Choosing your General Education Electives

Row of students on computers

In the 1990′s, across the province, employers expressed concerns that graduates of community colleges required a more broadly-based education to prepare for their careers in a rapidly changing workplace. The Ontario Government responded by introducing new curriculum requirements for college programs, requirements that focused on employability skills and general education courses.

Depending on the length of your program, there are a number of mandated general education courses embedded in your program of study. One or two general education courses in your program are taken as online electives.

General education courses cover areas of general interest and are divided into five themes:
  • Theme 1 – Arts in Society
  • Theme 2 – Civic Life
  • Theme 3 – Social and Cultural Understanding
  • Theme 4 – Personal Understanding
  • Theme 5 – Science and Technology

The knowledge gained from these courses is intended to develop a good understanding of social responsibility and citizenship, and strengthen a student’s ability to participate actively and fully in society.

Students select their General Education Electives from a pool of courses available online through ACSIS. You must have paid or deferred your tuition prior to selecting the
course(s)

To find out what electives are available to you and to read the course descriptions, please visit: algonquincollege.com/gened/

To find out more about applying for an exemption for General Education Electives, please visit: algonquincollege.com/gened/exemptions.

If you have work or life experience that aligns with one of the five themes, you may consider challenging your General Education Elective through PLAR. To find out more, please visit algonquincollege.com/plar.