New General Education
A page within Records & Registration
New General Education Requirements Coming Soon
Effective for Students Starting Summer and Fall 2025 or Later
*Current students will continue to complete General Education requirements following the categories listed in the catalog year of their start.
First College Courses (12-13 credits)
These foundational courses introduce early in a student’s college career skills that are central to learning, analyzing, evaluating, integrating, and communicating information and knowledge. These skills are essential in all fields of study and their development should be enhanced and refined throughout the college years. Therefore, it is recommended that these courses are taken during the student’s first year at UWL.
GEN ED 1001 First Year Seminar (3 cr)
This topics seminar focuses on developing the knowledge, experiences, and skills helpful for success at UWL, including learning strategies, community building, and academic inquiry. By exploring enduring questions students will learn the purposes and value of a liberal arts education.
- Outcome: Reflect on and apply learning and skills that contribute to success in the first year of college and beyond (Foundations and Skills for Lifelong Learning VALUE Rubric)
Course | Title |
FYS 100 | First Year Seminar |
GEN ED 1002 Written Literacy (3 cr)
Reading and writing are used to effectively communicate ideas and to become educated citizens. These skills courses improve students’ abilities to read and write with clarity, precision, and depth of understanding.
- Outcome: Develop ideas effectively in writing by integrating evidence with clarity and precision (Written Communication VALUE Rubric)
Course | Title |
ENG 110 | College Writing |
ENG 112 | College Writing AP |
GEN ED 1003 Spoken Literacy (3 cr)
Speaking and listening are used to effectively communicate ideas and to become educated citizens. This skills course improves students’ abilities to speak and listen with clarity, precision, and depth of understanding.
- Outcome: Speaking and listening are used to effectively communicate ideas and to become educated citizens. This skills course improves students’ abilities to speak and listen with clarity, precision, and depth of understanding.
Course | Title |
CST 100 | Communicating Effectively |
GEN ED 1004 Quantitative Reasoning (3-4 cr)
Quantitative reasoning skills are vital for understanding and predicting many personal and societal conditions. Students will develop a habit of mind that includes analyzing, evaluating, and communicating situations logically and precisely. Courses focus on topics necessary to make informed decisions in today’s world such as logic, numeracy, and statistics.
- Outcome: Analyze quantitative data to reason and communicate arguments across varied contexts (Quantitative Literacy VALUE Rubric)
Course | Title |
CS 101 | Introduction to Computing |
CS 115 | Introduction to Python Programming |
CS 120 | Software Design I |
CT 100 | Introduction to Computational Thinking |
FIN 207 | Personal Finance |
MTH 115 | Mathematics for Early Childhood and Elementary Teachers I |
MTH 116 | Mathematics for Early Childhood and Elementary Teachers II |
MTH 123 | Mathematics for Decision Making |
MTH 150 | College Algebra |
MTH 151 | Precalculus |
MTH 160 | Mathematics for Business |
MTH 175 | Applied Calculus |
MTH 207 | Calculus I |
MTH 208 | Calculus II |
MTH 215 | Mathematics for Middle School Teachers I |
MTH 216 | Mathematics for Middle School Teachers II |
MTH 265 | Mathematical Models in Biology |
MUS 115 | Musical Elements: Conventions and Systems |
PHL 101 | Introduction to Logic |
STAT 145 | Elementary Statistics |
University Core (17 credits)
Students will take courses that expand their knowledge of disciplines and learn skills that will enhance their intellectual development. Collectively, these courses will place foundational knowledge in larger contexts and demonstrate the importance of a liberal arts education for the development of the whole person and their relationship to society.
GEN ED 1005 Ethnic Diversity (3 cr)
An essential goal of general education is to improve students’ understanding of and sensitivity to cultural, gender, and intersectional diversity and inequality in the United States. All students take at least one course that focuses on systems of oppression that impact communities of color in the United States or specifically attend to gender within communities of color.
