General Education
For students who started Summer 2023 or later:
The general education requirements for students starting Summer 2023 or later have new requirements that differ from upper-class students. We strongly encourage these students to work with their advisers to understand their options and requirements fully.
Baccalaureate Degree General Education Requirements
| Category | Code | Credits Required | Required Course(s) that Satisfy Requirement | Course Description | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foundations | |||||
|
Writing/Speaking (C Required) |
GWS | 9 cr. + W course | ENGL 015/30 or ESL 015 | Rhetoric and Composition | 3 cr. |
| CAS 100A/100B/100C | Effective Speech | 3 cr. | |||
| ENGL 202C* | Technical Writing | 3 cr. | |||
|
Quantification (C Required) |
GQ | 6 cr. | MATH 140 | Calculus I | 4 cr. |
| MATH 141 | Calculus II | 4 cr. | |||
| Knowledge Domains | |||||
| Natural Sciences | GN* | 9 cr. | CHEM 110** | Chemical Principles | 3 cr. |
| Health and Wellness | GHW | 3 cr. | Courses focus on the theory and practice of lifespan wellness and fitness activities, and on the knowledge, attitudes, habits, and skills needed to live well. | ||
| Arts | GA* | 3 cr. | Courses help students understand and appreciate some of the more important creative works, traditions, literature, and history of the arts and architecture/ | ||
| Humanities | GH | 3 cr. | Humanistic studies are divided into four categories: literature, history and culture, advanced language, and philosophy. The study of the humanities should develop competency in an interpretive understanding of the human condition and of the values inherent in it. | ||
| Social and Behavioral Sciences | GS* | 3 cr. |
Courses develop students' understanding of the diverse personal, interpersonal, and societal forces that shape people's lives. The general goal is a theoretical understanding of the interrelationships of the dominants of the organization of human behavior. Note: ECON 102 (GS) or ECON 104 (GS) is a required 3 cr. GS course for all majors in the College of Engineering. |
||
| Integrative Studies | |||||
|
Integrative Studies* |
6 cr. | Integrative Studies can be completed by taking Linked courses or Interdomain courses. A student must take either 6 credits of Linked or 6 credits of Interdomain, students may not take a combination of both types. Interdomain courses will count in multiple domain areas. Completing this requirement should be done in consultation with an Academic Adviser. | |||
| Exploration | |||||
|
Exploration* |
9 cr. | PHYS 211 | Mechanics | 4 cr. | |
| PHYS 212 | Electricity and Magnetism | 4 cr. | |||
| GA, GH, GS, ID, GN (Can’t be a GN that is part of your major’s requirements), World Language of the 12th credit level or higher (e.g., SPAN 003, FR 003, etc.) | |||||
| Cultural Requirements (Part of University Requirements) | |||||
|
United States Cultures |
US | 3 cr. | A course that fulfills the United States Cultures requirement must strive to increase students' understanding of contemporary United States society. | ||
|
International Cultures |
IL | 3 cr. | A course that fulfills the International Cultures requirement must strive to increase student knowledge of the variety of international societies. and may deal, to some extent, with U.S. culture in its international connections. | ||
Important Nuances
- Each of the Knowledge Domains must be filled by three credits that are single domain (only designated as one Knowledge Domain). Interdomain courses can NOT fulfill the Knowledge Domain credits.
- College of Engineering students should select US and IL courses that also fulfill a Knowledge Domain or Integrative Studies requirement.
- A course designated as US;IL may be used to fulfill either the US or the IL requirement but NOT both.
*Major-specific adjustments
- ENGL 202C
- BE: BE 391 and BE 392 replaces ENGL 202C.
- ME: ME 297 can be taken in place of ENGL 202C.
- GN
- CMPSC and DTSCE: may substitute another course for CHEM 110. Refer to CMPSC and DTSCE's list of approved GN courses, including an approved ID with a GN as one of the included knowledge domains. Please work with your adviser to make sure requirements are properly met for this knowledge domain.
- GA
- AE: ARCH 100 is required, which will satisfy the Arts. If you are pursuing Architectural Engineering, have a conversation with your adviser about how this will impact your general education requirements.
- GS
-
- Most engineering majors in the College of Engineering are required to take a 3-credit economics course (ECON 102 or ECON 104). Either course will satisfy a 3-credit GS requirement in all College of Engineering majors.
- Integrative Studies
- AE: ARTH 202N is required, which will satisfy 3 credits of Integrative Studies. If you are pursuing Architectural Engineering, have a conversation with your adviser about how this will impact your general education requirements.
- Exploration
- DTSCE: may substitute other courses for PHYS 211 & PHYS 212.
Information on Substitutions
- ROTC Credits:Students who complete the academic ROTC program can substitute 3 credits for the GHW requirement and another 3 credit requirement that is specified by the department and indicated on the sample academic plan for that major.
- Courses that Meet the Spirit of a General Education Requirement:Any course not designated as General Education, but which truly meets the spirit of the requirements, whether taken at Penn State or elsewhere, may be petitioned to count in that appropriate area. An example of this type of Course Substitution Petition might be 300- and 400-level courses for a language minor that focus on the culture or society (e.g., SPAN 353: Survey of Spanish Literature Before 1700 might be approved for GH given that the course focuses on literature, which is commonly a topic covered in the humanities).
All requests for course substitutions, exceptions, and waivers must be submitted for evaluation prior to the semester that graduation is planned. Such requests will not be considered after the start of the graduation semester.
