General Studies Program Courses

The General Studies program offers all of the required general education courses (48 credits).
The Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree requires completion of 60 semester credits (48 credits of general education courses and 12 credits of elective courses).
Credits are listed in parentheses.
Each course meets 1 time each week for 5 - 6 weeks.

GENERAL EDUCATION COURSES: 48 credits

BIBL230 • The Bible in Real Life (3)
Exploration of connections between key portions of the Bible and challenges faced by learners in their own lives. Learners will trace the journey of God’s people from Abraham and Sarah through the New Testament church, tracing God’s self-disclosure through biblical cultures and their genres of writing.

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 core 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 is on the writing process, critical thinking, sensitivity to audience, core documentation skills and responsibilities, and revision (with peer and instructor feedback).

GENS150 • Reading and Responding to the Arts (3)
Cultivation of critical reading and writing skills through an examination of artistic “texts” from a variety of genres: literature, drama, cinema, music, or the visual arts. Learners will develop their discernment of rich dimensions of the texts—technique, genre, social-historical context—and reflect on their spiritual signification.

GENS220 • Academic Research Writing (3)
Focus is on critically reviewing and formally reporting research materials drawn from peer reviewed, academic journals. Course work assumes that learners bring a body of research information with them on entering the course. Learners cannot receive credit for both GENS220 and GENS225. Prerequisite: GENS210R.

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. They will reflect on how the past shapes and informs the present.

HEPE260Y • Physical Wellness for Life (3)
Focus is on helping learners live healthier, more active lives by understanding and practicing healthy exercise, nutritional habits, and stress management. 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.

To complete requirements for the A.A. degree, choose one 3-credit course from each of the following categories (see College of Adult & Professional Studies Catalog):

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)