Oct 06, 2024  
2024-2025 Academic Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Academic Catalog

General Education Program Goals and Outcomes


Students who complete the General Education curriculum should be able to demonstrate the knowledge, skills and values described below:

Goal 1: To develop students’ core competencies for academic, personal, creative, and professional pursuits. Goal 1 has five learning outcomes (PLOs 1-5):

PLO 1. [Oral Communication] 
Create and deliver logically-organized, well-supported, and compelling messages both in presentation and in conversation for specific audiences and diverse settings. 

PLO 2. [Written Communication] 
Develop and practice a writing process that accounts for the goals, dynamics, and genres of written communication, with special attention to the conventions of writing at the university.

PLO 3. [Critical Thinking]
Identify and analyze a subject/topic/issue/problem of significance by evaluating the merits of different positions or perspectives; support the analysis with relevant evidence and information while stating assumptions; and draw evidence-based conclusions.

PLO 4. [Quantitative Reasoning]
Analyze, interpret, and represent quantitative information in various forms to examine a question; explain the processes behind data collection and generation; and communicate evidence in support of an argument or purpose while stating assumptions, limitations, and biases, and drawing appropriate conclusions.

PLO 5. [Information Literacy]: Identify information needs, locate and access relevant and credible information while accounting for bias, and use information legally and ethically.

Goal 2: To enact the university’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, and justice by ensuring that students have the knowledge and skills to serve and contribute to the well-being of local and global communities and the environment. Goal 2 has two learning outcomes (PLOs 6 and 7):

PLO 6. [Diversity, Inclusion, and Justice]
Examine diverse cultures, communities, and environments; explore different perspectives; analyze connections to issues of justice/injustice; and prepare to live and work responsibly and cooperatively in multicultural societies. 

PLO 7. [Civic and Global Engagement]
Engage with global perspectives and knowledge; develop civic skills, interests, and values; and apply knowledge, skills and values to multicultural, community, and environmental interests. 

Goal 3: To offer students integrated, multidisciplinary, and innovative study in which they pose challenging questions, address complex issues, and develop cooperative and creative responses. Goal 3 has two learning outcomes (PLOs 8 and 9):

PLO 8. [Integration and Application]
Integrate and apply knowledge and methods from more than one discipline or area of study to explore a complex question, address an issue, or produce a creative work.  

PLO 9. [Reflection and Self-Assessment]
Evaluate and reflect on one’s own learning while building on prior knowledge and life experiences.

Developing Educated Persons

Each of the General Education areas develop students to become educated persons.

Fundamental Skills of an Educated Person

Fundamental Skills  courses (A1-3, B4) develop students’ communication and analytical skills. An educated person can communicate ideas effectively verbally and in writing. An educated person must also have strong reasoning powers in order to analyze all types of information. Per CSU policy, each Fundamental Skills course must be passed with a grade of C- or better to fulfill graduation requirements.

Fundamental Knowledge of an Educated Person

Fundamental Knowledge  courses (B1-3, C1-2, D, E, F) develop students’ understanding and appreciation of the fundamentals of science, arts and humanities, and the forces that shape the individual and modern society throughout the lifespan. This fundamental knowledge is crucial to understanding more advanced topics, including a major field of study.

Integrated Knowledge of an Educated Person

SJSU Studies courses (R, S, V)  help students integrate knowledge between and among disciplines. An educated person is able to apply concepts and methods learned in one area to other areas as part of a lifelong learning process. SJSU Studies courses develop abilities that enable students to live and work intelligently, responsibly, and cooperatively in multicultural societies and to develop abilities to address complex issues and problems using disciplined analytical skills and creative techniques.