General Education Pathways: Chart New, Creative Paths Forward
Pathways is the name of KCAD's model for general education courses. It's based on
the understanding that the most successful artists, designers, art historians, and
art educators are those who stay broadly and endlessly interested in the world around
them. That's why KCAD's Pathways model gives you the freedom to pursue an education
that sparks your curiosity and stimulates your creativity. Wherever your exploration
leads, you'll emerge as a critical and analytical thinker who can both adapt to change
and chart new, creative paths forward.
How does the Pathways model work?
The Pathways model blends 30 credits of broad, integrative study with a deep dive
into a focus area of your choice. First, you'll take five foundational courses (15
credits) Writing, Intro to Narrative Studies, Intro to Cultural Studies, Intro to
Philosophy, and a Math or Science Elective that will set the stage for you to immerse
yourself in your interests.
You'll then select one of three pathways in which you ll take four classes (12 credits)
in an area of focus. Each pathway culminates in a capstone course (3 credits) that
encourages you to make powerful connections between all that you've learned and experienced
along the way.
Which Pathway is right for me?
Narrative Studies...
is about stories. It's for people who like to read and write fans of novels, comics,
and films. Engagement in narrative studies enables students to analyze characters
and examine what drives them as they fight to overcome obstacles. If you choose this
pathway, you'll examine important texts, compose your own ideas through writing, and
form critical insights into your own world. Courses in this pathway include creative
writing, world literature, film, and genre studies, among others.
Courses in the Narrative Studies Pathway:
- KCHU 310 World Literature
- KCHU 322 Creative Writing
- KCHU 324 Mythology
- KCHU 325 Bible as Literature
- KCHU 328 Film as Literature
- KCHU 330 Genre Studies
- KCHU 410 Major Authors
- KCHU 411 Literary Periods
- KCHU 422 Fiction Workshop
In addition, selected Special Topics courses may fit into this Pathway.
Cultural Studies...
is about identity. It's for students who want to understand how societies work and
who want to see change in the world around them. This path of study explores how individuals
shape and are shaped by society, exploring the constructions of race, class, gender,
sexuality, ability, and citizenship. Along this pathway, you'll grapple with social
change and systems of power, analyzing how your identity is related to larger cultural
practices and institutional structures. Such experiences occur in a wide range of
social sciences classes, including history, political science, gender studies, and
sociology.
Courses in the Cultural Studies Pathway:
- KCHU 227 World Religions
- KCHU 310 World Literature
- KCHU 324 Mythology
- KCHU 328 Film as Literature
- KCHU 340 Visual Rhetoric
- KCHU 411 Literary Periods
- KCSS 241 Intro to Psychology
- KCSS 242 Sociology
- KCSS 243 Anthropology
- KCSS 245 Comparative Government
- KCSS 246 Ethnic & Interracial Dynamics
- KCSS 247 Political Science
- KCSS 341 American in the 20th Century
- KCSS 342 Human Sexuality
In addition, selected Special Topics courses may fit into this Pathway.
Philosophical Studies...
is about big questions: What is real? What is good? What is beautiful? The discipline
of philosophy teaches you not what to think but how to think and in more informed,
consistent, and rational ways. Philosophy encourages inquiry into life's fundamental
questions, with the ultimate goal of bringing into focus essential issues about who
we are and why we're here. Students encounter these issues not only in philosophy
courses but also in classes such as world religions, aesthetics, and mythology, among
others.
Courses in the Philosophical Studies Pathway:
- KCHU 227 World Religions
- KCHU 310 World Literature
- KCHU 323 Aesthetics
- KCHU 324 Mythology
In addition, selected Special Topics courses may fit into this Pathway.
How will my existing credits transfer into the Pathways model?
We understand that you may already have taken some courses in the areas of general
education (i.e., the humanities, social sciences, math, and/or sciences). Rest assured
that we will work with you to transfer in as many of those courses as possible while
still helping you to reap the benefits of KCAD s unique Pathways experience.
For more detail information on how specific classes may transfer, please visit our
Transfer Credit page.
