The Wesleyan Education – GenEds
I know this is a little far off (for you at least!), but graduation requirements are just one of the many things that you should be asking about at all of the colleges and universities that you visit. Wesleyan’s graduation requirements are straightforward – complete 32 credits (each class = 1 credit, with some exceptions, like PhysEd) and – I know this is surprising – complete a major (or two!).
Wait… that’s all? Well, yes and no. In an effort to create a standard body of knowledge that becomes synonymous with its graduates, many colleges and universities establish a Core Curriculum, which each and every student is required to fulfill. Wesleyan is not one of them – there is no one class that everyone at Wes has taken. However, there are some guidelines for your course of study while here: they are called the General Education Expectations, or GenEds. Note that GenEds are dubbed expectations not requirements – about 20% of the student body never complete their GenEds. However, GenEd completion is a requirement of being eligible for Phi Beta Kappa, University Honors, as well as for acceptance, completion and/or Honors in some departments – so pay attention!
Okay… so what are these expectations anyway? By the time you graduate from Wesleyan, the University would like to see that you have taken three courses from each of three divisions – Humanities and Arts (HA), Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS), and Natural Sciences and Mathematics (NSM). Never fear – again, the GenEds are NOT Core! This means that YOU choose the courses that you want to use to fulfill the expectations – no one else. These courses can be Intro courses to other majors, or courses designed by departments specifically with the non-major in mind. Most Wesleyan students complete their GenEds without even thinking about them – if you study across the curriculum, following your varied interests, you’ll get them done in no time and even by accident (as I did). Here are some awesome options for this coming year, for majors and non-majors alike:
HA (Humanities and Arts)
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AFAM 129 / ENGL 129 – Resisting the Romance in Black and White and Technicolor
FILM 307 – Western Movies: Myth, Ideology, and Genre
SBS (Social and Behavioral Sciences)
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HIST 116 – Education in Society: Universities as Agents of Change, Ivory Towers, or Knowledge Factories
RELI 273 / AFAM 273 / AMST 276 – Vodou in Haiti – Vodou in Hollywood
NSM (Natural Sciences and Mathematics)
As Justin H. mentioned earlier, WesMaps is easy to navigate and exciting to peruse! Explore!
Jacqueline Chapman ‘08
Senior Interviewer
