Mission and Purpose of the UW-Madison General Education Requirements

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. This core establishes a foundation for living a productive life, being a citizen of the world, appreciating aesthetic values, and engaging in lifelong learning in a continually changing world. These requirements provide for breadth across the humanities and arts, social studies, and natural 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. The Wisconsin Experience begins with this core of intellectual and practical skills, basic knowledge of human cultures and the physical world (and, importantly, the strategies used to understand these topics), and tools intended to contribute to their sense of personal and social responsibility; the work students do in their majors and to complete their degrees also helps them to learn what they need to know not just for making a living, but also for making a life.

All undergraduate students must satisfy the university wide General Education Requirements. The requirements can be found under “General Education Requirements” in the Guide.  Learning Outcomes for General Education can be found here: General Education Learning Outcomes