General Education
Gallaudet University welcomes students into a unique learning environment, designed for deaf scholars and those who wish to engage deeply with deaf communities. Within this context, Gallaudet's Core curriculum provides learning opportunities that support the ability to be healthy, productive agents of positive change in all of our communities. We do so by deeply respecting our Deaf and other interacting identities, and grounding into them as we explore ways to engage more deeply with each other and the world.
Three components
- Examine: welcoming ourselves and each other to this journey of deaf academic co-creation; setting the foundation for continuously striving to better understand ourselves, in relation to each other, and the skills we all continually strive to improve
- Explore: challenging ourselves to consider myriad possible ways of thinking, learning, interacting, innovating, and creating that lead toward positive advancement of deaf and other communities
- Engage: practicing deep and positive interaction with each other and honing our skills for long-term engagement with our communities throughout our lives
The Core curriculum begins and ends with VEE*.
Our two semesters of first-year seminar (VEE 101 and VEE 102) welcome students into Gallaudet’s unique educational environment with deep dives into Deafhood, our bilingual identities as ASL and English users, and multi-cultural and multi-identity exploration, all grounded in personal wellness and self-discovery, which lead toward exploration of the academic possibilities Gallaudet has to offer while opening up thinking about myriad career opportunities beyond.
VEE 300 caps off each student’s Core experience with deep self-reflection on how they have grown and will continue to develop as Gallaudet scholars:
wellness-grounded, proudly bilingual, career-ready critical thinkers, who are digitally aware, ethical, scientifically literate global citizens
*VEE is the label for an ASL sign that doesn’t have a direct English translation. Its meaning incorporates the concepts of “notice, be fascinated, find interesting, analyze, observe, and watch”. When we use VEE as the name for our Core curriculum courses, we are celebrating our bilingualism and encouraging our students to be intellectually curious in both ASL and English and whatever languages they bring with them.
Core Required Courses
Examine (18 credits)
| VEE 101 | Examine seminar | 3 |
| VEE 102 | Explore seminar | 3 |
| ASL 125 | ASL Composition | 3 |
| ENG 102 | Critical Reading and Writing | 3 |
| MAT 101 | Introductory Mathematical Applications | 3 |
| VEE 150 | Research Methods in ASL/English Bilingual Academic Contexts | 3 |
Explore (24 credits)
Purpose: allow students the freedom to determine and follow their own interests while gaining the skills needed to explore big questions, develop foundational competence in discipline-specific methodologies and create new knowledge or novel solutions
Areas of Inquiry
Eight courses (24 credits) required - two from each Area
Communication and Creativity
- Choose two from the following:
- These may also count toward the student’s major or minor
| ART 110 | Introduction to Television, Film and Photography | 3 |
| ART 131 | Beginning Photography | 3 |
| ART 135 | Digital Media I | 3 |
| ART 160 | Design I | 3 |
| ART 363 | Photojournalism | 3 |
| ASL 270 | ASL and English: Comparative Analysis | 3 |
| ASL 290 | Visual Language Resource Development | 3 |
| BUS 214 | Introduction to Esports Management | 3 |
| BUS 290 | Foundations of Entrepreneurship | 3-4 |
| BUS 291 | Social Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| COM 290 | Public Presentations | 3 |
| ENG 330 | Topics in Popular Culture and Literature | 3-4 |
| ENG 355 | Literature by Women | 3-4 |
| ENG 375 | Media Literacy | 3 |
| ENG 376 | Comics and Critical Literacy | 3 |
| ENG 392 | Introduction to Creative Writing [Topic to be specified] | 3 |
| GSR 220 | Methods of Multiples Disciplines | 4 |
| PHI 150 | Introduction to Philosophy | 3 |
| PHI 210 | Science Fiction Philosophy | 3 |
| REL 210 | Religion and Literature | 3 |
| THE 101 | Visual Gestural Communication | 3 |
| THE 110 | Introduction to Theatre | 3 |
| THE 281 | Theatre Production Practicum | 1-3 |
| THE 282 | Theatre Performance Practicum | 3 |
| THE 350 | Script Analysis | 3 |
| THE 466 | Scenic Design Lab | 3 |
Identities and Cultures
- Choose two from the following:
- These may also count toward the student’s major or minor
| DST 101 | Introduction to Deaf Studies | 3 |
| ENG 350 | Introduction to African American Literature | 3-4 |
| ENG 410 | Adolescent Literature | 3 |
| ENG 325 | Introduction to Deaf Literature | 3-4 |
| ENG 326 | Deaf Memoirs | 3 |
| ENG 335 | Queer Literature and Cultures | 3 |
