Our General Education Curriculum & Goal
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We balance each major with an interdisciplinary general education core curriculum so you are well-rounded in all subject areas.
The purpose of general education at Harrisburg University is to offer undergraduate students a dynamic platform for both foundational and skill-based learning that prepares them for a well-rounded life in which they will make informed decisions, contribute to society, and become lifelong learners. In developing “habits of mind,” and through the lens of the desired university-wide competencies, students will obtain a breadth of knowledge and become adept at approaching and analyzing complex problems.
Given the sheer vastness of knowledge and the rate at which new knowledge is developed, students typically cannot command mastery or deep expertise in the broad areas known as the sciences, social sciences, humanities, or applied knowledge domains such as entrepreneurship or leadership. The purpose of general education is not to produce experts. Instead, the goal is to integrate contributions from multiple fields to give students more comprehensive explanations and understandings of the world. In essence, general education – and all learning at the University – extends the more traditional “learn-to-know” model by combining a “learn-how-to-learn” model with a “learn-for-action” model.