College of Arts & Sciences
| A Liberal Arts Curriculum |
|
|
Stetson University's general education requirements arise from the University's commitment to provide its students with a high quality liberal education. The word "liberal" in the phase "liberal education" has nothing to do with political ideology; it refers to a long enduring educational philosophy associated with the finest colleges and universities in the world. Since ancient Greece, liberal education has meant an education that ennobles students, liberating them from ignorance and prejudice and preparing them to achieve the highest excellence in their professions and in citizenship. The success of liberal education in preparing students to "live great lives" rests on two of its key goals. The first is to develop an understanding of the rich history, diversity and evolving nature of the body of material that is called knowledge. The second is to prepare students to be critical and independent thinkers who know how to identify and collect relevant information, critically analyze and synthesize that information, and develop and communicate well formulated plans of how to proceed based on what is learned. These two activities - developing understandings of the world and using those understandings to increase knowledge and aid progress - are central to Stetson's curriculum in general and liberal study.
|
