GENERAL EDUCATION PROGRAM COURSE
Application Procedure (last update 04/2014)
Departments wishing to submit a request for a course to become part of the GEP are requested to use
the enclosed guidelines and criteria to complete the GEP Course Application Form and forward it with
appropriate signatures to:
Dr. Elliot Vittes
Interim Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Studies
Office of Undergraduate Studies, MH 218
Upon receipt of the application, the applicant will be notified of the dates and times of the GEP meeting at
which the application will be considered. Representatives from the requesting department are invited to
present the application in person. Proposals will be presented at one meeting of the GEP Oversight
Committee and voted on at a second. Applications for new GEP courses must be received by
October 1.
Purposes of the General Education Program
The purposes of the UCF General Education Program (GEP) are to introduce students to a
broad range of human knowledge and intellectual pursuits, to equip them with the analytic and
expressive skills required to engage in those pursuits, to develop their ability to think critically,
and to prepare them for life-long learning. The GEP curriculum provides students with the
intellectual, ethical, and aesthetic foundations necessary to make informed choices; to accept
the responsibilities of working and living in a rapidly changing world; and to lead a productive
and satisfying life. (UCF Undergraduate Catalog, 2014-2015)
Guidelines for a Proposed GEP Course
A GEP course should help students attain at least one of the general purposes of the GEP.
The proposed course may be submitted in only one of the following categories: Communication
Foundations, Cultural and Historical Foundations, Mathematical Foundations, Social Foundations, or
Science Foundations.
A. Communication Foundations
Courses in this area include content from one or more of the items below that teach students to
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understand the writing process and use it to communicate persuasively for a variety of purposes, including
analysis and argumentation;
identify and write for specific audiences in order to select and narrate events and ideas;
think critically about and research appropriate academic topics, synthesize and articulate the results of that
research, and apply appropriate documentation;
present and exchange ideas in public speaking using effective organization of words and appropriate use of
visual aids, and effective extemporaneous delivery.
understand the communication theories that are applied to public speaking situations.
B. Cultural and Historical Foundations
Courses in this area include content from one or more of the items below that teach students to
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understand history and culture in the context of diverse human experience;
appreciate the arts and humanities and how they mirror cultural and artistic values of others;
think critically about the past and about the evolution of science, society, and culture.
C. Mathematical Foundations
Courses in this area include content from one or more of the items below that teach students to
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understand and use quantitative concepts and be able to solve mathematical problems through the
application of fundamental laws;
reason critically, think creatively, assess evidence and form conclusions;
use skills in logic, inductive and deductive reasoning, and abstract and quantitative thinking;
use knowledge of basic laws of probability in the collection, classification, and use of data.
D. Social Foundations
Courses in this area include content from one or more of the items below that teach students to
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understand the working of governmental structures;
understand the process by which individuals and groups allocate resources;
analyze the structure of current or past societies, cultures, and institutions;
understand human behavior and describe the development of sensory processes, motivation, emotion,
learning, cognition, intelligence, and personality.
E. Science Foundations
Courses in this area include content from one or more of the items below that teach students to
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demonstrate knowledge of the theories, laws, principles, and rules of the physical and life sciences;
demonstrate an understanding of the scientific method by applying the principles of logic to the solution of
scientific problems;
describe the human species as it has evolved over time and across cultures;
understand the earth’s living systems, their interaction, and the effects of changes on them.
GEP COURSE APPLICATION FORM (last update 04/2014)
Course Prefix/Number, Title, and Credit
Hours:
Unit/Administrator making the proposal:
Check the foundational area of the
proposed course:
__Communication
__Social
__Cultural/Historical
__Science
__Mathematical
Rationale:
Explain how the proposed course meets at least one of the purposes of the General Education Program
under its designated area. Use additional sheets as necessary.
Documentation
Please include a syllabus for the course that contains, at a minimum, the following elements:
 Course Prefix/Number and Title
 Prerequisites
 Course objectives (students’ learning outcomes)
 Assessment procedures (how students will be evaluated to determine their level of mastery of the
foundational area’s learning objectives and other course objectives)
 Textbooks (complete citation, including title, authors, and publication date)
 Other required readings or materials, if appropriate
 Proposed course schedule
Consultation
Departments with existing courses in this foundational area must be consulted. Please list the
departments/courses and results of discussion, and attach correspondence.
Department & Course(s)
Date/Results of discussion
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
Other Criteria
The proposed course should also
 be accessible to all students;
 be sustainable over several years (not dependent on only one instructor);
 have been offered at least once to the general student population (i.e., have a “track record”).
____________________________________________ ________________________
Department/Administrator
Date
____________________________________________ ________________________
Dean of College
Date