General Education courses must be completed with a grade of C or higher to apply to any B.A.S., B.S., B.S.N., A.A., or A.S. degree program. Each degree offered by the College has its own General Education requirements. Presented below are the General Education course requirements for the B.A.S., B.S., B.S.N. and the A.A. degree. Please consult with the FloridaShines.org website or a Palm Beach State academic advisor to determine which General Education courses will fulfill the common prerequisite courses needed for your major in the state university system.
A.S. students should refer to their specific program of study to determine which General Education courses from the list below are required for their program.
General Education Courses by Area
Area I - Communications (9 Credits)
TIER 1 - Select one of the following courses:
ENC1101 | English Composition 1 (AA) | 3 Credits |
Note: The course listed in TIER 1 meets the Gordon Rule requirement.
TIER 2 - Select one of the following courses:
ENC1102 | English Composition 2 (AA) | 3 Credits |
ENC1141 | Writing About Literature (AA) | 3 Credits |
Note: All courses listed in TIER 2 meet the Gordon Rule requirement.
TIER 3 - Students must take the following course:
SPC1017 | Fundamentals of Speech Communication (AA) | 3 Credits |
Note: The course listed in TIER 3 meets the Gordon Rule requirement.
Approved Transfer Composition or Speech: Verify course credit with an advisor
Area II - Humanities (6 Credits)
TIER 1 – Select one of the following courses:
ARH1000 | Art Appreciation (AA) | 3 Credits |
MUL1010 | Music Appreciation (AA) | 3 Credits |
PHI1010 | Introduction to Philosophy (AA) | 3 Credits |
THE1000 | Theatre Appreciation (AA) | 3 Credits |
LIT1000 | Introduction to Literature (AA) | 3 Credits |
Note: All courses listed in TIER 1 meet the Gordon Rule requirement.
TIER 2
If LIT 1000 is not selected in Tier 1, either an AML, ENL or LIT course must be selected in Tier 2
If LIT 1000 is selected in Tier 1, then any other course other than AML, ENL or LIT must be selected from either Tier 1 or Tier 2
AML2010 | American Literature to 1865 (AA) | 3 Credits |
AML2020 | American Literature after 1865 (AA) | 3 Credits |
AML2600 | African American Literature (AA) | 3 Credits |
AML2631 | Hispanic American Literature (AA) | 3 Credits |
AML2660 | Jewish American Literature (AA) | 3 Credits |
ARH2050 | Art History: Ancient to Renaissance (AA) | 3 Credits |
ARH2051 | Art History: Renaissance to Contemporary (AA) | 3 Credits |
ENL2012 | English Literature Before 1800 (AA) | 3 Credits |
ENL2022 | English Literature after 1800 (AA) | 3 Credits |
FIL2000 | Film Appreciation (AA) | 3 Credits |
LIT2050 | Survey of Literary Humor (AA) | 3 Credits |
LIT2370 | The Bible As Literature (AA) | 3 Credits |
LIT2090 | Contemporary Literature (AA) | 3 Credits |
LIT2110 | World Literature Before the Renaissance (AA) | 3 Credits |
LIT2120 | World Literature after the Renaissance (AA) | 3 Credits |
LIT2190 | Introduction to Afro-Caribbean Literature (AA) | 3 Credits |
LIT2380 | Women In Literature (AA) | 3 Credits |
MUH2018 | History and Appreciation of Jazz (AA) | 3 Credits |
MUT1001 | Fundamentals of Music (AA) | 3 Credits |
MUT1111 | Music Theory 1 (AA) | 3 Credits |
Note: All courses listed in TIER 2 meet the Gordon Rule requirement.
