This is a section of Frequently Asked Questions that have been collected over the years from students. Everyone (students, advisors, faculty and instructional staff) is encouraged to add to this list. Please see questions to webmasterls@ls.admin.wisc.edu.

What do you have questions about?

• I have general questions
• The Communication requirement
• The Quantitative Reasoning requirement
• The Ethnic Studies requirement
• Breadth

General Questions

Who needs to fulfill the General Education requirements?

Any undergraduate student whose first college matriculation date is after May 20, 1996 must complete these requirements. 

How do I find my "matriculation date"?

• If you never attended any other post-secondary institution before entering UW-Madison, the date you entered UW-Madison is your first college matriculation date.
  
• If you have attended another post-secondary institution before coming to UW-Madison, you should have received an evaluation of transfer credits.  One of the following two situations will apply:
   
  • If you entered UW-Madison between May 20, 1996 and Summer 1999, your first college matriculation date is posted on your credit evaluation.  If that date is prior to May 20, 1996, you are exempt.  If it is on or after May 20, 1996,  you must complete the University of Wisconsin-Madison General Education Requirements.  (Your evaluation will also tell you whether you will be awarded transfer credits that fulfill all or part of the requirements.)
  • If you entered UW-Madison in Summer, 1999 or later, your matriculation date may not be listed on your credit evaluation report.  Instead, you will see an "exemption action" for General Education if your first college matriculation date was before the implementation of the requirements. 

  Any questions about your matriculation date should be directed to the Office of Admissions, which is responsible for the credit evaluation.

I already have an undergraduate degree; do I need to fulfill the Gen Ed Requirements?

If you completed the UW-Madison General Education requirements as part of your first undergraduate degree, you need not complete them again.  But if your first undergraduate degree is from another institution and your matriculation date is after May 20, 1996, your previous course work will be examined to determine what requirements have been fulfilled by comparable courses taken elsewhere.

Where do I go to take the Math or English placement test?

If you need to take these tests at a time other than SOAR or the spring regional testing, contact the Office of Testing and Evaluation, 262-1747 to obtain information or schedule a testing appointment.  The Center for Placement testing coordinates the UW Placement Testing Program; brief explanations of the placement tests are posted on its website.

Where can I find out more about the Math or English placement test?

If you need more information about these tests, contact the Office of Testing and Evaluation, 262-1747 or visit the Center for Placement testing website, where you will find brief explanations of the placement tests and a sample of the English Placement Test.

How can I best combine General Education requirements and study abroad or best plan to complete the requirements on campus if I also want to participate in a study abroad program?

It may be possible to study abroad and also fulfill General Education requirements on a program offered through the Office of International Studies and Programs (OISP). We recommend that you first go to the OISP Resource Room in 252 Bascom to look at the many study abroad opportunities available to you. At that time you will be able to look at the list of courses which have been offered at the study abroad site(s) you are interested in. This includes the UW-Madison course equivalents so you can determine whether it will be possible to fulfill specific General Education requirements while abroad at the site you choose. 

Also, you are encouraged to speak with an academic advisor in OISP to determine if your particular study abroad program will be able to meet all of your academic needs. You can schedule an appointment by calling (608) 262 - 2851; check their website (http://www.studyabroad.wisc.edu/officehrs.html) for available hours .

Can I satisfy my Communication, Quantitative Reasoning, or other general education requirements in summer when I go home? How will I know if the credits transfer?

Each spring the Office of Admissions makes Course Equivalency Forms available for students who will be taking courses at another university for the summer. Students submit the completed form with a self-addressed, stamped envelope. The Office of Admissions reviews the course and then informs the students how the course will transfer back to Madison. Students should check with an advisor for more information on this topic, such as the need to complete a certain number of credits in residence at UW-Madison.

Are any General Education Courses offered in Summer Session?

The Division of Continuing Studies (DCS) coordinates for-credit summer session courses, offered in one to thirteen-week sessions.  While DCS does not offer degrees as a separate entity, it does offer many courses that fulfill the general education requirements.  Refer to the Schedule of Classes to find courses that fulfill specific requirements.

