The Seattle Pacific University General Education program is a Christian Liberal Arts curriculum tailored to SPU’s context and students. It has been designed to help students develop competence and character in the service of the common good. Students develop and deepen skills to pursue the path of wisdom and engage the culture with the gospel of Jesus Christ through both common courses (the Writing Curriculum, University Core, and Theology Core) and distribution courses (the Exploratory Curriculum). 

The General Education program at Seattle Pacific is designed to help students pursue the path of wisdom and engage the culture with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Each component of the Exploratory Curriculum makes a distinctive contribution to this goal.

People of wisdom understand their place in God’s world, see life from a variety of perspectives, discern the appropriate use of knowledge, and thoughtfully evaluate ideas and claims. To that end, in the Exploratory Curriculum, you will take 35 total credits — 30 credits from “Ways of Knowing” courses and 5 credits from “Cultural Understanding and Engagement” courses. 

Exploratory Curriculum

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Ways of Knowing in the Arts		5
Ways of Knowing in the Humanities		5
Ways of Knowing Quantitative Reasoning		5
Ways of Knowing in the Sciences		10
Ways of Knowing in the Social Sciences		5
Cultural Understanding and Engagement		5
Total Credits		35

¹

A CUE-designated course that is also designated as a Ways of Knowing course can fulfill both categories.

Ways of Knowing in the Arts (5 credits)

Utilizing assumptions, methodologies, and skills unique to the arts, "Ways of Knowing in the Arts" courses share a common focus on the artistic process. Within these courses, you learn to physically create, emotionally respond to, and/or intellectually analyze artistic works and performances.

Course List (Per Attribute)

Code	Title	Credits
ART 1102	Drawing	5
ART 1180	Understanding Visual Art and Design	5
ART 2302	Painting	5
ART 2422	Metals Studio	5
ART 2602	Monuments of World Art I	5
ART 2603	Monuments of World Art II	5
ART 3546	Art Education	3
ART 3605	Modern Art: Image and Power	5
ART 3606	Cross-Cultural Encounters	5
ART 3608	Issues in Contemporary Art and Visual Culture	5
ART 3612	Reading Urban Spaces: The Eternal City	5
ART 3613	Reading Sacred Spaces: The Churches of Rome	5
ART 3614	Images in Context: An Introduction to Art Curation	3
COM 3780	The Art of Film	5
ECE 3200	Creativity, Play, and Art in Young Learners	5
ENG 2215	Imaginative Writing	5
FCS 1710	Global Impacts of Design	5
FLM 1001	Introduction to Film Genres	5
FLM 2001	The Hollywood Studio System: Film History I	5
FLM 2002	Movies and Cultural Politics in the 1960s: Film History II	5
HHP 1105	Introduction to Ballet	2
HHP 1165	Introduction to Dance	2
HHP 1166	Dance Techniques: Modern and Jazz	2
HHP 1167	Social Dance Techniques	2
HON 2200	Honors Core: History and Representation	5
MUS 1050	Fundamentals of Music	3
MUS 1250	Beginning Keyboard Class	2
MUS 1251	Intermediate Keyboard Class	2
MUS 1260	Voice Class	2
MUS 1270	Beginning Guitar	1
MUS 1600	Exploring Music	5
MUS 2304	Chamber Singers	1
MUS 2307	Percussion Ensemble	1-2
MUS 2311	Jazz Improvisation Lab	2
MUS 2315	World Drums	1
MUS 2341	Gamelan Ensemble	1
MUS 2342	Worship Band	1,2
MUS 2350	Concert Choir	2
MUS 2351	Wind Ensemble	2
MUS 2353	Instrumental Ensemble	2
MUS 2360	Singing from the Stage	1-2
MUS 2605	Survey of Popular Music	5
MUS 3501	Music in the Non-Music Classroom	3
MUS 3810	Music in Cultural Context I	3
MUS 3820	Music in Cultural Context II	3
MUS 4304	Chamber Singers	1
MUS 4305	Treble Choir	2
MUS 4307	Percussion Ensemble	1-2
MUS 4311	Jazz Improvisation Lab	2
MUS 4341	Gamelan Ensemble	1
MUS 4342	Worship Band	1,2
MUS 4350	Concert Choir	2
MUS 4351	Wind Ensemble	2
MUS 4353	Instrumental Ensemble	2
MUS 4360	Singing from the Stage	1-2
SPGE LWKA	Lower Division Ways of Knowing in the Arts	1-10
SPGE UWKA	Upper Division Ways of Knowing in the Arts	1-10

¹

"SPGE LWKA" and "SPGE UWKA" are codes that indicate transfer courses that are eligible for WK Arts usage.  They are not actual courses and are not available for registration.

