General Studies Courses

Courses (General Education and Electives)

Each course meets one time each week for five or six weeks. Two groups start each year in September and February.

The associate of arts degree contains a balanced program of liberal arts education without orientation to a particular major. Requirements for the degree, 60 semester credits, including 48 credits of general education courses and 12 credits of elective courses, are listed below. The course work can usually be completed in two years of full-time study. Credits are listed in parentheses.

General Education Courses: 48 credits

BIBL230 • The Bible in Real Life (3)
Learners will engage key portions of the Bible and explore the connections between its story and message with challenges in their own lives. They will trace the journey of God’s people from Abraham and Sarah through the New Testament church, highlighting the unifying self-disclosure of God in the various cultures and types of writing of the Old and New Testaments.

CHMN140 • Spiritual Quest (3)
Exploration of a Christian model of spirituality. Hermeneutical and exegetical skills will guide learners as they examine this concept in biblical and extra-biblical contexts. Though asked to explore spirituality from a Christian perspective, learners will be free to decide how they wish to define it.

COMM160 • Basic Communication Skills (3)
Examination of the fundamentals of the communication process with an interactive emphasis on interpersonal, groups/teams, and public speaking; integrating these three specific components and concentrating on how meaning is created, communicated, and transformed within the social/social diversity and human contexts.

GENS110 • Succeeding in College (3)
Introduction to foundational strategies and resources for effective studying, writing, and researching; principles of a Christian liberal arts education at Bethel; relationships between college, family, and career; and Blackboard.

GENS130 • Successful Writing (3)
Development of skills necessary for expressing oneself competently through writing. Emphasis will be on the writing process (invention and organization), revision (with peer and instructor feedback), sensitivity to audience, and core documentation skills and responsibilities.

GENS150 • Reading and Responding to the Arts (3)
Cultivation of reading and writing skills through an examination of literary works, many inspired by artistic expressions found in classical, traditional, and popular forms. Learners attend at least one live creative performance; write short responses to weekly reading assignments; and complete a final synthesizing essay exploring ‘What is art?’ and ‘What role does art play in society, culture, and religious worship?’

GENS220 • Academic Research Writing (3)
Focus is on the higher order skills needed for writing in the context of formal, extensive research including critical thinking, logic, and the skills associated with research writing; long document skills; and formal citation formats. Review of general writing skills such as planning, drafting, revising, editing, and citing material initially covered in other courses.

GENS240 • Christianity and Civilizations (3)
Survey of the mutual influence of the Christian church and the civilizations that arose from the Roman Empire. Learners will consult historical documents, literary and philosophical texts, video and audio clips, and artistic images. Includes reflection on how the past shapes and informs the present.

HEPE260Q (HPE260QX) • Physical Wellness for Life (3)
Focus is on helping learners live healthier, more active lives by understanding and practicing healthy exercise and nutritional habits. Examination of the use/non-use of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs in healthy Christian living, as well as strategies to practice regular physical activity and healthy eating.

ORGL120 • Personal Mission and Leadership Development (3)
Development of an understanding of personal mission and a study of the application of that mission to leadership roles. Emphasis is on identifying personal talents and gifts, and developing leadership skills for interdependent realities.

Choose one course for 3 credits from each of the following categories:

Discovering Our Surrounding World (V category)
Global Cultures and the American Mosaic (E category)
Mathematics (M category)
Reading and Researching the American Experience (R category)
Technology in Our World (T category)
Work and Family Dynamics (W category)

Elective Courses: 12 credits