2013 CUNY General Education Program (Pathways): Required Courses
Lehman College provides undergraduates with not only a major specialization but also training in a range of basic skills and general subjects on beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels. In this way, a bachelor's degree represents both training in a special field and the skills and knowledge to meet life's varied challenges responsibly, intelligently, and creatively.
Beginning in fall 2013, CUNY instituted a common General Education structure (called "Pathways") whose purpose is to improve the ability of students to transfer within the university. Lehman's 2013 CUNY General Education Program (Pathways) conforms to the new CUNY structure. The college's General Education categories remain the same, but the individual course requirements in some cases have changed. Lehman's categories represent the following parts of the CUNY Pathways structure:
Foundation = CUNY Required Core (plus the College Option in Foreign Language)
Distribution = CUNY Flexible Core
Integration = CUNY College Option
Lehman's courses in the 2013 CUNY General Education Curriculum include subjects comprising the shared intellectual heritage of our diverse culture. They teach critical thinking and encourage accurate and effective communication. General Education supports the integration, synthesis, and application of knowledge, and includes proficiency in information literacy. Undergraduate education offers not only specialized knowledge and professional skills but also the multiple views and general intellectual abilities developed by the study of liberal arts and sciences that provide a foundation for independent, responsible living.
Students who enter Lehman College in the fall 2013 semester or later must meet the 2013 CUNY General Education Requirements. There are four categories of required courses: Foundation ("Required Core" plus "College Option,") Distribution ("Flexible Core"), Integration ("College Option"), and Writing Intensive. For a list of the 2013 CUNY General Education courses in each category, select the links in the navigation side panel.
(NOTE: The Foreign Language and Integration Requirements are waived for students in the Lehman Scholars Program and the Macaulay Honors College, which have their own requirements in these areas.)
Foundation Courses (6 Courses, 18-21 Credits)
Foundation courses include CUNY's Required Common Core plus Foreign Language in CUNY's College Option.
The Foundation Courses comprise requirements in English Composition (6 credits), Mathematical and Quantitative Reasoning (3-4 credits), a Lab Science: Life and Physical Science (3 credits), and Foreign Language (6 credits). Students may substitute STEM variants for the mathematics and science courses.
English Composition Requirement (6 Credits)
All students must successfully complete a six-credit sequence in English composition (course-course). Honors students complete (course-course). Every student should enroll in an English composition course each semester until course is passed. Students who are placed in English as a Second Language courses must complete these courses before taking English Composition. Entering students who have completed equivalent English composition coursework will be placed in the appropriate course by the English Department.
Mathematical and Quantitative Reasoning Requirement (3-4 Credits)
All students are required to successfully complete either course: Quantitative Reasoning or course: Foundations of Data Science. Students may substitute one of the mathematics courses in the list of STEM Variants.
Life and Physical Science Requirement (3-5 Credits)
All students are required to successfully complete one course in a laboratory science from the following list of courses.
Credits | ||
Human Evolutionary Biology | 3 | |
Introduction to the Universe | 3 | |
Concepts of Human Biology | 3 | |
Elements of Chemistry I | 3 | |
Conceptual Physics | 3 | |
Sound, Speech and Music | 3 | |
Energy and the Environment | 3 |
course: Has a Corequisite in Distribution Courses: Scientific World course.
Students may substitute for any of these courses one of the science courses in the list of STEM Variants (see the left navigation panel access this list).
Foreign Language Requirement (6 Credits)
Students are required to take two foreign language courses in the same language (including American Sign Language). This is part of the CUNY Pathways College Option.
Only students who transfer into Lehman with an associate's degree are exempt from the Foreign Language Requirement.