Ways of Knowing in the Humanities (5 credits)

"Ways of Knowing in the Humanities" courses address the kinds of knowing embodied in the uniquely human system of meaning and representation. Employing a foundational understanding of one disciplinary perspective in the humanities, you will examine selected profound human questions expressed by language and manifested in culture.

Course List (Per Attribute)

Code	Title	Credits
CHN 2200	Chinese Culture - Past and Present	5
CHN 3300	Food Culture of East Asia: Japan and China	5
CHN 3307	Silk Road Culture	5
COM 1101	Introduction to Interpersonal Communication	5
COM 1321	Public Speaking	5
ENG 1110	Literature and Faith	5
ENG 1220	Film and Faith	5
ENG 2221	Good Poems	5
ENG 2223	Fantasy and Science Fiction	5
ENG 2234	Literature by Women	5
ENG 2248	International Fiction	5
ENG 2500	Media and Cultural Studies	5
ENG 3311	Elements of Narrative	5
ENG 3334	United States Multi-Ethnic Literature	5
HON 2100	Honors Core: Ethics and Critical Reasoning	5
JRN 1000	Fundamentals of Digital and Online Media	5
JRN 2335	Media & Representation	5
PHI 1001	Logic and Critical Thinking	5
PHI 1002	Ethics and the Good Life	5
PHI 1004	The Examined Life	5
SBS 4913	Middle East Seminar: Islamic Thought and Practice	6
SJC 2248	International Fiction	5
SJC 3334	United States Multi-Ethnic Literature	5
SPGE LWKH	Lower Division Ways of Knowing in the Humanities	1-10
SPGE UWKH	Upper Division Ways of Knowing in the Humanities	1-10

¹

"SPGE LWKH" and "SPGE UWKH" are codes that indicate transfer courses that are eligible for WK Humanities usage. They are not actual courses and are not available for registration.

Ways of Knowing in Quantitative Reasoning (5 credits)

A globalized world with complex problems requires you to reason abstractly and deductively, understand and analyze data, and be fluent in quantitative problem-solving. "Ways of Knowing in Quantitative Reasoning" courses involve forms of human thought that include analysis of data, problem-solving, and deductive reasoning.

Course List (Per Attribute)

Code	Title	Credits
BUS 2700	Statistics for Business and Economics	5
CRIM 2360	Introduction to Statistics in Social and Behavioral Sciences	5
CSC 1521	Contemporary Math with Computing	5
ECE 4800	STEAM for Early Learning Methods	5
EDU 2600	Statistics Unleashed: Application in Education and other fields	5
MAT 1221	Survey of Calculus	5
MAT 1234	Calculus I	5
MAT 1300	Introduction to Statistical Reasoning	5
MAT 1521	Introduction to Contemporary Mathematics	5
MAT 2360	Introduction to Statistics for the Sciences	5
MAT 2561	Statistical and Algebraic Reasoning	4
PSY 2360	Introduction to Statistics in Social and Behavioral Sciences	5
SOC 2360	Introduction to Statistics in Social and Behavioral Sciences	5
SPGE LWKQR	Lower Division Ways of Knowing in Quantitative Reasoning	1-10
SPGE UWKQR	Upper Division Ways of Knowing in Quantitative Reasoning	1-10

¹

"SPGE LWKQR" and "SPGE UWKQR" are codes that indicate transfer courses that are eligible for WK Quantitative Reasoning usage. They are not actual courses and are not available for registration.

Ways of Knowing in the Sciences (10 credits)

In "Ways of Knowing in the Sciences" courses, students will learn principles and foundational knowledge as well as technologies and important applications in different scientific disciplines, drawn from the biological, chemical, physical, and applied sciences such as computer science, engineering, health and human performance, nutrition, and behavioral neuroscience).

