Undergraduate Programs seeks to equip all its bachelor's degree graduates with the intellectual skills, habits of mind, and broad-based liberal learning they will need for leadership in their professional careers and to live intelligently and responsibly as citizens of a globally interdependent world. The basic proficiencies requirements are designed to develop in students the skills that make autonomous and efficient learning possible. The liberal studies core helps students develop a broad understanding of the fundamental areas of human knowledge, their methods of inquiry, and their application to professional life. Therefore, in addition to mastering a body of specialized knowledge through in-depth study in a professional major, all baccalaureate candidates must complete the universities basic proficiencies requirements and liberal studies core.

"To succeed in today's ever-evolving professional fields requires vision, flexibility, and familiarity with diverse areas of knowledge. Technical skills are only part of what it takes to become a business or professional leader. Business leaders today are dynamic thinkers, who consult history, philosophy, social science and literature along with financial and marketing data. Creative and critical thinking, which are developed through liberal studies core courses, are indispensable ingredients of success, and clear, efficient communication, both spoken and written, are essential for career advancement."
--Chair, English, Communication and Literature, Les Gottesman

Many students at Golden Gate University transfer some or all of the general education requirements from previously attended colleges and universities. The learning outcomes have been developed to recognize the needs of non-traditional degree completion students while offering a comprehensive general education program at Golden Gate University. The basic proficiencies requirements and liberal studies core courses outcomes, updated July 1, 2010, are designed to deliver the following learning outcomes for students in the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees:

• Competence in communication
• Competence in Critical Thinking, Analysis, and Problem Solving Skills
• Ability to access, evaluate and apply information using a wide variety of research tools, including print and electronic resources (information literacy)
• Proficient quantitative skills
• An understanding of how knowledge is acquired and applied through the intellectual traditions of the arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.
• Ability to identify ethical issues in professional and personal life, to analyze ethical reasoning, and to formulate responsible, well-reasoned opinions and positions on questions related to ethics.
• Understanding of the methodologies for lifelong learning and self-reflection and respect for the value of education and lifelong learning.
  

The foundation of the general education programs is supported by three academic departments:
· English, Communication and Literature
· Liberal Studies
· Mathematics

General Education Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts - 51 Units

· UGP 100 Gateway to Success(Gateway course to be taken in first term of program)
· CRTH 10 Critical Thinking
· ENGL 1A Expository Writing
· ENGL 1B Research Writing
· ENGL 120 Business Writing

One of the following:
· COMM 35 Speech Communication
· COMM 40 Understanding Communication

LIBERAL STUDIES CORE - 21 units
Arts
ARTS 105 Contemporary Arts and Culture or any other ARTS course offered
History
HIST 88 Business in World History or any other HIST course offered
Humanities
HUM 156 Business and Civilization or any other HUM course offered
Literature
LIT 150 Business in Literature or LIT 160 Business in Movies or any other LIT course offered
Philosophy
PHIL 125 Ethics in Personal and Professional Life or any other PHIL course offered
Science
SCI 125 Science, Technology and Social Change or any other SCI course offered
Social Sciences
SOSC 88 Leadership and New Social Demands or any other SOSC course offered

FOUNDATION REQUIREMENTS - 12 Units
· MATH 20 Intermediate Algebra
· MATH 40 Statistics
· ECON 1 Microeconomics
· ACCTG 1A Financial Accounting

· UGP 100 Gateway to Success (Gateway course to be taken in first term of program)
· CRTH 10 Critical Thinking
· ENGL 1A Expository Writing
· ENGL 1B Research Writing
· ENGL 120 Business Writing

One of the following:
· COMM 35 Speech Communication
· COMM 40 Understanding Communication

LIBERAL STUDIES CORE - 21 units
Arts
ARTS 105 Contemporary Arts and Culture or any other ARTS course offered
History
HIST 88 Business in World History or any other HIST course offered
Humanities
HUM 156 Business and Civilization or any other HUM course offered
Literature
LIT 150 Business in Literature or LIT 160 Business in Movies or any other LIT course offered
Philosophy
PHIL 125 Ethics in Personal and Professional Life or any other PHIL course offered

Science
SCI 125 Science, Technology and Social Change or any other SCI course offered
Social Sciences
SOSC 88 Leadership and New Social Demands or any other SOSC course offered

FOUNDATION REQUIREMENTS - 21 Units
· MATH 30 College Algebra
· MATH 40 Statistics
· MATH 104 Regression Analysis
· ACCTG 1A Financial Accounting
· ACCTG 1B Managerial Accounting
· ECON 1 Microeconomics
· ECON 2 Macroeconomics