Park University Liberal Education Requirements

Program Description

All students pursuing Bachelor degree programs are responsible for fulfilling the University’s Liberal Education requirements. The Liberal Education Program at Park University— Integrative Literacies for Global Citizenship—is education that develops an awareness of human potentials. It develops proper attitudes for realizing such potential through critical and informed judgments that foster concern for individual and social well-being. It develops a love for learning by encouraging activities that promote knowledge of the basic concepts, methodologies, and rewards of learning. It builds skills and competencies that help students acquire the distinctive outcomes defined in the University vision, mission, core values, and literacies. These outcomes include:

1. Thinking and Communication
2. Citizenship
3. Ethical Competency
4. Scientific and Quantitative Competency
5. Literary and Artistic Competency
6. Interdisciplinary and Integrative Competency
   Visit the Park University Literacies for more information and the specific sub-competencies of each.

In shifting our terminology from “general” to “liberal” education, Park University also aligns itself with the American Association of Colleges and Universities’ definition of liberal education as:

An approach to college learning that empowers individuals and prepares them to deal with complexity, diversity and change. It emphasizes broad knowledge of the wider world (e.g., science, culture and society) as well as in-depth achievement in a specific field of interest. It helps students develop a sense of social responsibility as well as strong intellectual and practical skills that span all areas of study, such as communication, analytical and problem-solving skills, and includes a demonstrated ability to apply knowledge and skills in real-world settings.