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Information
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The purpose of the General Education Requirements is to ensure that every graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison acquires the essential core of an undergraduate education that establishes the foundations for living a productive life, being a citizen of the world, appreciating aesthetic values, and engaging in life-long learning in a continually changing world. For this reason, these core requirements provide for breadth across the humanities and arts, social studies, biological sciences and physical sciences; competence in communication, critical thinking and analytical skills appropriate for a university-educated person; and investigation of the issues raised by living in a culturally diverse society.
All students entering UW-Madison as freshmen or undergraduate transfer students must satisfy the General Education Requirements; furthermore, students should always check with their advisers to see if their school or college has additional requirements that go beyond the basic GERs, or whether specific programs will require them to fulfill requirements with specific courses or in a particular order.
What are the General Education Requirements?
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The basic General Education Requirements are listed below. Some colleges within the university impose additional requirements. And remember, requirements for majors are usually fulfilled over and above the general requirements. Through the "Courselists" area of this website, students and advisors have access to a continuously updated list of approved courses that satisfy the Communication, Quantitative Reasoning, and Ethnic Studies requirements. Students should work with their advisors to select options that best suit the academic programs they are pursuing. However, since actual course offerings vary from semester to semester, students should check the Timetable when registering. The Timetable indicates whether courses satisfy General Education or other requirements with a code that appears in the listing. Students may also want to read our FAQ for suggestions on locating Gen Ed Courses.
Courses fulfilling the following are noted in the Timetable, indicated by the L&S "breadth requirements" code:
One 4- or 5-credit course with a laboratory component; or two courses providing a total of 6 credits.
Students can choose from more than 200 courses that fulfill this requirement. Many designated courses allow students to fulfill both the ethnic studies requirement and another graduation or major requirement. A list of approved ethnic studies courses is available on this site. Please refer to the "Frequently Asked Questions" page for more information about the requirement.
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Navigating the General Education Requirements
Be informed.
Check the list of courses that fulfill the basic General Education Communication and Quantitative Reasoning Requirements, which is offered on line. Remember: some Schools and Colleges have additional requirements.
Learn how to search the timetable to find courses that fulfill the General Education requirements.
Audit your transcript to find out if you have outstanding requirements to fulfill. If DARS is available in your School or College, you can audit your transcript yourself; you should also consult your program advisor.
Be proactive.
Schools and Colleges offer advising for students enrolled in or admitted to their schools. Students who have declared majors or who have been admitted to programs should seek the advice of their department or program advisor. Students who have declared majors should always check there, first.
Students who are undecided about their majors should contact the Cross College Advising Service (CCAS), located in Room 10 Ingraham Hall (phone 265-5460). CCAS is a campus-wide advising service for undergraduate students who are undecided about a major, are considering changing majors, or have been denied admission to one of the university's competitive and limited enrollment programs. CCAS advisers are knowledgeable about the many majors, certificate programs, institutes, and other academic and pre-professional opportunities on the UW-Madison campus. This service supports and facilitates undergraduate decision-making processes through individual appointments and career and special-interest group advising programs throughout the year. Services are available in the CCAS central Office, residence halls, student unions, and libraries (CCAS staffs a full-time office in Chadbourne Residential College). CCAS is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. During peak registration time, it is open in the evenings as well.
Other Schools and Colleges at UW-Madison offer their own advising resources. Many of these are listed with the additional requirements we note on this site.
What do students say about General Education?
In 1999, the students in the Pathways To Excellence Student Organization produced Choose Your Own Adventure: A Guide to the University of Wisconsin-Madison For Students, By Students. From the beginning, these students ask "Why Are We Here?" and, in framing the answer, discuss the need to meet general requirements. As they say, "...after fulfilling these two 'main' requirements [Communication and Quantitative Reasoning], you will know how to communicate and understand the world using both words and mathematical expressions-and that's actually pretty cool!"
(For more information about initiatives like Pathways, please visit the Pathways to Excellence Project homepage.)
General Education Requirement Links
General Information
Communication Requirement Links
Ethnic Studies Links:
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