General Education Program

Kean’s General Education (GE) Program helps students integrate knowledge and methods to explore historical and contemporary issues from multiple perspectives.

Through GE courses, students build skills in oral and written communication, quantitative and information literacy, and critical thinking. They strengthen research abilities, collaborate with peers and faculty, and engage with global and local perspectives while embracing core values such as ethical judgment, integrity, active citizenship, and diversity.

The GE Program provides support to first-year students through experiences that acculturate students to the academic, social, and emotional demands of college and by modeling behavior designed to ensure retention, successful degree completion, and graduation. Through the GE Program, students are engaged in active learning experiences in a curriculum consisting of a wide range of courses in the liberal arts designed to enhance the knowledge and skills of all Kean University undergraduate students.

Student Learning Outcomes

• Transdisciplinarity: the ability to integrate knowledge and methods from different fields to address historical or contemporary questions.

• Critical Thinking: the ability to utilize reflective analysis to draw informed conclusions.

• Quantitative Literacy: the ability to utilize numerical data accurately and effectively to address real-world problems.

• Communication Literacies: the ability to speak and write effectively to convey an evidence-based argument.

• Information and Technology Literacies: the ability to utilize information and communications technology critically and effectively in a rapidly changing world. 

• Active Citizenship: a commitment to lifelong civic engagement at a local, national and/or global level.

• Ethical Judgment and Integrity: the ability to draw responsible conclusions from ethical questions to guide personal conduct.

• Diversity: a commitment to promote inclusivity in a diverse world.

The academic implications of the revised GE Program are manifold and will be transformative for the institution and student learning. In addition to creating more dynamic, inclusive, and supportive learning environments through innovative pedagogy and curricular models, a well-structured GE Program will support a range of institutional needs and mandates. Learn more.