How do I find out which classes fulfill the General Education Requirements?

Information on most of the General Education Courses can be located in a number of ways.

• Except for Comm B courses (which are complicated, as you'll see from the discussion below), the Undergraduate Catalog lists courses that fulfill the general education requirements.  The code that appears in parentheses after the course title and credits indicates what type of general education and breadth requirements each course fulfills.  But remember, even if the catalog lists a course, you need to check the Timetable  to be sure it will be offered when you need it.

• Courses fulfilling Communication and Quantitative Reasoning Requirements appear on this website's list of approved general education courses.

• Since course offerings vary each semester, check the Schedule of Classes to see if the courses you'd like to take fulfill your General Education Requirements.  Course listings contain a code indicating which requirements are fulfilled (the explanation of the code explains how you should read the listings).  

• The Schedule of Classes can be searched.   Simply enter the parameters that describe your needs (such as department, course level, type of requirement, and open/closed status) to produce a customized lists of courses.   

• Departmental course listings will sometimes indicate courses that qualify.

• As always, check with your advisor.

How can I petition for a course that is not designated for General Education to count for one of the General Education Requirements?

There is a process available to all students seeking to substitute a course for General Education Requirements. 

You are encouraged to first consult your primary academic advisor about whether a course seems a reasonable substitute.  In many cases, there is a good reason why a course is not already designated as, or did not transfer as, meeting a General Education Requirement. 

If after consulting your adviser you wish to pursue a substitution, contact the General Education Requirement faculty liaisons for that requirement.  Bring a syllabus to your meeting and as much detail about the course as you can.  The liaisons are:

Communication A:

Ron Harris, Assoc. Faculty Associate
Department of English
7187d HC White
rwharris@wisc.edu

Communication B:

David Zimmerman, Professor
Department of English
7185 HC White
dazimmerman@wisc.edu

Quantitative Reasoning (QR A, QR B):

Gloria Mari-Beffa, Professor
Department of Mathematics
309 Van Vleck Hall, E B
maribeff@math.wisc.edu

Ethnic Studies (ESR):

Elaine M. Klein, Assistant Dean
College of Letters & Science
307E South Hall
kleine@ls.admin.wisc.edu

If approved, the liaison will submit an exception request to your Deans Office for processing.  The change will be reflected on your degree audit (DARS), not on your academic transcript.

How do I know if I still have requirements to fulfill?

Students can use the My UW portal (http://my.wisc.edu/portal/) to request a Degree Audit Reporting System (DARS) report to learn about the progress they are making toward their degree.  DARS audits the list of courses an individual student has taken and, by comparing that list to the University, School/College and major requirements, generates a detailed summary of requirements that are and are not yet completed.  Students' advisors can generate "what if" scenarios to consider a variety of majors students might pursue.

DARS is not available to students in School of Pharmacy programs or in some School of Education programs. Students in these programs should speak with their advisors.

And, as always, talk with your advisor. 

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.)

Communication Questions

What is the difference between Comm A and Comm B?

Both Comm A and Comm B courses address the four modes of literacy: writing, speaking, reading, and listening and they also include instruction in information literacy. Comm A is an introduction to writing and speaking students will encounter in their subsequent college courses, and to the kind of critical writing that will serve them well beyond the university. Comm B courses are designed to give students more in-depth practice with college writing, particularly as found in a particular discipline.

Who must fulfill the General Education Communication A and B requirements?

Any student whose first college matriculation date is May 20, 1996 or later must complete the UW-Madison General Education requirements. 

Many students in any entering freshman class are exempt from the Communication A requirement based on placement test scores. Many students also receive AP credits or transfer credits that fulfill the requirement. Transfer students who have not yet completed courses that satisfy this requirement are required to do so. Although Comm A courses are freshman level courses, sophomores, juniors, and seniors who need to complete the requirement are allowed to register for a Comm A course.

There is no exemption from the Comm B requirement. Students must complete a Comm B course on this campus or receive transfer credits that fulfill the requirement.

