General Education

Types of Degrees and Certificates

Palm Beach State College awards certificates, diplomas, associate and bachelor degrees:

Degrees

• Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

  This degree is designed for students who wish to earn a bachelor’s degree after earning an associate degree (or at least 60 credits with 15 credits of transferable general education) to gain career advancement.

• Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.S.)

  This degree is designed for students who wish to earn a bachelor’s degree after earning an associate degree (or at least 60 credits with 15 credits of transferable general education) to gain career advancement.

• Associate in Arts (A.A.)

  This degree is designed for students who wish to transfer to an upper division college or university.

• Associate in Science (A.S.)

  This degree is designed for students who wish to enter the workforce in a skilled field.

• Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.)

  This degree is designed for students who wish to enter programs of career and technical instruction.

Certificates and Diplomas

• Advanced Technical Certificate (ATC)

These certificate programs are designed for students who have already earned an associate degree. They provide advanced skills in a specific area to be studied.

• Applied Technology Diploma (ATD)

These programs are either clock-hour noncredit or credit hour based. They provide entry-level courses in a specific area that usually can be applied towards an associate in science degree. 

• College Credit Certificate (CCC)

These programs provide the student with a set of technical skills in a specific area of study. Each college credit certificate applies towards an associate in science degree.

• Career Certificate Program (CCP)

These are clock-hour based noncredit programs that provide the student with broad entry-level skills in the chosen field of study. Many of these programs can apply towards an associate in science degree.

• Certificate of Professional Preparation (CPP)

A college-level program to prepare baccalaureate degree holders for licensure, certification, credentialing, examinations or other demonstrations of competency necessary for entry into professional occupations.

• Educator Preparation Institute (EPI)

A certificate program that provides an alternate route to teacher certification for mid-career professionals and college graduates who were not education majors.

Through Corporate and Continuing Education, the College also offers noncredit courses in various fields to meet the learning and professional development needs of the community.

Meta Majors

A meta-major is a collection of academic programs that have common or related content, and the intent is for Florida College System institutions to be able to advise associate degree seeking students based on the selection of a meta-major academic pathway. There are eight meta-majors, and each has gateway courses in English and mathematics that are appropriate for the meta-major. View more details.

Degree Audit

Another useful online tool students should become familiar with is the degree audit. A degree audit allows your college transcript to be automatically compared against all needed courses for your selected academic program. The degree audit indicates what courses you have satisfied within the program and provides a listing of courses still needed for program completion. The degree audit may be accessed by signing onto the PantherWeb system using the student’s College-issued user-id and password. The degree audit function is located on the Records tab on the student’s home page. For a tutorial on how to run a degree audit, visit the website. The College strongly encourages students to use these online tools in addition to the personalized advising available at each of the college’s campuses and through web advising, www.palmbeachstate.edu/Advising.

General Education Requirements for Degrees

General Education is a grouping of courses selected from five different areas to ensure that students receive a well-balanced and rich education. Each degree offered by Palm Beach State College requires General Education courses. The B.A.S., B.S., B.S.N. and the A.A. degrees require 36 hours of General Education courses. Associate in Science (A.S.) degrees typically require 15 to 18 hours of General Education courses, but some A.S. degrees may have more General Education courses to meet program learning outcome requirements. The student should locate the desired degree program in the catalog or on the College’s website at www.palmbeachstate.edu/career-pathways. The appropriate General Education courses are listed within the course listing for the program.

In compliance with Rule 6A-14.0303, General Education Core Course Options, students must complete at least one course from each of the General Education subject areas listed in the section below prior to the award of an Associate in Arts degree.

Beginning in the 2022-2023 academic year and thereafter, students entering a technical degree education program as defined in s.1004.02(13) must complete at least one identified core course in each of the five subject areas as part of the General Education course requirements before an Associate in Science (A.S) or Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree is awarded.

General Education Core Course Options

Communication:
1. ENC X101 English Composition I; or
Any student who successfully completes a course with an ENC prefix for which ENC X101 is an immediate prerequisite shall be considered to have completed the communication core.  Students who satisfy the core from a higher level course will select from additional courses to meet the required nine communications credits.  Consult with an Academic Advisor to discuss requirements for your major.

Humanities:
1. ARH X000 Art Appreciation;
2. HUM X020 Introduction to Humanities;
3. LIT X000 Introduction to Literature;
4. MUL X010 Music Literature/Music Appreciation;
5. PHI X010 Introduction to Philosophy; or
6. THE X000 Theatre Appreciation.

Mathematics:
1. MAC X105 College Algebra;
2. MAC X311 Calculus I;
3. MGF X106 Liberal Arts Mathematics I;
4. MGF X107 Liberal Arts Mathematics II;
5. STA X023 Statistical Methods; or
Any student who successfully completes a mathematics course for which one (1) of the general education core course options in mathematics is an immediate prerequisite shall be considered to have completed the mathematics core. Students who satisfy the core from a higher level course will select from additional courses to meet the required six mathematics credits.  Consult with an Academic Advisor to discuss requirements for your major.

