General education is an academic experience that all undergraduate students have, regardless of major. At Queens, it sets us apart. We deliver our general education in a unique, topic-based format that fosters dialogue and critical thinking. We pair our in-classroom learning with required out-of-the-classroom experiences to prepare you for your future.
A New Gen Ed Experience
Throughout your time at Queens, you will get to be a part of three different learning communities that all culminate into a senior year capstone experience. Queens Learning Communities are groups of classes that surround one topic from different angles. Students explore topics such as the pursuit of happiness, sustainability, race, the arts, zombies and more.
For example, in the learning community “How We Experience the Arts” students choose two to three classes. They can choose to study narrative, look into the psychological responses and neuroscience behind music, dive into reactions to sensory inputs, or focus on 2D visual art’s impact on society. After taking multiple classes surrounding the one topic of experiencing the arts, they have a comprehensive view of the topic and a more well-rounded approach.
Learning Outcomes
By taking part in Queens' general education curriculum, you will:
- Evaluate information and approaches to complex problems.
- Integrate learning from multiple contexts.
- Demonstrate communication fluency using multiple modes of expression.
- Reflect critically on the relationship between global and local contexts.
- Evaluate the consequences personal choices have on the well-being of communities.
“We built our general education curriculum around really big, messy problems. Things like identity, happiness and race that really can’t be addressed by a single course. So what we ask students to do is to take multiple courses at the same time that address these topics from a lot of different perspectives.” -Jeff Thomas, the William S. Lee professor of interdisciplinary studies and director of general education