General Education and Liberal Studies Policies | Academic Newsletter | Seneca Polytechnic

by Jean Choi, Academic Quality

in the Spring 2017 issue

Seneca’s general education and liberal studies curricula contribute to the development of citizens, and promote awareness of the diversity and complexity of the world we live in. The curricula provide breadth and strengthen generic skills such as critical thinking, quantitative and qualitative reasoning, and communication skills.

Seneca’s general education policy applies to students enrolled in diploma and advanced diploma programs¹, and aligns with the Ministry Binding Policy Directive for the Framework for Programs of Instruction (2003, rev. 2009). All general education courses at Seneca fall under either the Arts and Humanities category or the Sciences and Social Sciences category. These categories are mapped onto one or more of the following Ministry’s themes for general education: Arts in Society, Civic Life, Social and Cultural Understanding, Personal Understanding, and Science and Technology. Students must successfully complete a minimum of three general education courses: one general education course from Arts and Humanities, one general education course from Sciences and Social Sciences, and a third course from either category.

Seneca’s liberal studies policy applies to students enrolled in degree programs, and aligns with the breadth requirements outlined by the Postsecondary Education Quality Assessment Board Handbook for Ontario Colleges (2016). Every liberal studies course at Seneca is classified as lower- or upper-level, falls into one of the following three categories (Humanities, Social Sciences or Sciences), and incorporates global cultures and mathematics wherever relevant. Lower-level courses introduce key concepts and theories in discipline areas, establishing foundational survey knowledge and analyses. Upper-level courses require greater depth of knowledge and analyses to evaluate the complexities and theoretical frameworks of specific discipline areas. Student must complete at least one lower-level, or English, or critical thinking course before enrolling in an upper-level course. Students must successfully complete liberal studies courses in at least two of the three categories: Humanities, Social Sciences, and Sciences. In addition, students must complete a minimum of two upper-level liberal studies courses.

To learn more about Seneca’s general education and liberal studies curricula, visit www.senecacollege.ca/school/els.

^{1 Some certificate programs may require general education courses.}

View the Spring 2017 issue of the Academic Newsletter.