and Information Literacy

Note: this requirement is infused in the major. Some departments and programs will ask that you meet the requirement by taking one of the courses listed below; please be sure to consult your advisor to determine how you should meet this requirement. 

CSC 101 - Tools for Computing
CSC 102 - Business Information Systems and Computing Tools
CSC 103 - Computing Tools and Information Literacy for Educations
ISC 105 - Introduction to Digital Humanities
ISC 110 - Introduction to Information Science

Critical thinking

Infused in the major; consult your advisor 

Diversity, Identity, and Social Justice in the United States

ANT 375 - North American Indians*
ART 358 - Native North American Art and Culture
CHE 304 - Diversity, Equity,and STEM in the Workplace
CSS 368 -  Little Theatres, Little Cinema
CSS 390 -  Images of Native Americans in Film*
EDU 301 - Schooling, Pedagogy, and Social Justice
ENG 238 - Introduction to Latina/o/x Cultural Expressions
ENG 347 - Contemporary Native American Literatures*
GST 109 - Who do you think you are? Identity Development in College
HIS 202 -  History of the United States to 1865*
HIS 203 -  History of the United States, 1865 to the present*
HIS 248 - Women in American History to 1865*
HIS 249 - Women in American History, 1865 to the Present*
HSC 387 - Refugee Wellness
NAS 100 - Introduction to Native American Studies*
NAS 340 - Native American Women*
NAS 350 - Contemporary Native America*
PHL 225 - Philosophy of Race
POL 306 - African American Political Thought
SOC 260 - Race, Ethnicity, Class, and Gender
*This course is approved in multiple general education categories but can only be used in one category.

Fine and Performing Arts

ART 100 - Introduction to the Visual Arts
ART 102 - Introduction to Art Studio
ART 103 - Topics in Emerging Media and Methods
ART 105 - Design Concepts I-2D
ART 110 - Gender and Contemporary Visual Culture
ART 210 - Drawing I
ART 240 - Photography I
CMA 100 - Arts and Ideas
CMA 300 - Experiencing Arts and Ideas
CRW 205 - Poetry Writing: Introductory
CRW 206 - Fiction Writing: Introductory
CRW 207 - Playwriting: Introductory
CRW 208 - Creative Nonfiction Writing: Introductory
DNC 350 - History of Dance
GWS 110 - Gender and Contemporary Visual Culture (formally WST 110 Gender and Contempory Visual Culture)
INT 111 - Oral Interpretation of Literature
MUS 100 - Introduction to Music Theory (effective Fall 2018)
MUS 101 - Introduction to the Worlds of Music (Creating a Musical Personality)
MUS 110 - Introduction to Music Listening Through Folk and Classical
MUS 112 - Introduction to Music Literature*
MUS 117 - Introduction to Music Listening Through Jazz, Rock, and Pop
MUS 290** - Concert Band
MUS 291** - College/Community Orchestra
MUS 292** - College Choir
MUS 297** - Festival Chorus
MUS 490** - Wind Ensemble
MUS 491** - College/Community Orchestra
MUS 492** - College Choir
MUS 497** - Oswego Festival Chorus
THT 110 - Introduction to the Theatre
THT 119 - Introduction to Technical Theatre
THT 222 - Introduction to Theatre Design

*This course is approved in multiple general education categories but can only be used in one category.
**Students must complete a total of three (3) credit hours in any combination of MUS 290, 291, 292, 297, 490, 591, 492 & 497 in order to meet the fine and performing arts requirement.

Foreign language

ARA 102 - Continuing Elementary Arabic
ASL 102 - American Sign Language II
CHI 102 - Continuing Elementary Chinese
FRE 102 - Continuing Elementary French
GER 102 - Continuing Elementary German
GER 126 - German for Research
ITA 102 - Continuing Elementary Italian
JPN 102 - Continuing Elementary Japanese
POR 102 - Continuing Elementary Portuguese
SPA 102 - Continuing Elementary Spanish

Humanities

ARH 260 - Art in an Historical Context
ART 350 - Italian Renaissance Art
ART 351 - Northern Renaissance Art
ART 352 - Nineteenth Century Art
ART 354 - Art in America I
ART 364 - Medieval Art
ART 380 - Introduction to Museum Studies (De-listed fall 2006)
ART 381 - Contemporary Museum Issues
ART 391 - Special Topics in Art History (Effective spring 2014)
ASL 301 - Introduction to American Deaf Culture
CHI 201 - Intermediate Chinese
CHI 202 - Continuing Intermediate Chinese
ENG 150 - Principles of Literacy Representation
ENG 204 - Writing About Literature
ENG 220 - Modern Culture and Media
ENG 286 - Introduction to Cinema and Screen Studies
FRE 201 - Intermediate French
FRE 202 - Continuing Intermediate French
GER 201 - Intermediate German
GER 202 - Continuing Intermediate German
GLS 100 - Global Cities
HIS 201 - The American Experience
ITA 201 - Intermediate Italian
ITA 202 - Continuing Intermediate Italian
JPN 201 - Intermediate Japanese
JPN 202 - Continuing Intermediate Italian
MUS 112 - Introduction to Music Literature*
MUS 113 - Introduction to Music Literature and History
MUS 313 - Music in the Classical Period: Principles of Enlightenment
MUS 314 - Music of the Romantic Period: Conflicts in Music
MUS 315 - Music in the 20th - Century
MUS 320 - Music in the Renaissance
MUS 323 - Women in Music
MUS 413 - Beethoven:  Child of the Revolution
PHL 100 - Introduction to Problems of Philosophy
PHL 111 - Valid Reasoning I
PHL 205 - Ethics I: Great Traditions in Ethics
PHL 210 - Philosophy of Games, Sport, and Play
PHL 220 - Theory of Knowledge
PHL 225 - Philosophy of Race*
PHL 300/ISC 300 - Ethics and Social Policy in the Digital Age
SPA 201 - Intermediate Spanish
SPA 202 - Continuing Intermediate Spanish

