GS12 General Studies FAQ

General Studies GS12 Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I find information on the new General Studies program

The complete General Studies 2012 program, including rules, student learning outcomes, and lists of courses by category, is published in the 2012-2013 Undergraduate Catalog available at catalog.msudenver.edu.

When did the new General Studies program take effect? 

The General Studies 2012 program took effect during the 2012-2013 academic year.  All students admitted and registered for coursework during the Fall 2012 semester and onward are required to complete the revised General Studies curriculum.  Some exceptions exist (see the scenarios below).

Does the General Studies program still include Level I and Level II requirements?

The Level I and Level II designations are no longer in effect with the new program.  New students, however, must complete the Oral Communication, Quantitative Literacy, and the first 3 credits of the Written Communication requirements within their first 30 total semester hours at MSU Denver.  Students must also complete the requirements of the Arts and Humanities, Historical, Natural and Physical Sciences, Social and Behavioral Sciences I, and Social Behavioral Sciences II categories within their first 90 total semester hours at MSU Denver.

Are the Multicultural requirement and the Global Diversity requirement the same?

No, the Global Diversity requirement is part of the General Studies program and is separate from the Multicultural requirement, which is a University graduation requirement.  The categories are similar in that both are, ideally, zero credits and may be fulfilled by taking a course within one of the following categories: Arts and Humanities, Historical, Natural and Physical Sciences, Social and Behavioral Sciences I, or Social and Behavioral Sciences II. 

Multicultural coursework examines the interactions of values, beliefs, traditions, identities, and contributions of one or more of the following four groups of color in the United States: African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, and Native American, which may include the characteristics of gender, sexual orientation, age, or disability within these groups. Further information regarding the Multicultural requirement is available at catalog.msudenver.edu under “Degree Requirements.”

Global Diversity coursework requires students to 1) Exhibit knowledge of one or more regions or countries outside the U.S. including aspects such as the historical, political, social, cultural, legal, or business contexts of these regions or countries, and 2) Describe the implications of global interdependence, including its impact on societies from a governmental, technological, institutional, organizational, or individual context.

Can students use a course within their major to complete the Global Diversity requirement?

No, unlike with the Multicultural requirement, students may not use a course having the same prefix (or crosslisted with the same prefix) as their major to complete the Global Diversity requirement.  This rule is also the same for the following categories: Arts and Humanities; Historical; Natural and Physical Sciences; Social and Behavioral Sciences I; and Social and Behavioral Sciences II. 

Students may use courses having the same prefix as their minor discipline or crosslisted with their minor discipline to satisfy General Studies requirements; however, a minimum of 18 credits must be used only in the minor and not for General Studies. Deviations from the Catalog requirements require approval of the minor department, and some departments require that more than 18 credits be used only in the minor. Please contact the minor department for additional information.

Students may not apply more than 8 credits of coursework with the same course prefix to the General Studies requirements.

 Are there any exceptions to the Global Diversity requirement?

Students who have completed an Associate of Arts or an Associate of Science degree with designation are considered to have their General Studies requirements satisfied and are not required to take an additional Global Diversity course.  These students are coded in Banner with the attribute of “DWD.”

What if a department or program currently requires a specific General Studies course that has not been reapproved?

The department offering the program should coordinate with the department offering the specified General Studies course to determine plans to resubmit the course.  If the department offering the specified General Studies course does not plan to resubmit the course, the program will have to absorb the specified course.

If a transfer course satisfies general education at another institution, will it count at MSU Denver?

Not always. A transfer course will only be considered equivalent if it is a gtPathways course or if the department chair of the discipline under which the course subject falls reviews the course and establishes that the course meets the learning outcomes for the particular category in question.

The department chair should submit a Transfer Course Approval Form, available on the Admissions website, msudenver.edu/admissions/transferstudents/transferstudentforms, to the transcript evaluation staff within the Office of Admissions in order to establish this equivalency.

How do the General Studies 2012 program changes affect…

• Continuing Students

Scenario 1: …a continuing student who takes a newly approved General Studies course from the 2012-2013 Catalog but has a catalog year of 2011-2012 or earlier?

The student must request a CAPP Adjustment from the Chair of the department in which the course prefix falls to have a General Studies 2012 course count toward an earlier catalog.

