General Education Frequently Asked Questions | Chapman University

General Education Frequently Asked Questions | Chapman University
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Frequently Asked Questions about General Education
Below are a list of questions frequently asked by students about the General Education
(GE) program.  If you have any additional questions, you can:
Ask our PantherBot (available at the bottom of this page).
Email us at
undergrad@chapman.edu
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How many credits are required by Chapman’s General Education program?
Because every student comes to Chapman with a different background, and each student
will choose a different secondary area of study, it is difficult to predict exactly
how many credits will be required for you to complete Chapman’s General Education
(GE) program.
If you are a first year student who has test credit or completed dual enrollment credit,
you will need fewer credits than students who do not have those experiences.
If you have studied language in high school, you may only need one course at the intermediate
level or if you are demonstrably proficient in a language other than English, you
may be exempt from the language requirement.
If you have to complete every GE requirement because neither of these apply, you would
need 45 credits at a minimum to complete the program.
However, you may end up sharing from one to three courses in your major with your
GE requirements, so that 45 credit minimum can be reduced by as much as 9 credits,
making the minimum 36 credits. Transfer students should consult the
GE Policies for Transfer Students
to get a better idea of the number of credits they will need to complete.
In my program evaluation, why is a General Education course being counted in the wrong
General Education category, or is not counting in a Themed Inquiry as I expected it
would?
The computer will automatically assign GE courses in a specific sequence, but you
can change that just by asking. If a GE course is assigned to a category other than
the GE category that you want to use it in, email the Registrar at
registrar@chapman.edu
You will need to tell them the name of the course and where you wish it to be applied.
When emailing the office, be sure to send the message from your Chapman email and
include your student ID number. (You can fill out the
GE Course Usage form
, but an email is sufficient!).
I took a Chapman University course that should count as a General Education course
because it covers the content found in that General Education area, but I don't see
it on the approved General Education course listing. Can I ask that the course be
reviewed for General Education?
No. Students may not request GE review of an existing Chapman course. This may only
be requested by faculty.
There may be specific reasons that an academic unit does not want a course to be included
in the GE program (usually that they are not able to provide enough seats to accommodate
GE students, or it is a course only open to majors).
How do I know if a class I took or plan to take at another school will count at Chapman
as a General Education class?
The first place to start for most courses is at the Registrar’s
Transfer and Articulation page
.  Read the Policies and Guidelines for instructions. If there is no information available
on the course you have taken or plan to take, you may request review of that course
by providing the syllabus and attaching it to the
Transfer/Study Abroad Course Petition for GE Approval
If the course is part of the study abroad program, please refer to the GE and Study
Abroad page.  If there is no information available on the course you have taken or
plan to take, you may email
articulation@chapman.edu
and ask for a review of the course based on the course description.
I am thinking about doing a self-designed major or minor. Where do I find information?
The instructions and guidelines for developing and declaring a self-designed major
or minor can be found on the forms:
Self-Designed Major Form
Self-Designed Minor Form
It is important that you work with a faculty advisor to design the major or minor
so that it meets the purposes for those degree opportunities, and has integrity as
an academic area of study.
Self-designed majors and minors are approved by faculty committees and there is no
guarantee of approval.  You also must apply for approval for a self-designed major
or minor prior to completing 75 credits.
I am a transfer student and my CSU/IGETC Certification is not showing on my Program
Evaluation.
Check with the
Office of the University Registrar
. You need to request that the certification of completion is sent to Chapman. Simply
completing an associate’s degree does not mean that you have completed the certification
process. Any further questions? Check with the Registrar.
I am an international student. Do I have to complete the language requirement?
If you are fluent (reading, writing and speaking) in a language other than English,
there are a few ways you can waive or complete the Language Inquiry requirement.
If you attended secondary school and it was taught in a language other than English,
we need verification from your former school indicating the primary language of instruction.
Send proof to the
Office of the University Registrar
You can take a proficiency test in your native language. See
Language Proficiency Testing information
You can take a Chapman course at the 300-level or above taught in the language in
which you are proficient. To get permission to waive the pre-requisite 201-level course,
contact the Chair of the World Languages and Culture Department.
I am an international student (or I am an American student who completed a high school
program outside the U.S.). Can I waive the requirements of the Global Studies Inquiry
category?
If you are an American student who has completed a high school-equivalent program
outside the U.S., you satisfy the
Global Studies Inquiry requirement
in full.
If you are an international student, you have completed the Global Studies Inquiry
requirement in full. If you are an international student for whom English is a second
language and you completed high school abroad in a language other than English, it
is recommended that you consult with the Office of the University Registrar about
documentation required to waive you from the
Language Inquiry requirement
When does registration take place for classes for Interterm or Summer?
Interterm class registration is done at the same time as registration for spring semester
in the late fall. Summer class registration takes place at the same time as fall registration
in late spring.
Do I have to take a science class that includes a lab to complete the Natural Sciences
Inquiry category?
A laboratory science class is not mandatory to complete the Natural Sciences Inquiry.
Science classes that do not have a laboratory requirement can be used to complete
the Natural Sciences Inquiry as long as they are on the approved Natural Sciences
Inquiry course list. Some science courses have laboratory sections that are mandatory
for the course, and in this case, you have to take the lab.
Can classes double count for General Education categories?
No, classes may only be used in one GE category. GE classes also cannot be shared
with the Themed Inquiry.
I served in the military and would like to use that to complete my Citizenship/Community/Service
Inquiry requirement. How do I do that?
Successful completion of 1 or more years of volunteer US military service completes
the Citizenship/Community/Service Inquiry category. Contact the
Office of the University Registrar
for more information on what documentation is required or if non-US military service
may be applicable to this category.
Gen Ed Requirements
General Education Frequently Asked Questions
Studying Abroad for General Education
General Education for Transfers
General Education Requirements
Email:
undergrad@chapman.edu