General Education Requirements | Humanities, Arts, and Civilization Studies | Natural and Mathematical Sciences | Social Sciences | Writing | Language Competence | Exceptions to Core Requirements

General Education Requirements

1500 to 1600 units - 15 to 16 quarter courses

General education requirements are designed to teach the skills of critical inquiry, argumentation, and analytical thinking in both quantitative and qualitative settings. These requirements are largely completed with integrated, often interdisciplinary, sequences comprised of two or three courses. (Note: The courses designed to satisfy these requirements cannot be replaced by other courses, except in the sciences, as indicated. Substitutes for general education courses are rarely approved (1) to accommodate a second major or a minor, or (2) to avoid curricular and scheduling conflicts that result from postponing general education requirements until a student's third or fourth year.)

Meant to lay the groundwork for higher level study at the College, the general education requirements are a quintessential element of the University of Chicago experience and should be completed by the end of the second year. This foundational set of coursework is referred to in the College as "the Core."

Core requirements consist of a total of 1500-1600 units of credit (i.e., 15-16 100-unit courses) across nine areas of study. These nine requirements fall into the five broad categories outlined below. All courses used to satisfy general education requirements must be taken for quality grades with the exception of HUMA 19100 Humanities Writing Seminars.

Humanities, Arts, and Civilization Studies

600 units - 6 quarter courses

Students take a total of six quarter courses in this category, distributed in the following way: at least two quarters in the humanities, at least two quarters in civilization studies, and at least one quarter in the arts. The remaining (sixth) course may be taken in any one of these categories. 

An essential component of general education is learning how to appreciate and analyze texts intellectually, historically, and aesthetically. Through this general education requirement, students learn how to interpret literary, philosophical, and historical texts in depth; how to identify significant intellectual problems posed by those texts; and how to discuss and write about them perceptively and persuasively. They also learn how to study a visual or performing art form and how to study texts and art forms within a specific cultural and chronological frame.

More information on the Humanities, Arts, and Civilization Studies requirements, including individual course and sequence details, can be found on the following Catalog pages: 

Natural and Mathematical Sciences

600 units - 6 quarter courses

Students take a total of six quarter courses in this category, distributed in the following way: at least two quarters of physical sciences, at least two quarters of biological sciences, and at least one in mathematical sciences. The remaining (sixth) course may be taken in any one of these categories, unless calculus is being used to satisfy the requirement in mathematical sciences. In that case, the student must take two calculus courses for the general education requirement. In general, be aware that a student's major and/or preparation for the health professions may dictate which of the available options the student should select. 

Courses and sequences in the natural sciences are designed to explore significant features of the natural universe and to examine the exciting process of scientific inquiry. These courses consider the powers and limitations of diverse forms of scientific observation, scientific reasoning, and natural laws. Courses in the mathematical sciences develop the powers of formal reasoning through use of precise artificial languages found in mathematics, computer science, statistics, or formal logic. 

More information on the Natural and Mathematical Sciences requirements, including individual course and sequence details, can be found on the following Catalog pages: 

Social Sciences

300 units - 3 quarter courses

Each of these year-long (three-quarter) social sciences sequences introduces fundamental questions and theories from the social sciences and shows how they enhance our understanding of important issues facing the world. Some sequences focus on classic texts, others on substantive fields of inquiry or research methodologies, but all explore how the social sciences formulate questions and inquire into the nature of social life through acts of imagination as well as through systematic analysis. The social sciences general education curriculum requires active engagement in small seminars, close reading, and analytic writing; some sequences may also include lectures.  

Courses must be taken in sequence. Once students begin a sequence, they are expected to remain in the same sequence. 

More information on the Social Sciences requirement, including individual course and sequence details, can be found on the following Catalog page: 

Writing

0 to 100 units - 1 to 2 quarter courses

This general education requirement provides a coordinated approach to help students develop the fundamental writing- and revision-oriented skills and habits of mind necessary to participate in intellectual communities of all kinds. Courses and seminars in this category teach students to analyze evidence creatively and critically, to make compelling arguments, to communicate discoveries to a range of audiences, and to express themselves freely and well.

Students may complete this requirement via one of two tracks. The “maroon track” carries 100 units and is a one-quarter course taken for a quality grade, while the “grey track” carries 0 units and is a two-quarter series of co-curricular seminars taken for a pass/fail grade. 

More information on the Writing requirement, including individual course and sequence details, can be found on the following Catalog page: 

Language Competence

Degree Milestone

Effective written expression is critical in all fields of study. All students, regardless of their intended major, receive formal writing instruction in their Humanities and Social Sciences Core classes. This training prepares them for upper-level course work. It also helps them use writing as an essential tool for deepening their own understanding of complex ideas and difficult problems. However, to enable students to express themselves effectively in a globalizing world, the Core also requires competence in a language other than English.

Students may complete this requirement in a variety of ways, but ultimately must demonstrate competence in their chosen language equivalent with one year of college-level study. 

More information on the Language Competence requirement can be found on the following Catalog page: 

Exceptions to Core Requirements

Students seeking a modification to a Core requirement in the form of a course substitution must submit a General Petition to the College Academic Advising Office at collegeadvising@uchicago.edu to be directed to the appropriate divisional contact, or in the case of the Language Competence Core requirement, submit a Language Petition directly to Cathy Baumann at ccbauman@uchicago.edu. Course substitutions must consist of equivalent credit value (e.g., one 100 unit course replacing another 100 unit course). Students should be aware of other policies not listed on this page, such as degree requirements, examination credit, and transfer credit, prior to submitting their request as these policies will continue to apply and are not at the discretion of the division. Waivers to requirements will not be granted unless preapproved as part of the established Core curriculum outlined in the Catalog. Any approved course substitutions should be shared with the student's academic adviser in a timely manner for academic planning and degree auditing purposes.