Course List (Per Attribute)

Code	Title	Credits
BIO 1101	Biological Fundamentals	5
BIO 1104	Environmental Science	5
BIO 1105	Marine Restoration Ecology	5
BIO 1106	Ecological Fundamentals	5
BIO 1107	Introduction to Forensic Science	5
BIO 1121	Coral Reef Ecology	5
BIO 1145	Oceanography	5
BIO 1303	Introduction to Island Ecology	5
BIO 2129	Human Anatomy and Physiology	5
BIO 2202	General Biology II	5
BIO 2571	Introduction to Biology	5
BIO 3453	Biodiversity: Plant Identification and Taxonomy	5
CHM 1100	Introduction to Chemistry	5
CHM 1100L	Introduction to Chemistry Lab	0
CHM 1110	Introduction to the Nature of Science	5
CHM 1211	General Chemistry I	5
CHM 1211L	General Chemistry I Lab	0
CHM 1310	Survey of General Chemistry	5
CHM 1310L	Survey of General Chemistry Lab	0
CHM 2410	Environmental Chemistry and Sustainability	5
CSC 1010	Science and Technology	5
CSC 1230	Problem Solving and Programming	5
CSC 1250	Introductory Problem Solving and Programming	5
CSC 1260	Structured Programming	5
CSC 2230	Computer Programming for Engineers	5
EE 1014	Electric Vehicle for Everyone	5
EGR 1010	Science and Technology: How Things Work	5
FCS 2000	Nutrition and Culinary Survival Skills	5
FCS 2340	Nutrition Science and Malnutrition	5
NUTR 2321	Nutrition Through the Life Cycle	5
NUTR 2365	Food Science	5
PHY 1101	General Physics	5
PHY 1110	Introduction to the Nature of Science	5
PHY 1121	Physics for Science and Engineering	5
PHY 1135	Astronomy: Individual and the Universe	5
PHY 1140	The Physics of Sound	5
PHY 1142	Earth System Science	5
PHY 2573	Concepts in Physical Science for Educators	5
PHY 3311	Experimental Methods I	3
PHY 3312	Experimental Methods II	3
SPGE LWKAS	Lower Division Ways of Knowing in the Sciences: Applied Science	1-10
SPGE LWKFS	Lower Division Ways of Knowing in the Sciences: Fundamental Science	1-10
SPGE UWKAS	Upper Division Ways of Knowing in the Sciences: Applied Science	1-10
SPGE UWKFS	Upper Division Ways of Knowing in the Sciences: Fundamental Science	1-10

¹

"SPGE LWKAS," "SPGE UWKAS," "SPGE LWKFS," and "SPGE UWKFS" are codes that indicate transfer courses that are eligible for WK Sciences usage. They are not actual courses and are not available for registration.

Ways of Knowing in the Social Sciences (5 credits)

"Ways of Knowing in the Social Sciences" courses introduce you to the scientific study of human beings at the individual and societal levels. Through these courses, you engage in value-based interaction with social science materials as you develop analytical skills and knowledge in the search for truth via the social sciences.

Course List (Per Attribute)

Code	Title	Credits
ANT 2250	Cultural Anthropology	5
ECE 2100	Foundations of Early Childhood Education	5
ECN 2101	Principles of Microeconomics	5
ECN 2102	Principles of Macroeconomics	5
EDU 2000	Introduction to Teaching	5
HIS 1357	The Game of Life: World War II	5
HIS 1490	Life and Death in World Cities	5
HIS 2417	Religious Traditions of Asia	5
HIS 2502	The United States to 1876	5
HIS 2503	The United States Since 1876	5
HIS 2720	Women in Early Islamic History	5
HIS 2734	War on Terror: History, Rhetoric, and the Law	5
HIS 2788	Pandemics, Empires and Survival of Asia and the World	5
HIS 3730	History of the Modern Middle East	5
HIS 3765	Family, State and Patriarchy in East Asia	5
HIS 3785	Trade, War, and The Making of East Asian Modernities	5
HON 2000	Honors Core: Culture and Social Systems	5
ISD 2000	Introduction to International Sustainable Development	5
POL 1120	United States Government and Politics	5
POL 2330	International Relations	5
POL 3440	War, Peace and World Order	5
POL 4336	Cybersecurity	5
PSY 1180	General Psychology: Individual in Growth	5
PSY 1181	General Psychology: A Health Sciences Approach	5
SBS 4912	Middle East Seminar: People and Cultures	6
SOC 1110	Introduction to Sociology	5
SOC 3730	History of the Modern Middle East	5
SOC 3785	Trade, War, and The Making of East Asian Modernities	5
SPGE LWKSS	Lower Division Ways of Knowing in the Social Sciences	1-10
SPGE UWKSS	Upper Division Ways of Knowing in the Social Sciences	1-10

