General education courses

General education courses provide a broad theoretical overview of a topic of personal and/or societal importance covering the following five themes:

• Arts in Society
• Civic Life
• Social and Cultural Understanding
• Personal Understanding
• Science and Technology

• All Durham College students enrolled in diploma and advanced diploma programs are required to complete three discrete general education courses.
  • Note: A course code may only be used once to satisfy the requirements of a program of study
• Some certificate programs also require GNEDs – please check your program of study.
• General education courses are not required in graduate certificate or apprenticeship programs.

Each semester, you will choose from a list of available GNED courses that fit with your timetable. The selection and number of elective courses available will vary from semester to semester and from year to year.

• In some programs, students are required to complete at least one GNED focused on First Nations, Métis, and Inuit (INDG) histories, cultures and national issues.  Learn more about INDG GNED courses here.
• Students are responsible to ensure they are not duplicating their GNED or INDG selections.  Graduation requirements include successful completion of three unique elective courses as per your program of study. A course code may only be used once to satisfy the requirements of a program of study.

Ongoing surveys, dating back to the 1990s, consistently show that employers seek graduates who have a broad understanding of society, which extends beyond the applied education received through obtaining their diplomas.

To meet this need, the MTCU requires students to complete general education courses related to personal and/or societal importance designed to strengthen critical analysis, problem solving, and communication skills. These ‘elective’ courses are in addition to vocational courses and are selected from an approved pool of courses over which students exercise choice. These courses must meet the general education standard for theoretical breadth but provide learning opportunities beyond the vocational field of study.