Any course offered at Grand Canyon University may be taken as an individual course. Below is a listing of our more popular courses. To review a comprehensive listing of individual courses, please review the Academic Catalog. Course Descriptions begin on page 133.
Learn more today about taking individual courses at Grand Canyon University
Below is just a sampling of the General Education courses that can be taken online.
ENG 105 English Composition I Credits: 4
This is a course in writing academic prose, including various types of essays, arguments, and constructions. A writing-intensive course.
ENG 106 English Composition II Credits: 4
This course explores various types of research writing, with a focus on constructing essays, arguments, and research reports based on primary and secondary sources. A writing-intensive course.
ENG 250 Analysis of World Literature
This course is a study of some diverse works in world literature. It introduces all advanced English course offerings. Students will also be introduced to methods of literary criticism and analysis. All students who plan to major in English should earn a 3.00 or above in this course before taking any upper division English courses. Prerequisites: ENG 105 and ENG 106, or satisfactory completion of GCU's written communication competency.
HIS 221 Themes in United States History Credits: 4
This course is a survey of U.S. history from the Colonial era to the present. Topics include the American Revolution, the early national period, Jeffersonian and Jacksonian America, the Civil War and the Reconstruction, industrialization, the World Wars, the Great Depression, and the Cold War and the post-Cold War eras.
MAT 134 Applications of Algebra Credits: 4
This course is the university general education requirement, and develops and then applies the algebraic concepts of linear equations and linear inequalities in one variable; graphing linear equations and linear inequalities; linear systems; and rational, exponential, quadratic, exponential, and logarithmic equations. There is an emphasis on developing both a fundamental understanding of these concepts as well as their application to real-world problem solving. Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in MAT 110 or 2 years of high school algebra with a grade of C or better.
MAT 150 Mathematics for Elementary Teachers I Credits: 4
This is the first in a two-course sequence designed for prospective elementary school teachers. Concepts include set theory, functions, numeration systems, number theory and properties of the natural numbers, integers, rational numbers, ratios, proportions, decimals, and percents, with an emphasis on problem solving and critical thinking. Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in MAT 134 or 3 years of high school algebra with a grade of C or better.
MAT 250 College Algebra and Trigonometry Credits: 4
This course is a unified study of fundamental concepts from algebra and trigonometry that provide the necessary background for the study of calculus. Topics include modeling linear equations and inequalities; functions and their graphs; polynomial, rational, exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric functions; systems of equations and inequalities; matrices and determinants; and conic sections. There is an emphasis on developing both a fundamental understanding of these concepts as well as their application to real-world problem solving. Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in MAT 134 or 3 years of high school algebra with a grade of C or better.
MAT 274 Probability and Statistics Credits: 4
This course provides an introduction to the study of basic probability, descriptive and inferential statistics, and decision making. Emphasis is placed on measures of central tendency and dispersion, correlation, regression, discrete and continuous probability distributions, quality control, population parameter estimation, and hypothesis testing. Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in MAT 134 or 3 years of high school algebra with a grade of C or better.
MAT 352 Calculus and Analytic Geometry I Credits: 4
This course covers in depth the differential calculus portion of a three-course calculus sequence. Topics include limits, continuity, and derivatives of algebraic, transcendental, and inverse functions; applications of the derivative; and integrals of algebraic and transcendental functions of one variable, with applications. Prerequisite: MAT 250.
PHI 103 Introduction to Philosophy and Ethics Credits: 4
This course is an introduction to the discipline of philosophy through a study of representative philosophical problems. Students are introduced to analytic tools that enable them to practice critical thinking, evaluate knowledge claims, and establish a rationale and justification for other academic disciplines. Topics to be considered include logic, epistemology, metaphysics, and ethics.
PHI 105 21st Century Skills: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Credits: 4
This course gives students an introduction to skills of critical thinking and decision making. It provides students opportunities to evaluate the influence and value of these skills in their personal, academic, and professional lives. Emphasis is placed on perception, emotion, fallacious reasoning, and communication.
POS 301 Arizona and Federal Government Credits: 2
This course is a survey of Arizona history and government, as well as American government. It meets the teacher certification requirement for Arizona government and American government.
PSY 102 General Psychology Credits: 4
This foundation course in the science of behavior includes an overview of the history of psychology, the brain, motivation, emotion, sensory functions, perception, intelligence, gender and sexuality, social psychology, human development, learning psychopathology, and therapy.
PSY 255 Personality Psychology Credits: 4
This course is a study of the nature and causal determinants of human behavior, including the definition and scientific measurement of personality. Theories studied include the psychodynamic, neo-Freudian, trait and factor, cognitive, and behavioral theories. The Christian perspective on the nature of human personality is also explored. Prerequisite: PSY 102.
PSY 380 Introduction to Probability and Statistics Credits: 4
This course is a study of elementary theories of probability, distribution, and testing of statistical hypotheses. Practical experience is provided in the application of statistical methods. Prerequisite: Any MAT course 120 level or above.
