The Areas of Understanding showcase everything compelling and even exciting about studying the liberal arts.
Courses included in the Areas of Understanding show you the different ways that human beings understand and explore our world. They offer different starting points for exploring human knowledge and different ways of knowing ourselves in society. You will sample from these different disciplines, choosing areas of study familiar to you or ones you’ve always wanted to try. Be encouraged to select courses that you have never even heard of before. These courses might push you to step beyond your comfort zone to see your world through new and different perspectives.
Courses in the Areas of Understanding should enrich your educational experience at Castleton and help you be a more well-rounded student and citizen. They will give you important perspectives and new ideas to enrich your specialized studies and your future career. You might even discover a whole area of study that is just right for you but that you hadn’t even imagined before. To make the most of your education at Castleton, you will need to be open to exploring new ideas and then making connections with the things that matter to you. If you can do this, Castleton’s Connections general education program will prepare you not only for a rewarding and fulfilling profession but also for finding the good life beyond college.
All students are encouraged to explore the Areas of Understanding during their first years at Castleton. For each of the five Areas, students will select a specified number of courses. Every term, there is a wide assortment of courses offered in each area. The Areas of Understanding are described below:
This area of study is concerned with understanding oneself in the larger contexts of one’s own and other cultures. Subjects include Anthropology, Art History, Business, English, Foreign Language and Literature, Geography, History, Women’s and Gender Studies, and more.
This area of study is concerned with the forms of human expression, the value, and contributions of the arts and language to human life and culture. Subjects include Art and Art History, Communications, English, Foreign Language and Literature, Music, Philosophy, Theater Arts and more.
This area of study is concerned with mathematical ways of knowing, pertaining to such things as mathematics, logic, and critical thinking. Subjects include Mathematics, Computer Information Systems, and more.
This area of study is concerned with empirical ways of knowing about such things as nature, the universe, and the human body. Subjects in this area include Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Physical Education, Physics, and more.
This area of study is concerned with the issues and principles involved in understanding human behavior and personality, social life and institutions, economics, and politics. Subjects include Communications, Economics, Environmental Studies, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, Social Work, Women's and Gender Studies, and more.