Foundation of Knowledge
The general education program guides students to become independent learners, innovative thinkers, and responsible citizens. The program gives students a foundation of values, knowledge, and skills that empower them to discover their personal potential, communicate effectively, work in diverse communities, and solve problems in a global society. Courses invite students to expand the lifelong practice of asking questions, seeking new points of view, applying principles of reason, adjusting ideas in relation to new situations, and taking reflective action.
Associate’s Degree Foundation of Knowledge Checklist
Bachelor’s Degree Foundation of Knowledge Checklist
Foundation of Knowledge Core Competencies
| A - Critical Thinking |
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Students will demonstrate the ability to gather, process, interpret, and evaluate information; to develop a plan to apply that information appropriately to a variety of situations; and to assess the appropriateness and relevance of its application. |
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| B - Perspectives |
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Students will demonstrate the ability to analyze and understand multiple historical and contemporary perspectives and cultural identities. |
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| C - Communication |
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Students will demonstrate the ability to communicate a depth of understanding of that information through written, spoken, and visual media appropriate to audiences. |
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| D - Science and Technology |
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Students will demonstrate an understanding of the scientific method in observing, evaluating, analyzing, and predicting phenomena in the natural and physical world. |
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| E - Personal Responsibility and Community |
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Students will demonstrate an understanding of the ethical, moral, and pragmatic consequences of their choices and decisions, including the roles and responsibilities of citizenship. |
Assessment of Core Competencies
All NKU students will be required to participate in a formal assessment of the core competencies at a minimum of two points during their academic career. Results will be used by the administration and faculty to ensure the continuous improvement of the educational experience provided to NKU students and to provide evidence that graduates have attained those competencies.
Program Requirements: Associate Degree Candidates
Associate degree candidates must satisfy the requirements listed here. The courses that satisfy each program category are listed after the program requirements for bachelor’s degree candidates.
| Program Categories |
Credit Hours |
| Communication |
|
| Oral |
3 |
| Written |
6 |
| Scientific and Quantitative Inquiry |
|
Natural Sciences (must be a lab course)
Note: All NKU lab courses are currently four hours. |
3-4 |
| Mathematics and Statistics |
3 |
| Cultural Pluralism |
3 |
| Individual and Society- IST 185 recommended for IST AA Majors |
3 |
| Culture and Creativity- different disciplines |
6 |
| Global Viewpoints |
3 |
| TOTAL HOURS |
31 |
*Kentucky Transfer Policy category.
Program Requirements: Bachelor’s Degree Candidates
Bachelor’s degree candidates who begin their postsecondary education at NKU must satisfy the requirements listed below; transfer students may be able to receive credit for some or all of the general education requirements through the Kentucky Transfer Policy.
| General Education Categories |
Credit Hours |
| Communication |
|
| Oral |
3 |
| Written |
6 |
| Scientific and Quantitative Inquiry |
|
| Natural Sciences (including one lab course) |
7 |
| Mathematics and Statistics |
3 |
Culture and Creativity
(Arts and Humanities)* |
6 |
Self and Society
(Social and Behavioral Sciences)* |
|
| Cultural Pluralism |
3 |
| Individual and Society |
6 |
| Global Viewpoints |
3 |
| TOTAL HOURS |
37 |
*Kentucky Transfer Policy category.
General Information about Taking Courses
- Students should consult the Foundation of Knowledge website (http://gened.nku.edu) to determine if there have been any changes in the courses approved for each category.
- For three of the categories - scientific and quantitative inquiry, culture and creativity, and self and society - students may take only one course from the same discipline (for example, biology, mathematics, sociology, theatre). This restriction does not apply to communication or global viewpoints.
- Global viewpoint courses can be explored from both the perspective of the arts/humanities and the social/behavioral sciences.
- Students cannot use a single course to satisfy the requirements of two categories.
- If a course approved for general education credit has a prerequisite or is limited to students meeting prescribed academic qualifications (such as a minimum level of performance on ACT or placement examinations), students must satisfy those requirements before taking the course.
- Students who earn transfer credit within one semester hour of that necessary for completion of a general education course requirement will be considered to have completed that course requirement.
- Some majors require specific general education courses. Students should consult the catalog or contact an advisor for more information.
- Students should complete communication and mathematics requirements before the completion of 45 semester credit hours.
The Categories Comprising Foundation of Knowledge
Communication Category
The objectives of these courses are to teach students to effectively gather material relating to a focused topic using a variety of tools, sources, and search strategies; to demonstrate the ability to express ideas using oral communication skills with appropriate attention to topic and audience; to create and write coherent, grammatically-correct pieces for a variety of topics and audiences; to employ the principles of rhetorical communication; to comprehend college-level readings in various settings and disciplines; and to comprehend the ethical perspectives of responsibilities of individuals. The following courses are approved for this category:
Oral Communication
Three semester credit hours required.
Written Communication I
Three semester credit hours required.
Written Communication II
Three semester credit hours required.
Scientific and Quantitative Inquiry Category
The objectives of these courses are to teach students to develop evidence-based arguments; to apply scientific and quantitative reasoning through problem solving or experimentation and effectively communicate results through scientific, analytic, and quantitative methods; to identify major concepts of science behind technological innovations or applications in our daily lives; and to distinguish between scientific and non-scientific methods. The following courses are approved for this category:
Natural Sciences
Seven semester credit hours required for this category. One course must include a laboratory component; the two courses must be from different disciplines.
