Students begin their Daemen University journey with courses designed to assist their transition to college, entice them to explore new ideas and perspectives, and help them develop the skills they need to succeed in their program. The skills and knowledge at the heart of the General Education Program will prepare students to participate in and contribute to, an increasingly diverse and complex world. Key to fostering the student’s development is the General Education Program, which is built around a solid foundation in the Liberal Arts. The Program provides a common educational experience for all students, regardless of major. The Daemen University General Education Program is designed to strengthen students’ intellectual curiosity, professionalism, sense of civic literacy and responsibility, and ability to succeed in a globally integrated world.
The General Education experience consists of ten learning outcomes that are introduced in the General Education Program and are woven throughout the entire curriculum and into the student’s major. As a result of this regular exposure and practice, students develop a greater understanding of, and appreciation for, the skills and knowledge that will be the foundation of their professional and public future. As students complete the General Education Program, they acquire the ability to think, adapt, and act in an increasingly complex and rapidly changing multicultural environment.
The core requires the successful completion of 36 credits of approved General Education courses.
The General Education curriculum entails successful completion of a set of requirements as follows. (These requirements may be satisfied anywhere in the student’s program.)
FIRST YEAR EXPERIENCE (9 Credits)
The first-year experience Includes a first-year seminar and a learning community experience.
First-Year Learning Community experience (6 credits)
First-Year Seminar (3 credits)
Gearing Up. It includes in-person and web-based/experiential learning activities (not credit-bearing).
DEPTH DISCOVERY (9 Credits)
Students will take 9 credits (three courses) of interconnected classes that provide students with the opportunity to explore a topic or set of ideas in depth. Students can fulfill this requirement with an approved Discovery topic, with their own adventure, with an approved interdisciplinary minor, or with a Study-Abroad experience.
Approved Depth Discovery
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Art and Human Expression
“O brave new world, That has such people in’t,” marvels Shakespeare. Although some may question why people need the arts and humanities, many of us enjoy plays and films, go to museums, paint or draw, read books, and write poetry. These creative works take us into imagined worlds that help us to understand how others think and live—and understanding others helps us to become more compassionate and more able to deal with both personal and historical issues. How do we make sense of relationships, of love and suffering, of political and social conflict? How do we view ourselves, compared to those who have come before us and those who will follow us? Art, poetry, drama, philosophy—courses in this discovery will open you to the importance of human creativity as a reflection of our world and help you form your own response.
- CMP-202 Writing Theory & Practice (WIN 2)
- CMP-317 Feature Journalism (WIN 2)
- IND-275 History of Art: Ancient-Medieval (WIN2)
- IND-285 History of Art: Renaissance-Modern (WIN 2)
- IND-328 Image of Women in Art and the Media
- LIT-201 World Literature I
- LIT-202 World Literature II—Myths and Modern Tales
- LIT-212 Readings in American Literature II
- LIT-219 Literature and Film
- LIT-309 Film Seminar — “Women in Film” topic
- LIT-318 English Drama
- LIT-324 Jane Austen
- LIT-340 Dickens & Victorian Culture (WIN 2)
- PHI-216 Ethics
- PHI-314 Philosophy of Art
- PSC-321 Politics and Popular Culture in America (WIN 2)
- REL-322 The Gospels (WIN 2)
- THA-232 Shakespeare in Performance
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Bodies, Mind, and Health
In recent years, healthcare professionals have begun to rethink how we understand health and wellness. Instead of only focusing on the current physiological state of the body, professional organizations, and individual practitioners now recognize that psychological, emotional, and sociocultural factors play an equally important role in someone’s well-being. This discovery emphasizes how individuals psychologically process cultural definitions of health and philosophically evaluate ethical aspects of healthcare. Since each of these approaches depends on evidence-based scientific research, you will also explore how we analyze data about healthcare, both as a society and as individuals.
- CMP-302 Technical Writing (WIN 2)
- HPR-229 Integrative Stress Management
- HPR-313 Principles of Health Behavior Change
- HPR-320 Community Health Education & Disease Prevention
- HSC-233 Herbs, Drugs, Supplements, and the Body
- LIT-329 Imagining Trauma
- LIT-336 Dystopian Literature
- PHI-320 Philosophy of Medicine
- PHI-321 Medical Ethics
- PSY-219 Psychology of Mental Illness
- PSY-231 Behavior Disorders of Childhood & Adolescence
- PSY-232 Experimental Animal Behavior
- PSY-301 Psychology of Human Sexuality and Sexual Health
- PSY-306 Forensic Psychology (online)
- PSY-308 Health Psychology
- PSY-314 Biological Bases of Behavior
- PSY-380 Drugs and Behavior
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Cooperation, Conflict, and Change
How do societies navigate struggle, collaboration, and transformation? Throughout history, individuals and institutions have faced challenges ranging from political upheaval and war to environmental crises and public health threats. Some conflicts lead to destruction, while others spark innovation, cooperation, and reform. This discovery examines how power is gained and contested, how social movements emerge, and how people and nations work toward—or resist—change. Drawing from history, political science, literature, journalism, philosophy, and public health, these courses explore the forces that shape our world and the strategies that create a more just and sustainable future.