¹

"SPGE LWKSS" and "SPGE UWKSS" are codes that indicate transfer courses that are eligible for WK Social Sciences usage. They are not actual courses and are not available for registration.

Cultural Understanding & Engagement (5 credits)

The Cultural Understanding and Engagement (CUE) requirement helps prepare students for a rapidly changing and increasingly culturally complex world.  

Courses with the CUE designation are required to be 3 or more credits (although students must complete a total of 5 credits overall) and substantively address at least one of the following areas: 

• Understanding patterns and histories of inequity.
• Understanding one or more cultures and the dynamics of cultural, racial, ethnic, and gender differences.
• Preparing students for vocations with cultivation of diverse workplaces, conflict resolution, peacemaking, and community development.
• Articulating reconciliation as participation in God’s reconciling work in the world.

Students are required to complete at least one CUE-designated course (5 total CUE credits are required) and many will be able to fulfill the CUE requirement as a part of their major’s requirements. Additionally, a CUE-designated course that is also designated as a Ways of Knowing course can fulfill both a student's Ways of Knowing requirement and CUE requirement.

Course List (Per Attribute)

Code	Title	Credits
ACCT 4351	International Accounting	3
ADM 3890	Global Sourcing and Production	5
ANT 2250	Cultural Anthropology	5
ART 3606	Cross-Cultural Encounters	5
ART 3608	Issues in Contemporary Art and Visual Culture	5
ART 3610	History of Visual Communication	5
ART 3612	Reading Urban Spaces: The Eternal City	5
ART 3613	Reading Sacred Spaces: The Churches of Rome	5
ART 3614	Images in Context: An Introduction to Art Curation	3
BIO 1105	Marine Restoration Ecology	5
BIO 1121	Coral Reef Ecology	5
BIO 1303	Introduction to Island Ecology	5
BIO 3000	Introduction to Biological Anthropology	5
BIO 3302	Coral Reef Ecology	5
BIO 3303	Evolutionary Ecology in the Galapagos Islands	5
BIO 3305	Marine Restoration Ecology	5
BUS 3600	Gender and Leadership	5
BUS 3681	Social Ventures	5
CHM 2410	Environmental Chemistry and Sustainability	5
CHN 2200	Chinese Culture - Past and Present	5
CHN 2207	Traditional Health Beliefs and Behaviors in Chinese Culture	3
CHN 3300	Food Culture of East Asia: Japan and China	5
CHN 3307	Silk Road Culture	5
COM 3781	A World on Film	5
COM 4180	Cultural Communication	5
COM 4607	Communication Seminar: Rhetoric of Dissent	5
COM 4896	Cultural Communication	5
ECN 3811	Microeconomics of Development: Community Development	5
ECN 3812	Macroeconomics of Development: International Economic Growth	5
EDU 2300	Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Education	3
EE 3520	Microgrids	3-5
EGR 3630	Participatory Development in Appropriate Engineering	5
ENG 2248	International Fiction	5
ENG 3302	Writing Across Cultures	3-5
ENG 3330	Native American Literature	5
ENG 3331	Race Riots & Uprisings	5
ENG 3332	African American Literature	5
ENG 3333	Asian American Literature	5
ENG 3334	United States Multi-Ethnic Literature	5
ENG 3339	United States Latinx Literature	5
ENG 3380	African Literature	5
ENG 3381	Middle East: Film and Literature	5
ENG 3382	South Africa: Stages of Protest and Democracy	5
ENG 3383	Arab Spring: Gender, Islam, Democracy	5
