Illinois State University's General Education Program

The General Education Program at Illinois State University is an integrated multi-disciplinary set of courses that focuses on the development of communication and problem-solving skills and abilities, such as persuasion, listening, and argumentation; logical and quantitative thinking; and understanding varying perspectives on issues. These skills and abilities provide an essential grounding for work in the student’s major as well as transferable skills that will be applied in a future career.

The complete General Education Program consists of 13 courses (39 semester hours), which is approximately one-third of the total credits required for graduation.

General Education Program requirements

Because of laboratory or recitation requirements, some courses are listed as four or five credit hours in this catalog. All four or five hours will be credited toward graduation requirements, but only three hours will be credited in General Education for these courses.

Students will take most General Education courses during their freshman and sophomore years, along with some courses in their major or other elective courses. While some specific courses are important to take as part of preparation for a major (such as certain mathematics or science courses), the choice of which course to take in each category is a decision for students to make. Students are encouraged to choose courses that will give them the broadest possible foundation and to explore and challenge themselves through their course choices.

Codes used throughout the Illinois State University General Education Program include the following:

• COM - Communication and Composition

• FA - Fine Arts

• H - Humanities

• ICL - Individuals and Civic Life

• LH - Language in the Humanities

• M - Mathematics

• NS - Natural Science

• NSA - Natural Science Alternatives

• QR - Quantitative Reasoning

• SMT - Science, Mathematics, and Technology

• SS - Social Sciences

• UST - United States Traditions

Search for General Education Program courses:

• GE14-COM - Communication and Composition

• GE14-FA - Fine Arts

• GE14-H - Humanities

• GE14-ICL - Individuals and Civic Life

• GE14-LH - Language in the Humanities

• GE14-M - Mathematics

• GE14-NSB - Natural Science Biology

• GE14-NSC - Natural Science Chemistry

• GE14-NSG - Natural Science Geology

• GE14-NSP - Natural Science Physics

• GE14-NSAB - Natural Science Alternatives Biology

• GE14-NSAC - Natural Science Alternatives Chemistry

• GE14-NSAP - Natural Science Alternatives Physics

• GE14-QR - Quantitative Reasoning

• GE14-QRB.A.DEG - Quantitative Reasoning B.A. Degree only

• GE14-SMT - Science, Mathematics, and Technology

• GE14-SS - Social Sciences

• GE14-UST - United States Traditions

Students must comply with the following requirements:

• Complete the General Education Program through completion of at least 13 courses (39 semester hours), as designated in the program description.

• No Group 1 course may be taken under the P/NP option. If a General Education course is required by a major, that course may not be taken P/NP it must be taken for a grade.

• Students must complete at least one course from two different sciences. Certain majors require a Natural Science Alternative course that substitutes for a Natural Science course. See individual major requirements.

• Depending on their major students may be exempted from one General Education category (maximum of one course) because of disciplinary expertise gained in their major listed in the table to the right.

Category Exemptions by College & Major Program

College of Applied Science and Technology

• Agriculture - All major programs - QR

• Criminal Justice Sciences - All major programs - None

• Family and Consumer Sciences

  • Food, Nutrition and Dietetics - None

  • Fashion Design and Merchandising - None

  • Human Development and Family Science - SS

  • Interior Design - SS

  • Teacher Education - None

• Health Sciences

  • Medical Laboratory Science - SMT

  • Environmental Health - QR

  • Health Promotion and Education - ICL

  • Health Information Management - SMT

  • Health Leadership - SMT

  • Safety - SMT

• Information Technology - All major programs - SMT

• Kinesiology and Recreation - All major programs - SMT

• Technology

  • Computer Systems Technology - SMT

  • Construction Management - SMT

  • Engineering Technology - SMT

  • Graphic Communications - SMT

  • Renewable Energy - None

  • Technology and Engineering Education - SMT

College of Arts and Sciences

• Anthropology - All major programs - None

• Biological Sciences - All major programs - SMT

• Chemistry - All major programs - SMT

• Communication - All major programs - QR

• Communication Sciences and Disorders - All major programs - SMT

• Economics - All major programs - QR

• English - All major programs - LH

• Geography - SS

• Geology - SMT

• Environmental Systems Science and Sustainability - QR

• History - All major programs - UST

• Interdisciplinary Studies - European Studies - LH

• Languages, Literatures and Cultures

• French all sequences - H

• German all sequences - H

• Spanish all sequences - H

• Mathematics - All major programs - SMT

• Philosophy - All major programs - H

• Physics - All major programs - SMT

• Politics and Government - All major programs - None

• Psychology - All major programs - SS

• Social Work - None

• Sociology - All major programs - None

College of Business

All major programs - SS

College of Education

• Special Education - All major programs - None

• Teaching and Learning

  • Early Childhood Education - SS

  • Elementary Education - QR

  • Middle Level Education - SS

College of Fine Arts

• Art - All major programs - FA

• Creative Technologies - FA

• Music - All major programs (except teacher education) - FA

  • Music - Teacher Education - SS

• Theatre and Dance - All major programs - FA

Mennonite College of Nursing

Nursing - All major programs (one course only) - NS