Natural Sciences:
1. AST X002 Descriptive Astronomy;
2. BSC X005 General Biology;
3. BSC X010 General Biology I;
4. BSC X085 Anatomy and Physiology I;
5. CHM X020 Chemistry for Liberal Studies;
6. CHM X045 General Chemistry I;
7. ESC X000 Introduction to Earth Science;
8. EVR X001 Introduction to Environmental Science;
9. PHY X020 Fundamentals of Physics;
10. PHY X048 General Physics with Calculus;
11. PHY X053 General Physics I; or
Any student who successfully completes a natural science course for which one (1) of the general education core course options in natural science is an immediate prerequisite shall be considered to have completed the natural science core. Students who satisfy the core from a higher level course will select from additional courses to meet the required nine natural sciences credits.  Consult with an Academic Advisor to discuss requirements for your major.

Social Sciences:
1. AMH X020 Introductory Survey Since 1877;
2. ANT X000 Introduction to Anthropology;
3. ECO X013 Principles of Macroeconomics;
4. POS X041 American Government;
5. PSY X012 Introduction to Psychology; or
6. SYG X000 Principles of Sociology.

General Education Philosophy

The General Education program at Palm Beach State College prepares students for lifelong intellectual pursuits and responsible participation in a complex global society through a core curriculum that encourages examination of diverse values and perspectives and offers students a depth and breadth of learning that transcends the content of any one specific discipline.

Civic Literacy Competency Requirement

The Civic Literacy Competency requirement will vary depending on the college catalog year that a student enters a Florida College System institution for their degree program.

In accordance with Florida State Board of Education Administrative Rule 6A-10.02413, Civic Literacy Competency, first-time-in-college baccalaureate and Associate in Arts students entering a Florida College System institution between the Fall 2018 and Summer 2021 academic terms must demonstrate competency in civic literacy by completing option (a) or option (b) prior to graduation.

(a) Successfully passing either POS1041 or AMH2020 

  OR

  (b) Achieving the standard score on one of the following assessments:

Rule 6A-10.02413, Civic Literacy Competency, was amended on October 21, 2021, and again on April 6, 2022, as follows:

Baccalaureate and Associate in Arts students initially entering a Florida College System institution in the Fall 2021 academic term and thereafter, and Associate in Science and Associate in Applied Science students initially entering a Florida College System institution in the Fall 2022 academic term and thereafter, must demonstrate competency in civic literacy by completing option (a) or option (b) prior to graduation.

  (a) Successfully passing either POS1041 or AMH2020 AND passing the Florida Civic Literacy Examination (passing score is 60%)

  OR

  (b) Achieving the standard score on one of the following assessments:

Beginning with the 2021-22 school year, Florida College System institutions must ensure they provide opportunities for students to engage synchronously in political discussions and civil debate with multiple points of view and to master the ability to synthesize information that informs civic decision making. Credit received by examination under subsection 6A-10.024(8) F.A.C. for courses listed in section (a) will count toward meeting the course requirement. Students who earn a passing score on the Florida Civic Literacy Examination while in high school are exempt from the postsecondary civic literacy assessment requirement.

General Education Competencies

Palm Beach State College has five institutional learning outcomes (ILOs) that embed several general education competencies on rubrics for each ILO. Student achievement of the outcomes is used to measure both the Associate in Arts degree and general education. For more information about the ILOs and the rubrics, visit the ILO web page.

Fundamentals of Written Communication Digital Badge

Pursuant to s. 1007.25(4), F.S., Florida public postsecondary institutions now offer students a Fundamentals of Written Communication digital badge. With this badge, students will be able to not only enhance their personal communication skills but also convey to future employers that they have acquired vital skills needed for professional success.

The Fundamentals of Written Communication digital badge is awarded automatically when a grade of C or better is earned in College Composition 1 (ENC1101) or a course for which ENC1101 is a prerequisite.

Effective written communication is the ability to communicate ideas, information and perspectives clearly, adapt a message to different audiences and situations, and use the appropriate style to convey meaning in various written contexts.

In completing the College Composition 1 course, students will demonstrate information literacy, comprehension of written material, and the ability to convey information in writing for a variety of rhetorical purposes and audiences.

Effective written communication is important in the workplace, and below is a list of some of the benefits:

• Enhances an employee’s ability to interpret and evaluate a wide variety of written materials.
• Promotes research, critical thinking, and problem solving.
• Advances the development of clearly written material relevant to the intent.
• Enhances the use of appropriate language for an intended audience.
• Increases the competent, effective, and responsible use of information.