General Education Program

APU’s General Education program comprises five major outcome areas, and all of these requirements must be met by approved courses:

  • Intellectual and Practical Skills
  • Biblical, Theological, and Philosophical Formation
  • Knowledge of Human Cultures and the Physical and Natural World
  • Personal and Social Responsibility
  • Integrative and Applied Learning

Each student graduating from APU completes a maximum of 62 units of General Education courses. The number of units required is determined by whether a student enters as a freshman or as a transfer student, and by the year the student begins coursework at APU. Current students seeking to transfer coursework from other colleges and universities must verify with the Student Services Center that those courses will be accepted for General Education credit. The policy for transferring credits to meet General Education requirements is available on the Student Services Center website.

All courses approved to satisfy General Education requirements are identified in the class schedule and are included on the list of approved General Education courses; this list can be found in this Academic Catalog, at the Student Services Center, at the Academic Success Center, and through the Office of the Registrar. Additional courses may be approved in the future. Students are encouraged to take their General Education courses throughout all their years at APU.

Even though students work closely with a faculty advisor in determining their General Education requirements, the responsibility for fulfilling these requirements is solely that of the student. For more information, contact the Academic Success Center (traditional undergraduate students) or the Office of the Registrar (professional undergraduate students).

All students are required to access their Web-based Advisement Report (through home.apu.edu) for information regarding their major and General Education requirements and fulfillment of these requirements. Any questions about the application of transfer courses for course requirements should be directed to the Academic Success Center (traditional undergraduate students) or the Office of the Registrar (professional undergraduate students).

Note: Bachelor of Music majors are not required to take the Fitness for Life, Oral Communication, Foreign Language, Math, or Humanities: Fine Arts requirements. This statement does NOT apply to Bachelor of Arts music majors.

Courses listed in two categories cannot satisfy both requirements; students must choose which category the course will fulfill. UNRS 386 is the lone exception and is permitted because it is a 6-unit course that is a combination of two other, preexisting GE courses that meet two General Education categories.
 
For additional information regarding the General Education program, visit either General Education for APU Students, or the General Education website tailored for faculty and staff.

Information for Transfer Students

Students transferring in to Azusa Pacific University may have some of their General Education requirements met by courses taken at their previous institution(s). Additionally, the unit requirements for Biblical, Theological, and Philosophical Formation (BTPF) may be adjusted depending on the number of units the student transferred in to APU. See the General Education Information for Transfer Students section of the catalog for more information about these adjusted requirements.

The evaluation of a traditional undergraduate student’s transfer work is conducted by the Student Services Center. All students are encouraged to work with the Student Services Center and their academic advisor to determine their General Education requirements.

The evaluation of a professional undergraduate student’s transfer work is conducted by the Office of the Registrar. All students are encouraged to work with the Office of the Registrar and their academic advisor to determine their General Education requirements.