Approved Transfer Humanities or Literature: Verify course credit with an advisor
Area III - Mathematics (6 Credits)
TIER 1 - Select one of the following courses:
Students entering a Florida College System institution in the Fall term, 2015, through the 2023-24 academic year:
MAC1105 | College Algebra (AA) | 3 Credits |
MAC1105C | College Algebra Corequisite (AA) | 4 Credits |
MAC2311 | Calculus With Analytic Geometry 1 (AA) | 4 Credits |
MGF1106 | Liberal Arts Mathematics (AA) | 3 Credits |
MGF1107 | Finite Mathematics (AA) | 3 Credits |
STA2023 | Statistics (AA) | 3 Credits |
Students entering a Florida College System institution in the 2024-25 academic year and thereafter:
MAC1105 | College Algebra (AA) | 3 Credits |
MAC1105C | College Algebra Corequisite (AA) | 4 Credits |
MAC2311 | Calculus With Analytic Geometry 1 (AA) | 4 Credits |
MGF1130 | Mathematical Reasoning in Context 1 (AA) | 3 Credits |
STA2023 | Statistics (AA) | 3 Credits |
Note: MAC1105C prerequisite is a Math PERT score between 118-122.
All courses listed in TIER 1 meet the Gordon Rule requirement.
TIER 2 - Select one of the following courses OR select another course from Tier 1:
MAC1114 | Trigonometry (AA) | 3 Credits |
MAC1140 | Precalculus (AA) | 3 Credits |
MAC1147 | Precalculus Algebra and Trigonometry (AA) | 5 Credits |
MAC2233 | Survey of Calculus (AA) | 3 Credits |
MAC2312 | Calculus With Analytic Geometry 2 (AA) | 4 Credits |
MAC2313 | Calculus With Analytic Geometry 3 (AA) | 4 Credits |
MAP2302 | Differential Equations (AA) | 3 Credits |
MAS2103 | Linear Algebra (AA) | 3 Credits |
MGF1131 | Mathematical Reasoning in Context 2 (AA) | 3 Credits |
Note: All courses listed in TIER 2 meet the Gordon Rule requirement.
MAC2233 (for Business Majors)
Approved Transfer Mathematics: Verify course credit with an advisor
Area IV - Natural Sciences (9 Credits)
TIER 1 - Select one of the following courses:
AST1002 | Descriptive Astronomy (AA) | 3 Credits |
BSC1005 | Concepts In Biology (AA) | 3 Credits |
| And | |
BSC1005L | Concepts In Biology Lab (AA) | 1 Credit |
BSC1010 | Principles of Biology 1 (AA) | 3 Credits |
| And | |
BSC1010L | Principles of Biology 1 Lab (AA) | 1 Credit |
BSC2085 | Anatomy and Physiology 1 (AA) | 3 Credits |
| And | |
BSC2085L | Anatomy and Physiology 1 Lab (AA) | 1 Credit |
CHM1045 | General Chemistry 1 (AA) | 3 Credits |
| And | |
CHM1045L | General Chemistry 1 Lab (AA) | 1 Credit |
ESC1000 | Introduction to Earth Science (AA) | 3 Credits |
EVR1001 | Introduction to Environmental Science (AA) | 3 Credits |
GLY1010 | Introduction to Geology (AA) | 3 Credits |
OCE1001 | Introduction to Oceanography (AA) | 3 Credits |
PHY1020 | Fundamentals of Physics (AA) | 3 Credits |
PHY2048 | General Physics With Calculus 1 (AA) | 4 Credits |
| And | |
PHY2048L | General Physics 1 and General Physics With Calculus 1 Laboratory (AA) | 1 Credit |
PHY2053 | General Physics 1 (AA) | 4 Credits |
BSC1005L: optional
GLY1010 effective Fall 2024 per Rule 6A-14.0303; available as of Spring 2025
TIER 2 - Select one of the following courses OR select another course from Tier 1:
BOT1010 | General Botany (AA) | 3 Credits |
| And | |
BOT1010L | General Botany Lab (AA) | 1 Credit |
BSC1011 | Principles of Biology 2 (AA) | 3 Credits |
| And | |
BSC1011L | Principles of Biology 2 Lab (AA) | 1 Credit |
