General Education at Salem State is YOUR Gen Ed QUEST
What is the SSU Gen Ed QUEST?
The SSU Gen Ed QUEST is the central and unique SSU experience shared by all students. It allows you to shape 1/3 of your college coursework in order to build skills and knowledge for the 21st century that align with and expand your personal and professional goals.
No matter your major course of study, after completing the various stages of the SSU Gen Ed QUEST, you will be prepared to:
- Question in many ways and in many settings.
- Understand your and others鈥 identities and how society and contexts shape them.
- Explore the world at large and the various areas of human activity and ways of knowing.
- Share by learning to communicate effectively with different audiences, using a variety of tools in a range of settings.
- Take Action by putting your knowledge into practice on campus, in the community, in your own life and for a just and democratic society.
Why (do I have to complete) Gen Ed QUEST courses?
- Creates a shared SSU experience and is the heart of the SSU identity
- Allows you to shape 1/3 of your academic experience in college
- Develops broad understanding and skills across many areas, which is the hallmark of a college education
- Expands your capacity to be an ally and advocate for social justice
- Makes it possible to understand subjects more deeply by examining them from different disciplines and perspectives
- Fulfills the requirement to receive a bachelor鈥檚 degree in Massachusetts
Benefits of the Gen Ed QUEST
You will benefit more from your education. Gen Ed QUEST courses invite you to create a framework for meaning-making in all areas of your life. QUEST Integrative learning sets you up to learn about yourself, identify and develop your strengths, and be successful at solving unscripted and often complex real-world problems in life and at work.
Your future boss will value your education more. According to Harvard Business Review, 鈥80% of employers agree that all students need a strong foundation in the liberal arts and sciences.鈥 Employers seek broadly educated candidates who are flexible, critical and creative thinkers and change-makers.
Your community will benefit more from your education. Public university graduates enrich their communities鈥 civic and economic life through family support, volunteer work, leadership, and philanthropic contributions. The general education curriculum prepares you to cultivate interests and develop skills that will enable you to speak for yourself, help lift others and be an effective and informed advocate for yourself and for historically-marginalized people.
How and when do I complete my Gen Ed QUEST courses?
You complete your Gen Ed QUEST over four years. Gen Ed QUEST courses do not slow down your progress towards your degree.
You select classes that fulfill a set of dynamic categories and broad thematic areas. Gen Ed QUEST courses are distinct from courses in your major, though some may be applied as support courses in your major area of study. There are multiple courses to choose from in each category. You are in charge.
- First year: explore and build foundations in all Gen Ed QUEST areas
- Second and third year: continue to expand in all Gen Ed QUEST areas, choosing courses based on your interests and curiosity
- Fourth year: complete final Gen Ed QUEST requirements
The Gen Ed QUEST Categories
You need to complete the Gen Ed QUEST courses in each of the following broad categories. YOU GET TO CHOOSE THE COURSES you take for each category.
Dive into an engaging topic, practice academic inquiry, building a supportive community, and learn the ropes of college life and the life of the mind (completed in the first semester). 3 credits.
Learn effective and ethical tools to communicate verbally like a pro, whether taking to the stage, running a meeting, navigating a challenging conversation, or making a pitch (completed in the first year). 3 credits.
Build a solid foundation and discover how to broadcast your authentic self by communicating your scholarly, professional and personal thoughts through the written word (completed in the first year). 3 credits.
Learn the art and practice of cultivating creativity in whatever area you choose in performing, visual, or literary arts. You don鈥檛 need to be 鈥渁n artist鈥 to appreciate, create and enjoy. 3 credits.
Become an engaged citizen of the world by learning about languages, cultural perspectives, traditions and politics of people around the globe and in your diverse communities. 3 credits.
Cultivate your imagination by learning about how people in different time periods understood the world, made progress, found innovative solutions to problems, and negotiated the tensions between the world as it was and the world they hoped it could be. 3 credits.
Become empowered to have a voice in the data-driven decisions that saturate our modern world. Develop the tools and confidence to analyze numerical information, make predictions, and convincingly support your positions with quantitative arguments. 3 credits.
Understand natural phenomena and explore the physical world through a scientific lens. By honing your skills of inquiry, hypothesis testing, and experimentation, you can be a scientifically-informed participant in discussions of globally-related issues such as climate change, world health and sustainability. 3-4 credits.
The same goals as SR (above) and includes a hands-on, experiential lab component that encourages you to observe, experiment and learn by doing. 3 credits.
Dive into current concerns, questions and problems that impact your world. Investigate human behavior, social relations and the role of instutitions and governments. 3 credits.
Learn about yourself in relation to others and the world around you. Identify and explore values, decisions and ways of living for person and common good. 3 credits.
Explore the dynamic nature of racial, class, religious, gender and other structures in relation to systems of power, privilege, oppression, and opportunity shape and are shaped by the world around us. Engage in substantive learning about challenges to and efforts towards equity and justice. This course can be completed within your major.
Communicate in writing for multiple audiences using strategies that will benefit you directly in your major, daily life, career and community engagements. This course can be taken within or outside of your major.
Refine your skills in writing and presenting knowledge to those in your chosen field. This course will likely be taken in your major.