Navigating UMass Amherst's General Education Requirements: A Comprehensive Guide
An undergraduate education comprises two complementary components: a student's chosen major, providing in-depth knowledge in a specific field, and General Education (Gen Ed) choices, offering a breadth of experience. In today's complex world, students require a wide range of intellectual and civic practices to complement the professional or vocational training provided by their major courses. The UMass Amherst Gen Ed program equips students to act thoughtfully and responsibly in society, make informed judgments, and live lives dedicated to service, continued learning, and the joys of intellectual pursuits for a lifetime.
General Education should enable students to learn how natural scientists, social scientists, humanists, and performing artists think about their disciplines and how they view their work in relation to both history and contemporary society. General Education courses should do more than impart information and provide the skills deemed necessary for social or economic success. They should involve critical or analytic thinking and provide contexts for questioning the larger society and the student's relation to it. The capacity for critical thought also includes the ability to imagine the consequences of one's choices, to articulate those consequences, and to increase understanding of one's relation to the world of nature, work, and politics.
Consistent with these principles, all General Education courses should emphasize critical thinking. To limit the number of General Education courses, no more than 25% of the regularly taught courses of a department/program may have General Education designations. "Regularly taught courses" shall be defined as courses from the approved master course list taught at least once every three years excluding seminars, independent study, internships, practica, and laboratory courses. Selected upper-level courses may be allowed to fulfill General Education requirements.
Understanding the Core Divisions of the Gen Ed Curriculum
The General Education Curriculum has three principal divisions: the Social World, the Biological and Physical World, and Analytic Reasoning. These are general titles and reflect the idea that courses should be assigned to a category because of their content rather than because they are taught by a particular department.
The Social World
The Social World has three major subdivisions: The Arts (AL/AT), Historical Studies (HS), and Social and Behavioral Sciences (SB). Students must take one 4-credit AL/AT, one 4-credit HS, one 4-credit SB and one 4-credit AL, AT, SB, I, or SI. In addition, there is a Diversity component to the Social World requirement. Courses that address DU are primarily (but not exclusively) focused on diversity within the US.
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The Biological and Physical World
The Biological and Physical World has two major subdivisions: Biological Sciences (BS) and Physical Sciences (PS). Students must take one 4-credit BS and one 4-credit PS.
Analytic Reasoning
The Analytic Reasoning has two major subdivisions: Tier I and Tier II. Tier I is a basic competency requirement. This new requirement is for a 3-credit upper-level course.
Interdisciplinary Courses (I, SI)
In addition to the three principal divisions, there is an Interdisciplinary/Science Interdisciplinary category. Its purpose is to provide an incentive and a structure for faculty to develop alternate curriculum approaches to General Education. These courses may carry one or more major area designations.
Diversity Requirements
The diversity requirements will remain unchanged. Since most students fulfill the domestic (DU) and global (DG) diversity requirements by taking a course that also has another designation (e.g., SB DU), most students will fulfill the diversity requirements with 4-credit courses. The few stand-alone diversity courses (DU or DG designation only) will also fulfill the diversity requirement, even if they remain at 3 credits. All students must take two courses in the Social World that also have a Diversity designation. Students will be required to take a diversity course in their first year on campus. Courses that address DU are primarily (but not exclusively) focused on diversity within the US.
Transfer Students and Gen Ed Requirements
Students may satisfy General Education requirements under the terms of the Commonwealth Transfer Compact or MassTransfer. All other transfer students must complete the minimum number of courses required for each General Education designation (including Diversity), plus two additional courses with General Education designation.
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Interdisciplinary/Science Interdisciplinary Courses: A Deeper Dive
The General Education curriculum as described in the foregoing pages is organized mainly along the existing departmental structure of the University. Some faculty, however, have interests in offering entirely different kinds of courses, and some students would be interested in taking them. To create a mechanism whereby such courses could be offered and taken on something other than an episodic basis, a Interdisciplinary/Science Interdisciplinary section has been added to the General Education curriculum.
Interdisciplinary/Science Interdisciplinary General Education courses might be of two types. One would be an interdisciplinary course offered and taught by a single instructor or by a team of faculty from different disciplines. One example might be a course or courses organized around the topic of evolution. Scholars in astronomy, biology, and sociology with a special interest and expertise in evolution might develop and offer a course or cluster of courses on the origin and evolution of the universe, the evolution of life, and social institutions.
Another example might be a course or cluster of courses on the topic of cognitive science where a team of interested faculty in psychology, linguistics, and computer science would offer a course or cluster of courses in information processing, the semantics and syntax of language, and artificial intelligence. A third example might focus on major revolutionary movements of our time: feminism, Marxism, and black nationalism taught by faculty members in Women Studies, STPEC and Afro-American Studies. The course or cluster of courses would explore the similarities and differences among these movements.
The distinguishing characteristic of all the courses sketched above is that they are recognizably different from usual undergraduate course offerings; they are focused mainly on issues or topics rather than on academic disciplines, and are deliberately interdisciplinary in nature. Courses that are interdisciplinary across the areas of the Social World have the “I” designation. Courses that are interdisciplinary between the Social World and the Biological/Physical Sciences and/or Analytic Reasoning have the “SI” (for Science Interdisciplinary) designation.
Review Procedures for Gen Ed Courses
There will be two review procedures: an initial review of General Education course proposals and a periodic review of existing General Education courses. The General Education Council will develop a course proposal from which will require the inclusion of: course syllabus and outline, reading assignments, examination procedures, qualifications of instructors, etc. If the “intent to plan” statement is approved by the Council, the faculty member(s) would then prepare a formal course proposal, including a recommendation for which General Education core area(s) the course(s) would satisfy.
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In order to maintain quality General Education Courses, there will be a “sunset” clause for all General Education courses. Each course will be reviewed and evaluated every four years. In order to stagger the evaluation process, some courses will be reviewed year 2, others year 3, and the remaining during year 4.
Frequently Asked Questions About UMass Amherst Gen Ed Requirements
Q: How many Gen Ed credits are required at UMass Amherst?
- A: The exact number of credits varies depending on the student's college and year of admission.
Q: Can I take Gen Ed courses at another university?
- A: Generally, no.
Q: What happens if I don't complete my Gen Ed requirements?
Q: Where can I find the most up-to-date information on UMass Gen Ed requirements?
Q: Are there any exceptions to the Gen Ed requirements?
Maximizing Your Gen Ed Experience
While students have a degree of flexibility in choosing courses to meet the Gen Ed requirements, it's crucial to choose courses that genuinely interest them. A compelling course will enhance learning and make the Gen Ed experience more rewarding. Academic advisors are invaluable in guiding students towards courses that fulfill Gen Ed requirements while also aligning with their academic and career goals. Carefully reviewing the university's official Gen Ed guidelines and using the course planning tools available online is highly recommended. Students transferring credits from other institutions should carefully check whether those credits fulfill UMass Gen Ed requirements.
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