*This course is approved in multiple general education categories but can only be used in one category.

Mathematics

MAT 102 - Foundations of Mathematics in the Real World
MAT 103 - Symmetries
MAT 106 - Mathematics for the Elementary School Teacher
MAT 158 - Introduction to Statistics
MAT 179 - Measuring Life
MAT 208 - Calculus for Business
MAT 210 - Calculus I

Natural sciences

Biological Sciences Department
BIO 101 - General Biology
BIO 112 - College Biology I (Formerly BIO 111)
BIO 200 - Environmental and Population Biology [title changed to Human Impacts on the Environment--spring 2016]
BIO 203 - Human Biology
BIO 207 - Understanding Evolution
BIO 211 - Human Genetics
BIO 213 - College Biology II

Chemistry Department
CHE 101 - Survey of Chemistry
CHE 111 - General Chemistry
CHE 209 - Chemistry and Public Concern
CHE 300 -  Environmental Science

Atmospheric and Geological Sciences Department
ESC 100 - Earth Science
GEO 100 - Introductory Geology (Earth Science)
GEO 105 - Dinosaurs (Effective Fall 2015)
GEO 115 - Environmental Sustainability
MET 100 - Meteorology (Earth Science)
MET 215 - Global Weather and Climate Catastrophes
MET 315 - Weather Disasters
OCE 100 - Oceanography (Earth Science)

Physics Department
AST 100 - Introductory Astronomy (Earth Science)
PHY 101 - Introductory Physics
PHY 103 - The Realm of Physics
PHY 107 - World of Modern Physics
PHY 111 - College Physics
PHY 112 - General University Physics I 
PHY 202 - Physics of Light and Color
PHY 204 - Physics of Sound and Music
PHY 206 - Physics for Elementary Education Majors

Social and behavioral sciences

ANT 111 - Archaeology and Human Evolution
ANT 112 - Cultural Anthropology
BRC 108 - Introduction to Mass Media
COM 100 -  Foundations of Communication
ECO 101 - Principles of Microeconomics
ECO 115 - Economics and Politics of Sustainability
ECO 120 - Survey of Economic Issues
ECO 200 - Principles of Macroeconomics
HDV 120 - Fundamentals of Gerontology
HDV 322 - Child Development
HDV 323 - Adolescent Development
HDV 324 - Adult Development
LIN 100 - Introduction to Linguistics
PBJ 101 - Survey of American Criminal Justice (note PBJ 101 renamed CRJ 101 and delisted effective Fall 2021)
POL 100 - Introduction to Political Science
POL 115 - Economics and Politics of Sustainability
POL 205  - American Government and Politics*
PSY 100 - Principles of Human Behavior (note: PSY 100 renamed Introduction to Psychology in spring 2013)
SOC 100 - Introductory Sociology
SUS 115 - Economics and Political Foundations of Sustainability

*This course is approved in multiple general education categories but can only be used in one category.

Western civilization

ART 250 - Survey of Art I
ART 251 - Survey of Art II
ECO 322 - History of Economic Thought
ENG 210 -  Literature I
ENG 211 - Literature II
GER 140 - German Castles, Customs, and Culture
GER 141 - Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm
HIS 100 - The West and the World to 1500
HIS 101 - The West and the World, 1500 - 1900
HIS 230 - Western Heritage I
HIS 231 - Western Heritage II
HIS 308 - Jews, Christians, and Muslims to 1500
HIS 312 - The Early Middle Ages
HIS 313 - The High and Late Middle Ages
HIS 314 - Ancient Greece
HIS 315  - Ancient Rome
HIS 328 - History of Women in Modern Europe
MUS 210 - Survey of Music I
MUS 211 - Survey of Music II
MUS 307 - Opera:  The Rise of Western Musical Drama (Effective spring 2016)
PHL 235 - History of Ancient Philosophy
PHL 236 - History of Modern Philosophy
PHL 295 - History of Western Science & Technology I
PHL 296 - History of Western Science & Technology II
POL 213 - History of Political Thought
POL 303 -  Ancient and Medieval Political Thought
POL 313 -  Modern Political Thought
THT 251 - Costume History
THT 364 - Western Theatre I (Effective fall 2013)
THT 367 - Western Theatre II (Effective fall 2013)
THT 473 - The Theatre of Comedy

