SUNY General Education Framework
The State University of New York’s overarching goal is to empower students to meet the changing demands of the 21st century. Embedded in this goal is SUNY’s commitment to broad access to the highest quality education, deep and engaged learning, and overall student success.
SUNY General Education supports these goals by creating a system‐wide framework applicable to all SUNY undergraduate degree programs that address the fundamental aims of postsecondary undergraduate education, including proficiency with essential skills and competencies, familiarization with disciplinary and interdisciplinary ways of knowing, and enhancement of the values and disposition of an engaged 21st-century global citizenry.
Moreover, SUNY General Education promotes equity by equipping SUNY undergraduates, regardless of background, program of study, or campus, with foundational capacities fostered through a broad liberal education to prepare them for further study, work, life, and global citizenship. It encourages students to explore subjects and learning experiences beyond their intended major and fosters a commitment to personal growth and life‐long learning.
Importantly, SUNY General Education supports seamless transfer of students between and among SUNY institutions and it ensures consistency in expected system‐level learning outcomes while enabling individual campuses to develop unique signature features, including their respective array of educational offerings and pedagogical approaches.
Community college students who have not completed the General Education Framework requirements in two years are eligible to transfer to a four-year SUNY college or university, but they are required to fulfill General Education Framework requirements while at the four-year school. Students are advised to complete this fulfillment at the community college level to make room for academic major requirements at the four-year level.
SUNY General Education Knowledge and Skills Areas, and Core Competencies
Knowledge and Skills Areas - first four required
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Communication - written and oral
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Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice
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Mathematics (and quantitative reasoning)
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Natural Sciences (and Scientific Reasoning)
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Humanities
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Social Sciences
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The Arts
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US History and Civic Engagement
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World History and Global Awareness
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World Languages
Core Competencies - both required
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Critical Thinking and Reasoning
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Information Literacy
General Education Requirements based on degree type:
For A.A. and A.S. degree programs, the following credit and category requirements apply:
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At least 30 credits of SUNY GE‐approved Liberal Arts and Sciences
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A minimum of seven (of ten) Knowledge and Skills Areas, including the four specifically required Knowledge and Skills Areas
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The two core competencies
For A.A.S. degree programs, the following credit and category requirements apply:
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At least 20 credits of SUNY GE‐approved Liberal Arts and Sciences
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A minimum of the four (of ten) specifically required Knowledge and Skills Areas
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The two core competencies
For A.O.S. degree programs, the following credit and category requirements apply:
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A minimum of zero credits of SUNY GE‐approved Liberal Arts and Sciences
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A minimum of the four (of ten) specifically required SUNY GE Knowledge and Skills Areas (freestanding courses or embedded)
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The two core competencies (freestanding courses or embedded)
Following is the listing of Knowledge and Skills Areas, related Student Learning Outcomes, and related SUNY Erie course offerings approved in each Knowledge and Skills Area. Further, the Core Competencies of Critical Thinking and Reasoning, Information Literacy, and their related Institutional Learning Outcomes.
