General Studies

Berea College offers a liberal education by helping students develop the skills, acquire the knowledge, and nurture the habits and attitudes that will enhance their ability to live reflectively and responsibly. This education should result in personal satisfaction as well as in growing awareness of one’s relations and obligations to the larger communities in which one participates. Believing that narrow specialization in the undergraduate years can inhibit growth and restrict opportunities, the College emphasizes a broad range of subjects and approaches to learning.

The General Studies curriculum is where the goals of liberal education are explicitly addressed for all students. It is designed to help students (1) develop their abilities to think critically and to communicate effectively through writing and speaking; (2) deepen their understanding of their cultural heritage, including religion, history, the arts, and the natural and social sciences; and (3) cultivate their appreciation of human diversity and their capacity for moral reflection.

Classrooms, laboratories, studios, workshops and libraries are not the only sites of powerful learning. Informal conversations with teachers and labor supervisors; convocation programs; and the day-to-day interaction with fellow members of our diverse student body also contribute significantly to one’s liberal education.