MSU’s previous general education model was highly discipline-specific, serving as prerequisites to the major. Our new approach is not major-specific, and it equips students to think holistically, creatively, and critically across disciplines.

MSU’s general education program builds a strong academic foundation through essential skills like quantitative reasoning and written & oral communication. Students also gain domain knowledge in the humanities, natural sciences, creative discovery, and human society & the individual while developing crosscutting abilities such as critical thinking and effective collaboration.

Courses in the general education program will count toward faculty members’ regular teaching loads. Deans across all colleges have affirmed the value of this program for our students. In the future, we aim to recognize faculty who develop and teach innovative, impactful courses—potentially through special designations or stipends.

Proposing an AdvantaGE course adds only one step to the current approval workflow. Courses will first be reviewed by department and college curriculum committees, then submitted for review to the General Education Committee to ensure alignment with AdvantaGE learning outcomes. Final approval will come from the UCCC. We’re committed to moving proposals through the process efficiently to avoid any delays in course approvals.

General education courses are listed in the MSU Catalog by their AdvantaGE domains. Courses will have a Banner attribute that will map to the appropriate location in DegreeWorks. All AdvantaGE courses at MSU are required to have a general education statement in their syllabi to communicate the relevance to students.

Yes. Any student who has taken a course previously designated as general education will still receive credit toward the requirement. As we transition to the AdvantaGE program, all existing general education courses will be reviewed for inclusion. While some courses may no longer carry a general education designation going forward, they can still be taught, and past credit will remain valid.

Transfer students will still receive credit for general education courses that would have previously counted at MSU. Many transfer students arrive with a few remaining general education requirements to fulfill, and our goal is to help them complete those through engaging, AdvantaGE-designated courses that build on their existing academic foundations.

A signature assignment is a project or task designed to demonstrate a student's proficiency in key learning outcomes. These assignments often involve synthesizing, analyzing, and applying cumulative knowledge and skills through problem- or inquiry-based projects. The signature assignment may be a portfolio of smaller projects rather than a single deliverable. It also provides the General Education Committee with valuable data to validate and refine assessment rubrics, ensuring consistent and meaningful evaluation across the curriculum.

Assessment is not the same as grading. While grades reflect individual student performance, assessment helps the General Education Committee evaluate whether courses are meeting their intended learning outcomes. These assessments provide valuable data for accreditation and help improve the program by informing updates to rubrics and offering constructive feedback to instructors.

Dr. Mike Breazeale, Chair of the General Education Committee, mbreazeale@business.msstate.edu