General Education Electives

General education is that portion of the collegiate experience that addresses the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values characteristic of educated persons. It is unbounded by disciplines and honors the connections among bodies of knowledge. NOVA degree graduates will demonstrate competency in the following general education areas: civic engagement, critical thinking, professional readiness, quantitative literacy, scientific literacy, and written communication.

Consequently, the College, in accord with the general education guidelines of the Virginia Community College System, has determined the following list of general education electives.

It is highly recommended that students consult with an academic advisor or counselor in order to select the most appropriate course for their curriculum and/or transferability to another college.

NOVA offers Passport Courses, which are typically taken in the first semester of many degree programs. These courses will transfer to most Virginia public colleges and universities. Exceptions may exist for specific baccalaureate programs. Students also have the option to complete the Uniform Certificate of General Studies (UCGS). UCGS courses are also indicated in the General Education Elective section below, marked with an asterisk (*).

Certain programs of study may require specific types of electives. Each type of elective is listed below.

Open Electives may be filled by any course offered by the College.

Transfer Electives may be filled by any General Education elective or other transferable courses from an approved, limited listing. Each degree program that uses this elective has its own list of approved courses.

Technical Electives may be filled only by the specific courses allowed by the program.

General Education Electives may be filled by any course on the General Education list below.

Humanities/Fine Arts Electives

Art

Select two courses chosen from different categories, i.e. the two courses cannot be from the same category.

* UCGS course.
△ Passport course.

ART 100Art Appreciation * △3
ART 101History of Art: Prehistoric to Gothic * △3
ART 102History of Art: Renaissance to Modern * △3
ART 150History of Film & Animation3
ART 215History of Modern Art3
ART 250History of Design3
CST 130Introduction to The Theatre * △3
CST 141Theatre Appreciation I3
CST 151Film Appreciation I * △3
MUS 121Music in Society * △3
MUS 221History of Western Music pre-1750 * △3
MUS 222History of Western Music 1750 to Present * △3
MUS 225The History of Jazz3
MUS 226World Music (Not currently offered at NOVA) * △3
PHT 110History of Photography3

Humanities

* UCGS course.
△ Passport course.
** Check with your advisor to see if ASL meets the foreign language requirement at your transfer school.

ARC 200History of Architecture4
ASL 201Intermediate American Sign Language I **3
ASL 202Intermediate American Sign Language II **3
HUM 201Early Humanities * △3
HUM 202Modern Humanities * △3
HUM 210Introduction to Women and Gender Studies * △3
HUM 216Introduction to Non-Western Cultures (Not currently offered at NOVA) * △3
HUM 220Introduction to African American Studies * △3
HUM 256Mythology in Literature and the Arts (Not currently offered at NOVA) * △3
HUM 259The Greek and Roman Tradition * △3
PHI 100Introduction to Philosophy * △3
PHI 111Logic * △3
PHI 220Ethics and Society * △3
PHI 227Bio-Medical Ethics3
REL 100Introduction to the Study of Religion * △3
REL 230Religions of the World * △3
REL 233Introduction to Islam3
REL 237Religions of the East * △3
REL 238Religions of the West3
REL 240Religions in America (Not currently offered at NOVA) * △3
ARA 201Intermediate Arabic I4
ARA 202Intermediate Arabic II4
CHI 201Intermediate Chinese I4
CHI 202Intermediate Chinese II4
FRE 201Intermediate French I3
FRE 202Intermediate French II3
GER 201Intermediate German I3
GER 202Intermediate German II3
JPN 201Intermediate Japanese I4
JPN 202Intermediate Japanese II4
LAT 201Intermediate Latin I3
LAT 202Intermediate Latin II3
RUS 201Intermediate Russian I4
RUS 202Intermediate Russian II4
SPA 201Intermediate Spanish I3
SPA 202Intermediate Spanish II3

Literature

* UCGS course.
△ Passport course.

ENG 225Reading Literature: Culture and Ideas *3
ENG 230Mystery in Literature & Film3
ENG 236Introduction to the Short Story3
ENG 237Introduction to Poetry3
ENG 245British Literature *3
ENG 246American Literature *3
ENG 250Children's Literature *3
ENG 255World Literature *3
ENG 256Literature of Science Fiction3
ENG 257Mythological Literature3
ENG 258African American Literature *3
ENG 271The Works of Shakespeare I3
ENG 275Women in Literature *3
ENG 279Film And Literature3

Physical and Life Sciences/Mathematics Electives

Physical and Life Sciences Electives

* UCGS course.
△ Passport course.