- Outcome: Interpret cultural contexts to interact with diverse and intersectional U.S. communities (Intercultural Knowledge VALUE Rubric)
Course | Title |
ANT 362 | Hmong Americans |
ANT 375 | Language, Power, and Inequality |
ECO 336 | Women in the U.S. Economy |
EDS 206 | Multicultural Education |
EFN 205 | Understanding Human Differences |
ENG 207 | Multicultural Literature of the United States |
ENG 210 | Literature of Black America |
ENG 215 | African American Authors |
HIS 306 | Ethnic America |
HIS 336 | Latinos in the United States: 1450-2000 |
PHL 335 | Multicultural Philosophy in the United States |
POL 205 | Women and Politics |
PSY 283 | Psychology of Culture and Race |
PSY 285 | Culture and Mental Health |
PSY 318 | Psychology of Women |
RGS 100 | Race, Gender, Sexuality, and Class |
RGS 207 | Multicultural Literature of the United States |
RGS 210 | Literature of Black America |
RGS 215 | African American Authors |
RGS 362 | Hmong Americans |
SOC 225 | Sociology of Race and Ethnicity |
THA 130 | Multicultural U.S. Drama and Theory |
GEN ED 1006 Mind & Body (3 cr)
Mens Corpusque (mind and body) underscores the importance of the interaction between physical and mental well-being. Students will gain the knowledge and skills to improve their own well-being through the application of the dimensions of wellness (such as physical, emotional, intellectual, environmental, social, spiritual, occupational) and will recognize that individual decisions and actions impact the wellness of others.
- Outcome: Apply multidimensional wellness strategies to enhance individual and collective well-being in a collaborative setting (Teamwork VALUE Rubric)
Course | Title |
HED 207 | Youth Health Issues |
HP 105 | Analysis of Health, Wellness and Disease for the Health Care Consumer |
HPR 105 | Creating A Healthy, Active Lifestyle |
MIND 110 | Introduction to Mindfulness |
REC 150 | Leisure, Quality of Life, and Well Being |
GEN ED 1007 Arts and Aesthetics (4 cr)
The arts represent a fusion of the emotional, spiritual, and intellectual realities of the human condition. Study of the arts leads to heightened aesthetic experiences and deepens cultural understanding. This includes courses that focus on understanding, appreciating, and experiencing the fine and performing arts.
- Outcome: Analyze artistic elements to foster creative thinking and deepen cultural appreciation (Creative Thinking VALUE Rubric)
Course | Title |
ART 102 | Art Appreciation |
ART 160 | General Art Foundations |
ART 172 | Photography Survey |
ART 272 | Photography and Imaging I |
ART 302 | Visual Language in the Global Classroom |
ART 332 | Themes of Contemporary Art |
ESS 104 | Dance Appreciation |
MUS 100 | Screaming Eagles Marching Band I |
MUS 103 | Concert Band I |
MUS 105 | Music Appreciation |
MUS 106 | Concert Choir I |
MUS 123 | Treble Chorus I |
MUS 134 | Jazz Ensemble I |
MUS 140 | Wind Ensemble I |
MUS 144 | Symphonic Band I |
MUS 156 | Orchestra I |
MUS 158 | Choral Union I |
PHL 332 | Philosophy of the Arts |
THA 110 | Theatre Appreciation |
THA 120 | Acting for Non-Majors |
THA 201 | Dramatic Literature and Theatre Arts |
GEN ED 1008 Experiential Science (4 cr)
As the health and prosperity of our society becomes more dependent on science and technology, individuals must be sufficiently knowledgeable about scientific facts and applications to make skilled decisions concerning their use. In these courses, students will learn content and principles within the natural sciences, how scientists use the scientific method as a way of understanding the world, and how to critically evaluate claims from a scientific perspective. Students will also experience the “doing” of science first-hand in a laboratory setting.
