A.1. Content Areas
There are four Content Areas:
Area One – Arts and Humanities (Six credits)
Area Two – Social Sciences (Six credits)
Area Three – Science and Technology (Six to seven credits)
Area Four – Diversity and Multiculturalism (Six credits)
Content Area Operating Principles:
a. The courses fulfilling the Content Areas One, Two, and Three requirements must be drawn from at least six different subjects as designated by the subject letter code (e.g. ANTH or PVS). The courses within each of these content areas must be from two different subjects. Content Area courses may be counted toward the major.
b. Normally, the six credits required as a minimum for each Content Area will be met by two three-credit courses. However, in Content Area One and Content Area Four (Including Content Area Four International), repeatable one-credit courses may be included. Students may use no more than three credits of such courses to meet the requirement.
c. In Area Three, one of the courses must be a laboratory course of four or more credits. However, this laboratory requirement is waived for students who have passed a hands-on laboratory science course in the biological and/or physical sciences.
d. In Area Four, at least three credits shall address issues of diversity and/or multiculturalism outside of the United States (i.e. “International”).
e. For all Areas, there can be multiple designations. An individual course may be approved for and may count for one Area, two Areas, or three Areas if one of the three is Area Four.
f. Students must pass at least seven content area courses with at least 3 credits each (with the exception noted in A.1.b. above), amounting to a total of at least 21 credits.
g. Interdisciplinary (INTD= interdepartmental) courses are not necessarily multi-content area courses nor are multi-content area courses necessarily INTD courses. INTD courses may be proposed for inclusion in General Education. No more than six credits with the INTD prefix may be elected by any student to meet the General Education Requirements.
h. General Education courses, whenever possible, should include elements of diversity.
A.2. Competencies
The University of Connecticut places a high value on the ability of its undergraduates to demonstrate competency in three fundamental areas – writing, quantitative skills, and second language proficiency.* The development of these competencies rests on establishing clear expectations for students both at entrance and upon graduation, and on constructing a framework so that our students can reach these competencies.
The structure of each competency involves two parts: one establishing entry-level expectations and the second establishing graduation expectations. The entry-level expectations apply to all incoming students.
Quantitative Competency:
Two Quantitative (Q) courses are required. Advisors will assist students to determine their readiness for Q courses based on a combination of their SAT mathematics score and class performance.
Students will be able to seek advice and tutoring at the Q Learning Center.
Writing Competency:
1. All students must take either English 1010 (formerly 110), ENGL 1011 (formerly 111) or ENGL 2011 (Honors). Students with Advanced Placement English scores of 4 or 5 are considered to have fulfilled the ENGL 1010 or 1011 requirement.
2. Additionally, all students must take two writing-intensive W courses, one of which must be a 2000-level or above course approved for the student’s major. W courses may also satisfy other Content Area requirements. (Note: ENGL 1010, 1011, or 2011 are prerequisites to all writing-intensive courses.)
Students will be able to seek advice and tutoring at the W Learning Center.
Second Language Competency:
Three years of one language in High School or passing the 2nd semester of a second language at UConn is currently required.
*Please Note: The Computer Technology Competency was officially deleted from the General Education curriculum on December 3, 2018 by a vote of the University Senate to change the Senate By-Laws, Rules and Regulations on General Education.
A.3. Literacies
There are now two Literacies:
Environmental Literacy:
Students must pass at least one course of at least three credits in Environmental Literacy. Environmental Literacy courses are designated for this purpose as (E) courses. Environmental Literacy courses may be counted towards the major. Students may use an Environmental Literacy course that has one or more Content Area designations to fulfill the Content Area requirements for which the course has been approved, if the established regulations on Content Area course number, credit number and subject code are met.
Information Literacy:
Information literacy involves a general understanding of how information is created, disseminated and organized, and an ability to access and utilize information in your academic work. There are no entrance expectations, but basic research skills will be developed in ENGL 1007, ENGL 1010, ENGL 1011, ENGL 2011. Each major field of study will define its own exit standards in information literacy for its majors, and build opportunities for developing these skills into its curriculum.
A.4. Principles for the General Education Curriculum
The General Education curriculum should entail a breadth of academic experience for all students, while at the same time providing an intellectually rigorous and challenging set of courses.
There must be a significant commitment to several principles:
1. Course Accessibility.
In Content Areas One, Two and Three, General Education courses cannot have prerequisites except for other General Education courses. Courses in Area Four may have prerequisites outside of General Education courses.
2. Universality.
Each department or School and College may propose courses for any of the four Content Areas. All courses approved for the General Education Requirements must be valid for all Schools and Colleges of the University of Connecticut in meeting the University General Education Requirements. This in no way inhibits the various Schools, Colleges, departments or programs from setting up additional internal requirements, and allows students to use courses to satisfy simultaneously University General Education Requirements and requirements for the School, College, and/or major.
3. Other Operating Principles:
a. General education courses should be delivered by faculty members. Whenever possible, class sizes should be limited to permit direct interactions between students and faculty.
b. All courses offered for General Education credit must be approved by the GEOC. There will be no rollover of existing course offerings.
c. No academic unit may set enrollment bars or priorities for their own students for any General Education course, with the following exceptions.
(1). An academic unit may reserve any percentage of seats for its own students in a 2000+level W course that is not also approved for a content area.
(2). An academic unit may reserve a maximum of 50% of capacity for its own students in any section of a 2000+level course approved for Area Four (Diversity and Multiculturalism) as long as it is not also approved for any other content area.
d. While many courses may require both quantitative reasoning and writing, for the purposes of order and clarity there will be no multiple competency designations for 1000-level courses. This in no way should inhibit departments from requiring writing in their Q offerings or quantitative analysis in their W courses. Multiple competency designations, where a single course fulfills both Q and W requirements, are limited to 2000+ level courses.
e. University of Connecticut Students seeking an Additional Degree or a Double major are required to complete the requirements for both degrees/majors. Students will also be required to meet the advanced competency expectations in Information Literacy and Writing for each degree/major. If an individual course is approved to fill a competency requirement for both degrees/majors, successful completion of that course will meet the requirement for both degrees/majors.
f. All students entering the University or changing school or college within the University beginning with the Fall semester 2005 are expected to meet these General Education Requirements. Bearing in mind the principles outlined in this document, the Dean of the admitting School or College may make substitutions to the requirements for students who entered higher education prior to Fall 2005 and on a continuing basis for other students. Each Dean will submit an annual report summarizing this activity to GEOC by the end of the Spring semester each year.
g. Undergraduate students with Bachelor’s degrees from regionally accredited institutions are exempt from the General Education Requirements.
h. Graduates of community college degree programs who completed requirements under approved General Education articulation agreements with the University will have satisfied all General Education Requirements.