For students who started Spring 2018 to Spring 2022:
Below are the General Education requirements for College of Engineering students. Be sure to read the special notes about nuances and substitutions to ensure that you complete all courses required for graduation.
| Category | Code | Credits Required | Required Course(s) that Satisfy Requirement | Course Description | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foundations | |||||
| Writing/Speaking (C Required) | GWS | 9 cr. + W course | ENGL 015/30 or ESL 015 | Rhetoric and Composition | 3 cr. |
| CAS 100A/100B | Effective Speech | 3 cr. | |||
| ENGL 202C* | Technical Writing | 3 cr. | |||
| Quantification | GQ | 6 cr. | MATH 140 | Calculus I | 4 cr. |
| MATH 141 | Calculus II | 4 cr. | |||
| Knowledge Domains | |||||
| Natural Sciences+ | GN | 9 cr. | PHYS 211** | Mechanics | 4 cr. |
| PHYS 212** | Electricity and Magnetism | 4 cr. | |||
| CHEM 110** | Chemical Principles | 3 cr. | |||
| Health and Wellness+ | GHW | 3 cr. | Courses focus on the theory and practice of lifespan wellness and fitness activities, and on the knowledge, attitudes, habits, and skills needed to live well. | ||
| Arts+ | GA | 6 cr. | Courses help students understand and appreciate some of the more important creative works, traditions, literature, and history of the arts and architecture/ | ||
| Humanities+ | GH | 6 cr. | Humanistic studies are divided into four categories: literature, history and culture, advanced language, and philosophy. The study of the humanities should develop competency in an interpretive understanding of the human condition and of the values inherent in it. | ||
| Social and Behavioral Sciences+ | GS | 6 cr. | Courses develop students' understanding of the diverse personal, interpersonal, and societal forces that shape people's lives. The general goal is a theoretical understanding of the interrelationships of the dominants of the organization of human behavior. Note: ECON 102 (GS) or ECON 104 (GS) is a required 3 cr. GS course for all majors in the College of Engineering. | ||
| Integrative Studies | |||||
| Integrative Studies+ | 6 cr. | Integrative Studies can be completed by taking Linked courses or Interdomain courses. A student must take either 6 credits of Linked or 6 credits of Interdomain, students may not take a combination of both types. Interdomain courses will count in multiple domain areas. Completing this requirement should be done in consultation with an Academic Adviser. | |||
| Cultural Requirements (Part of University Requirements) | |||||
| United States Cultures | US*** | 3 cr. | A course that fulfills the United States Cultures requirement must strive to increase students' understanding of contemporary United States society. | ||
| International Cultures | IL*** | 3 cr. | A course that fulfills the International Cultures requirement must strive to increase student knowledge of the variety of international societies. and may deal, to some extent, with U.S. culture in its international connections. | ||
| * For students in the BE major, BE 391 and BE 392 replaces ENGL 202C. | |||||
| ** CMPSC and DTSCE majors may substitute another course for CHEM 110. DTSCE majors may substitute other courses for PHYS 211 & PHYS 212. Refer to CMPSC and DTSCE's list of approved GN courses. | |||||
| *** In the College of Engineering, students should select US and IL courses that also fulfill a Knowledge Domain requirement. A course designated as US;IL may be used to fulfill either the US or the IL requirement but NOT both. | |||||
| + Students should plan to use their Integrative Studies courses to satisfy part of their GN, GA, GH, GS, and/or GHW (Knowledge Domains) requirements. | |||||
Important Nuances
- In each of the Knowledge Domains, a minimum of three credits must be a single domain course. The entire requirement cannot be fulfilled with Interdomain courses.
- Architectural engineering requires ARCH 100 and ARTH 202N. Both of these courses satisfy GA requirements. If you are pursuing architectural engineering, have a conversation with your adviser about how this will impact your general education requirements.
- All engineering majors in the College of Engineering are required to take a 3-credit economics course (ECON 102 or ECON 104). Either course will satisfy a 3-credit GS requirement in all College of Engineering majors.
- US and IL courses may also fulfill a GA, GH, GS and/or Integrative Studies requirement.
- In most cases, GQ and GN requirements are met entirely through specific courses that are also major requirements (e.g., MATH 140, MATH 141, PHYS 211, PHYS 212, CHEM 110).
- The writing-intensive requirement is always met by a required course in a major (e.g., I E 480W). Such courses have a W, M, X, or Y suffix.
- Students admitted as transfer students are not required to take a first-year seminar. However, they must substitute one credit not otherwise needed for graduation to meet the required credit total.
Information on Substitutions
- Move "3" in Knowledge Domains:Instead of taking the required credits GN, GHW, GA, GH, and GS, a student can move three credits from one knowledge domain into a different knowledge domain. The exception to this is that a student cannot take 3 credits out of GHW because the domain cannot go down to 0 credits. When all 30 credits are complete, and after admitted into a major, a student can submit an e-petition request to notify your department to have your degree audit adjusted.
- World Language Substitution:One world language course at the 12th credit level or higher (e.g., SPAN 003, FR 003, etc.) can be substituted for 3 credits of GA, GH, or GS. If this substitution is made, it cannot be the only course in a knowledge domain. When the course is complete, and after admitted into a major, submit an e-petition request to notify your department to have your degree audit adjusted.
- ROTC Credits:Students who complete the academic ROTC program can substitute 3 credits for the GHA requirement and another 3 credit requirement that is specified by the department and indicated on the sample academic plan for that major.
- Courses that Meet the Spirit of a General Education Requirement:Any course not designated as General Education, but which truly meets the spirit of the requirements, whether taken at Penn State or elsewhere, may be petitioned to count in that appropriate area. An example of this type of Course Substitution Petition might be 300- and 400-level courses for a language minor that focus on the culture or society (e.g., SPAN 353: Survey of Spanish Literature Before 1700 might be approved for GH given that the course focuses on literature, which is commonly a topic covered in the humanities).
All requests for course substitutions, exceptions, and waivers must be submitted for evaluation prior to the semester that graduation is planned. Such requests will not be considered after the start of the graduation semester.
