Associate Degree Requirements

General Education Curriculum: Liberal Arts Core Education (LACE)

The purpose of LACE is to offer a liberal education intentionally grounded in the ideals of the CSJ Core Values and the Mission of Mount Saint Mary’s University.  The goal of the curriculum is to emphasize leadership and a spirit to serve while enabling students with the knowledge and skills needed to better themselves, their environments, and the world.  In the pursuit of this goal, innovative teaching and learning surround the principles central to a Mount education:  the Spirit of our Founders, Community, Global Awareness and Understanding, and Women and Gender.

Student success is measured through the following LACE learning outcomes:

1. Written Communication:  Students will be able to effectively express ideas in written form.
2. Quantitative Reasoning:  Students will be able to solve problems and draw conclusions.
3. Critical Thinking:  Students will be able to recognize assumptions, their underlying values, as well as assess and develop arguments.
4. Spirit of the Founders:  Students will engage in the Catholic Intellectual Tradition as expressed in the CSJ mission of serving God and Neighbor as one by analyzing and applying this knowledge to advance core values of social justice, human rights and engagement.
5. Community:  Students will critically analyze and apply disciplinary perspectives and contexts to the studies of communities, in order to build a sense of responsibility and skills necessary to serve.
6. Global Awareness and Understanding:  Students will evaluate or apply modes of academic inquiry to historical and/or current global contexts.
7. Women and Gender:  Students will critically evaluate the role of women and gender in society.

Liberal Arts Core Education (LACE) Requirements

The following structure and content for the LACE General Education Curriculum applies to all Associate degrees.

Students may not take general education courses on a Credit/No Credit basis. All courses used to fulfill General Education requirements must be passed with a grade of C- or above, with the exception of ENG 1A and ENG 1B, which must be completed with a grade of C or better, or ENG 5H with a grade of B or better.

The university policy on challenge examinations will prevail in the General Education Curriculum.

First Year Seminar (4 units) - GE 1:

The First-Year Seminar (FYS) is comprised of two semester-long courses designed to intellectually empower new students in their introduction to Mount Saint Mary's University. Both semesters provide a liberal arts learning environment that is grounded in innovative teaching and learning and incorporates a variety of academic and co-curricular subjects. Successful completion of both semesters of FYS within their first year is required for graduation from MSMU for all students entering the University with fewer than 24 units (graded). Completion of both semesters with at least a “C-“ is required. FYS 1 is a pre-requisite for FYS 2.

Written Communication (3 - 6 units) - GE 2:

LACE includes 3 - 6 units of Written Communication.  This includes either ENG 1A (3 units) and ENG 1B (3 units), both of which must be completed with a C or better; or ENG 5H (3 units) alone if completed with a B or above.

Reasoning (6-9 units) - GE 3:

LACE includes 6-9 units of Reasoning, with 3-6 units of Math and 3 units of Critical Thinking.

A. Math (3-6 units):

B. Critical Thinking (3 units):

Central Core (6 units) - GE 5:

For Associate Degrees, LACE includes 6 units of course work in the Central Core category. One course (3 units) must be completed within either Spirit of the Founders or Community; a second course (3 units) must be completed within either Global Awareness and Understanding or Women and Gender.  Courses may not be taken directly within, or cross-listed within, a student’s major department.  Courses may be either upper or lower division.

(Note that for the Baccalaureate Degree, 12 units of course work are required in the Central Core category, with 3 units completed in each core: Spirit of the Founders, Community, Global Awareness and Understanding, and Women and Gender. No more than 2 courses may be taken within a single department for the Baccalaureate LACE requirement.)

A. Spirit of the Founders or B. Community

One course (3 units) must be taken from one of the following areas:

Spirit of the Founders. This includes coursework that deepens students’ understanding of the Mission of the University and the spirit and charism of its founders, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet.  Courses are rooted in the Catholic Intellectual Tradition, and the CSJ charism to “serve God and Neighbor as one.”

Community. This includes courses designed to develop each student’s sense of responsibility along with the skills and knowledge necessary to serve the communities in which we live and work.  In addition, some courses include learning experiences that provide opportunities for students to contribute to the well-being of the cities and neighborhoods in which they live. 

C. Global Awareness and Understanding or D. Women and Gender

One course (3 units) must be taken from one of the following:

Global Awareness and Understanding. This involves coursework that enables students to analyze global systems, understand world cultures and events in historical or current contexts, and value cultural differences.  The U.S. may be a point of comparison, but it is not be in itself the focus of the course.

Women and Gender. This includes courses designed to empower and challenge students to strive for excellence, both as scholars and contributors to a more just society. Courses emphasize the development of women as leaders, with an awareness and understanding of the roles of women and/or gender in society.

Double Counting Courses

Within LACE General Education:

No courses within the LACE curriculum may double count for any other area of the LACE requirement.

Between LACE and Majors:

Courses fulfilling the LACE Written Communication and Reasoning requirements may double count towards a student’s major.

LACE courses satisfying the Central Core requirement may not double count towards a student’s major.

Note: An exception to the policy on double counting between LACE and a major is made for the Associate of Arts degree in Liberal Arts. Due to the nature of this major, courses used to meet AA Liberal Arts requirements may double count for LACE general education requirements.

Note: An exception to the policy on double counting between LACE and a major is made for the Associate of Arts degree in Nursing. Due to the nature of this major, 6 units of general education courses required to meet AA Nursing requirements may double count for LACE general education requirements, provided that the student meet all other Associate degree requirements and complete a minimum of 60 units.