| ENG 367 | Ghost Stories and Haunted History | 3 |
| FRE 111 | Basic French I | 4 |
| FRE 112 | Basic French II | 4 |
| GOV 329 | Comparative Governments of Asia, Africa & Latin America | 3 |
| LIN 101 | Sign Language & Sign Systems | 3 |
| PER 237 | Principles of Health | 3 |
| PER 240 | Diversity Topics in Sports and Recreation | 3 |
| PSY 270 | Psychology and Deaf People | 3 |
| REL 201 | World Religions | 3 |
| SGS 501U | Introduction to Sexuality & Gender Studies | 3 |
| SWK 318 | Human Diversity | 3 |
| SPA 111 | Basic Spanish I | 4 |
| SPA 112 | Basic Spanish II | 4 |
| SWK 203 | Introduction to Social Work | 3 |
| THE 353 | Foundations of Acting | 3 |
| WLC 380 | The Latino Presence in the United States | 3 |
| WLC 384 | U.S. Latino Literature | 3 |
Ethics and Civics
- Choose two from the following:
- These may also count toward the student’s major or minor
| BUS 261 | Global Business Foundations | 3 |
| DST 311 | Dynamics of Oppression | 3 |
| EDU 250 | Introduction to Education and Teaching | 3 |
| ENG 366 | Travel Literature [Topic to be specified] | 3 |
| ENG 385 | Fundamentals of Journalism | 3 |
| GOV 335 | American State and Local Politics | 3 |
| GOV 351 | American Constitutional Law: Powers and Checks | 3 |
| GOV 396 | International Law and Organization | 3 |
| GSR 240 | Ethical Evaluations and Actions | 4 |
| HIS 111 | American History I | 3 |
| HIS 112 | American History II | 3 |
| PHI 190 | Animal Rights | 3 |
| PHI 255 | Ethics in Popular Culture | 3 |
| PHI 257 | Moral Philosophy | 3 |
| PHI 290 | Ethics and Health Care | 3 |
| PSY 358 | Social Psychology | 3 |
| REL 355 | Religion in American Society | 3 |
| REL 360 | Interfaith Intersections | 3 |
| RMI 201 | Introduction to Risk Management and Insurance | 3 |
| SOC 351 | Juvenile Delinquency | 3 |
| THE 373 | Performing Arts Management | 3 |
| WLC 315 | Contemporary African Issues | 3 |
Science and Technology
- Choose two from the following:
- These may also count toward the student’s major or minor
| BIO 105 | Introduction to Human Biology | 4 |
| BIO 107 | Principles of Biology for Science Majors I | 3 |
| BIO 108 | Principles of Biology for Science Majors II | 3 |
| BIO 251 | Nutrition | 3 |
| BUS 181 | Computer Skills for School and Workplace | 3 |
| BUS 250 | Personal Financial Literacy | 3 |
| BUS 253 | Investments | 3 |
| CHE 107 | General Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHE 215 | The History and Science of Beer Brewing | 3 |
| CHE 240 | Computer Applications for Scientists | 3-4 |
| CHE 250 | Introduction to Forensic Science | 4 |
| DAS 101 | Introduction to Data Analysis | 3 |
| GSR 230 | Scientific and Quantitative Reasoning in Context | 4 |
| ITS 101 | Computer Applications I | 3 |
| ITS 105 | Information Technology Fundamentals | 3 |
| LIN 260 | Structure of English | 3 |
| LIN 263 | Introduction to the Structure of American Sign Language | 3 |
| PHS 101 | Foundations of Public Health | 3 |
| PHS 202 | Foundations of Environmental Health | 3 |
| PHS 204 | Foundations in Global Health | 3 |
| PSY 101 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| THE 402 | Stage Lighting, Electricity, and Technology | 3 |
| WLC 314 | Topics in Language Diversity | 3 |
Engage (participation milestones plus 1 credit)
Purpose: To foster a sense of belonging, develop relationships, build an ethic of civic responsibility and service, and gain practical experience
- At least two semesters of active participation on campus
- At least one semester of active participation off campus
Program Outcomes
Wellness:Recognize how my choices can transform my health, well-being, and ability to thrive; seek support and utilize resources for personal growth; and work collaboratively to promote wellness on campus and within myself.
Bilingualism:Use American Sign Language (ASL) and written English to communicate effectively with diverse audiences for a variety of purposes.
Career Readiness:Develop career decision-making skills and competencies by engaging in theoretical and experiential learning.
Critical Thinking:Think critically and innovatively, and express myself creatively, making connections within and across disciplines.
Digital Awareness:Employ data and technology in effective, competent, fair, accountable, transparent, and responsible (ethical) ways.
Ethics:Formulate reasoned decisions about ethical issues that lead to wise action.
Science Literacy:Evaluate evidence derived from systematic analysis of quantitative and qualitative data to address issues that pertain to the experiences of individuals in societies.
Global Citizenship:Articulate knowledge of intersectional identities within a global society and demonstrate intercultural knowledge, cultural competence, and skills in constructive civic discourse on the local, national, and global levels.