- Outcome: Analyze scientific facts and applications to draw informed conclusions through systematic inquiry in a laboratory environment (Inquiry and Analysis VALUE Rubric)
Course | Title |
ANT 102 | Introduction to Biological Anthropology |
BIO 100 | Biology for the Informed Citizen |
BIO 105 | General Biology |
CHM 100 | Contemporary Chemistry |
CHM 103 | General Chemistry I |
GEO 101 | Earth Environments |
MIC 100 | Microbes and Society |
PHY 103 | Fundamental Physics I |
PHY 106 | Physical Science for Educators |
PHY 155 | Solar System Astronomy |
PHY 160 | Stars, Galaxies and the Universe |
PHY 203 | General Physics I |
GEN ED 1009 Social & Behavioral Studies (3 cr)
It is important to gain a sound understanding of oneself in relation to others and an understanding of the social institutions that people create and which serve to influence our lives. In these courses, students will use critical analysis to investigate the influence of social institutions on personal attitudes, values, and behavior in order to gain an understanding of oneself in relation to others.
- Outcome: Apply strategies to analyze the influence of social and behavioral systems on personal attitudes and interpersonal relations (Problem Solving VALUE Rubric)
Course | Title |
ANT 101 | Human Nature/Human Culture |
ART 215 | Introduction to Museum Studies |
CST 271 | Media and Society |
ECO 110 | Microeconomics and Public Policy |
ECO 120 | Global Macroeconomics |
ECO 376 | Economics of Art and Entertainment |
EDS 203 | School, Society, and Teachers |
ENG 220 | Women and Popular Culture |
GEO 102 | Maps and Society |
GER 398 | German Thinkers and Popular Culture |
PH 200 | Introduction to Public Health |
PHL 120 | Introduction to Ethics and Society: The Person and the Community |
POL 101 | American National Government |
POL 102 | State and Local Government |
PSY 100 | General Psychology |
RGS 150 | Introduction to Social Justice |
RGS 307 | Ethnic, Racial, and Gender Stereotypes in the Media |
SOC 110 | Introduction to Sociology |
SOC 120 | Social Problems |
SOC 150 | Introduction to Social Justice |
THA 376 | Economics of Art and Entertainment |
Integrative Perspectives (12 credits)
Students will use tools of inquiry from multiple perspectives to develop and address questions that encourage intellectual curiosity and seek to improve the human condition. The Perspectives courses will encourage students to connect campus and academic life to local, regional, national, and/or international communities. Courses will explore the interconnectedness of global systems to help students understand their sense of place in the world. One course must be taken from each category. At least three of the courses must have different prefixes. According to the AAC&U: through global learning, students should 1) become informed, open-minded, and responsible people who are attentive to diversity across the spectrum of differences, 2) seek to understand how their actions affect both local and global communities, and 3) address the world’s most pressing and enduring issues collaboratively and equitably.
GEN ED 1010 The Stories We Tell (3 cr)
Literary texts (oral, written, cinematic, multimedia) imagine what it means to be human. Students will critically read a diverse range of texts to both extract and construct meaning. Literary analysis asks students to recognize and use a text’s literary elements, to articulate the contexts that contribute to the text’s meaning, and to consider how meaning differs depending on point of view
- Outcome: Analyze texts to find and construct meanings utilizing literary elements and contexts (Reading VALUE Rubric)
Course | Title |
CHI 305 | Introduction to Modern Chinese Literature |
ENG 200 | Literature and Human Experience |
ENG 201 | American Literature before 1865 |
ENG 202 | American Literature after 1865 |
ENG 203 | British Literature before 1800 |
ENG 204 | British Literature after 1800 |
ENG 205 | Western Literature before 1700 |
ENG 206 | Western Literature after 1700 |
FRE 395 | French Literary Voices in English |
GCL 299 | Global Literature in Translation |
GER 399 | German Literature in Translation |
HIS 205 | Ethics and Religion |
PHL 100 | Introduction to Philosophy |
PHL 200 | Introduction to the Literature of Philosophy |
POL 251 | Political Theory |
RUS 305 | Golden Age Russian Literature and Culture |
GEN ED 1011 The Pasts that Define Us (3 cr)
The study of the global, interconnected past provides context for understanding the present: what is past is prologue. Students will utilize modes of inquiry to examine historical events and phenomena that have occurred across time and place. Students will construct an understanding of the past by developing historical questions answered through arguments supported by various forms of historical evidence and scholarly research.
