General Education and Degree Requirements

General Education Section Explanation:

1. Communication. An individual who engages great questions and who seeks solutions informed by reasoning.
2. Humanities and Fine Arts. A member of a social and cultural group and who recognizes his/her own social and cultural heritage.
3. History and Social Sciences. A world citizen who appreciates the cultural contributions of other societies and who understands and appreciates other cultures. This includes a citizen who understands the role of government and its institutions.
4. Mathematics and Natural Sciences. A member of society who understands important aspects of the physical nature of the universe, the earth, and/or living organisms found thereon. A person who understands the scientific method as a mode of modern inquiry. And who can process ideas through reasoning, evaluating old ideas and developing new ones.
5. Ethics. Someone whose understanding transcends the academy and is informed by an appreciation for a greater good.

Each student seeking a baccalaureate degree must complete the appropriate general education requirements, the requirements of a major, and a minimum of 120 credit hours. All students entering the University with fewer than 24 hours of college credit must complete the Introduction to University Life and Liberal Arts Tradition (PDMT 1101) as a part of the 120 credit hours. A student may choose to complete a minor as part of the 120 required hours. Each course in a student's declared major, minor, concentration, certificate, or endorsement must be passed with a grade of "C" or higher.

Students entering Piedmont with substantial language ability (at least of two years of the same foreign language in high school with at least a “B” average) and/or established placement from another institution may complete only the 1102-level course to fulfill the foreign language general education requirement. Additionally, if a student successfully completes a 2000-level or higher course in a foreign language, the foreign language requirement is considered satisfied.