BIO 101General Biology I * △4
BIO 102General Biology II *4
BIO 106Life Science (Not currently offered at NOVA) * △4
CHM 101Introductory Chemistry I * △4
CHM 111General Chemistry I *△4
CHM 112General Chemistry II *4
ENV 121Foundations of Environmental Science * △4
ENV 122Applications in Environmental Science *4
GOL 105Physical Geology * △4
GOL 106Historical Geology * △4
GOL 110Earth Systems: An Environmental Geology Perspective (Not currently offered at NOVA) * △4
GOL 111Oceanography I4
GOL 112Oceanography II4
NAS 125Meteorology4
PHY 100Elements of Physics * △4
PHY 150Elements of Astronomy4
PHY 201General College Physics I *4
PHY 202General College Physics II *4
PHY 241University Physics I *4
PHY 242University Physics II *4

Mathematics Electives

* UCGS course.
△ Passport course.

MTH 154Quantitative Reasoning * △3
MTH 155Statistical Reasoning * △3
MTH 161PreCalculus I * △3
MTH 162PreCalculus II * △3
MTH 167PreCalculus with Trigonometry * △5
MTH 245Statistics I * △3
MTH 246Statistics II3
MTH 261Applied Calculus I * △3
MTH 262Applied Calculus II3
MTH 263Calculus I * △4
MTH 264Calculus II * △4

Social/Behavioral Sciences Electives

History Electives

* UCGS course.
△ Passport course.

HIS 101Western Civilizations Pre-1600 CE * △3
HIS 102Western Civilizations Post-1600 CE * △3
HIS 111World Civilizations Pre-1500 CE * △3
HIS 112World Civilizations Post-1500 CE * △3
HIS 121United States History to 1877 * △3
HIS 122United States History Since 1865 * △3
HIS 203History of African Civilizations3
HIS 231Introduction to Latin American History3
HIS 254History of Modern East Asian Civilizations3

Other Social/Behavioral Sciences Electives

* UCGS course.
△ Passport course.

ADJ 100Survey of Criminal Justice3
ECO 150Economic Essentials: Theory and Application * △3
ECO 201Principles of Macroeconomics * △3
ECO 202Principles of Microeconomics * △3
GEO 200Introduction to Physical Geography3
GEO 210People & the Land: Intro. to Cultural Geography * △3
GEO 220World Regional Geography * △3
PLS 135U.S. Government and Politics * △3
PLS 140Introduction to Comparative Politics * △3
PLS 200Introduction to Political and Democratic Theory3
PLS 241Introduction to International Relations *3
PSY 200Principles of Psychology * △3
PSY 216Social Psychology3
PSY 219Cross-Cultural Psychology3
PSY 230Developmental Psychology3
SOC 200Introduction to Sociology * △3
SOC 211Cultural Anthropology * △3
SOC 268Social Problems * △3
SSC 115Introduction to Global Affairs3

__________________________________________________________________________

These courses satisfy specific NOVA program requirements. Students are advised to consult their intended transfer institution’s general education and program-specific requirements to ensure that selected courses apply toward their intended transfer program.

Communication, Language, Studio Art, and Technology Electives

Students should align this selection with their intended transfer destination’s specific general education or programmatic requirements.

* UCGS course.

ART 121Foundations of Drawing *3
ART 131Two-Dimensional Design *3
ART 132Three-Dimensional Design *3
ART 223Life Drawing *3
ASL 101Beginning American Sign Language I *4
ASL 102Beginning American Sign Language II *4
ASL 201Intermediate American Sign Language I *3
ASL 202Intermediate American Sign Language II *3
CSC 110Principles of Computer Science *3
CST 100Principles of Public Speaking *3
CST 110Introduction to Human Communication *3
CST 126Interpersonal Communication3
CST 229Intercultural Communication3
ITE 152Introduction to Digital and Information Literacy and Computer Applications *3
MUS 101Fundamentals of Music *3
ARA 102Beginning Arabic II *4
ARA 101Beginning Arabic I *4
ARA 201Intermediate Arabic I *4
ARA 202Intermediate Arabic II *4
CHI 101Beginning Chinese I *4
CHI 102Beginning Chinese II *4
CHI 201Intermediate Chinese I *4
CHI 202Intermediate Chinese II *4
FRE 101Beginning French I *4
FRE 102Beginning French II *4
FRE 201Intermediate French I *3
FRE 202Intermediate French II *3
GER 101Beginning German I *4
GER 102Beginning German II *4
GER 201Intermediate German I *3
GER 202Intermediate German II *3
JPN 101Beginning Japanese I *4
JPN 102Beginning Japanese II *4
JPN 201Intermediate Japanese I *4
JPN 202Intermediate Japanese II *4
LAT 101Beginning Latin I *4
LAT 102Beginning Latin II *4
LAT 201Intermediate Latin I *3
LAT 202Intermediate Latin II *3
RUS 101Beginning Russian I *4
RUS 102Beginning Russian II *4
RUS 201Intermediate Russian I *4
RUS 202Intermediate Russian II *4
SPA 101Beginning Spanish I *4
SPA 102Beginning Spanish II *4
SPA 201Intermediate Spanish I *3
SPA 202Intermediate Spanish II *3