I've taken a course or courses at another university that seem to me to fulfill the Comm A requirement. What do I do to have this considered?

Please contact Jim Ferris from the Communication Arts Department, 262-1135, or Ron Harris, 263-3795 from the English Department to discuss if your composition and public speaking courses will satisfy the Comm A requirement. You will likely need to provide course syllabi.

I took a course at another university that seems to equate to a Comm B course here; will I get credit for Comm B?

Decisions about how courses transfer to your UW-Madison academic record are made by the Office of Admissions. Before taking a course elsewhere, it's always a good idea to confer with your advisor. If you are planning to take a course elsewhere to transfer back to UW-Madison, you should always check with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions in advance to be sure that the credit you seek will, indeed, transfer into your academic record in the way you intend.

In the case of Comm B, most often, the answer is "that depends." In cases where it's clear that instruction in communication is part of the course (as in the case of courses offered in English, Journalism, Life Sciences Communication, or Communication Arts), it is likely that you will receive Comm B credit. In cases where instruction in communication is not directly connected to the field of study (for example, in the cases of courses in Zoology or Geography), you may not receive Comm B credit.

Why is this? The UW-Madison faculty believe that the strength of our Comm B requirement is that it asks students to learn how to communicate both in writing and orally in the context of a subject they're studying. The results of our efforts to assess student learning in Comm B courses suggest that this strategy works well, and that students who take Comm B at UW-Madison seem to perform better when they face communication tasks in subsequent courses.

Courses at other institutions that appear to be the equivalent of Comm B courses on the UW-Madison campus may not teach you these tools essential for success in college and for your life after college. So, even if you do receive credit for a Comm B course taken elsewhere, if the course didn't really emphasize written or oral communication, you may wish to take a Comm B course on campus, just to be sure you have these skills.

Can I receive degree credit for more than one Comm A course?

Effective Fall 2006-2007, students may receive degree credit for only one Communication A course taken at UW-Madison.  The prerequisite section of the Timetable listings for Comm A courses contains the phrase "students may receive degree credit for only one Comm A course taken in residence."  If a student has taken a transfer course or has AP credit that would otherwise satisfy Comm A and wishes or needs to pursue additional instruction in written and oral communication and information literacy, she or he can take and receive degree credit for one UW-Madison Comm A course.

Why do Comm A courses differ?

Some Comm A courses focus more on the oral component than on the written component.  Other differences arise because some courses emphasize "disciplinary specificity" early on, so the course requires students to write in a particular style.

I didn't have to take a Comm A course, but I'm worried that I missed something my other writing course didn't teach.  Did I?

The Communication A and B courses emphasize written and oral communication, however, they also contain an important library instruction component to help students find and use research tools they need.  This affects students who might "miss" Comm A because they've transferred to UW-Madison, because they're admitted with AP credits that satisfy Comm A, or because their English Placement test scores exempt them from Comm A.  (While transfer students usually have considerable experience using a college or university library, they may not know as much about the large and complex UW-Madison General Library System, which has over forty libraries.)  

All of these students can get a useful introduction to the campus library system by doing CLUE (Computerized Library User Education), an interactive, multimedia tutorial, located at http://clue.library.wisc.edu/.   Students should also feel free to ask reference librarians in any campus library for help.  

For more information, see the CLUE Website's informational handout for students who are exempted from Comm A.  It's posted online at http://www.library.wisc.edu/inst-services/AdvisorsCLUE07c.pdf. 

What are Writing Intensive Courses and how do they fit in?

Writing Intensive courses are not required as part of the General Education requirements. Particular schools or colleges, majors, or other programs may require that students take one or more courses that are designated as writing intensive as part of the program in that area. Since Writing Intensive courses are often upper level courses and provide students with on-going opportunities to practice writing skills, students are encouraged to take as many of these courses as possible.

Who must satisfy English competency within the major?

Demonstrating English competence in the major is required for majors in the College of Letters and Science only for students who are not subject to the General Education requirements. Students who matriculated prior to the adoption of the General Education requirements should contact the advisor in the major about completing the English competency requirement. Students who must satisfy the General Education Communication Requirements will be certified as competent upon the successful completion of the Communication A and Communication B requirements.

