Liberal Arts and General Education

General education, including a foundation in the liberal arts, is the cornerstone of a university education. Its purpose is to develop in students the knowledge, skills, and character necessary to live thoughtful, ethical and successful lives, both professionally and personally, and to foster a love of life-long learning.

While general education is a requirement at The Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University, it is delivered with options for flexibility and choice. We consider past learning and experience when helping students shape their general education curriculum choices to best meet their individual needs. Courses to meet the liberal arts requirements of general education are available throughout the offerings of Lesley University.

General Education Requirements

AIB students must fulfill the following general education requirements:

English Composition: 3 credits
Writing & the Literary Arts: 3 credits

Math: 3 credits
Science: 3 credits

Social Science: 3 credits
History: 3-6 credits

Liberal Arts Electives: 9-12 credits

General Education Learning Goals

Fundamental Base of Knowledge
Students will develop a fundamental base of knowledge necessary for all future academic study and professional preparation.

Critical Reasoning
Students will develop the ability to solve unfamiliar problems and generate new meaning.

Social Responsibility
Students will develop an understanding of the individual’s role in the larger community and the natural world, and an awareness of the importance of involvement in the same.

Multiple Perspectives
Students will develop an awareness of multiple viewpoints by exploring the relationship among values, attitudes, cultures, and behaviors.

Life-Long Learning
Students will acquire the interest and ability to further their learning.

General Education at The Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University goes beyond offering breadth and depth in the liberal arts. The learning goals are infused into study in the major, in co-curricular settings, in the community, and through self-reflection.

The distribution of general education courses give students broad exposure to the liberal arts and allows students to select from offerings available across the university. Some of the courses that meet the general education distribution requirements may also meet the requirements in a major the student selects. This allows for integration as well as breadth and depth of knowledge as the student progresses through the college experience.

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