BSC1311 | Marine Biology (AA) | 3 Credits |
BSC2086 | Anatomy and Physiology 2 (AA) | 3 Credits |
| And | |
BSC2086L | Anatomy and Physiology 2 Lab (AA) | 1 Credit |
BSC2421 | Introduction to Biotechnology (AA) | 3 Credits |
| And | |
BSC2421L | Introduction to Biotechnology Lab (AA) | 2 Credits |
CHM1025 | Introductory Chemistry (AA) | 3 Credits |
CHM1032 | Principles of Chemistry (AA) | 3 Credits |
| And | |
CHM1032L | Principles of Chemistry Lab (AA) | 1 Credit |
CHM1046 | General Chemistry 2 (AA) | 3 Credits |
| And | |
CHM1046L | General Chemistry 2 Lab (AA) | 1 Credit |
GLY1000 | Descriptive Geology (AA) | 3 Credits |
HUN1201 | Elements of Nutrition (AA) | 3 Credits |
MCB2010 | Microbiology (AA) | 3 Credits |
| And | |
MCB2010L | Microbiology Lab (AA) | 1 Credit |
PHY1001 | Applied Physics (AA) | 3 Credits |
PHY2049 | General Physics With Calculus 2 (AA) | 4 Credits |
| And | |
PHY2049L | General Physics 2 and General Physics With Calculus 2 Laboratory (AA) | 1 Credit |
PHY2054 | General Physics 2 (AA) | 4 Credits |
PSC1341 | Physical Science for Today's World (AA) | 3 Credits |
TIER 3 - Select one of the following courses:
HSC1101 | Contemporary Issues In Health (AA) | 3 Credits |
HSC2100 | Health Concepts and Strategies (AA) | 3 Credits |
Or
| Select ANY OTHER 3-5 credit general education course from among the five categories of general education | |
Note: HSC1101 and HSC2100 meet the Gordon Rule requirement.
Approved Transfer Science: Verify course credit with an advisor
Area V - Social Science (6 Credits)
TIER 1 - Select one of the following courses:
AMH2010 | United States History to1877 (AA) | 3 Credits |
AMH2020 | United States History Since 1877 (AA) | 3 Credits |
ANT2000 | Introduction to Anthropology (AA) | 3 Credits |
ECO2013 | Principles of Macroeconomics (AA) | 3 Credits |
POS1041 | Introduction to American Government (AA) | 3 Credits |
PSY2012 | Introduction to Psychology (AA) | 3 Credits |
Note: All courses listed in TIER 1 meet the Gordon Rule requirement.
AMH2010, AMH2020 and POS1041 satisfy the course requirement portion of Civic Literacy Competency.
TIER 2 - Select one of the following courses:
If you selected AMH or POS in Tier 1, select ANT, ECO, GEA, PSY, or SYG from Tier 1 or Tier 2. If you selected ANT, ECO or PSY in Tier 1, select AMH or POS from Tier 1 or Tier 2.
GEA1000 | Principles of Geography and Conservation (AA) | 3 Credits |
POS1001 | Introduction to Political Science (AA) | 3 Credits |
POS2112 | American State and Local Government (AA) | 3 Credits |
SYG2000 | Introduction to Sociology (AA) | 3 Credits |
SYG1230 | American Minorities Today (AA) | 3 Credits |
SYG2010 | American Social Problems (AA) | 3 Credits |
Note: All courses listed in TIER 2 meet the Gordon Rule requirement.
Approved Transfer Social Science: Verify course credit with an advisor.
Important: The Florida State Board of Education Administrative Rule 6A-10.02413, Civic Literacy Competency, is a graduation requirement. Students should pay careful attention when selecting their social science courses to ensure that they have met General Education and Civic Literacy requirements. Please refer to the Civic Literacy Competency requirement section of the catalog for more detailed information and consult your advisor.