General Education
As a Christian liberal arts university, Simpson’s goal is to prepare undergraduate students for effective service in all arenas of life — family, church, community, and vocation. A Simpson graduate is one who will appreciate an inner life that is holistic (nurturing mind, body, and spirit), and yet who is also responsive to the community in which they live and work.
In order to develop these characteristics in our graduates, the General Education (GE) curriculum, called “The Ascent,” immerses students into a breadth of courses drawn from the traditional disciplines that have been the cornerstone of a liberal arts education.
Undergraduate students fulfill this requirement by taking a variety of courses that introduce them to the rich heritage of the humanities and sciences as well as the testimony revealed in the biblical narrative and Christian traditions. Through this part of the curriculum students explore, discover, critique, and come to marvel at the created order as well as the variety of expressions that characterize the human condition.
Students also gain basic skills in the core competencies of a liberal education including written and oral communication, quantitative reasoning, information literacy, and critical thinking. Core competencies are also embedded into learning outcomes at the program major level. Thus, a student who enters Simpson University as an undergraduate, moves through the general education and program courses, developing core competency skills.
ASCEND THE MOUNTAIN WITH PURPOSE, FOR THE VIEW FROM THE SUMMIT IS EARNED, NOT GIVEN.
BASECAMP (24 UNITS)
Before setting out on the Ascent, there are both things one needs to be able to do and things one needs to know. Simpson University’s GE “Base Camp” is the learning space where those skills and literacies will begin to be developed. The Basic skills and literacies offered by an institution are valuable for any number of reasons, but primarily because they allow a person to function independently in both personal and professional settings. These foundations are most frequently recognized in the realm of core competencies: communication (the ability to read, write, and speak well), quantitative reasoning (the ability to apply mathematics and numeric data for problem solving), information literacy (the ability to acquire, review, and assess information gathered physically or digitally), and critical thinking (the ability to analyze, evaluate, and draw logical conclusions) –but additionally, a Simpson education also requires basic literacies to construct a Christian worldview. The following courses will set the foundation for the Ascent.
BASECAMP COURSES
- The Liberal Arts Path at Simpson (2 units, 1 unit for transfer students)
- English Writing (3 units)
- Oral Communications (3 units)
- Quantitative Reasoning (3 units)
- Biblical & Christian Worldview (9 units)
- Scientific Methods & Reasoning (4 units)
EXPEDITION (19 UNITS BA, 13 UNITS BS)
The Expedition Section features five “trails” the Simpson student must navigate on their academic journey to the summit. The five trails represent broad topical areas that capture the breadth of a liberal arts education. Within each trail, students have options to select discipline specific courses that meet the learning outcomes for the GE.
EXPEDITION TRAILS
TRAIL #1: ARTISTIC EXPRESSION (CHOOSE AT LEAST 3 UNITS)
An Artistic Expressions course examines the incredible creativity of humanity as they respond to the challenges, pains, and triumphs of life through artistic mediums and language. Students seeking the BA degree must choose at least 3 units from the following courses. Students seeking the BS degree must choose only 3 units from this trail.
Course options:
BIBL 4230 Psalms (3), BILA 2210 Greek (3), BILA 2260 Hebrew (3), COMM 2300 Digital Photography (3), ENGL 2100 Introduction to Literature (3), ENGL 3200W Advanced Composition (3), HUMA 2440 Fine Arts & Western Culture (3), LING 3350 Language Acquisition (3), MUAP 1712 Simpson Chorale (1, and/or MUSI 1600 Music in History and Context (3).
TRAIL #2: CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES (CHOOSE AT LEAST 3 UNITS)
A Cultural Perspectives course explores the cultural diversity of the world and teaches students to appreciate and value all individuals as bearers of the image of God. Students seeking the BA degree must choose at least 3 units from this trail. Students seeking the BS degree must choose only 3 units from this trail.
Course options:
ANTH 3110 Cultural Anthropology (3), CCST 3740 Peoples of the World (3), COMM 2100 Media & Culture (3), COMM/LING 4330 Communicating Cross Culturally (3), ENGL 3220 World Literature (3), HIST 3385 History of the Islamic World (3), HUMA 1450 World Civilizations I (3), HUMA 1460 World Civilization II (3), and/or POLS 2000 Politics and Culture of the Developing World (3).
TRAIL #3: CIVIC ENGAGEMENTS (CHOOSE AT LEAST 3 UNITS)
A Civic Engagement course is one in which students are introduced to the concepts, practices, and obligations of our civic and economic processes and their effects on humanity. These courses empower students to be engaged and informed citizens in a democratic society. Students seeking the BA degree
must choose at least 3 units from this trail. Students seeking the BS degree must choose only 3 units from this trail.
Course options:
BUSS 1950 Introduction to Economics (3), COMM 2090 Small Group Communication (3), POLS 2700 Introduction to Political Science (3), POLS 2720 American Government (3), and/or POLS 3000 Political Thought (3).
TRAIL #4: SCIENCE AND SOCIETY (CHOOSE AT LEAST 3 UNITS)
A Science and Society course is one in which students explore the manifold wonder of the created order and gain a better appreciation for the complexity of the earth and the interconnectedness of all that dwells in it. These courses provide an introduction to the natural and social sciences and offer an overview of a given field and its skills. Students seeking the BA degree must take at least 3 units from this trail. Students seeking the BS degree must choose only 3 units from this trail.
Course options:
BIOL 3510 Environmental Science (3), BIOL 3540 Human Biology (3), ODLE 3015 Environmental Education (3), PHYS 3200 Earth and Space Science (3), and/or PSYC 1600 Introduction to Psychology (3).
TRAIL #5: ADVENTURE RECREATION (CHOOSE AT LEAST 1 UNIT)
An Adventure Recreation course is one in which students either engage in physical activity and/or enter into the natural world and learn how to be healthy and whole individuals in both mind and body. Students seeking the BA degree must take at least 1 unit in this trail. Students seeking the BS degree must choose only 1 unit from this trail.
Course options:
ODLE 1005 Wilderness Journey (3), ODLE 1060 Hiking (1), ODLE 1015 Snowshoeing/Winter Camping (1), ODLE 1020 Rock Climbing (1), ODLE 1025 Mountaineering (1), ODLE 1040 Mountain Biking (1), ODLE 1050 Kayaking (1), ODLE 1055 Canoeing (1), and/or ODLE 1070 Cross-Country Skiing (1)
SUMMIT (3 UNITS)
As students gain essential skills and knowledge from the Ascent, they eventually reach the Summit. These upper division courses require a high degree of reflection and cross-disciplinary integration of their academic journey through the GE curriculum. As a result, Summit courses are designed to be taken after a student completes 45 total units and has completed at least one course in each trail (#1-5) of the Expedition. Typically, students take the Summit Course in their Junior year.
SUMMIT COURSE OPTIONS
- Microenterprise Development
- Advanced Public Communication
- History of Christianity
- Music in World Cultures
- Survey of Leadership Theories
- Philosophy and Critical Thought
- Lifespan Development
- Christian Theology
- Issues in Ethics
PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES
Simpson’s “The Ascent” program for General Education symbolically carries forward the long tradition of the Christian’s pursuit of higher wisdom and revelation as well as our local regional tradition of the hiker’s pursuit of inspiring vistas and rewarding destinations. The three sections of the curriculum, Basecamp, Expedition, and Summit, refer to levels our students ascend as they engage in their core studies at Simpson university. Each level, as described below, fulfills General Education Learning Outcomes by completing the courses within that section. All traditional undergraduate students, including transfers, must meet the General Education requirements in order to graduate.
