Junior Seminar and Undergraduate Capstone Requirements for Undergraduate Degrees (Policy 72)

Introduction

The General Education requirements for Governors State University undergraduate degrees are designed to prepare students to participate in a dynamic and diverse world. This preparation occurs over the four-year program of study and is not limited to lower­ division coursework.

Two key courses are required, regardless of major, before a student obtains an undergraduate degree from GovState. Those courses are designated in the major area as the Junior Seminar and the Undergraduate Capstone, both of which contribute to the credit hours in the specified major.

1. Purpose of the Junior Seminar: For each undergraduate major, a fall-semester Junior Seminar will be developed. Junior Seminar courses will be designed to integrate students who began their undergraduate education at GovState with students who transferred from other institutions. In addition, these courses are intended to support junior-level students' transition from a broad intellectual experience in general education to a more focused study of a particular field.
2. Junior Seminar Courses:
   1. Include a substantive study of the major/discipline, including an introduction to important concepts within the major/discipline;
   2. introduce students to the nature of inquiry typical in the major/discipline;
   3. may provide an overview, and/or focus on ethical issues and/or research;
   4. should reinforce the general education student learning outcomes in the areas of foundational knowledge, practical skills, and social responsibility as described in Policy 51, University General Education Requirements;
   5. must be designated as writing intensive, as defined in Policy 48, Writing across the Curriculum (unless an exception has been granted by the University Curriculum Committee [UCC]).
3. Each discipline will obtain approval from the University Curriculum Committee for its designated Junior Seminar course.
4. Junior Seminar courses must be a minimum of two credit hours.
5. Junior Seminar courses must be numbered as 3099 within the major designation.
6. Concentrations within a major may each have their own Junior Seminar course.

1. Purpose of the Undergraduate Capstone Course: Each undergraduate major must have a Capstone course of at least three credit hours taken during the final year of undergraduate students' degree programs. (Program faculty members are free to create more than one Capstone course, provide a choice for students, or link more than one course as a Capstone Experience.)
2. Capstone Courses must:
   1. provide a demonstrably integrative learning experience for students;
   2. produce evidence for the assessment of student learning outcomes relative to the major and general education;
   3. meet the General Education Student Leaming Outcomes for Integrative Learning as described in Policy 51 University General Education Requirement;
   4. be a minimum of 3 credit hours and may be completed over more than one semester;
   5. receive this designation from the University Curriculum Committee (UCC);
   6. be Writing Intensive as defined by Policy 48, Writing across the Curriculum, unless an exception is granted by the University Curriculum Committee;
   7. be numbered as 49XX within the major.