Mathematics and Statistics
Three semester credit hours required.
Self and Society Category
The objectives of these courses are to teach students to effectively gather material relating to a focused topic using a variety of tools, sources, and search strategies; to identify, interpret, and evaluate assumptions, evidence, conclusions, and theories; to understand economic, political, and social legacies of imperialism and colonialism, with reference to the linguistic or cultural diversity, for societies, groups, and individuals; to compare historical perspectives on the development of various cultures; to identify the connections and differences among local, national, and global communities; to demonstrate how literature and the arts reflect and influence cultures; to distinguish between scientific and non-scientific explanations by employing scientific methods; to understand the influence of cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds in shaping attitudes and opinions (in themselves and others); and to demonstrate an understanding of the variety of influences on human behavior. The following courses are approved for this category:
Cultural Pluralism
Three semester credit hours required to satisfy the category, and course must be from a different discipline than courses taken to satisfy the Individual and Society category.
Individual and Society
Six semester credit hours required to satisfy the category. Each course must be from a different discipline, and neither course can be from the same discipline as the course taken to satisfy the Cultural Pluralism category.
Culture and Creativity Category
The objectives of these courses are to teach students to effectively gather material relating to a focused topic using a variety of tools, sources, and search strategies; to explore the implications and consequences of their initial conclusions and use them to generate new ideas, questions, and directions for further inquiry; to compare historical perspectives on the development of various cultures; and to demonstrate how literature and the arts reflect and influence cultures. The following courses are approved for this category:
Six semester credit hours required to satisfy this category
Each course must be from a different discipline. Bachelor’s degree candidates are limited to three credit hours (one course) of foreign language to satisfy this category. Associate degree candidates may not use a foreign language course to satisfy this category.
Global Viewpoints Category
The objectives of these courses are to teach students to understand economic, political, and social legacies of imperialism and colonialism, with reference to linguistic or cultural diversity, for societies, groups, and individuals; to compare historical perspectives on the development of various cultures; to identify connections and differences among local, national, and global communities; to demonstrate how literature and the arts reflect and influence cultures; to comprehend the ethical perspectives and responsibilities of individuals; to understand the influence of cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds in shaping attitudes and opinions (in themselves and others); and to demonstrate an understanding of the variety of influences on human behavior. The following courses are approved for this category:
Three semester credit hours required to satisfy this category
Course Notes
- Fall 2018 - New General Education Courses for fall 2018 or later. These courses only fulfill Foundation of Knowledge (FOK) requirements if taken beginning fall 2018 or later. ENG 291, GLY 225, and GLY 230 were renumbered to ENG 102 , GLY 125 , and GLY 130 . ENG 212 and NEU 101 were added for the 2018-19 academic year. STA 212 was deleted, but still counts toward FOK if completed prior to Fall 2018.
- Fall 2019 - New General Education Courses for fall 2019 or later. These courses only fulfill Foundation of Knowledge (FOK) requirements if taken beginning fall 2019 or later. STA 205R , MAT 115R , CHE 130 & CHE 130L , SPB 200 , LDR 180 .
- Spring 2020 - As of Spring 2020, BIS 111 will no longer be a Gen Ed course offering.
Kentucky Transfer Policy
The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education and other Kentucky institutions developed and approved the Kentucky Transfer Policy to facilitate student progress to graduation and ease transfer between state institutions. Students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher to qualify for the Kentucky Transfer Policy.
Certification of General Education Blocks
For a student transferring from a public college or university of the commonwealth of Kentucky, there are three levels of general education certification. Each level is based on the number and category of courses taken. Students can complete general education courses in categories (also referred to as blocks), as a core component, and as a complete general education program. Each level of certification is identified below.
- General Education Category Certified. Students who have completed some but not all of the five categories in the Core Component will be “category certified” for purposes of transfer. Individuals in this situation must fulfill all of the remaining general education requirements of the receiving institution that have not been satisfied through category certification.
- General Education Core Certified. Students who have completed all of the categories - the core component - with a minimum of 30 unduplicated credit hours will be “core certified” for purposes of transfer. Individuals in this category must fulfill the remaining general education requirements of the receiving institution that have not been satisfied through the core component. At NKU, this means completing three credit hours in the Global Viewpoints category.
Kentucky Transfer
Policy Category |
Northern Kentucky University
General Education Category |
| Communication - six to nine credit hours |
Communication |
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Oral - three credit hours |
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Written - six credit hours |
| Arts and Humanities - six to nine credit hours |
Culture and Creativity - six credit hours |
| Quantitative Reasoning - three to six credit hours |
Mathematics - three credit hours |
| Natural Sciences - three to seven credit hours |
Natural Sciences - seven credit hours |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences - six to nine credit hours |
Self and Society - nine credit hours |
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Global Viewpoints - three credit hours |
- General Education Fully Certified. Students who have completed a general education program, with a minimum of 30 unduplicated semester credit hours or the equivalent (may include a SACS justification for fewer hours) which includes the core component and all additional institutional-specific general education courses, will be “general education fully certified” for purposes of transfer. If the receiving institution’s general education program requires a sum of hours that is less than the total the student has taken at the sending institution, the excess hours will be accepted for transfer by the receiving institution and evaluated for application toward degree requirements. There may be graduation requirements beyond general education requirements that a student will need to complete (e.g., senior year capstone experiences).
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