Students who continue in a foreign language previously studied in high school or college must be placed in the proper sequential course by the Languages and Literatures Department. If a student completes one semester of a foreign language at the intermediate level or above (numbered 201 or higher), one Foreign Language Option course may be substituted for the second required language course with the permission of the Languages and Literatures Department (if a language course is chosen it cannot be the same language as the student’s 200-level course). The following courses comprise the Foreign Language Option:
Credits | ||
Elementary Arabic I | 3 | |
Elementary Arabic II | 3 | |
Elementary Chinese I | 3 | |
Elementary Chinese I I | 3 | |
English Literature | 3 | |
Shakespeare Now | 3 | |
American Literature | 3 | |
Elementary French I | 3 | |
Elementary French II | 3 | |
East Asian Civilization | 3 | |
Civilizations of the Ancient World | 3 | |
Islamic Civilization | 3 | |
Elementary Irish I | 3 | |
Elementary Irish II | 3 | |
Elementary Italian I | 3 | |
Elementary Italian II | 3 | |
Elementary Japanese I | 3 | |
Elementary Japanese II | 3 | |
Critical Reasoning | 3 | |
Introduction to Logic | 3 | |
Problems of Philosophy | 3 | |
Classical Political Economy | 3 | |
Elementary Spanish I | 3 | |
Elementary Spanish II | 3 | |
Introduction to American Sign Language 1 | 3 | |
Introduction to American Sign Language II | 3 |
(These courses cannot also serve to meet Common Core requirements.)
Foreign Language Requirement Prior to Fall 2020
Distribution Courses (6 Courses, 18-20 Credits)
Distribution courses are the Flexible Common Core in CUNY General Education.
Every student must choose and successfully complete one course from these Distribution courses in each of the five areas listed below, and a sixth course from any of the areas. No more than two courses from the same discipline may be used to satisfy the Distribution Requirement.
Area I: World Cultures and Global Issues (3 credits)
Credits | ||
Introduction to African and African American Studies | 3 | |
The Contemporary Urban Community | 3 | |
African Civilizations | 3 | |
Caribbean Societies | 3 | |
Women in African Society | 3 | |
Women in Latin America | 3 | |
Selected Studies in Societies and Culture: Latin America | 3 | |
An Introduction to Geography | 3 | |
Urban Geography | 3 | |
History of Puerto Rico | 3 | |
East Asian Civilization | 3 | |
Early Modern Europe, 1400-1815 | 3 | |
Contemporary European History | 3 | |
Civilizations of the Ancient World | 3 | |
Medieval Civilization | 3 | |
Islamic Civilization | 3 | |
Introduction to Latin America and the Caribbean I | 3 | |
Introduction to Latin America and the Caribbean II | 3 | |
History of Puerto Rico | 3 | |
Puerto Rican Culture: Global Identities | 3 | |
Introduction to Middle Eastern Studies | 3 | |
Introduction to African Philosophy | 3 | |
Russia Today | 3 | |
International Politics | 3 | |
Globalization | 3 | |
Politics and Culture | 3 | |
Comparative Politics | 3 | |
Social Processes of Global Interdependencies | 3 | |
Introduction to Women's Studies | 3 |
Area II: U.S. Experience in Its Diversity (3 credits)
Credits | ||
African American Families | 3 | |
Black Women in American Society | 3 | |
History of African Americans | 3 | |
American Culture-Value and Traditions | 3 | |
Introduction to Disability Studies | 3 | |
Foundations of the United States | 3 | |
Modern United States History | 3 | |
The U.S. Health Care Delivery System | 3 | |
Latinos in the United States | 3 | |
Family and Gender Relations Among Latinos | 3 | |
History of U.S. Latinos | 3 | |
The American Political System | 3 | |
Public Policy | 3 | |
Criminal Justice | 3 | |
Immigration and Citizenship | 3 | |
Latino Politics | 3 | |
Urban Sociology | 3 |
Area III: Creative Expression (3 credits)
Credits | ||
African American Art | 3 | |
African American Theatre | 3 | |
Literature of the English & Francophone Caribbean | 3 | |
African Literature | 3 | |
Contemporary Black Music | 3 | |
African-American Literature | 3 | |
Introduction to the History of Asian Art-Islamic, Buddhist, and Hindu Cultures | 3 | |
Introduction to the History of the Arts of Africa, the Americas, and the South Pacific | 3 | |
Introduction to the History of Modern Art of the 19th & 20th Centuries in Europe & the US | 3 | |
Introduction to the History of Latin American Art | 3 | |
Tradition and Innovation in the Art of the West | 3 | |
Observation and the Visual Experience | 3 | |
Dance Perspectives | 3 | |
Literary Genres | 3 | |
English Literature | 3 | |
Shakespeare Now | 3 | |
American Literature | 3 | |
Literature and Medicine | 3 | |
Contemporary Urban Writers | 3 | |
Women in Literature | 3 | |
Writing Essentials | 3 | |
Introduction to Creative Writing | 3 | |