- Outcome: Examine historical events from multiple perspectives, formulating a conclusion based on evidence and scholarly research (Critical Thinking VALUE Rubric)
Course | Title |
ARC 200 | World Archaeology: Origins and Development of Human Culture and Society |
HIS 110 | World History |
POL 244 | International Relations |
GEN ED 1012 The Planet that Sustains Us (3 cr)
Understanding the interaction between humans and their environment is crucial to maintaining a sustainable use of natural resources for a healthy world. Students will learn about environmental issues that exist or are likely to arise in the future. Students will understand, and articulate perspectives on, the complex interactions between society and the natural world by synthesizing the scientific, ethical, and cross-cultural context of environmental matters.
- Outcome: Analyze environmental issues to investigate their global impacts and implications for the future (Civic Engagement VALUE Rubric)
Course | Title |
ANT 202 | Contemporary Global Issues |
ARC 100 | Archaeology: Discovering Our Past |
BIO 102 | Contemporary Issues in Biological Sciences |
ENV 101 | Introduction to Sustainability and Environmental Studies |
GEO 200 | Conservation of Global Environments |
GEO 211 | Global Climate Change |
GEO 340 | Polar Environments |
MIC 130 | Global Impact of Infectious Disease |
PHY 142 | Navigating Global Nuclear Issues |
POL 202 | Contemporary Global Issues |
PUB 210 | Contemporary Issues in Government |
GEN ED 1013 The Cultures of Our World (3 cr)
We live in an interconnected world in which understanding of cultures and societies is essential. Students will explore cultural and ethical perspectives different from their own; reflect on how their own cultural rules influence their behavior and how others view them.
- Outcome: Apply knowledge of global communities through critical engagement with diverse cultural practices and/or languages (Global Learning VALUE Rubric)
Course | Title |
ARA 102 | Elementary Arabic II |
ARA 201 | Intermediate Arabic I |
ARA 202 | Intermediate Arabic II |
ART 251 | Survey of Art History |
ART 301 | World Art |
CHI 102 | Chinese in a Global Society II |
CHI 201 | Chinese Language and Culture in Action I |
CHI 202 | Chinese Language and Culture in Action II |
CHI 320 | Introduction to Chinese Civilization |
ECO 212 | Search for Economic Justice |
ENG 208 | International Studies in Literature |
ENG 212 | Search for Economic Justice |
FRE 102 | French in a Global Society II |
FRE 201 | French Language and Cultures in Action I |
FRE 202 | French Language and Cultures in Action II |
GCL 102 | Elementary Languages II |
GCL 201 | Intermediate Languages I |
GCL 202 | Intermediate Languages II |
GEO 110 | World Cultural Regions |
GEO 202 | Contemporary Global Issues |
GER 102 | German in a Global Society II |
GER 201 | German Language and Cultures in Action I |
GER 202 | German Language and Cultures in Action II |
HIS 202 | Contemporary Global Issues |
HIS 360 | Women, Gender, and Sexuality in Latin America |
HMG 204 | Hmong Heritage Language: Intermediate |
HMG 304 | Hmong Heritage Language: Advanced |
JPN 102 | Elementary Japanese II |
JPN 201 | Intermediate Japanese I |
JPN 202 | Intermediate Japanese II |
MUS 205 | Global Cultures in Music |
PHL 212 | Search for Economic Justice |
PHL 336 | International Multicultural Philosophy |
PHL 349 | Asian Philosophy |
POL 212 | Search for Economic Justice |
POL 234 | Comparative Politics |
PSY 282 | Cross-Cultural Psychology |
RUS 102 | Russian in a Global Society II |
RUS 201 | Russian Language and Cultures in Action I |
RUS 202 | Russian Language and Cultures in Action II |
SOC 202 | Contemporary Global Issues |
SPA 103 | Spanish in a Global Society I & II |
SPA 201 | Spanish Language and Cultures in Action I |
SPA 202 | Spanish Language and Cultures in Action II |
SPA 221 | Introduction to Spanish for the Health Professions |
THA 351 | World Theatre |