University Sustainability

Defining Sustainability since 1899

General Education Program

Appalachian's General Education Program offers a rigorous liberal education that includes 44 semester hours of courses from across the university, plus two courses in the major program that address the General Education goals of critical and creative thinking; effective communication; making local-to-global connections; and understanding responsibilities of community membership.

Our General Education curriculum aligns with the University's Strategic Plan directive to create a transformational educational experience by: facilitating interdisciplinary and integrative approaches to teaching and learning; enhancing academic quality and improving student retention and success; and engaging students in diverse experiences to increase their intercultural competence and cultivate engaged global citizenship.

Appalachian's General Education curriculum also aligns with national best practices that empower students, regardless of their chosen major, with broad knowledge and transferable skills, and a strong sense of values, ethics, and civic engagement for responsible global citizenship. We respond to the demands of the 21st century for broadly educated, informed, and engaged citizens. We prepare college graduates with higher levels of learning and knowledge as well as strong intellectual and practical skills to navigate this more demanding environment successfully and responsibly.

The nine-credit hour Integrative Learning Experience includes many sustainability-related fields of interest, including Appalachian Mountains: Community, Culture, and Land and Sustainability and Global Resources.