World awareness

ACC 315 - International Accounting Concepts delisted effective 1 August 2023
ANT 303/BIO 303 - Conservation and Ethical Treatment of Nonhuman Primates
ANT 331 - Digging Up the Past: Humans and the Environment Through the Ages
ANT 338 - Prehispanic Civilizations of Mesoamerica
ANT 339 - Archaeology of the American Southwest
ANT 341 - Archaeology of the Old World
ANT 356 - Cultural History of the Iroquois
ANT 366 - Crime and Culture
ANT 368 - Death and Dying: A Cross-Cultural Perspective
ANT 372 - Peoples and Cultures of China
ANT 375 - North American Indians
ARH 261 - Art History Topics in Non-Western Art
ART 358 - Native North American Indian Art and Architecture
ART 368 - Chinese Art
ART 369 - Japanese Art
ART 371 - Art and Architecture of Islamic Cultures
ART 374 - Asian Art Through the Silk Road
BIO 341 - Plants and Society
CHE 300 - Environmental Science delisted effective 1 August 2023
CHI 140 - Chinese Cities, Customs, and Culture
CRW 250 - Writing into Culture delisted effective 1 August 2023
CSS 392 - Indigenous Cinema
ECO 330 - Economic Development
EDU 114 - Comparative and International Education: Non-Western Perspectives
ENG 347 - Contemporary Native American Literature*
ENG 360 - Literature in a Global Context
ENG 390 - Images of Native Americans in Film* (effective spring 2016)
ENG 486 - World Cinema
GEO 305 - Earth Resources delisted effective 1 August 2023
GEO 315 - Earth's Fury (Effective fall 2010) delisted effective 1 August 2023
GWS 200 - Introduction to Gender and Women's Studies [effective Fall 2014] (formerly WST 200 Introduction to Gender and Women's Studies)
GWS 300 - International Perspectives on Women (formerly WST 300 International Perspectives on Women)
GWS 396 - Gender and the Workplace (formerly WST 396 Gender and the Workplace)
HIS 102 - World History in the 20th Century
HIS 206 - Africa to 1800
HIS 207 - Africa from 1800
HIS 209 - Traditional Asia and its Legacy
HIS 212 - Women in History
HIS 215 - Introduction to Latin American Civilizations
HIS 310 - Religion in African History
HIS 367 - Global Disease
HIS 381 - History of Human Trafficking (one-time provisional approval Fall 2013)
HIS 383 - Modern China
HIS 385 - Modern Japan
MET 215 - Global Weather and Climate Catastrophes delisted effective 1 August 2023
MET 320 - Humans and Atmospheric Change delisted effective 1 August 2023
MGT 469 - Cultural Environment of International Business
MUS 115 - Global Tones - Introduction to World Music
MUS 329 - World Music and Politics (effective Fall 2013)
MUS 390 - African Music in the Americas
NAS 100 - Introduction to Native American Studies
NAS 340 - Native American Women
NAS 350 - Contemporary Native America
NAS 360 - American Indian Sovereignty
PBJ 463 - American Indian Law and Federal Indian Policy (effective Fall 2010)
PHL 235 - History of Ancient Philosophy (effective fall 2023)
PHL 236 - History of Modern Philosophy (effective fall 2023)
PHL 237 - Eastern Philosophy
PHY 205 - Energy and the Environment:  A Global View
PHY 303 - The Beginnings of Science:  A World View
POL 337 - Middle East Politics
POL 349  - Politics of Development
POL 357 - Latin American Politics
POL 347 - Politics of Development
POL 367 - Third World Politics
POL 409 - Comparative Energy Policy
TED 310 - Technology and Civilization
THT 308 - Women in Theatre
THT 359 - Costume and Culture
THT 365 - Theatre of India, China, and Japan

*This course is approved in multiple general education categories but can only be used in one category.

Writing

ENG 102 - Composition II

Advanced expository writing and oral proficiency

See your department office or advisor for details on the specific writing plan and oral communication courses for your major.

Notes

  • General Education courses may not be taken pass/fail.
  • Courses that satisfy requirements for the major or minor can also be used to satisfy General Education requirements.
  • General Education courses can be taken off-campus as long as approval is secured in advance.
  • Passing scores on college-level competency exams (e.g., Advanced Placements or CLEP) may be used to earn credits and, where appropriate, satisfy General Education requirements.
  • Waiver exams are given at least twice each year for computer and information literacy (passing the exam satisfies a requirement but earns no credits for the student). Open to new students only.
  • Math proficiency must be demonstrated by the student before she or he enrolls in any Math 106/206 course.
  • Foreign language requirements can be satisfied by high school study of another language through Level 4; high school study of two other languages (through Level 2 in each); or completion of a 102-level college language course or equivalent.