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GE Scholars Program Details

General Education (GE) theme options are an alternative approach to meeting the university's GE requirement. Because theme options are interdisciplinary, they accomplish both the goal of promoting a breadth of knowledge beyond the focus of a major, while also providing a coherent focus of study.

What is a GE Scholar?

GE Scholars is a certificate program that exists as an extension to the GE theme options. Qualifying for GE Scholars entails completion of two curricular requirements:

  • Complete at least three courses from a particular GE theme option.
  • Complete an integrative learning experience (either seminar or internship).
Students may choose their integrative experience as either a seminar course, combining the concepts introduced earlier in the theme's cluster courses, or engage in a curriculum related internship. Upon completion both requirements, students are awarded a certificate which recognizes them as a GE Scholar. (Transcript notation may also be an option).

Note:

These integrative learning experiences are being developed for each of the GE Theme Options over the next 2-3 years. The Food & Fiber integrative course will be the first to debut projected for Winter 2003.

Benefits to Becoming a GE Scholar:

  • Ability to integrate a specific intellectual theme across a broad array of courses.
  • Ability to advance toward fulfilling GE requirements while simultaneously developing a secondary body of knowledge.
  • Opportunity to participate in, or observe the application of GE knowledge through the integrative experience.
  • Ability to frame academic experience beyond the completion of a major (or minor).
  • Opportunity to promote an enhanced GE experience as an asset for future employment options and graduate/professional school reviews.
While all UC Davis students are invited to take specific courses within any of the GE theme options, the GE Scholars certification is offered only to those who complete at least three courses assigned to a specific theme in addition to the integrative experience (seminar or internship). For more information, contact us.

GE Theme Options

Presently four theme options have been developed by faculty in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

These options were designed to advance all interested students toward the completion of their GE requirement. However, students in the Arts and Humanities topical breadth area are able to fully satisfy GE requirements by choosing their GE courses from those in a theme option. With the completion of at least three GE courses from one of the theme options, all students are eligible to pursue GE Scholars certifications

Sponsorship

The GE Scholars certificate program was developed with the cooperation of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and is under the auspices of the Vice Provost Office-Undergraduate Studies. Funding for the initiative is in part due to the generous support received from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation (PDF 1.1MB; April, 2001).

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