Liberal Education Requirements

Brenau University and its faculty are dedicated to the goal of providing students with a thorough background in the liberal arts, as well as academic and professional skills which will help them become enlightened and productive members of society. To that end, the faculty developed a liberal education curriculum based on expectations and learning outcomes.

This liberal education curriculum is divided into four learning portals: World Understanding, Scientific and Analytic Curiosity, Artistic and Creative Imagination and Communication and Language Fluency.

• World Understanding Learning
• Scientific and Analytic Curiosity
• Artistic and Creative Imagination
• Communication and Language Fluency

Courses applied in one portal may not be applied in another portal. However, courses applied in the Liberal Education may be applied toward a student’s major or minor.

Students with an A.A., A.S. or a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution are exempt from Liberal Education requirements for Brenau’s bachelor degree programs (does not include Brenau’s A.A. degree). This exemption does not does not extend to any other associate’s degree (ex. A.A.S., A.A.T). This exemption does not affect transfer credit. All college-level credit that conforms to Brenau’s transfer credit policy will be recorded on the student’s Brenau transcript. This exemption does not affect any major courses required or any major foundation courses required.

Professional Development

Education Majors must earn a grade of “C” or better in all major classes, including concentration electives. See the program plan for courses that can be cross/dual used between the liberal education and the major. In addition to all the course requirements, students must pass the Teaching Field Content Exams for academic content area (GACE) prior to student teaching. Students must have a major and overall grade point average of 2.75.

• ED 200 - Introduction to Teacher Education
• ED 206 - Developmental Psychology *
• ED 208 - School and Society *
• ED 250 - Introduction to Multicultural Education *
• SE 300 - Teaching Learners with Special Needs §
• ED 301 - Instructional Technology
• ED 308 - Classroom Management
• ED 321 - Effective Planning: Curr/Instr/Tech - MG
• ED 328 - Legal and Ethical Issues in Education
• ED 339 - Teaching ESL at Public Schools
• ED 350 - Educational Assessment

• Note: The GACE content exam must be passed prior to student teaching placement.

• ED 415 - Applied Instruction
• SE 493 - Student Teaching Mild Disabilities

• § Course contains a field experience component.

Reading Requirements

 These courses may also count toward Language Arts or Reading Concentrations.

• ED 345 - Literacy Concepts
• ED 418 - Reading and Writing for Adolescents
• ED 419 - Literacy Assessment and Diagnosis  §

• § Course contains a field experience component.

Special Education Courses

• SE 407 - Test & Measurements for Exceptional Children §
• SE 408 - Applied Behavioral Analysis
• SE 409 - Language Development & Disabilities §
• SE 410 - Learners with Mild Disabilities §
• SE 411 - Methods and Materials of Mild Disabilities §

• § Course contains a field experience component.

Additional Content Coursework

This coursework may apply toward LE or concentration requirements and is required of all education students for GACE content preparation.

• EH 101 - Written Communication *
• EH 102 - Reading and Research Writing *
• MS 101 - College Algebra *
• HY 201 - History of the United States I *
• PS 100 - Physical Science *
• BA 203 - Critical & Creative Thinking *

• One of the following PS lab sciences:

• PS 110 - Physical Geography w/ Lab *
• PS 111 - Meteorology/Climatology w/ Lab *
• PS 112 - Astronomy w/ Lab *

• One of the following Fine Arts courses:

• AH 100 - Art Appreciation *
• MC 101 - World Music Appreciation *

• One of the following Literature courses:

• EH 201 - Western World Literature *
• EH 221 - American Literature after 1865 *
• EH 331 - Southern Literature

• One of the following Speaking courses:

• EH 103 - Oral Communication *
• SP 108 - Fundamentals of Speech *

Concentration Requirement

The major in special education has one area of content concentration (outside of the special education and reading requirements) with subject matter from one of the following disciplines: language arts, mathematics, reading, science or social studies.

The total hours for concentration requirement are 12-16. The number of hours is dependent upon the concentration chosen.

Total Required Hours

A minimum of 120 hours is required to graduate with this major. It is possible that the student may graduate with more than 120 hours based on placement and transfer credit.

Note: Courses marked with an * are Liberal Education courses.