The General Education Program

All students entering the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences who wish to earn BA, BS, BFA, BLS, or BM degrees must complete the General Education Program (GEP).

There are 9 required areas within the General Education Program with 12 different categories of courses.To fulfill the area requirements, students may select from numerous subjects and departments, with all GE courses providing a foundation in critical thinking, reading, and writing. More advanced GE courses allow students to continue the pursuit of a wide-range of interests relating to or in addition to the major well into the senior year.

Areas and Requirements

1. Rhetoric: One or two courses required, 4-8 semester hours, as determined by the Department of Rhetoric.
2. Foreign Language: Fourth-semester competency required or the departmental equivalent; may be completed through high-school study.
3. Interpretation of Literature: One course required; a minimum of 3 semester hours. English majors should select an alternate course from the Humanities area to fulfill this requirement.
4. Historical Perspectives: One course required, a minimum of 3 semester hours.
5. Humanities: One course required, a minimum of 3 semester hours.
6. Natural Sciences: Two courses required, one with a lab and one with or without a lab, for a total of 7 semester hours.
7. Quantitative or Formal Reasoning: One course required, a minimum of 3 semester hours.
8. Social Sciences: One course required, a minimum of 3 semester hours.
9. Distributed General Education: At least 6 semester hours required with a minimum of 3 semester hours taken from two different categories listed below:
   • Cultural Diversity
   • Fine Arts
   • Foreign Civilization and Culture
   • Health and Physical Activity
   • Historical Perspectives
   • Humanities
   • Social Sciences

Academic Policies Pertaining to Students

Students should be aware of all additional academic policies pertaining to the General Education Program.

Note: The University accepts credit by examination for some areas of the GE Program, including AP, CLEP, and IB credit. Visit the following Admissions site for specific information. Transfer credit also may be used to fulfill some areas. Please consult with Admissions.