Classics of the Western World: Ancient and Medieval | 3 | |
Classics of the Western World II: Renaissance and Modern | 3 | |
Literature of the Caribbean and the Caribbean Diaspora | 3 | |
Latin American Literature in Translation | 3 | |
Introduction to Music | 3 | |
World Music | 3 | |
The American Musical Experience | 3 | |
African American Theatre | 3 | |
The Art of the Theatre | 3 |
Area IV: Individual and Society (3 credits)
Credits | ||
Anthropological Perspectives on Women and Men | 3 | |
Cultural Anthropology | 3 | |
The Body and Society | 3 | |
Introduction to Macroeconomics | 3 | |
Introduction to Microeconomics | 3 | |
Problems of Philosophy | 3 | |
Contemporary Moral Issues | 3 | |
Justice and Society | 3 | |
Theories of Human Nature | 3 | |
Philosophy of Religion | 3 | |
Philosophy of Freedom | 3 | |
Contemporary Political Issues | 3 | |
Great Political Thinkers | 3 | |
Classical Political Economy | 3 | |
General Psychology | 3 | |
Fundamentals of Sociology | 3 | |
Sociology of the Family | 3 | |
Sociological Perspectives on Gender and Society | 3 |
Area IV Individual and Society Prior to Fall 2020
Area V: Scientific World (3 credits)
Credits | ||
Ancient Peoples and Cultures | 3 | |
Introduction to Astronomy | 3 | |
Elements of Chemistry II | 3 | |
Introduction to Environmental Science | 3 | |
Conservation of the Environment | 3 | |
The Ascent of Man: An Introduction to the History of Science | 3 | |
Introduction to Linguistics | 3 | |
Critical Reasoning | 3 | |
Introduction to Logic | 3 | |
Critical Thinking in Psychology | 3 | |
Quantitative Reasoning for Social Scientists | 3 |
*Students may satisfy the Scientific World requirement with a course in science from the STEM Variant Course list, see the navigation panel on the left side.
course: Has a Corequisite in Foundation Courses: Life and Physical Science course.
Integration Courses (2 Courses, 6 Credits)
Integration Courses are part of the College Option in CUNY General Education.
Students must complete TWO “LEH” (“L” “E” “H”) COURSES:
EITHER
course and ONE course chosen from LEH 351, 352, 353, 354 or 355 that is outside of their major (see notes on each course).
OR
TWO different LEH courses chosen from LEH 351, 352, 353, 354 or 355 that are outside of their major (see notes on each course).
LEH courses are variable topics courses, in which each section covers a specific topic. Each semester, a series of topics for these courses will be announced in the Schedule of Classes.
course: First-year Seminar. 3 hours, 3 credits. Selected topics in the social sciences, life and physical sciences, humanities or applied perspectives. Nature and value of the liberal arts and sciences, critical thinking within a disciplinary area, goals and objectives of General Education, technological tools for education, campus services and supports, and links between the disciplinary area and careers. Pre- requisite: Completion of 30 credits or fewer.
LEH 351-355: Students must select upper-division LEH courses (LEH 351, 352, 353, 354 or 355) that are outside of their major (see the notes below). Pre-requisite for all of the upper-division LEH courses: Completion of 45 credits or an Associate’s Degree and an official declaration of major.
course: Studies in Scientific and Applied Perspectives. 3 hours, 3 credits (may be repeated for credit with a different topic). Selected topics in the social sciences, life and physical sciences and applied perspectives. Prerequisites: official selection of a major and either completion of 45 General Education credits or an Associate's Degree.
NOTE 1: In general, students should expect writing assignments and computer –based work along with research involving the library and the Internet.
NOTE 2: This course grants general education credit towards graduation for students in all major concentrations except Accounting, Anthropology, Anthropology, Biology, Biology Teacher Grades 7-12, Biology BS/MS Dual Degree, Chemistry, Biology, Business Administration, Chemistry, Computer Graphics and Imaging, Computer Information Systems, Computer Science, Dietetics, Foods, and Nutrition, Earth Science, Economics, Economics and Mathematics, Environmental Science, Exercise Science, Geography, Geology, Health Education and Promotion, Health Education N-12, Health Services Administration, Italian American Studies, Linguistics, Mathematics, Nursing, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, Recreation Education, Social Work, Sociology, Speech Pathology and Audiology, Therapeutic Recreation.
course: Studies in Literature. 3 hours, 3 credits (may be repeated for credit with a different topic). Selected topics in literature. Prerequisites: official selection of a major and either completion of 45 General Education credits or an Associate's Degree.
