Core General Education Learning Outcomes

A University of Wisconsin-Platteville education includes the Core General Education Requirements (CGER).  The Core General Education Requirements provide a broad foundation of knowledge and skills. The overall goal is to empower graduates to live thoughtfully, with concern for their professional careers as well as public issues that extend far beyond their professional circles, local communities, or nations.  More specifically, a rigorous University of Wisconsin-Platteville education provides students with the following learning outcomes:

  • Creative Thinking
  • Critical Analysis
  • Critical Thinking
  • Effective Communication Skills
  • Individual Responsibility
  • Intercultural Competency
  • Mathematical Reasoning

These student learning outcomes are satisfied through successful completion of the Core General Education Requirements, degree requirements, and courses in the student's major.  They reflect the University of Wisconsin-Platteville mission to “become broader in perspective, intellectually more astute, ethically more responsible, and contribute wisely as an accomplished professional and knowledgeable citizen in a diverse global community.”

Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning (MQR)

The Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning Core General Education Requirement is aligned with the Mathematical Reasoning student learning outcome.  Individuals with mathematical reasoning skills understand arguments supported by numerical or quantitative evidence. They can represent and solve those arguments in a variety of mathematical formats (using words, tables, graphs, mathematical equations, etc., as appropriate).

Communication and Literacy (CL)

Oral Communication (CL-C)

Oral Communication is a subcategory of the Communication and Literacy Core General Education Requirements.  Oral Communication is aligned with the Effective Communication Skills student learning outcome.  Communication is the expression and development of ideas in speech or writing.  While communication encompasses a range of genres and disciplinary contexts, successful communication is characterized by a clear purpose, thoughtful organization and development of main ideas, effective support, and awareness of audience.

Written Communication (CL-L)

Written Communication is a subcategory of the Communication and Literacy Core General Education Requirements. Written Communication is aligned with the Effective Communication Skills student learning outcome.  Communication is the expression and development of ideas in speech or writing.  While communication encompasses a range of genres and disciplinary contexts, successful communication is characterized by a clear purpose, thoughtful organization and development of main ideas, effective support, and awareness of audience.

Social and Behavioral Science (SBS)

The Social and Behavioral Science Core General Education Requirement is aligned with the Critical Thinking student learning outcome.  Critical thinking is a habit of mind characterized by the comprehensive exploration of issues, ideas, artifacts, quantitative/qualitative data, and/or events before accepting or formulating an opinion or conclusion.

Humanities and Arts (HA)

Humanities (HA-H)

Humanities is a subcategory of the Humanities and Arts Core General Education Requirements.  The Humanities subcategory is aligned with the Critical Analysis student learning outcome.  Critical analysis involves the investigation of a text and its layers of meaning.  Texts are any objects that can be interpreted and therefore include a range of materials, from literary works and philosophical essays to film, television, and historical documents.  Successful critical analysis may focus on a text’s internal features or on the contexts (historical, cultural, etc.) in which it was produced, but it advances an insightful, thoroughly explained, and well-supported argument about the text’s meaning.

Arts (HA-A)

Arts is a subcategory of the Humanities and Arts Core General Education Requirements.  The Arts subcategory is aligned with the Creative Thinking student learning outcome.  Creative thinking involves both knowledge of artistic practice and understanding of how to extend accepted knowledge and/or forms through innovation, experimentation, and reflection.

Natural Science and Wellness (NSW)

Natural Science + Lab (NSWL)

Natural Science with Lab is a subcategory of the Natural Science and Wellness Core General Education Requirements.  Natural Science with Lab is aligned with the Critical Thinking student learning outcome.  Critical thinking is a habit of mind characterized by the comprehensive exploration of issues, ideas, artifacts, quantitative/qualitative data, and/or events before accepting or formulating an opinion or conclusion.

Wellness (NSW-W)

Wellness is a subcategory of the Natural Science and Wellness Core General Education Requirements.  Wellness is aligned with the Individual Responsibility student learning outcome.  Individual responsibility involves taking responsibility for personal and professional wellness and development and preparing oneself for lifelong learning.

Physical Activity (NSW-WA)

Physical Activity is a subcategory of the Natural Science and Wellness Core General Education Requirements.  Physical Activity is aligned with the Individual Responsibility student learning outcome.  Individual responsibility involves taking responsibility for personal and professional wellness and development and preparing oneself for lifelong learning.

Civics and Perspectives (CP)

Civics (CP-C)

Civics is a subcategory of the Civics and Perspectives Core General Education Requirements.  Civics is aligned with the Intercultural Competency learning outcome.  Courses within this category prepare students for responsible civic engagement in a global and pluralistic society by fostering an understanding of diverse worldviews, lived experiences, and perspectives across communities.

Historical Perspectives (CP-P)

Historical Perspectives is a subcategory of the Civics and Perspectives Core General Education Requirements.  Historical Perspectives is aligned with the Critical Analysis student learning outcome.  Critical analysis involves the investigation of a text and its layers of meaning.  Texts are any objects that can be interpreted and therefore include a range of materials, from literary works and philosophical essays to film, television, and historical documents.  Successful critical analysis may focus on a text’s internal features or on the contexts (historical, cultural, etc.) in which it was produced, but it advances an insightful, thoroughly explained, and well-supported argument about the text’s meaning.