General Education Courses

School of General Education

The Purdue Global School of General Education supports the academic, social, personal, and professional development of students.

National Recognition

AGLS_AwardKaplan University (now Purdue Global) received the 2016 Association for General and Liberal Studies (AGLS) Exemplary Program Award in Revision or Enhancement of a Program. The award recognizes the University's continuous quality improvement process in its approach to online course assessment and integration of general education outcomes. 

AGLS is a national organization dedicated to sustaining general education and liberal studies programs at institutions across the United States. Learn more about AGLS.

The School focuses on the academic skills that enrich our personal and professional lives, from communicating effectively and thinking critically, to making ethical decisions and solving complex problems, to valuing the humanity, diversity, and wonders of nature which make our planet a wonderful place to call home. Wherever you are in your personal or professional journey, we can help you continue to expand your horizons, make new discoveries, and gain new insights in the fields of communication, culture and society (which reflect the fields of the humanities and social sciences), ethics, mathematics, and science.

The Purdue Global School of General Education courses support the academic, social, personal, and professional development of learners throughout their engagement with the University. We also provide a learning experience that is designed to be engaging, enjoyable, and applicable to students’ personal and professional lives, while preparing students to meet expectations in chosen fields of study. Purdue Global is committed to professional and career preparation for all graduates.

Meet the General Education faculty.

Meet the Dean: Jody Dekorte, PhD

Jody served as the first chair of the Mathematics General Education Literacy Group, helping to develop the Mathematics General Education Literacies.

Dr. Jody DeKorte

General Education Courses Overview

The School of General Education provides instruction in composition, mathematics, social science, science, humanities, and student success.

  • Communication

    Communication Courses

    The field of communication involves all the ways in which humans communicate with one another, whether through reading, writing, speaking, singing, or even text messaging.

    Communication is interested both in how we communicate and how we can communicate better. Understanding our purpose, audience, and topic allows us to best convey our intended message.

  • Culture

    Culture and Society Courses

    The study of any culture and society is enriched by an interdisciplinary use of methods and theories from history, anthropology, sociology, and gender studies.

    These disciplines illuminate through observations and material data how social groups are formed, and how and why people interact in the way they do in the past and present. The social sciences and humanities are all about asking big questions and discovering practical answers to the various aspects of the human experience.

  • Ethics

    Ethics Courses

    The field of ethics is at its heart the philosophical study of right and wrong. Studying ethics helps us understand how to make moral decisions, how to identify ethical dilemmas, and how to make tough choices in a complicated world.

    Ethical decision making is an important skill in business, health care, the law, and, in fact, all careers. It is also an important skill to possess in one’s personal life.

  • Math

    Mathematics Courses

    Mathematics is a science and a language. The field of mathematics is interested in revealing the patterns and relationships that help us understand the world around us.

    The term mathematics is often used to describe many areas such as number theory, algebra, trigonometry, calculus, statistics, and geometry. These are areas that, through their concepts and formulas, govern numbers, quantities, measures, shapes, and sets.

  • Science

    Science Courses

    Science as a discipline is about discovery and knowledge. It is the systematic, yet objective, approach of acquiring an understanding of our natural world and beyond as we try to satisfy our innate curiosities.

    Science is an integral part of all fields and disciplines—it permeates our daily lives and drives our actions.

Single Course Enrollment Option

Purdue Global offers single courses to general, non-degree seeking students. You may petition for your completed single courses to count toward your degree or certificate program, should you choose to enroll in a corresponding degree program at Purdue Global.