General Education

The Gen Ed Curriculum

The Gen Ed Curriculum, which includes twelve (12) courses, is supported by three departments across the university, including the Social Sciences, Math-Science, and Language. Eight (8) of the twelve (12) courses are Core Courses, one (1) is a mandated course, and three (3) are electives. The GE Core and mandated courses are referred to collectively as the nine (9) GE Core Courses, which are interdisciplinary and stated broadly to accommodate a range of disciplinal perspectives and approaches. The goal is to achieve competency-based outcomes that result in a person’s holistic development, which are classified as: (1) Intellectual Competencies; (2) Personal and Civic Responsibilities.

The GE Core Courses 

1. Art Appreciation- a course that teaches students to appreciate, analyze, and critique works of art. This course provides students with a broad understanding of the practical, historical, philosophical, and social relevance of the arts through interdisciplinary and multimodal approaches in order to hone students’ ability to articulate their understanding of the arts.

2.  Ethics – This course introduces students to the ethical dimensions of human existence at various levels, including personal, societal, environmental, and cultural. It guides students through an analysis of human experience, connecting it to ethical dimensions. It enables students to analyze and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of various ethical frameworks, as well as their importance in human life and society. The ultimate goal is for students to be able to make informed decisions about their ethical cases that they have created.

3. The Contemporary World – This course introduces students to the modern world by delving into the multifaceted phenomenon of globalization. It examines the economic, social, political, technological, and other transformations that have created a growing awareness of the interconnectedness of peoples and places around the world using various disciplines of the social sciences.

4. The Life, Works and Writings of Dr. Jose Rizal – This course examines the life, works, and writings of our country’s national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, with a focus on his two most important novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. His chosen essays and letters are also given consideration. To deepen the discussion, we include various written recognitions given by great men in academe and Philippine history, including his contemporaries and commentaries.

5. Mathematics in the Modern World– The course introduces students to the nature of mathematics as an investigation of patterns in nature and the environment through the use of inductive and deductive reasoning. It teaches students how to deal with various aspects of modern life, such as managing personal finances, making social decisions, appreciating geometric designs, understanding data transmission and security codes, and dividing limited resources fairly.

6.  Purposive Communication – This course that builds students’ communicative competence and increases their cultural and intercultural awareness through multimodal tasks that allow them to communicate effectively and appropriately to a multicultural audience in a local or global context. It gives students tools for critical thinking about a variety of texts and focuses on the power of language and the impact of images to emphasize the importance of conveying messages responsibly. Students’ knowledge, skills, and insights gained from this course can be applied to their academic endeavors, chosen disciplines, and future careers as they compose and produce relevant oral and written materials.

7.  Readings in Philippine History – The course examines Philippine history from a variety of perspectives using selected primary sources from various disciplines and genres. The discussions will cover traditional historical topics as well as interdisciplinary topics that will deepen and broaden their knowledge of Philippine political, economic, cultural, social, scientific, and religious history. Primary materials that can help students develop their analytical and communicative skills are prioritized. The ultimate goal is for students to develop historical and critical consciousness so that they can become versatile, articulate, broad-minded, morally upright, and responsible citizens.

8. Science, Technology and Society – The course is intended to provide students with a broad understanding of the societal impact of advances in science and technology at the global and national levels. It focuses on current issues arising from the application of science and technology, how such applications relate to ethical and political decisions in both the public and private sectors, and their (positive and negative) effects on society and life in general.

9. Understanding the Self  – This course is designed to help students explore issues and concerns about self and identity in order to gain a better understanding of themselves. It strives to achieve this goal by emphasizing the integration of the personal with the academic- contextualizing matters discussed in the classroom and in students’ everyday experiences- resulting in better learning, a new appreciation for the learning process, and the development of a more critical, and reflective attitude while enabling them to manage and improve themselves to achieve a higher quality of life.  

The GE Electives 

1. Gender and Society  – The purpose of this course is to increase learners’ understanding and awareness of gender and related concepts in the context of Philippine society in particular and the global community in general. Students will learn about various gender issues as global citizens, as well as global efforts to integrate gender in society and development efforts.

2.  Philippine Popular Culture  – The course introduces and investigates the concept of popular culture in the context of the Philippines. A multidisciplinary approach will be used to investigate the evolution of pop culture in the country, providing students with the analytical tools they need to investigate the various mediums in which it is embedded. The course will discuss how pop culture is present in everyday life and how it influences and is influenced by Filipinos’ feelings, performances, and identities.

3.  People and Earth’s Ecosystem – This course focuses on the effects of human activity on the environment, as well as the consequences of environmental change on human activity. Furthermore, it demonstrates a clear understanding and awareness of the Earth’s ecosystem and its importance for environmental conservation, resource allocation, pollution reduction, and ozone layer destruction. It also investigates people’s environmental impacts on a local, regional, and global scale. This course will look specifically at people and their historic and contemporary impacts on climate, landscapes, the ocean, endangered species, and habitats in the Philippines and around the world.

4. Principles of Economics – another Social Science course offered by Gen Ed. This course examines the economic concept as a whole, as well as the fundamental subdivisions or aggregates such as the government, household, and business sectors. It is concerned with total output, total employment, total income, total expenditures, general price levels, and other factors. It also discusses the use of graphs in economics and the market mechanism (demand and supply).