General Education Core and Distribution

Click on any of the following links for information:

• Nevada System of Higher Education Core Requirements
• University Undergraduate Learning Outcomes
• General Education Curriculum
  • Multicultural and International Requirements
  • Milestone and Culminating Experience
  • Transfer Students and Students with Prior Undergraduate Degrees
  • Honors College
  • Exceptions
• University of Nevada, Las Vegas General Education Core Requirements
• University of Nevada, Las Vegas General Education Distribution Requirements
  • ​Majors and Their Distribution Area Assignments

The courses and number of semester credit hours shown in this section are the minimum requirements for all students completing an associate or baccalaureate degree at any Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) institution. The number of courses and credits completed to satisfy the NSHE General Education requirements at the individual NSHE institutions must meet or exceed these requirements. Students completing the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) General Education Core and Distribution requirements will automatically satisfy the NSHE General Education requirements.

The UNLV General Education curriculum and specific UNLV courses satisfying or exceeding each NSHE course requirement are described in the following catalog subsections General Education Core Requirements and General Education Distribution Requirements which are part of the catalog section titled University of Nevada, Las Vegas General Education Requirements below. Students, advisors, and faculty should use the UNLV General Education Requirements to plan, fulfill and audit students’ degree programs.

A student earning a second associate of arts, associate of science, associate of business, or baccalaureate degree, whose first degree is from an NSHE institution, is not required to repeat the NSHE requirements for general education.

As explained in the Constitutions section, evidence of completion of U.S. and Nevada Constitutions is required of all second baccalaureate degree students whose first degree is not from an NSHE institution.

The NSHE requirements are:

1. English Requirement. 3-6 credits. To satisfy the NSHE’s Freshman English Composition requirement, all students must complete freshman-level English composition including English 102. Normally, this consists of ENG 101 and 102. Please see the UNLV General Education Core Requirements for English composition placement information.
2. Constitution Requirement. For all associate and baccalaureate degrees, instruction must be given in the essentials of the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Nevada, including the origin and history of the Constitutions and the study of and devotion to American institutions and ideals pursuant to Nevada Revised Statutes 396.500. If clearly identified, this content may be included in other coursework. The UNLV Undergraduate Catalog must identify courses that meet this requirement. Evidence of completion of U.S. and Nevada Constitutions is required of all second baccalaureate degree students whose first degree is not from an NSHE institution. Please see Constitutions Requirement in the UNLV General Education Core Requirements section for complete descriptions.
3. Mathematics Requirement. 3 credits. Three credits of a lower-division (100- or 200-level) mathematics course, with or without co-requisite support. Please see the UNLV General Education Core Requirements section for a complete description of how this requirement is met at UNLV.
4. Natural Science Requirement. 6 credits. Six credits of lower-division (100- or 200-level) coursework to include at least one laboratory experience. Please see the Life and Physical Sciences and Analytical Thinking Distribution requirement in the UNLV General Education Requirements section for a complete description of how this requirement is met at UNLV.
5. Social Science or Humanities/Fine Arts Requirement. 9 credits. Nine credits of lower-division (100- or 200-level) coursework in either the social sciences or humanities/fine arts. Please see the Social Sciences and Humanities and Fine Arts Distribution Requirements in the UNLV General Education Requirements section for complete descriptions of how these requirements are met at UNLV.

University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) General Education Requirements

The purpose of the UNLV General Education Program is to foster student attainment of knowledge and skills that will enable them to perform better in their academic majors and in their post-graduate careers. Expected student knowledge and skills are expressed in the University Undergraduate Learning Outcomes (UULOs) that describe how students should become effective inquirers, critical thinkers, and effective oral and written communicators; participate knowledgeably and ethically in civic life; develop knowledge of the world’s diverse societies; understand and integrate basic principles of natural and social sciences, humanities and fine arts into their learning; and continue their learning throughout their lives.

The UULOs articulate clear expectations for what all UNLV students should know and be able to do upon graduation. The UULOs form the foundation for general education and extend into the majors. This comprehensive approach aims to meld undergraduate learning into a more intentional, coherent experience that consists of the purposeful sequencing of learning from the first year, to the middle years, to the senior year and includes learning within and outside the major that consists of both curricular and co-curricular experiences.

1. Intellectual Breadth and Lifelong Learning – Graduates are able to understand and integrate basic principles of the natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, fine arts, and health sciences, and develop skills and a desire for lifelong learning. Specific outcomes for all students include:

    a. Demonstrate in-depth knowledge and skills in at least one major area.
    b. Identify the fundamental principles of the natural and health sciences, social
        sciences, humanities, and fine arts.
    c. Apply the research methods and theoretical models of the natural and health 
        sciences, social sciences, humanities, and fine arts to define, solve, and evaluate problems.
    d. Transfer knowledge and skills gained from general and specialized studies to
        new settings and complex problems.
    e. Demonstrate life-long learning skills, including the ability to place problems in
        personally meaningful contexts; reflect on one’s own understanding;
        demonstrate awareness of what needs to be learned, articulate a learning plan;
        and act independently on the plan, using appropriate resources.
     f. Achieve success in one’s chosen field or discipline, including applying persistence,
        motivation, interpersonal communications, leadership, goal setting,
        and career skills.

