Undergraduate Catalog 2021-2022 
  
    Mar 28, 2024  
Undergraduate Catalog 2021-2022

General Education


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General Education Philosophy

General Education is the foundation for all degree and certificate programs at Navajo Technical University. It provides students with knowledge, skills, attributes, and values needed to learn actively, communicate clearly, think critically, creatively, and reflectively, and interact effectively in diverse environments. Through the Diné Philosophy of Education, the program helps students become independent, critical thinkers - competent in their chosen professions by possessing solid foundations in Diné Studies, English, mathematics, laboratory sciences, social and behavioral sciences, communication, and information technology.

General Education Learning Goals

By the time they graduate, students should be able to:

  1. Communicate Clearly: The ability and willingness to exchange ideas and information is essential to personal development, career, success, and social responsibility.
  2. Think Critically, Creatively, and Reflectively: Reason, creativity, and reflection are fundamental to problem solving and personal growth.
  3. Interact Effectively in Diverse Environments: Success in a global society requires cultural understanding of self that is sufficient for interaction with other physical and social environments.
  4. Learn Actively: Learning is a lifelong activity essential to personal growth and the ability to adapt to the challenges of an ever-increasing complex and competitive world.

General Education Assessment

Assessment of the General Education program takes place one goal/semester. Data summaries of direct and indirect measures are compiled on an annual basis by the University’s Offices of Assessment and Institutional Research. An annual summary that includes recommendations for General Education improvement is prepared by the Student Learning Committee and included in the University’s Annual Student Learning Report. Curriculum revisions as needed are designed by the Student Learning Committee and reviewed and approved by the Faculty Congress.

Normal Time to Completion

All NTU programs completion differ depending on the degree and credit hours. Factors such as remediation courses, financial aid, course offerings and availability, changing majors, need for employment, family respon-sibilities, and/or reducing course load can affect students’ time to complete a degree or certificate.

  • A Certificate completion can take up to 3-4 semes-ters depending on placement and successful completion of courses.
  • Associate degrees can take at least up to 6 academic semesters to complete if all courses are offered and completed successfully.
  • Bachelor degrees can take up to 10 semesters if courses are all offered and completed successfully.

Students should meet with their academic and/or program advisor on a regular basis to determine status of certificate or degree completion according to the program curriculum and checklist.

General Education Requirements


Certificates


Each student in a Certificate program at Navajo Technical University must complete a minimum of 12 credit hours of General Education.

Required Courses


Total Credit Hours Required: 13


Note: Certificate students are required to take BCIS 1115  in their first semester, preferably before but at least concurrently with their English course. General Education English courses incorporate the use of computer technology in the classroom and rely heavily upon computer-generated assignments.

Associate Degrees


Any student seeking an Associate of Applied Science degree must complete a minimum of 15 credit hours of General Education, with 12 fixed credit hours from four of the six content areas and 3 flexible hours:

Required Courses


  • English Credits: 3 *
    OR
  • Communication Credits: 3 **
     
  • Mathematics Credits: 4 **
     
  • Physical Credits: 4 **
    AND/OR
  • Natural Sciences Credits: 4 **
     
  • Computer Credits: 3 **
    OR
  • Programming Credits: 3 **
  •  

  • Credits: 1
  • Diné Studies (Humanities) Credits: 3-4 **

Total Credit Hours Required: 18-19


Additionally


Any student seeking an Associate of Science, Associate of Art or a Bachelor’s degree in STEM must complete a minimum of 34-35 credit hours of General Education, with 22 fixed credit hours from the 6 content areas and 9 flexible credit hours:

Required Courses

  • English Credits: 6 *
    OR
  • Communication Credits: 6 **
     
  • Mathematics Credits: 4 or (8) **
     
  • Physical Credits: 4 or (8) **
    AND/OR
  • Natural Sciences Credits: 4 or (8) **
     
  • Humanities Credits: 3
     
  • Behavioral Credits: 3 **
    OR
  • Social Sciences Credits: 3 **
     
  • Creative and Fine Arts Credits: 3
     
  • Computer Credits: 3 **
    OR
  • Programming Credits: 3 **
  •  

  • Credits: 1
  • Diné Studies Credits: 3-4 **
Total General Education Courses Credits: 34-35

Note: Associate degree students are advised to take BCIS 1115  in their first semester: subsequent courses in many programs, and especially in General Education English courses, rely on the use of computer technology and/or require computer-generated assignments.

**Some programs require additional credits and/or specific credit hours or courses in General Education; check program requirements. Some courses may qualify in more than one category of General Education, (e.g., Diné Studies and Humanities).

Baccalaureate Degrees


Any student seeking a Baccalaureate degree must complete a minimum of 36 credit hours of General Education and 43 credit hours of core courses. Students in the Baccalaureate degree programs are required to complete a minimum of 48 credit hours in the upper division courses, i.e., 300 and 400 level courses before they can graduate.

Required Courses


Total Credit Hours Required: 36


Degree students are advised to take BCIS 1115   in their first semester as subsequent courses in many programs, and especially in general education English courses, will rely on the use of computer technology and/or will require computer-generated assignments.

General Education Courses


Diné Studies


(Check individual program requirements)

Total Credit Hours Required: 3 or 4


English/Communication Courses


(Check individual program requirements)

Total Credit Hours Required: 6


*Certificate students must take one freshman level Eng-lish course (ENGL 1110  or ENGL 1210 ) to earn their certificate. Associate degree students must take one freshman level English course (ENGL 1110  or ENGL 1210 ) as advised by their program advisor and as required on their program checklist. Students must pass ENGL 1110  or ENGL 1210  with a grade of “C” or higher to be eligible to move to the next level.

**Bachelor Degree students must take one research writing course (ENGL 1120  or ENGL 2120 ) after completing a freshman level English course (ENGL 1110  or ENGL 1210 , as advised by their program advisor/program checklist) or equivalent course with a grade of C or higher. Certificate students are not required to take a research writing course, but are encouraged to take one if they intend to continue to a higher degree or transfer to another institution to continue their education.

Note: Not all of the English/Communication courses listed are on the New Mexico Articulation Matrix of transferable courses (within the New Mexico higher education system).

Mathematics


(Check individual program requirements)

Total Credit Hours Required: 4


*Certificate students are required to successfully (with a grade of C or higher) pass MTH 113  (or higher) to earn their certificate. Check with the program advisor for additional mathematics courses required by individual programs as some programs require higher levels of mathematics.

**All degree students are strongly encouraged to take the College Algebra course; however, other college level mathematics courses are listed as alternative/additional options. Check with program advisors for additional mathematics courses that may be required in some programs.

Note: Not all of the mathematics courses listed are on the New Mexico Articulation Matrix of transferable courses.

Total Credit Hours Required: 4


Note: Not all of the science courses listed are included on the New Mexico Articulation Matrix as transferable courses.

Humanities and Social & Behavioral Sciences


(Check individual program requirements)

Total Credit Hours Required: 3


Note: Cross-listed courses may only be used to fulfill requirements in one, not all, of the areas in which they are listed. Example: NAVA 2210  may not be used to fulfill requirements in both Diné Studies and Humanities; the course will only satisfy the requirement in one of those areas.

Total Credit Hours Required: 3


Computer Technology


(Check individual program requirements)

Total Credit Hours Required: 3


**Certificate and Associate degree students must complete BCIS 1115  or higher as specified by individual program requirements. Some programs may require additional credits in computer technology; students should check with their program advisor to determine if they are required to take other computer technology courses.

Total Credit Hours Required: 3


Total Credit Hours Required: 8


Humanities and Social & Behavioral Sciences


Total Credit Hours Required: 12


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