Quantitative Reasoning Questions

I'm returning to school after a long time away and I'll need to complete the Quantitative Reasoning requirement. How can I prepare to reenter school and take a math course?

Visit the Math Tutorial Center Website.

Must I complete a Math course to satisfy the QR A requirement?

No, students may also take Philosophy 210, Reason in Communication, to satisfy the QR A requirement. Students may also be exempted from QR A based on their Math placement score.

Must I complete a Math course to satisfy the QR B requirement?

No, there are a wide range of courses that fulfill the QR B requirement. Students may also be exempted from the QR B requirement based on their Math placement score. See the list of Communication and Quantitative Reasoning courses.

Can I receive transfer credit that satisfies my QR Requirements?

Yes.  The general policy is summarized below: 

1. A student may be given transfer credit (or AP credit, or credit based on a departmental exam) for a course that equates to a QR-A course to satisfy QR-A.  In the case of Math 141, this would mean a non-remedial QR course at another institution.  This does NOT mean that transfer credit for a QR-B course implies that a student has satisfied QR-A, except as described in (b) below.
2. A student who is given transfer credit (or AP credit or credit based on a departmental exam) for a MATH course that equates to a UW-Madison QR B Math course is presumed to have also satisfied the QR-A requirement. Completing or receiving transfer credit for any other QR-B course does NOT mean that the student has completed or been exempted from the QR-A requirement.
3. If a student transfers from within the UW System, then she or he has (presumably) taken the UWS placement exam.  This can be used to determine QR-A exemption by evaluating whether the scores are high enough to place into MATH 114 or beyond.
4. If neither (a), (b) or (c) holds, transfer students should take the placement exam and their QR-placement will be determined on the basis of their placement scores (or they can forgo the placement exam and take the QR-A course).  We recommend that transfer students who have not already taken the UWS placement exam and who have not transferred a Math course that exempts them from QR-A take the placement exam.

If I complete or receive transfer credit for a QR B course, am I automatically exempt from QR A?

Not necessarily.  A student who is given transfer credit (or AP credit or credit based on a departmental exam) for a MATH course that equates to a UW-Madison QR B Math course, that student is presumed to have also satisfied the QR A requirement. Completing or receiving transfer credit for any other QR B course does NOT mean that the student has completed or been exempted from the QR-A requirement.

Ethnic Studies Questions

Why do we have this requirement?

The ethnic studies requirement is intended to increase understanding of the cultures and contributions of persistently marginalized racial or ethnic groups in the United States, and to equip students to respond constructively to issues connected with our pluralistic society and global community. This is increasingly viewed as a skill students need to acquire. As the Faculty Senate legislation states:

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is committed to fostering an understanding and appreciation of diversity, in the belief that doing so will:

• Better prepare students for life and careers in an increasingly multicultural U.S. environment,
• Add breadth and depth to the University curriculum, and
• Improve the campus climate.

One of the University's overarching goals is to infuse the curriculum in all disciplines with diversity, including those where traditionally it has been absent. The Ethnic Studies Requirement (ESR) is one of several key elements in reaching this goal. This is a requirement that all students take a 3-credit course that considers ethnic/racial minorities that have been marginalized or discriminated against in the U.S. Because issues of ethnic diversity and religion are often intertwined and cannot easily be separated, courses that focus only on religion may, where appropriate, fulfill the ESR.

All courses that the implementation committee approves as satisfying the requirement must provide evidence that the course material illuminates the circumstances, conditions, and experiences of racial and ethnic minorities in the United States.

(excerpted from Fac Doc 1736, approved by the Faculty Senate on 9/23/03)

Perspectives on the requirement include such statements as these:

• One advisor notes: "This requirement gives every student the opportunity to learn more about groups who are generally not discussed in much detail or depth in many of our mainstream courses in traditional disciplines. As a result, this requirement can help all of us better understand our neighbors (within the US) who may be different from ourselves; this can bring us all closer to being a real, united community instead of a community divided."
  
