General Education Courses

Courses approved for the purposes of general education at Bergen Community College are regarded as general education courses at many, but not all, other colleges and universities in New Jersey and other states. To determine which of the following courses will meet general education requirements at New Jersey colleges or universities, visit NJ Transfer njtransfer.org.

Students interested in transferring to out-of-state schools should consult the catalogs and websites of those institutions.

General Education Categories and Requirements

General Education courses are categorized into eight broad categories:

  1. Communications, which includes courses in reading, writing, speaking, and listening, and other courses designed to enhance facility in the English language.
  2. Humanities, which includes the fields of arts and media, literature, philosophy and religion, and world languages and cultures. General education courses in these fields emphasize cognitive comprehension, appreciation, and criticism of the human intellectual and cultural heritage.
  3. Mathematics and Computer Science, which includes courses in college-level mathematics and computer science. General education courses in this area are designed to provide students with a conceptual understanding of the nature and applications of mathematics and computer science, with special emphasis on quantitative reasoning and algorithmic approaches to the specification, analysis, and solution of problems.
  4. Technology, which includes courses that emphasizes common computer technology skills (e.g. computer science, information technology) that helps students to access, process, and present information.
  5. Natural Sciences, which includes courses in the physical and biological sciences. Such courses focus on the disciplined, scientific study of the natural world and are designed to provide students with a conceptual understanding of the nature of science and its methods of inquiry.
  6. Social Sciences, which includes courses in economics, geography, political science, psychology, and sociology and anthropology. General education courses in the social sciences concentrate on the promotion of self-awareness and social-mindedness in students; on major social, economic, and political problems of contemporary society; and on the responsibilities of citizenship in the modern world.
  7. History, which includes any broad-based course(s) or sequence of courses in World, Western, non-Western, or American History.
  8. Diversity, which includes courses whose purpose is to expose students to a multicultural society or people, possibly within the context of non-introductory study of a foreign language.

To complete general education requirements, students must complete a certain number of courses in each category.  The number of required courses depends on the degree, major, and program. These numbers are specifically delineated in the college catalog for every program offered by the college. Students are advised to review the specific general education requirements in their respective programs of study in the college catalog.