What Are General Education Requirements?
General education requirements, often called gen eds, are the set of courses that most US colleges require all undergraduates to complete, whatever their major. They are meant to give graduates a broad foundation: the ability to write and reason clearly, some knowledge of science, society, the arts and the humanities, and the habits of mind that connect different fields.
How they are organized
Structures differ. Some colleges use a distribution model, in which you choose courses from several areas such as natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, fine arts and quantitative reasoning. Others use a core curriculum, with a shared set of required courses, or a thematic model, where courses are grouped around big questions.
Common elements include first-year writing, a math or quantitative course, a lab science, a foreign language or global perspectives requirement, and courses tagged for diversity, ethics or civic engagement. Colleges often label approved courses in the catalog so that you can see which requirement each satisfies.
Why they matter for planning
General education courses can take a quarter to a third of a bachelor's degree. Planning them well lets you use them to explore interests, to lighten a heavy term or to count toward a minor. Courses sometimes satisfy both a major requirement and a general education area, which saves credits.
Transfer students should check how their earlier credits apply, and students with AP or IB scores should check which areas they cover.
An example
A biology major may take composition and statistics for writing and quantitative requirements, a history course and a literature course for humanities, and an art course for fine arts, alongside the major.
Related terms
See core curriculum, elective, degree audit, AP credit and articulation agreement.
Frequently asked questions
Why do I have to take general education courses?
Colleges use them to give every graduate a broad base of knowledge and skills such as writing, quantitative reasoning and critical thinking, beyond the major. They also expose students to fields they might not otherwise try.
Can AP or IB credit satisfy general education requirements?
Often yes. Many colleges award credit for qualifying exam scores and apply it to general education areas. Policies and score cutoffs vary, so check the college's credit policy.
Do general education requirements transfer?
Sometimes. Some states and colleges have agreements that let a completed general education block transfer as a package. Check with the receiving school before you assume.