• A member of the faculty describes the requirement as one means of equipping students with the necessary skills to understand and respect others; such skills are fundamental to their ability to communicate with and relate to people who come from different cultures. Simply put, this requirement enables our students to function in a global society.

The Ethnic Studies course I took before Fall 2005 isn't on the list; will I still get credit for it?

If the course you took was designated as an ethnic studies course at the time you took it, you will receive credit for it.

Do I need three credits of Ethnic Studies? or just one Ethnic Studies course?

The Ethnic Studies Requirement was recently revised, and the changes go into effect in Fall 2005.

• Students who matriculated (entered) the university before Fall 2005 need 3 credits of coursework in Ethnic Studies designated courses.
• Students who matriculate in Fall 2005 need to take one 3-credit course designated as Ethnic Studies.

I took a course that I think should satisfy the requirement. Can I get credit for it?

If you took the course at UW-Madison:

Every regularly offered course that carries the Ethnic Studies (or "e") designation has been carefully reviewed by a faculty committee to ensure that it conforms with the criteria for Ethnic Studies Courses . Only courses that meet these criteria are eligible to carry the "e" designation.

Many courses that meet these criteria carry the designation; however, many courses that seem to meet the criteria do not carry the "e" designation. There are many reasons for omitting the designation from a course:

• If a course requires prerequisite courses that carry the "e"designation, it would be redundant to have all of the courses carry the "e" designation.
• If a course is an upper-level course in a major that focuses on issues related to ethnic studies, the department may withold the "e" designation to ensure that only students who are already very familiar with the issues and concepts often raised in Ethnic Studies courses enroll.
• If the course is a topics course, it is unlikely to carry the "e" designation. "Topics courses" often do not carry any type of breadth or general education designations, because topics vary from semester to semester, and so course designations may not always apply.
• Often, different instructors will teach regularly-offered courses, and will adapt the specific content (readings, lecture topics) to their own areas of expertise. Since the content varies in such courses, they are not eligible to carry the "e" designation.
• The Ethnic Studies Review Committee has recommended that students complete the requirement early in their careers at UW-Madison, so upper level courses usually do not carry the "e" designation.

Finally, it is the responsibility of departments and their faculty to ask the Ethnic Studies Subcommittee to review a course to carry the Ethnic Studies designation - and the faculty may not have asked for that review. If you have reviewed the criteria for courses carrying the Ethnic Studies designation and believe that a particular course should be reviewed, ask the instructor if the department has considered seeking the "e" designation for the course. If the instructor and department are interested in having the course reviewed, they can contact Assistant Dean Klein (kleine@ls.admin.wisc.edu) about how to proceed.

If you took the course at another university:

The Office of Admissions reviews courses students transfer from other universities to UW-Madison, and is responsible for determining how those courses equate with courses offered here. If you have reviewed the criteria for Ethnic Studies and believe that you have taken a three-credit transfer course that conforms to the criteria, you should contact the Office of Admissions and ask if the transfer admissions counselor will reevaluate the course; the counselor may, at his or her discretion, contact Assistant Dean Klein for further review. Be prepared to provide a detailed syllabus for the course in question; the syllabus should include weekly lecture topics, a list of course readings (articles, textbooks, websites, etc.), and a description of the graded work expected of students (exams, papers, discussion).

If you took a course abroad:

Experiences studying abroad do not, by themselves, constitute "ethnic study experiences" that are eligible for academic credit. In some cases, for-credit courses taken while studying abroad in UW-Madison-sponsored study-abroad programs may meet the criteria for satisfying the Ethnic Studies Requirement. Students who believe they have participated in qualifying programs and have taken a course that may meet the requirement should contact the Office of International Academic Programs to have their international transcripts evaluated. Be prepared to provide a detailed syllabus for the course in question; the syllabus should include weekly lecture topics, a list of course readings (articles, textbooks, websites, etc.), and a description of the graded work expected of students (exams, papers, discussion), which will help the IAP counselor and Ethnic Studies Subcommittee evaluate your student's request.

Breadth Questions

In progress!

Updated 2/13/2009