DEC Requirements

The Diversified Education Curriculum (D.E.C.) is the Stony Brook version of a general education program that is integral to most college and university curricula. It introduces students to a breadth of knowledge that balances and complements the depth of study provided by their major field. The D.E.C. is designed to accomplish several goals: First, to develop an understanding of how different disciplines define, acquire, and organize knowledge; second, to enhance understanding of Western and non-Western cultures as well as their reciprocal influence on each other; third, to provide a basis for an examination of values; fourth, to develop analytic, synthetic, linguistic, computational, communication, and information-gathering skills useful for lifelong learning; and, finally, to provide a common foundation for wide-ranging dialogue with peers on issues of significance. In its multiple facets, the D.E.C. encourages students to develop a critical and inquiring attitude, an appreciation of complexity and ambiguity, a tolerance for and empathy with persons and groups of different backgrounds or values, and a deepened sense of self. In short, the goal of the D.E.C. is to prepare students to appreciate and be able to function effectively in an increasingly complex world.

**DEC Requirements only apply to students who matriculated as Freshmen prior to Fall 2014 or as Transfers prior to Spring 2015**

Important Notes

• All courses offered to satisfy D.E.C. requirements must be taken for a letter grade. Courses taken under the Graded/Pass/No Credit Option will not satisfy D.E.C. requirements. Categories A and C must be passed with a grade of C or higher.
• A course is assigned to one D.E.C. category only and will satisfy only that category.
• If no letter tag appears after a course number, that course may not be used to satisfy any D.E.C. requirement.
• Coursework completed while registered for independent study courses (including directed readings and research courses) may not be used to satisfy any D.E.C. requirements.
• College courses taken while the student was in high school will be evaluated for applicability to D.E.C. categories. College writing courses completed in high school will satisfy Skill 2 and D.E.C. A part 1 if the student receives a grade of C or higher. Students must take D.E.C. A, part 2 at Stony Brook.
• AP, CLEP subject examinations, RCE, or Challenge credit, or other approved credit by examinations with appropriate scores, may be used to satisfy one course in each of the categories E, F, and G. Course credit by examination may not be used in any other category except students may use AP credit for the first course of category A and for category C.
• Transferred courses must carry at least three semester hours of credit to be applicable to any category.
• Courses transferred from SUNY institutions meeting SUNY general education requirements do not necessarily satisfy D.E.C. categories. See the section "Application of Transfer Credits to General Education Requirements" in the Academic Policies and Regulations chapter for details

**Students are encouraged to visit the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences Undergraduate Student Office for a formal review of their D.E.C. requirements. Students can use these pages to record courses used toward these requirements.**