ENG 3384	US Imperialism in Asia & Pacific Islands	5
FCS 3250	Philippines Study Abroad: Serving Children, Families and Communities	5
FCS 3280	Children and Families	5
FCS 4712	Advanced Design II - Commercial Interiors	5
FLM 2002	Movies and Cultural Politics in the 1960s: Film History II	5
FLM 3781	A World on Film	5
HIS 2417	Religious Traditions of Asia	5
HIS 2418	Modern Expressions of Asian Religions	5
HIS 2720	Women in Early Islamic History	5
HIS 2734	War on Terror: History, Rhetoric, and the Law	5
HIS 2788	Pandemics, Empires and Survival of Asia and the World	5
HIS 3356	The Holocaust	5
HIS 3358	Race, Sexuality, and Religion in Postwar Europe	5
HIS 3366	The Holocaust in Prague: Jewish Experiences	5
HIS 3444	Humanitarianism: Promises and Problems	5
HIS 3445	Genocide: A Comparative Study	5
HIS 3448	Refugees and Human Trafficking: History of Forced Migration and the Law	5
HIS 3572	The Civil Rights Movement	5
HIS 3594	African American History	5
HIS 3720	Rise of Islamic Civilization	5
HIS 3725	Women and Gender in the Middle East	3
HIS 3730	History of the Modern Middle East	5
HIS 3750	Latin America	5
HIS 3765	Family, State and Patriarchy in East Asia	5
HIS 3785	Trade, War, and The Making of East Asian Modernities	5
HON 2000	Honors Core: Culture and Social Systems	5
HON 2200	Honors Core: History and Representation	5
ISD 2000	Introduction to International Sustainable Development	5
ISD 3400	Corruption and Development	5
ISD 3510	Monitoring and Evaluating Development Projects & Programs	5
MUS 1200	Cultural Engagement Through Music	5
MUS 3810	Music in Cultural Context I	3
MUS 3820	Music in Cultural Context II	3
MUS 4236	Jazz History for Music Majors	3
MUS 4237	American Popular Music for Music Majors	3
NUR 3132	Professional Nursing 3	3
NUR 4153	Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement	2
NUR 4710	Culture, Diversity, and Nursing Practice	3
PHI 3771	Philosophy of Law	3
POL 2330	International Relations	5
POL 3320	Political and Economic Development of Nations	5
POL 3330	Global Women's Issues	5
POL 3400	International Organizations	5
POL 3440	War, Peace and World Order	5
POL 4336	Cybersecurity	5
POL 4452	International Law	5
PSY 3410	Cross-Cultural Psychology	5
PSY 3485	Cultural Developmental Psychology	5
SJC 2248	International Fiction	5
SJC 3330	Native American Literature	5
SJC 3331	Race Riots & Uprisings	5
SJC 3332	African American Literature	5
SJC 3333	Asian American Literature	5
SJC 3334	United States Multi-Ethnic Literature	5
SJC 3339	United States Latinx Literature	5
SJC 3380	African Literature	5
SJC 3381	Middle East: Film and Literature	5
SJC 3382	South Africa: Stages of Protest and Democracy	5
SJC 3383	Arab Spring: Gender, Islam, Democracy	5
SJC 3384	US Imperialism in Asia & Pacific Islands	5
SOC 3215	Social Inequality: Power and Privilege	5
SOC 3730	History of the Modern Middle East	5
SOC 3750	Latin America	5
SOC 3785	Trade, War, and The Making of East Asian Modernities	5
SOC 3862	Race and Ethnicity	5
SOC 4210	Gender in the Global Context	5
SPGE LCUE	Cultural Understand&Engage(LD)	1-10
SPGE UCUE	Cultural Understand&Engage(UD)	1-10
THEO 2620	Global and Urban Ministry	5
THEO 2730	Biblical and Theological Introduction to Christian Reconciliation	5
THEO 3515	World Christianity	5
THEO 3640	Intercultural Ministry	3
THEO 3715	Youth Cultures and Christian Faith	3
THEO 4610	World Religions	5
WST 2350	Introduction to Women's Studies	5