What is General Education?
General Education (GNED) electives give you the opportunity to explore a topic that interests you. The elective must be outside the vocational outcomes of your program and will provide a general overview of a topic.
Choosing electives that interest you will help broaden your sense of self and the world around you, giving you adaptability for the constantly changing, diverse world in which we live. We offer a range of courses that not only align to one of the Ministry themes, but also to our six Graduate Attributes. These attributes are intentional and seek to help you craft your professional identity while at Loyalist to champion BIG things!
What are Graduate Attributes?
Our Graduate Attributes enhance your Loyalist experience!
- Citizenship and Global Responsibility
- Cross-Cultural Understanding
- Indigenous Understanding
- Entrepreneurship and Technology
- Health and Wellness
- Ecological Literacy
Some of these attributes will be acquired through program learning outcomes in accordance with understood teaching and learning principles, while other elements will be realized through co-curricular activities and monitored through a tracking process to encourage self-reflection. To guide our collective actions, we’re driven by five core values – inclusive, caring, accountable, creative, and engaging.
Some of our GNED courses are mapped to our attributes. While your GNED courses will broaden your understanding, it’s really the Loyalist experience that will strengthen and define your character in helping to demonstrate these attributes.
Please note: All Students starting a diploma program after Fall 2023 are required to take GNED 1100: Becoming a Global Changemaker in either semester one (Fall) or two (Winter). Self-registration is not required for this course as it is included with your program’s core registration block.
*NEW MANDATORY ELECTIVE* GNED 1100: Becoming a Global Changemaker
This Loyalist College graduate attributes course will help shape your perspectives, broaden your understanding of important issues affecting our societies today, and equip you with invaluable knowledge and skills that will inform your ability to influence your community in a meaningful and impactful way. By exploring topics such as cultural competency, Indigenous education, entrepreneurship, sustainability, health and wellness, and ecological literacy, you’ll be equipped with a powerful toolkit that extends far beyond the classroom.
Other Examples
Indigenous Understanding
- GNED1037 Indigenous Culture and History
- GNED1061 Indigenous Approaches to Wellness
- GNED1057 Indigenous Storytelling
- GNED1056 Indigenous Food Systems
Cross-Cultural Understanding
- GNED1024 Diversity
- GNED1081 Exploring Deaf Culture
- GNED1022 The Art of Human Communication
- GNED1077 Modern Discourse and Debate
Citizenship and Global Responsibility
- GNED1055 Global Challenges and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals
- GNED1018 Political Foundations: Governance, Engagement, and Activism
Entrepreneurship and Technology
- GNED1052 Technology’s Impact on the Modern World
- GNED1049 Gaming Technology
- GNED1009 Freelance & Entrepreneurship
Health and Wellness
- GNED1026 Health Psychology
- GNED1060 Designer DNA: The Age of Genetic Advancement
- GNED1076 The Science of Alternative and Integrated Medicine
- GNED1023 Wellness
Ecological Literacy
- GNED1040 Off Grid Living
- GNED1004 Living Green! Practical Ways to Start Today
The Ministry of Colleges and Universities requires all students in diploma and advanced diploma programs to successfully complete a minimum of three GNED electives to graduate. According to the Framework for Programs of Instruction, “General Education strengthens student’s generic skills, such as critical analysis, problem solving, and communication, in the context of an exploration of topics with broad-based personal and/or societal importance” (Framework for Programs of Instruction, Revised July 2009, p. 21).
How to enrol
Each program determines in which semesters the GNED electives are included, and students can self-enrol through the GNED Registration Portal on myLoyalist. Please find details about learning options below.