All students in the undergraduate bachelor's degree program, regardless of major concentration, are required to complete a comprehensive set of courses designed to challenge the student to a never-ending quest for new knowledge and personal growth. The liberal arts General Education curriculum opens new dimensions to the student through the study of great personalities, ideas, and movements of history. These foundational courses explore an understanding of social science, mathematics, science, literature, history, intercultural awareness, art, philosophy, and because of our unique Christian perspective, foundational Biblical truths. The faculty members in every major field of concentration expect students to approach specific courses of study with this comprehensive underpinning of cultural, philosophical, literary and historical understanding. Within the liberal arts core curriculum is the Cultural Perspectives sequence, which consists of ten integrative courses that present the study of culture from a variety of perspectives: writing, Christian Tradition, history, literature, art and music, biblical literature, science, philosophy, and world religions. The culminating course is Living Issues, a capstone course taken in the senior year, designed to help students relate these cultural perspectives to their major and to problems in the modern world. It is the objective and the responsibility of the college to transmit cultural heritage, to cultivate a love of learning, and to provide the student with a firm basis to solve contemporary problems. The general education core requirements are distributed over the entire college experience and are generally intertwined with major courses of study throughout the four-year span. Core requirements for associate degree programs are listed within program descriptions.

General Education Philosophy and Objectives

The goal of General Education at Eastern Nazarene College is to educate students in the context of a Christian understanding of the human experience. Our approach to General Education is founded on our view of God as the ultimate patron of honest exploration, human creativity and dedicated service. We view the world as God's creation and humans as created in the image of God as revealed in Jesus Christ. Our highest goal is to glorify God, which we do by worshipping Him, seeking to understand His creation and serving others. We believe the Holy Spirit offers a good future to the world, enabling and commissioning us to participate in His transforming work. In these ways, the Christian perspective which informs our General Education goals is Wesleyan. ENC's General Education Curriculum is designed to assist students in the lifelong process of formulating, refining and articulating their worldviews in the light of the Christian tradition, the Western heritage, and the current cultural setting. We pursue this goal by offering a curriculum that is designed to achieve the following objectives.

1. To instill in students an appreciation for a God-given coherence and meaning to life.
   
2. To assist students in the development of their physical, intellectual, spiritual and
   aesthetic sensitivities and abilities.
   
3. To develop the critical thinking and analytical, creative and expressive skills for
   articulate reflection and effective communication.
   
4. To provide students with a broad base of general knowledge about the personalities,
   ideas and movements that have shaped the contemporary world.
   
5. To introduce students to the interrelationships among the arts, the sciences, aesthetics,
   morality, historical place and meaning, social existence and religious faith.
   
6. To foster students’ understanding and appreciation of cultures or languages other
   than their own.
   
7. To cultivate a love of learning that serves students throughout their lives.
   
8. To equip and motivate students with the scriptural and theological resources needed
   to engage their culture as Spirit-guided messengers of hope and redemption.

General Education Requirements and Recommended Sequence

All students are required to complete the following set of General Education courses as part of the student’s liberal arts education. Some majors require specific courses to fulfill the General Education requirements. In addition, some majors (particularly science, music education, and education) follow a department recommended sequence. Therefore, it is very important for students to consult closely with their advisor when registering for classes in order to take the required courses in the recommended sequence.

First Year Experience

Credits: 1    

During the first semester on campus, all students who are first time college students or transfer in as freshmen must complete a first year experience course. The purpose of the course is to orient students to college life and to provide basic skills needed to succeed in the classroom. Most students will take CC103 First Year Experience (1 cr.). Students who need to take two or more CAP courses must take CC101 First Year Seminar (3 cr.). Honors students are encouraged to take IS199 Contemporary Questions (3 cr.). Some academic departments have also developed their own First Year Experience course. If so, students will be placed in the appropriate course by the Registrar’s office.

Physical Education Requirement

Credits: 2    

Recommended for Freshman/Sophomore years: All students are required to complete 2 credits of physical education activity courses. All courses are graded as Pass/Fail. All courses are repeatable for credit with the exception of PE222 First Aid and CPR. Varsity athletes may earn credit for participation in a varsity sport upon official request by the student to the athletic department for a maximum of 2 credits. One credit may be earned for each full season of varsity participation. See the Movement Arts Department for a list of previously offered activities. Only PE001/002 course numbers may be earned toward the PE requirement. Skill and Theory courses (200 level) are offered only to Movement Arts and Physical Education majors.

Lab Science Requirement and Math or Science Requirement

Choose: 2     Credits: 7    

All students must fulfill this requirement with two of the following courses. One course MUST be a LAB SCIENCE. The other may be a science or mathematics course, unless otherwise specified in certain majors. Students should consult with their advisor to determine if specific courses are required for their major. For most students it is HIGHLY recommended that students fulfill their math and lab science options during their freshman year in order to build on their previous educational experiences. Students who are required to take either MA098/MA099 must successfully complete these courses before taking any of the mathematics (including PS251 Statistics for the Social Sciences) or any science courses.

Social Science Requirement

Choose: 1     Credits: 3    

Students may fulfill this requirement by taking a course from the list below. The course used to fulfill this requirement generally may not be used for another core requirement or to meet a requirement in the major. Please be sure to take note of prerequisites for all courses. Students should consult their major degree requirements to determine if a course is required for their major.

Language Requirement

Credits: 6    

Students who have not successfully completed a two-year language sequence in high school must fulfill this requirement with two introductory foreign language courses (Hebrew, Greek, Spanish). Students who have successfully completed the language sequence in high school need not take language courses at ENC unless a department requires it as part of a given major. Students should check the requirements for their major to see if a language is required.

Cultural Perspectives Requirement

Credits: 30    

A distinctive feature of the curriculum at Eastern Nazarene College is the Cultural Perspectives sequence. This is a series of courses which seek to integrate various disciplines in the liberal arts (e.g., philosophy, history, literature, natural sciences) in the context of Christian higher education. The primary goal of this sequence is to introduce students to various ways of understanding the world while maintaining a Christian perspective. Each course presents students with content which is related to other courses in the sequence on a regular basis. As a result, our aim is to help students see the interrelated nature of knowledge. This approach is based on our core belief that all truth is from God, meaning that there is a oneness and unity to all human understandings. The Cultural Perspectives sequence attempts to achieve a further goal of enabling students to understand and appreciate the global world in which we live. In the effort to achieve this goal, students are presented with opportunities to engage our diverse world by looking at all aspects of knowledge (e.g., philosophy, art, literature, music, religion, etc.) through a variety of cultural lenses. The hope is that students will transcend their own cultural contexts and begin to see the world from the perspective of others. Throughout the Cultural Perspectives sequence, students are encouraged to develop their critical thinking skills in the context of Biblical concepts of truth, justice, righteousness, and holiness. Students are encouraged to use Christian values as a means of developing their own worldviews as a basis for responding to issues of the day. Where patterns of culture contradict Scriptural mandates, faculty members assist students as they confront and seek to transform the society in which they live. The Cultural Perspectives sequence is at the heart of the curriculum of Eastern Nazarene College. As such, it represents the foundation on which all other aspects of the curriculum are based. Throughout, it seeks to demonstrate that Biblical principles are dependable guides in the development of a worldview that gives meaning and significance to human existence.

Summary of General Education Course Sequence

• Freshman Year
• CP100/CP100L
• CP150
• CP195
• Social Science
• Mathematics
• Lab Science
• First Year Experience
• 2 PE Courses
• Sophomore Year
• CP235
• CP245
• CP250
• CP290
• 2 PE Courses
• Junior Year
• CP325
• CP350
• Senior Year
• CP410