Cluster One Requirements
Cluster One: Skills for the 21st Century (9 credits)
Cluster One Coordinator: Sarah Brooks
Cluster One brings together the basic skills in reasoning, writing, and oral communication. Since ancient times, these skills have been recognized as the fundamental skills of educated persons and responsible citizens. Cluster One specifically emphasizes the critical knowledge and skills that students learn through the study of human discourse, argumentation, reasoning, and persuasion. As students examine issues they gain insight and understanding that knowledge rarely develops in isolation but within a larger interactive, and often complex, context. Cluster One also responds to the contemporary need for effective information literacy within diverse contexts of human communication and decision making.
Cluster One consists of nine credits covering three areas, Critical Thinking, Human Communication, and Writing. Students complete one course in each area and the courses may be taken in any order. The MREST information literacy competency exam is a non-credit carrying requirement.
If a student seeks to re-take any Cluster One course for repeat-forgive (having earned a D- or higher) or to take a second critical thinking class, he or she must have permission from the cluster one coordinator. If you are an upperclassmen that needs a permission into a cluster one course for Spring or Summer please contact Sarah Brooks (brooksst@jmu.edu). Upperclassmen will not receive a permission to enroll in a cluster one class in the fall unless there is an available seat during open enrollment in September.
Learning Objectives |
Course Options |
After completing a Critical Thinking course, students should be able to:
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BUS 160 Business Decision Making in a Modern Society HIST 150 Critical Issues in Recent Global History ISAT 160 Problem Solving Approaches in Science and Technology SMAD 150 Mediated Communication: Issues and Skills PHIL 120 Critical Thinking PHIL 150 Ethical Reasoning |
After completing a Human Communication course, students should be able to:
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SCOM 121 Fundamental Human Communication: Presentations SCOM 122 Fundamental Human Communication: Individual Presentations SCOM 123 Fundamental Human Communication: Group Presentations. |
After completing the Writing course, students should be able to:
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WRTC 103 Rhetorical Reading and Writing |
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Madison Research Essentials Skills Test |