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General Education Requirements

See listing for students in catalog years 2010-2023.

If you enter SUNY in Fall 2023 or later, to earn a SUNY bachelor’s degree, you must:

1. Earn 30 SUNY-General Education Requirement (SUNY-GER) credits, which requires you to complete one or more courses in the following areas:

4 required areas*

Communication: Written/Oral

Diversity: Equity, Inclusion and Social Justice

Natural Science and Scientific Reasoning

Mathematics

Any 3
of these 6 areas*

Arts

Social Science

Humanities

US History and Civic Engagement

World History and Global Awareness

World Languages
2. Demonstrate competency in:

2 required areas

Critical Thinking

Information Literacy

*If you entered SUNY prior to Fall 2023, you may qualify to follow the General Education requirements in place at the time you were admitted. See your advisor or dean's office for details.

Course Grades Required

If you earn a grade of C or higher in a SUNY-GER course, the course is guaranteed to satisfy the SUNY-GER and degree credit requirements. If you are transferring, check with your transfer campus to find out which grades are needed for that campus and your transfer program, because some bachelor’s degree majors require a grade higher than a C in specific courses, and some campuses and programs may accept grades below a C.

Effective Date

Policy is effective Fall 2023. If you entered SUNY between fall 2010 and fall 2023, you may be eligible to follow the General Education Requirements in place for your catalog year.

NOTES:
If you are entering SUNY Canton in an Associate Degree program and plan to transfer to another SUNY college, complete as many SUNY-GER courses as possible before you transfer. Try to complete at least 7 SUNY-GER knowledge and skills areas (Natural Science, Social Sciences, American History, Western Civilization, Other World Civilizations, Humanities, The Arts, and Foreign Language), including the 2 required areas (Mathematics and Basic Communication). If you complete all 30 credits in 7 or more SUNY-GER knowledge and skills areas (including the 2 required areas), you will have met the SUNY-General Education Requirements at every SUNY campus. If you complete the right SUNY-GER courses for your transfer campus and program, you will be making good progress toward your bachelor’s degree.

Plan for transfer with your academic advisor. If you are planning to transfer to a SUNY college, you must work closely with your academic advisor to select the right SUNY-GER courses to ensure you will meet the necessary general education requirements at SUNY Canton and to meet your transfer goals. You should also aim to earn a grade of C or higher in these courses. For each SUNY transfer campus and major you are considering, ask your advisor about:

  • The specific SUNY-GER courses required. Every SUNY-GER course counts toward meeting the SUNY-GER at every SUNY campus. However, there may be a difference between meeting the SUNY-GER and meeting specific degree requirements.

Contact Information or Questions About General Education

Office of the Provost
SUNY Canton
34 Cornell Drive
Canton, NY 13617
Phone: 315-386-7202
Fax: 315-386-7945
provostoffice@canton.edu