Students:  Top 12 Frequently Asked Questions

1.  Are all students required to participate in the General Education Core?      
Yes.  All undergraduate students in a baccalaureate program/major must fulfill the requirements of the General Education Core in order to earn a baccalaureate degree.

2.  How do courses transfer between colleges at UC?  If a course that fulfills a General Education requirement is taken in one college, will it fulfill that requirement in another college?
Yes.  All courses taken at UC shall transfer within UC and contribute to the fulfillment of General Education requirements.  However, transferred courses may or may not also fulfill college and program/major requirements.  It is very important to meet with an advisor to
discuss specific course requirements.

3.  Will the courses necessary to complete the General Education Core
requirements be available in a timely manner?
As a major university, UC offers an extensive number of courses at the undergraduate level in every academic quarter.  The General Education Coordinating Committee (made up of faculty and administrators across the campus) monitors the available courses in each of the Breath of Knowledge (BoK) areas on a regular basis to assure that there are adequate courses to meet the needs of the students in terms of fulfilling the General Education requirements.  A listing of these courses is available on the web through the Registrar's office.

4.  What are the "experiences" that may fulfill part of the requirements of the General Education Core?
Certain areas can be fulfilled by either courses or experiences.  These include the BoK areas of Quantitative Reasoning, Diversity and Culture, and Social and Ethical Issues, as well as the Program/Major requirements of Methodology and the senior year Capstone.  Many colleges and/or academic units already have established programs (such as service learning or co-op) that might fulfill this requirement. Other examples include travel or study-abroad programs (Latin American Studies-Geography field trip to Yucatan, study abroad in Spain or Mexico) that could fulfill the Diversity requirement.  There are also service learning programs (internships, tutoring) that could fulfill the Social and Ethical Issues requirement.  It is also possible that an "experience" may relate to a set of activities or exposures that are components of a curriculum or a number of different courses.  When an experience that fulfills a General Education requirement is part of a program/major, it is explained within the description of the program/major.  When an experience is a special activity, the General Education aspect is identified in the description of the activity.

5.  Assessment - What's in it for the students?
Program assessment (done by faculty and administrators) is essential to ensure that our programs meet professional standards, continue to improve toward academic excellence, strengthen our various required accreditation documentation, and best serve you, our students.  Each year, data from assessment of the four baccalaureate competencies (critical thinking, effective communication, knowledge integration, and social responsibility) will be used to "fine tune" the General Education Core. 

6.  What impact does a “poor assessment report” have on a student?
Individual student assessment ratings will have no impact on grades or graduation status, although the assessment of a student may be shared with that student at the faculty member's discretion.

7.  Can an advanced placement (AP) course be used to fulfill a General Education requirement?
Yes.  To obtain academic credit for an AP course, the AP course is "linked" with a UC course.  Any General Education requirement fulfilled by that UC course is thereby fulfilled by the AP course.

8.  Can a course taken at another institution be used to fulfill a General Education requirement?
Yes.  As with AP credits, when academic credit is assigned for a course taken at another institution, that course is "linked" with a UC course.  Any General Education requirement fulfilled by that UC course is also fulfilled by the transferred course.  As always, please see your academic advisor regarding specific questions.

9.  Must I fulfill a component of the General Education Core that is required by my program/major if I have previously fulfilled that component in some other UC program or college?
A program/major might require a particular course that carries a specific BoK classification so its students may fulfill that General Education requirement while also addressing a requirement of the program/major.  As a result, even though a student might have fulfilled that particular General Education requirement, he/she might have to take an "additional" course, not for General Education credit, but to fulfill a requirement of the program/major.

10.  How does the University track student fulfillment of the General Education requirements?
The student degree audit system maintains the "official" record of the General Education requirements that a student has fulfilled.  In addition, it is recommended that each student, in collaboration with his/her advisor, should maintain a personal record by updating the degree audit sheet that lists all requirements of the General Education Core and provides space in which to enter the courses and/or experiences taken to fulfill the requirements.

11.  If I take three courses in the same discipline, either as a three course sequence or three separate courses, can all three courses count toward the BoK distribution requirements in that particular BoK area?
Yes.  The BoK distribution requirement permits students to take up to eight courses in five areas.  As a result, it is possible to get credit for three courses in the same BoK area.  Also, since there are only 6 areas listed, there must be one or two BoK areas in which there is repetition.

12.  Fine Arts, Historical Perspectives, and Literature all typically fall into the Humanities area.  Is it possible to take an additional course in one of these areas and have it count as fulfilling the Humanities distribution requirement?
No. The Humanities distribution requirement is to be fulfilled only by courses that do not fall under the BoK areas of Fine Arts, Historical Perspectives, or Literature.