Dr. Zui (Rick) Chih Lee, Director 
gened@njcu.edu

Vision and Mission of the General Education Program

The General Education Program creates life-long learners prepared for success in their personal and civic lives. While a major prepares students for their chosen career path, the General Education Program equips students with the skills and knowledge that make them more adaptable in a fast-evolving job market.

The program is divided amongst three areas:

The first, Intellectual and Practical Skills, equips students with broad, transferable skills that are crucial not only to their academic success but also to their future careers and civic lives. These skills include critical thinking, enabling students to construct well-reasoned arguments and solve problems creatively; written and oral communication, fostering the clear and effective expression of ideas; quantitative literacy, promoting the interpretation and application of numerical information in various contexts; and information literacy, teaching students to locate, evaluate, and ethically use information.

The second, Knowledge of Human Cultures and the Natural World, teaches students the intricacies of human behavior, social structures, and the principles governing natural phenomena. Through the study of histories, values, languages, and ideas of various cultures, students gain a deeper understanding of the human experience, fostering empathy and global awareness. Complementary to this, understanding the physical and natural world involves scientific inquiry, fostering an understanding of the principles and concepts governing our environment and universe. The amalgamation of these studies equips students to make informed and ethical decisions, preparing them to address the complex, interconnected challenges of the 21st century effectively.

The third, Integrated and Applied Learning, teaches students how to apply the knowledge they have acquired through diverse areas of study, both within and beyond academia. This outcome encourages students to synthesize their learnings from general and specialized studies, applying this integrated knowledge to complex, real-world problems. Particularly relevant is the application of knowledge acquired through civic engagement-oriented courses, encouraging students to actively apply their academic learnings to civic issues. This outcome thus fosters adaptable learners, equipped to address the complexities of the professional world and contribute effectively to civic life.

General Education Requirements

The following are required for new students entering the university from fall 2024 onwards. Students who entered before fall 2024 may elect to migrate to this new program. If they do not migrate, they follow the requirements in place during their term of entry. Transfer students who have been awarded an A.A., A.S., B.A., or B.S. from a regionally accredited institution are waived from the entire General Education program. Transfer students who haven’t earned one of these degrees but have earned 60 or more transfer credits are waived from the Civic Engagement and Capstone requirements. Unless migrated over, students who entered NJCU before fall 2024 follow a different set of requirements and should consult the catalog of their entry year.

Requirement                                                                Credits                   

Intellectual and Practical Skills

• Written Communication¹                                            6-9                     
• Quantitative Knowledge²                                          3-4                           
• Oral Communication                                                  3                      
• Information & Technological Literacy                       3                          

Knowledge of Human Cultures and the Natural World

• Scientific Knowledge                                                   3                     
• Society and Human Behavior                                     3                   
• Humanistic Perspectives                                             3                 
• Historical Perspectives                                                3
• Global and Cultural Awareness                                   3

Integrative and Applied Learning (Waived for transfers with 60 or more prior earned credits)

• Capstone Seminar                                                      3
• Civic Engagement                                                      3

Total                                                                              36-40

¹

Students take ENGL 100 in their first semester at NJCU. Their performance in this course determines whether they move directly to ENGL 102 or must first successfully complete ENGL 101. Students who transfer ENGL 101 or ENGL 102 are not required to successfully complete ENGL 100.

²

The Math requirement is determined by the student’s major.

• Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Majors: MATH 175
• Business Majors: MATH 164
• Social Science Majors: MATH 140
• Humanities Majors: MATH 114

Higher level Math courses may substitute for lower level Math courses, e.g., a Humanities major may also take Math 175, 164, and 140 to satisfy their Math General Education requirement. However, lower level Math courses do not substitute for higher level courses, e.g., a Business student may not take Math 114 or Math 140 to satisfy their Math requirement. Other substitutions might be appropriate, in particular, Math 112 may substitute for Math 114 and Math 140. Students must consult with an academic advisor or the Math department for information on these substitutes as well as prerequisites for required Math courses.

Intellectual and Practical Skills

Knowledge of Human Cultures and the Natural World

Integrative and Applied Learning 

Enhancing Access and Transferability

Recognizing the challenges transfer students often face with dropped credis, NJCU restructured its GenEd curriculum to ensure a seamless transition. Notably:

• Alignment with Community Colleges: Courses certified by the New Jersey Council of County Colleges (NJCCC) to satisfy general education requirements at community colleges fulfill NJCU’s GenEd requirements, even if there isn’t a direct course equivalent at NJCU.
• Waivers for Transfer Students: Transfer students with an Associate of Arts (A.A.), Associate of Science (A.S.), Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), or Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree from a regionally accredited institution are exempt from NJCU’s entire GenEd program (per NJ's Transfer Law). Those who earn an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.), or Associate of Fine Arts (A.F.A.), or have transferred in over 60 credits are waived from the Civic Engagement and Capstone requirements.

Celebrating Our Commitment to Transfer Students

NJCU is proud to be the only four-year institution in New Jersey to have implemented comprehensive transfer-friendly policies. This initiative underscores our commitment to:

• Student Success: By reducing barriers, we empower students to focus on their academic and professional goals.
• Timely Graduation: Streamlined credit transfers facilitate on-time degree completion.
• Affordability: Recognizing more transfer credits can lower educational costs for students.