General Education Requirements
General Education Core Curriculum
A.A. and Baccalaureate Degrees
36 Credit Hours
General Education Core Curriculum
- There are 36 credit hours of General Education from Areas I-V (Section (s.) 1007.25, Florida Statutes (F.S.)) :
- Area I: Communication courses must afford students the ability to communicate effectively, including the ability to write clearly and engage in public speaking.
- Area II: Humanities courses must afford students the ability to think critically through the mastering of subjects concerned with human culture, especially literature, history, art, music, and philosophy, and must include selections from the Western canon.
- Area III: Social science courses must afford students an understanding of the basic social and behavioral science concepts and principles used in the analysis of behavior and past and present social, political, and economic issues.
- Area IV: Mathematics courses must afford students a mastery of foundational mathematical and computation models and methods by applying such models and methods in problem solving.
- Area V: Natural science courses must afford students the ability to critically examine and evaluate the principles of the scientific method, model construction, and use the scientific method to explain natural experiences and phenomena.
A.S. Degrees
A minimum of 15 General Education Credit Hours are required. See program curriculum for specific requirements
All students entering Lake-Sumter State College under the 2025-2026 catalog year are required to satisfy general education core curriculum requirements from the categories listed below.
Current LSSC students under a prior academic year’s catalog must consult that catalog’s general education core curriculum pages before making course selections.
Students may choose to update their status to the current year’s catalog at any time if continuously enrolled (up to six academic years). For information regarding LSSC’s governing catalog rules see the Governing Catalog section of this catalog.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Area I: Communications 9 hrs | ||
| Select 2 courses from the state core and one course from the institutional core. | 9 | |
| State Core Required | ||
| College Composition I 1 | ||
| Composition: Literature 1 | ||
| Technical & Professional Writing 1 | ||
| Institutional Core | ||
| Creative Writing I 2 | ||
| Public Speaking | ||
| Area II: Humanities 6 hrs | ||
| Select one course from the following State Core and one course from the Institutional Core, or two courses from the State Core: | 6 | |
| State Core | ||
| Art Appreciation | ||
| Introduction to Humanities: Antiquity through the 21st Century | ||
| Introduction to Literature 2 | ||
| Music Appreciation | ||
| Introduction to Philosophy 2 | ||
| Theater Appreciation | ||
| Institutional Core | ||
| Art History I | ||
| Introduction to Jazz | ||
| Introduction to Ethics 2 | ||
| Area III: Social and Behavioral Sciences 9 hrs | ||
| Select three courses from the following lists. At least one must come from the State Core list: | 9 | |
| State Core | ||
| U.S. History to 1877 2 | ||
| U.S. History Since 1877 2 | ||
| Principles of Economics I, Macroeconomics | ||
| American National Government 2 | ||
| Introduction to Psychology | ||
| Institutional Core | ||
| Psychology of Human Development | ||
| Principles of Economics II, Microeconomics | ||
| Area IV: Mathematics 6 hrs | ||
| Select 1 course from the State Core and 1 course from the Institutional Core, OR select 2 courses from the State Core | 6 | |
| A grade of "C" or higher must be earned in each college level computational or "Gordon Rule" mathematics course | ||
| State Core | ||
| Mathematical Thinking | ||
| College Algebra 3 | ||
| College Algebra with Integrated Review 3 | ||
| Trigonometry | ||
| Precalculus Algebra 4 | ||
| Calculus for Business | ||
| Calculus with Analytic Geometry I | ||
| Calculus with Analytic Geometry II | ||
| Elementary Statistics I | ||
| Institutional Core | ||
| Mathematics in Context | ||
| Combined College Algebra/Precalculus 3, 4 | ||
| Calculus with Analytic Geometry III | ||
| Differential Equations | ||
| Area V: Natural Sciences 6 hrs | ||
| Select one course from the following State Core and one course from the Institutional Core, or two courses from the State Core: | 6 | |
| State Core | ||
| Introduction to Astronomy | ||
| Introduction to Life Science | ||
| General Biology I w/Lab | ||
| General Biology II w/Lab | ||
| Human Anatomy & Physiology I with Lab | ||
| Human Anatomy & Physiology II with Lab | ||
| Chemistry in Society | ||
| General Chemistry I w/Lab | ||
| General Chemistry II w/Lab | ||
| Earth Science Survey | ||
| Environmental Sustainability | ||
| Microbiology w/Lab | ||
| Introduction to Oceanography | ||
| Conceptual Physics | ||
| College Physics I with Lab | ||
| College Physics II w/Lab | ||
| Physics I with Calculus w/Lab | ||
| Physics II with Calculus w/Lab | ||
| Institutional Core | ||
| Introductory Chemistry w/Lab | ||
| Environmental Science | ||
| Inventions & Discoveries: Science in a Changing World | ||
| Energy & the Environment | ||
| Total Hours | 36 | |
- 1
ENC 1101 College Composition I, ENC 1102 Composition: Literature, ENC 2210 Technical & Professional Writing: Writing Emphasis or "Gordon Rule" writing course with CODE: GRW - A grade of “C” or higher must be earned in each Writing Emphasis course. Students who complete ENC 1101 College Composition I or a course in which ENC 1101 College Composition I is a prerequisite with a grade of “C” or better will be automatically awarded the digital badge for Fundamentals of Written Communication.
- 2
CRW 2000 Creative Writing I, LIT 2000 Introduction to Literature, PHI 2010 Introduction to Philosophy, AMH 2010 U.S. History to 1877, AMH 2020 U.S. History Since 1877, and POS 2041 American National Government: Writing Emphasis or "Gordon Rule" writing course with CODE: GRW - A grade of “C” or higher must be earned in each course for it to count as Writing Emphasis.
- 3
Only one of the following may be taken for credit: MAC 1105 College Algebra, MAC 1105C College Algebra with Integrated Review, or MAC 1106 Combined College Algebra/Precalculus.
- 4
Only one of the following may be taken for credit: MAC 1106 or MAC 1140.
General Education
General Education Mission
The General Education Program at Lake-Sumter State College provides the student with broad knowledge and skills needed to be thoughtful, global citizens. The general education courses build a foundation for success in associate and baccalaureate programs and is the basis for lifelong learning.
Through the general education curriculum, students will acquire skills necessary to think analytically, communicate effectively, be fluent with various forms of information, and be socially responsible.
Institutional Student Learning Outcomes
The Institutional Student Learning Outcomes (ISLOs) are assessed across the entire college curriculum and represent broad areas of knowledge, skills, and experience that students gain by the time they graduate from any degree program at LSSC. Students are assessed for their levels of achievement in these competencies through their matriculation in the College’s General Education Core Curriculum, as well as through elective courses.
The Institutional Student Learning Outcomes are measured in the A.A. degree program, which includes 36 hours from the Core Curriculum. All A.S. degree programs also include a substantial component of Core Curriculum courses through which students are assessed for their achievement levels in the Institutional Student Learning Outcomes, as well as in courses for their subsequent degree specialization.
Institutional Student Learning Outcomes Upon graduation from any degree program at LSSC, the student will:
- Analytical Thinking
Analyze and evaluate data; draw rational and warranted conclusions by integrating quantitative and/or qualitative reasoning.
- Communication
Create clear thesis and organization, appropriately develop and present message content, use correct grammar, and demonstrate effective written and/or verbal communication.
- Information Fluency
Evaluate information by selecting, using, and documenting college-level resources, and apply current technology appropriate for academic assignments and/or career goals.
- Social Responsibility
Interpret the breadth and variety of human cultures and/or the complex inter-relationships between humans and the environment.