Scenario 2: …a continuing student who switches to a 2012-2013 Catalog but has taken General Studies coursework that has not been reapproved under the new catalog?

The student must complete all of the new requirements. In order to be granted an exception, the student should submit a BASE Petition to the AVP for Curriculum and Academic Effectiveness in Academic and Student Affairs.

• Transfer Students

Scenario 3: …a transfer student who holds an A.A. or A.S. Degree with Designation (i.e., governed by a statewide articulation agreement) from a Colorado community college?

The student’s General Studies requirements are considered complete, and no additional coursework is necessary.

Scenario 4: …a transfer student who has an A.A., A.S., or A.A.S. degree without designation or who has completed coursework (but not a degree) from a state-funded, higher education institution in Colorado?

Any transfer student from a Colorado Community College has the option of going back 3 MSU Denver catalog years if they are continually enrolled in the Colorado Community College. Students transferring from a regionally accredited, Colorado community college may complete degree requirements using an MSU Denver catalog in effect while enrolled at the community college, subject to the following conditions:

• The degree catalog selected does not predate the current catalog by more than three years.
• The degree catalog selected may have been in use at any time from the time the student was continually enrolled at a regionally accredited, Colorado community college to the semester for which the student is enrolling in MSU Denver. Continuous enrollment is defined as not interrupting enrollment for three or more consecutive semesters (one academic calendar-year) including the summer semester. Continuous enrollment must be maintained from the period of the designated MSU Denver University catalog to degree completion at MSU Denver.
• The degree catalog clause applies, except for overriding college or state policy, except where specific programs otherwise require. Consult the catalog description of the program for these requirements.

Please note that the following rules below apply to any Colorado Community College student using for their program a MSU Denver catalog from fall 2012 forward:

• A transfer student who has an A.A., A.S. degree from a Colorado Community College without designation and whose coursework in the Social and Behavioral Sciences does not align with the SBSI and SBS II categories at  MSU Denver are considered to have completed Social and Behavioral coursework (both SBS I and SBS II categories). However, the student must complete the Global Diversity requirement.
• A transfer student who has an A.A.S. degree or who has completed coursework (but not a degree) from a Colorado Community College must complete all of the new requirements, including Global Diversity.
• A student who has completed coursework from a Colorado Community College but does not have a degree, must complete all new requirements, including Global Diversity.

Scenario 5: …a transfer student from a private or out-of-state, two- or four-year institution?

The student must complete all of the new requirements, including Global Diversity. 

Please Note: All transfer coursework regardless of from where it comes (in- or out-of-state institutions which are either two- or four-year) will be evaluated under the SS1, SS2 and SS3 categories from the Colorado community college system for Social and Behavioral Sciences I and II. See the gtPathways website for more information on these categories.

• Students with Prior Baccalaureate Degrees

Scenario 6: …a student with a previous bachelor’s degree?

According to MSU Denver policy, General Studies will be considered complete for students who hold a previous bachelor’s degree, unless deficiencies exist according to the major department (i.e., specified General Studies courses required by the major).

• Readmit Students

Scenario 7: …a re-admit student?

If three or more semesters have elapsed since the student’s last date of attendance at MSU Denver, the student must reapply. A student who is re-admitted to the University is automatically assigned the catalog effective during the term of re-admittance.  Students may submit a BASE Petition to request an earlier catalog. 

If the student has completed coursework under the 2012 program, the student will need to request a CAPP adjustment from the Chair of the department in which the course prefix falls to have that course count toward the earlier catalog.

If the student chooses to remain under the 2012-2013 Catalog or later, the student must complete all of the new requirements. In order to be granted an exception, the student should submit a BASE Petition to the AVP for Curriculum and Academic Effectiveness in Academic and Student Affairs.

• “No Show” Students

Scenario 8: …a “no show” student who was admitted prior to the Fall 2012 semester but did not enroll in coursework until the Fall 2012 semester or later?

Since a student’s catalog year is determined by the first semester of actual enrollment in coursework, these students’ transcripts would have been evaluated under the “old” General Studies requirements rather than the “new” 2012 requirements.  This situation causes students’ CAPP reports to appear to be incorrect because their transfer courses do not have the GS12 codes in Banner.  These students should have their coursework re-evaluated by Transcript Evaluation staff within the Office of Admissions.