The General Studies curriculum comprises lower-division general education courses required of students intending to earn an Associate of Arts (A.A.)., Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), or Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree through the College of Adult & Professional Studies. Certain general education courses are also required for the Associate of Science (A.S.) degree. A.A. degree students will take elective courses or earn credits through the other elective credit options to complete the remainder of the 60 credits required for the A.A. degree.
The CAPS general education curriculum encompasses the courses that all students who are seeking an associate's or bachelor's degree are required to complete. General education courses are categorized into six goal areas corresponding to the goal areas of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum. However, use of parallel categories is not intended to imply that courses would be accepted in transfer to another school to meet the same goal areas.
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Goal Area 1 | Communication |
| Goal Area 2 | Critical Thinking |
| Goal Area 3 | Natural Sciences |
| Goal Area 4 | Mathematical/Logical Reasoning |
| Goal Area 5 | History and the Social and Behavioral Sciences |
| Goal Area 6 | The Humanities and Fine Arts |
In each general education course, students work on one or more of the personal capacities, such as mathematics, writing, and speaking. For the Associate of Arts Degree, the general education and elective courses that students select constitute the total CAPS academic program and result in a minimum of 60 semester credits for graduation. For the Associate of Science Degree, the general education, major, and elective courses that students select constitute the total CAPS academic program and result in a minimum of 60 semester credits for graduation. For baccalaureate degrees, the general education, Bethel Distinctives, major, and elective courses that students select constitute the total CAPS academic program and result in a minimum of 122 semester credits for graduation. Credits earned at a higher level may be counted toward required credit minimums.
The CAPS general education requirement in academic research writing may be fulfilled by the completion of a course or sequence of courses typically comprising at least 4 credit hours of instruction in written English only if the course(s) display all of the following components:
- Academic focus: Students compose, format, and edit text according to the language expectations of the academic community.
- Research: Students complete a library research project at the undergraduate level.
- Research writing: Students compose a formal essay compiling accumulated research.
- Documentation: Students document their information sources according to a standard academic format such as those maintained by the APA or MLA.
- Completion of sequence: The course completes a lower division sequence of writing courses required of all graduates.
Associate of Arts Degree
| Description | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| General Education and Electives | 60 semester credit hours |
| Required to Graduate | 60 semester credit hours |
Associate of Science Degree
| Description | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| General Education and Electives | 30 semester credit hours |
| Major | 30 semester credit hours |
| Required to Graduate | 60 semester credit hours |
Baccalaureate Degree
| Description | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| Bethel Distinctives, General Education, and Electives | 71-89 semester credit hours |
| Major | 33-51 semester credit hours |
| Required to Graduate | 122 semester credit hours |
Students may take more than the minimum of 60 or 122 credits required to graduate. Additional elective credits are created when a course satisfies more than one requirement. This does not reduce the total credits required for graduation.
Minors: Although minors are not required, many students choose to complete one in order to pursue an area of interest or to complement their baccalaureate major. Students may choose to use their elective credits toward the minor or take additional credits. Students may not earn a minor in a program in which they are earning or have earned a major or certificate except where specifically noted in the Academic Programs and Disciplines section of this catalog.
Bethel Distinctive Courses
The Bethel Distinctives curriculum comprises two upper-division courses (8 credits) required of students intending to earn a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree or Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree through the College of Adult & Professional Studies. Bethel Distinctive courses must be taken in residence. Students who have already completed a bachelor's degree from the College of Arts & Sciences are exempt from this requirement.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CORE 300 | Community, Self and Formation | 4 |
| CORE 330H | Examining Crucial Questions | 4 |
| Total Credits | 8 | |
Outcomes
- Understand foundational concepts of Christianity.
- Develop method for evaluating sources of influence.
- Apply sources of influence to personal and professional life philosophy.
Foundations of Math Readiness
The Foundations of Math Readiness (FMR) course helps students who need additional preparation to increase their probability of success in CAPS programs. Any CAPS student may take the FMR course, but it is required for all new students who are admitted to CAPS with fewer than 45 credits and who have a cumulative high school or college GPA below 2.5 or a combined GED score below 451. Students admitted with 45 or more credits are not required to take the FMR course.
MATH090 Foundations is a pre-college course that does not lead to college-level credit that would be applied to degree, certificate, or license requirements. The course does not result in a tuition charge to students but does require a fee that provides access to materials.
MATH 090 • Foundations of Mathematics 0 Credit