Detailed Explanation of Spartan Studies Requirements
Spartan Studies
Mission
Prepare students to be successful, contributing members of the global community by providing a strong, liberal arts curriculum.
Values
The University of Tampa values and will promote:
- students' learning in the liberal arts and sciences.
- students' engagement with local and global communities.
- the intellectual richness of the UT undergraduate community as seen in the variety and depth of liberal arts and sciences topics and disciplines studied by students, collectively and individually.
Goals and Objectives
Goal 1: Students will become engaged, responsible citizens of their local community and the world.
Objective 1.1: Students will recognize the importance of their role within a diverse global community.
Objective 1.2: Students will explore local and global communities through the lens of the humanities and fine arts.
Objective 1.3: Students will explore local and global communities through the lens of the social and behavioral sciences.
Objective 1.4: Students will explore local and global communities through the lens of the natural sciences.
Objective 1.5: Students will practice civic engagement within their local community.
Goal 2: Students will demonstrate effective oral and written communication by analyzing issues within their local community and the world.
Objective 2.1: Students will prepare and deliver effective oral presentations.
Objective 2.2: Students will write effective documents.
Objective 2.3: Students will demonstrate effective critical reading strategies.
Goal 3: Students will evaluate information using appropriate analytical and technological tools to solve relevant problems within local and global communities.
Objective 3.1: Students will employ the scientific method to evaluate complex problems using empirical data.
Objective 3.2: Students will utilize mathematical concepts to solve complex problems.
Objective 3.3: Students will employ appropriate technology to solve problems.
Objective 3.4: Students will analyze and evaluate complex issues through rhetoric, logic, and argument.
Objective 3.5: Students will evaluate the consequences of choosing to approach a problem from differing disciplinary perspectives.
Description
Liberal arts general education curricula are designed to produce graduates who are well-rounded, knowledgable, and contributing members of society. The Spartan Studies general education curriculum of the University of Tampa was designed with the vision that grounding students in the local community and then expanding their focus to the global community will help them see how they are interconnected with people around the world, with nature, and the universe. Students will learn to critically read and effectively write using this pedagogical framework, providing a concrete foundation for understanding the importance of a liberal arts education. Fundamental skills and abilities like reading and writing are built upon with training in digital technologies and education in the natural and social/behavioral sciences and the arts and humanities. The distribution component of Spartan Studies aims to provide students with a breadth of knowledge about a variety of scholarly disciplines that can then facilitate more in-depth investigation of these topics in the Spartan Studies Core and/or Culminating Experience courses. The culminating experience of Spartan Studies is a course in which students will reflect upon the many topics they have studied and then apply that knowledge. Successful completion of the Spartan Studies general education curriculum at the University of Tampa will provide students with the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to be engaged and contributing citizens wherever they choose to live.
Detailed information on each of the main areas of Spartan Studies can be found below.
Policies
Spartan Studies must be completed with an average GPA of at least 2.0. While credit hours are noted for each course in Spartan Studies, for transfer purposes, approved courses will meet the corresponding requirements. A minimum of 40 credits that meet Spartan Studies requirements must be earned. Any course that meets Spartan Studies requirements can be used to meet the minimum credit hour requirement.