General Education Program

The General Education Program connects Castleton and life beyond college.

All students begin their studies at Castleton in the General Education Program. This program assures a common experience for incoming students, and it helps them to discover and appreciate the dynamic disciplines of the liberal arts.

Whether you pursue a major in one of the liberal arts or a professional program, courses and common themes in the General Education Program will provide the foundation for your studies. They will equip you with the skills and ideas you will need to be successful.

Joining a Community

First-Year Seminar, taken in your first semester, provides an in-depth introduction to college. First-year seminars introduce you to some of the interesting questions of one of our academic disciplines while helping you to make a transition into life in a college community.

Sharing Your Ideas

In your first and second years, you will hone academic skills such as writing and public speaking. In future years, you will practice these skills in special courses in your major or professional program.

Making Connections

Castleton’s Soundings Program and courses in the Frames of Reference open up the broad experience of the liberal arts.

These courses will also help you to make connections: connections between your previous experiences and the college life, connections between your different courses, and connections between what you learn in the classroom and your wider life both during and after college.

Lifelong Learning

This liberal arts tradition is important at Castleton, and it is the center of a Castleton education, no matter what field you choose to study.

At Castleton, we believe that various academic experiences and your experiences as a student should inform one another. These connections will help you live a rewarding life during and after your time here.

For an overview of the program requirements as they relate to the University’s degree requirements, please refer to the University Catalog.

Current students can review these requirements and their progress by surveying their Program Evaluation on the Castleton Portal page.