"Our young people — their capacities to think, understand, investigate and innovate — are America’s future."Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich
CSUMB’s General Education program prepares students to meet what the future holds through exposure to and engagement with real-world problems and possibilities. Students will encounter a breadth of learning experiences across multiple fields of study—the arts, humanities, math and the physical, life and social sciences—to develop the capacities needed to live meaningfully and successfully in the twenty-first century.
The GE program also is designed to spark a student’s curiosity about the world. How do different cultures define beauty? Does global warming pose a threat? Is human nature both competitive and cooperative? Why do whales migrate? Can we measure happiness? Should we explore space? What do I want to do with my life? A general education introduces students to the different types of knowledge and skills available to address these questions and many others.
Finally, the GE program serves as a foundation for students’ entrance into more specialized areas of study—their majors. A student’s general education will provide an essential grounding in the intellectual and practical skills necessary for all major degree programs. This includes oral and written communication skills, critical and creative thinking, quantitative and information literacies, and ethical reasoning and reflection, as well as ample opportunities for teamwork and problem-solving. Students will be able to continue their general education exploration in their majors as well, through upper-division requirements and electives.