NOTE 1: In general, students should expect writing assignments and computer –based work along with research involving the library and the Internet.
NOTE 2: This course grants general education credit towards graduation for students in all major concentrations except Comparative Literature, English, French, French Teacher Education 7-12, Italian, Italian Teacher Education 7-12, Latin, Russian, Spanish and Spanish Teacher Education 7-12.
course: Studies in the Arts. 3 hours, 3 credits (may be repeated for credit with a different topic). Selected topics in the arts. Prerequisites: official selection of a major and either completion of 45 General Education credits or an Associate's Degree.
NOTE 1: In general, students should expect writing assignments and computer –based work along with research involving the library and the Internet.
NOTE 2: This course grants general education credit towards graduation for students in all major concentrations except Art, Art History, Dance, Dance-Theatre, Film and Television Studies, Journalism, Media Communications Studies, Multimedia Performing Arts, Music, Theatre.
course: Studies in Historical Studies. 3 hours, 3 credits (may be repeated for credit with a different topic). Selected topics in historical studies. Prerequisites: official selection of a major and either completion of 45 General Education credits or an Associate's Degree.
NOTE 1: In general, students should expect writing assignments and computer –based work along with research involving the library and the Internet.
NOTE 2: This course grants general education credit towards graduation for students in all major concentrations except Africana Studies, American Studies, History, History (Teacher Education), Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Latino Studies.
course: Studies in Philosophy, Theory and Abstract Thinking. 3 hours, 3 credits (may be repeated for credit with a different topic). Selected topics in philosophy, theory and abstract thinking. Prerequisites: official selection of a major and either completion of 45 General Education credits or an Associate's Degree.
NOTE 1: In general, students should expect writing assignments and computer –based work along with research involving the library and the Internet.
NOTE 2: This course grants general education credit towards graduation for students in all major concentrations except Philosophy.
College Writing Requirement
Students must complete four courses designated as writing-intensive, three prior to earning the 60th credit and one following. Individual sections of courses will be designated as writing-intensive, and students may take writing-intensive sections of courses in General Education, major, minor, and elective courses.
Transfer students who have completed less than 30 college credits must complete four courses designated as writing-intensive; those who have completed at least 30 but less than 60 college credits must complete three courses designated as writing-intensive; those who have completed 60 or more college credits must complete two courses designated as writing-intensive.
College Writing Requirement Prior to Spring 2020
STEM Variant Courses
Students may substitute courses from this list of required courses in mathematics and laboratory science for the required courses in Mathematical and Quantitative Reasoning (Foundation), in Life and Physical Sciences (Foundation), or Scientific World (Distribution Courses). These STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) courses will meet the General Education Requirements in the appropriate areas.
For Quantitative and Mathematical Reasoning
Credits | ||
Foundations of Data Science | 3 | |
Introduction to Statistics | 4 | |
Elements of Precalculus | 4 | |
Precalculus | 4 | |
Elements of Calculus | 4 | |
Calculus I | 4 | |
Calculus II | 4 |
For Life and Physical Science or Scientific World:
Credits | ||
Introduction to Human Evolution | 4 | |
Introduction to Human Variation | 4 | |
Astronomy of Stellar Systems | 4 | |
Principles of Biology: Cells and Genes | 4 | |
Principles of Biology: Organisms | 4 | |
Anatomy and Physiology I | 4 | |
Anatomy and Physiology II | 4 | |
Human Biology | 4 | |
| ||
Essentials of General Chemistry Lecture | 3 | |
And | ||
Essentials of General Chemistry Laboratory | 1.5 | |
| ||
General Chemistry I | 4 | |
And | ||
General Chemistry Laboratory I | 1.5 | |
| ||
General Chemistry II | 4 | |
And | ||
General Chemistry Laboratory II | 1.5 | |
| ||
Dynamic Earth | 3 | |
Earth Evolution | 3 | |
Basic Mapping: Applications and Analysis | 3 | |
Fundamental Concepts and Methods of Physics | 4 | |
The Physics of Sound | 3.5 | |
General Physics I | 5 | |
General Physics II | 5 | |
Physics I for Scientists and Engineers | 5 | |
Physics II for Scientists and Engineers | 5 |