General Education Information
Preparing you for life and work.
- Arts in Society
- Civic Life
- Social and Cultural Understanding
- Personal Understanding
- Science and Technology
If you have questions that are not answered here, please don’t hesitate to call us at (705) 728-1968 ext. 1621 or email dmoore@georgianc.on.ca. We’re here to help you!
The Role of General Education in the College Curriculum
Students enrol in Georgian College programs to fulfil specific vocational goals. The college, for its part, recognizes the importance of job-specific education by providing both an academic and, in most programs, an on-the-job experiential component.
The academic component is divided into vocationally-specific courses, communications courses, and general education courses. Communications and general education courses, grouped under the heading Liberal Arts, help students achieve a number of different goals. Specifically, these Communications and general education courses:
- Complement the vocational courses by helping students develop competencies in writing, reading, research and critical thinking;
- Create a context for students’ vocational goals by helping them understand their role in the broader world as knowledgeable and responsible members of society;
- Develop skills necessary to continue learning in an increasingly complex, interdependent world.
In addition, the general education program offers students a wide range of course choices in a number of different disciplines along with the opportunity to meet and collaborate with students with a variety of vocational interests.
Georgian’s general education program contains an array of elective courses that fall into three major categories:
- Arts and Humanities
- Social Science
- Science and Technology
General education requirements vary by program. To find out how many general education courses you need to take, consult your program area. You can also review the academic policy for general education.
Previous Learning
Assessment of Previous Learning
If you have previous learning experience and want to have that experience assessed for credit, you have at least two options:
- You can request an exemption based on a postsecondary course you have taken by matching the learning outcomes with those of a Georgian College course; or
- You can apply for PLAR (Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition) if you can demonstrate that you have acquired equivalent learning through life and/or work experience.
Exemptions
An exemption based on another credit course (or courses) may be granted for a credit course that is part of your program (including general education). You must have achieved a minimum mark of 60 or a grade of C to apply for the exemption. You need to supply appropriate transcripts and course outlines to have your application assessed. If the exemption is granted, your Georgian College transcript will show the code “EX” and no course mark will be recorded.
For more information regarding the exemptions process, refer to the Policies and Procedures section on our web site.
Process
You can apply for an exemption from a general education course at any time, except in the case where you are already enrolled in a course and the Add/Drop period has expired (10 days from the start of the course). A fee is levied for individual exemption requests (whether or not the application is granted), up to a maximum per term (except where noted otherwise). Exemption request forms can be obtained from the Registrar’s Office, your program area, or the General Education Office.
The application process for PLAR is similar. You must submit a request for exemption based on life and work experience and be prepared to support your application with documentary evidence and, if necessary, undergo a challenge test. Every Georgian College course outline explains the PLAR requirements for that particular course. A fee is levied for each PLAR request. This fee is payable in advance.
For assessment of General Education courses, contact:
- Terry Heittola
- Co-ordinator
- General Education
- Office: B228, Founders Building
- (705) 728-1968 ext. 1619
- theittola@georgianc.on.ca
Course Offerings
Course listings are available for the upcoming semester only and are only available for courses offered on the Barrie Campus. Please contact other campuses for their current offerings.
General education course offerings vary from term to term. You will be able to choose your gen ed from a range of subject areas: social sciences, humanities, arts and literature, and science and technology.
While gen ed is designed to offer you a breadth of content areas, your program may recommend that you take certain courses because they are closely related to the vocational objectives of the program. Consult your program information literature or ask your program co-ordinator for advice.
In YEAR 1 of your program, your choices during registration may include:
- 20th Century Canada
- Contemporary Ethical Issues
- Developing Leadership
- Environmental Concerns
- Health & Safety in the Workplace
- Human Behaviour in the Workplace
- Introduction to Psychology
- Introduction to Sociology
- Personal Finance
- Social Impact of Technology
- Understanding Science
After year 1, you will choose your courses based on a selection of upper level General Education courses.
Part Time Studies
Some General Education courses are offered in the evening through Part-time Studies. These courses can be credited towards the General Education requirements for most Georgian College post-secondary certificate and diploma programs.
Registration for all part-time courses for all semesters begins around mid-July. A listing of the courses offered through Part-time Studies can be accessed through the Part-Time Studies Annual Calendar at http://www.georgianc.on.ca/part-time.
