Minimum General Education Requirements

  • 15 credits in writing to include no fewer than 5 credits in English composition [C] and 10 additional credits in writing-intensive [W] courses
  • 5 credits in Reasoning [RSN] (Students enrolled in college prior to 1985 are exempt from this requirement.)
  • 5 credits (min) in diversity coursework (For students admitted as of Autumn 2023.)
  • 40 credits of Areas of Inquiry [AoI] courses including no fewer than 10 credits in each area of study:
    Arts and Humanities [A&H]
    Social Sciences [SSc]
    Natural Sciences [NSc]

Arts and Humanities [A&H]

The intent of this requirement is for students to become familiar with the methodologies, contributions, and limitations of artistic and humanistic inquiry, broadly defined. 

Social Sciences [SSc]

The intent of this requirement is for students to become familiar with the methodologies, contributions, and limitations of social science inquiry, broadly defined. 

The Natural Sciences [NSc]

The intent of this requirement is for students to become familiar with the methodologies, contributions, and limitations of natural science inquiry, broadly defined. 

Diversity [DIV]

Courses that meet the Diversity (DIV) requirement study diversity in the United States with focus on the sociocultural, political, and/or economic diversity of the human experience and help students develop an understanding of the complexities of living in increasingly diverse and interconnected societies.

We encourage students to review their MyPlan at https://myplan.uw.edu/  and run a degree audit and work with advisors to ensure that they meet the university standards for general education credits as program requirements may vary.