General Education FAQs for First-Time Freshman
General Education FAQs
Q: Do I have to take the classes in any special order?
A: A student should take University Strategies his/her first semester and capstone
after 45 hours. The computer proficiency credit should be completed within the first
30 hours.
Q: What if I want to take more than the required hours in a category?
A: These extra hours can be counted as free electives in some majors.
Q: Who can tell me what my GE requirements are?
A: Degree Works, Advisor, website, University Advising Center.
Q: I transferred to NSU. What are my GE requirements?
A: Without an associate's degree, a transfer student is required to complete NSU's
GE requirements. With an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree from a
state institution in Oklahoma or approved out-of-state institution, a transfer student
does not need to take any of NSU's GE requirements except for those that are specifically
required for the major.
Q: I plan to transfer to another university. How does that affect my GE requirements?
A: A student should check with the institution into which s/he plans to transfer in
order to get a list of the school's particular requirements.
Q: What if there is a class in my major that is also an option in the GE requirements?
Can it count in both?
A: Yes. However, the hours earned will only count once. In other words, the student
will get only 3 hours of credit for a 3-hour course and not 6 hours. The hours will
not be counted twice.
Q: How do I know which math class I should take for my major?
A: Applied math or college algebra will work for most majors, with the exception of
the few majors that require calculus. A student is encouraged to visit with his/her
advisor if not certain about what math class to take.
Q: How do I find out if I am computer-proficient because of a class I took in high
school?
A: A student's high school transcript can be evaluated by Admissions & Recruitment
to determine if the student is considered computer-proficient. If s/he is not, s/he
will have to take a college computer course or the proficiency test.
Q: How/where do I sign up to take the computer proficiency test?
A: Sign up for the computer proficiency test with the testing specialist in the University
Advising Center in the CASE Building.
Q: Can I still graduate in four years by taking the new GE requirements?
A: Yes, the new requirements still allow a student to graduate with 124 hours.
Q: What if I took a second language at another university or college that is not
on the GE list?
A: Those determinations are made by the chair of the Department of Languages & Literature.
Q: Who has to take the Capstone course?
A: Every student under the new general education plan needs to take the General Education
capstone.
Q: What is the Capstone?
A: The capstone course is a 1 hour credit that allows a student to synthesize what
s/he has learned from his/her general education experience.
Q: When do I take the Capstone?
A: The capstone course should be taken after a student has completed 45 credit hours
but before s/he has completed 70 hours of credit.
Still have questions? Contact Academic Advising