- CMP-212 News Writing (WIN 2)
- CMP-217 Rhetoric: Argument and Persuasion (WIN 2)
- CMP-317 Feature Journalism (WIN 2)
- ECO-213 Economics of Inequality (WIN 2)
- HPR-308 Environmental Health
- HPR-320 Community Health Education and Disease Prevention
- HPR-335 Critical Issues in Global Health
- HST-206 Communism, Fascism & Democracy
- HST-220 American History to 1877
- HST-221 American History 1877 to Present
- HST-324 Issues in Global Environmental History
- HST-326 Culture Wars: Social & Political Conflict in Recent US
- History
- LIT-203 Crown, Sword, & Empire: British Lit to 1800 (WIN 2)
- LIT-204 British Literature II: Empire Writes Back
- LIT-212 Readings in American Literature II
- LIT-316 Empire & the Imagination
- LIT-318 English Drama
- LIT-336 Dystopian Literature
- LIT-340 Dickens & Victorian Culture (WIN 2)
- LNG-307 The English Language: Structure, Power, & Change
- LNG-309 Language in Society
- PHI-310 Environmental Ethics
- PHI/REL-211 African American Thought (WIN2)
- PHI/REL-309 The Holocaust
- PHI/REL-328 Comparative Genocide (WIN2)
- PSC-214 Introduction to Refugee Studies
- PSC-216 Politics of (Mis)Representation
- PSC-220 Contemporary International Issues (online)
- PSC-222 Polling and Public Opinion: Following the Will of the
- People?
- PSC-224 Influencing Politics: American Voter in Campaigns and
- Elections
- PSC-231 International Organizations/Global Government
- PSC-305 American Constitutional Law
- PSC-313 Watchdogs vs. Lapdogs: Politics & Media (WIN 2)
- PSY-210 Social Psychology
- PSY-318 Heroes, Healers, and DoGooders: The Psychology of
- Helping and Altruism
- SOC-209 Social Problems
- SOC-243 Child Welfare Policy and Services
- SUST-326 Green Buildings
- SUST-338/IND-338 Food and Agriculture Issues
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Diversity and Human Difference
How do identity and power shape the human experience? Across history and cultures, differences in gender, race, ethnicity, sexuality, class, and religion have influenced social structures, personal identities, and justice movements. This discovery explores the ways individuals and communities navigate inclusion, exclusion, and transformation. You will examine cultural narratives, systemic inequalities, and efforts to build a more just and equitable world. By analyzing diverse perspectives, you will develop a deeper understand- ing of how human differences intersect and evolve, gaining insights into the challenges and possibilities of living in a diverse society.
- HPR-338 Social Determinants of Health
- HSC-221 Issues in Women’s Health
- HST-215/WST-215 Introduction to Women’s Studies
- HST-220 American History to 1877
- HST-221 American History 1877 to Present
- HST-309/WST-309 Intro to the History of American Women
- HST-324 Issues in Global Environmental History
- HST-326 Culture Wars: Social and Political Conflict in Recent US
- History
- IND-328 Image of Women in Art and the Media
- LIT-201 World Literature I
- LIT-202 World Literature II—Myths and Modern Tales
- LIT-204 British Literature II: Empire Writes Back
- LIT-212 Readings in American Literature II
- LIT-309 Film Seminar — “Women in Film” topic
- LIT-316 Empire & the Imagination
- LIT-324 Jane Austen
- LIT-329 Imagining Trauma
- LNG-307 The English Language: Structure, Power, & Change
- PHI-321 Medical Ethics
- PHI/REL-211 African American Thought (WIN2)
- PHI/REL/WST-336 Sex, Love and God (WIN 2)
- PSC-214 Introduction to Refugee Studies
- PSC-216 Politics of (Mis)Representation
- PSC-223 Political and Civil Rights in the United States
- PSY-301 Psychology of Human Sexuality and Sexual Health
- PSY-391 Psychology and Culture
- SOC-224 Ethnicity, Race, and Cultural Diversity
- SOC-303 Sociology of Family (WIN 2)
Approved Interdisciplinary Minors
Behavioral Science Minor
Black Studies
Criminal Justice
Community Health Promotion
Equity, Access, Services & Engagement (EASE)
Forensic Studies
Global and Local Sustainability
Global Studies
Medical Humanities
Pre-Law
Public Administration
Refugee and Migration Studies
Women Studies
BREADTH EXPLORATION OF THE LIBERAL ARTS (18 Credits)
Students will take 6 credits (two courses) in three areas: the Natural Sciences and Mathematics; the Social Sciences; and the Humanities
WRITING INSTRUCTION (WIN)
Students complete a minimum of three Writing Instructive (WIN) courses at Daemen, some within Gen Ed and some within the majors. These courses are:
Composition 101 (WIN 1, a university-wide rather than General Education requirement)
One General Education WIN course (WIN 2)
WIN 3, a departmental rather than General Education writing opportunity
Students who are bringing in AP Composition will take two WIN 2 General Education courses.