2. Inquiry and Critical Thinking – Graduates are able to identify problems, articulate questions, and use various forms of research and reasoning to guide the collection, analysis, and use of information related to those problems. Specific outcomes for all students include:

    a. Identify problems, articulate questions or hypotheses, and determine the need
        for information.
    b. Access and collect the needed information from appropriate primary and
        secondary sources.
    c. Use quantitative and qualitative methods, including the ability to recognize
       assumptions, draw inferences, make deductions, and interpret information 
       to analyze problems in context, and then draw conclusions.
    d. Recognize the complexity of problems and identify different perspectives from
        which problems and questions can be viewed.
    e. Evaluate and report on conclusions, including discussing the basis for and 
        strength of findings, and identify areas where further inquiry is needed.
    f. Identify, analyze, and evaluate reasoning, and construct and defend reasonable
       arguments and explanations.

3. Communication – Graduates are able to write and speak effectively to both general and specialized audiences, create effective visuals that support written or spoken communication, and use electronic media common to one’s field or profession. Specific outcomes for all students include:

    a. Demonstrate general academic literacy, including how to respond to the needs of
        audiences and to different kinds of rhetorical situations, analyze and
        evaluate reasons and evidence, and construct research-based arguments
        using Standard Written English.
    b. Effectively use the common genres and conventions for writing within a 
        particular discipline or profession.
    c. Prepare and deliver effective oral presentations.
    d. Collaborate effectively with others to share information, solve problems,
        or complete tasks.
    e. Produce effective visuals using different media.
    f. Apply the up-to-date technologies commonly used to research and
       communicate within one’s field.

4. Global/Multicultural Knowledge and Awareness– Graduates will have developed knowledge of global and multicultural societies, and an awareness of their place in and effect on them. Specific outcomes for all students include:

    a. Demonstrate knowledge of the history, philosophy, arts and geography of
        world cultures.
    b. Respond to diverse perspectives linked to identity, including age, ability,
        religion, politics, race, gender, ethnicity, and sexuality; both in American 
        and international contexts.
    c. Apply the concept of social justice.
    d. Demonstrate familiarity with a non-native language, or experience living
        in a different culture.
    e. Function effectively in diverse groups.
    f. Demonstrate awareness of one’s own place in and effect on the world.

5. Citizenship and Ethics – Graduates are able to participate knowledgeably and actively in the public life of our communities and make informed, responsible, and ethical decisions in their personal and professional lives. Specific outcomes for all students include:

    a. Acquire knowledge of political, economic, and social institutions.
    b. Identify the various rights and obligations that citizens have in their
        communities.
    c. Apply various forms of citizenship skills such as media analysis, letter writing, 
        community service, and lobbying. 
    d. Explain the concept of sustainability as it impacts economic, environmental,
         and social concerns.
    e. Examine various concepts and theories of ethics and how to deliberate and assess claims
         about ethical issues.
    f. Apply ethical concepts and theories to specific ethical dilemmas students will experience
        in their personal and professional lives.

 Students are expected to be engaged in the learning process and progressively improve their knowledge and capabilities in the UULOs for both their general education and academic major. Attainment of the learning outcomes will occur as a student completes both formal classwork and engages in co-curricular efforts such as undergraduate research, scholarly and creative activities, service learning, and community engagement. These activities provide a student opportunities to work with faculty at the forefront of their disciplines and to contribute to a creative and constructive university environment. Additional opportunities are made available to students to build partnerships with the community through service-learning opportunities as well as leadership programs.

To guide student attainment of learning outcomes at every stage of the process, UNLV’s General Education Curriculum consists of a lower division Core requirement, a Distribution requirement, Multicultural and International requirements, and Milestone and Culminating Experiences in the students’ academic majors.

The Core includes English composition, a required First-Year Seminar (FYS), a required Second-Year Seminar (SYS), a course of study in the Constitutions of the U.S. and of Nevada, and mathematics. English composition develops students’ abilities to read and analyze difficult texts, respond in well-written essays, and apply the principles of good research in their writing. The First-Year Seminar introduces students to the university environment, its shared values (the UULOs), the academic expectations of research-oriented institutions, and college success strategies. The Second-Year Seminar provides students with a more in-depth understanding of the UULOs through intensive engagement in reading, writing, and critical thinking.

A student will then demonstrate their acquired knowledge, skills, and critical thinking within the context of the major field of study through a Milestone Experience in their sophomore or junior year and a Culminating Experience in their senior year, both of which are major program-specific in their design and delivery.

Courses that satisfy UNLV’s General Education Requirements simultaneously satisfy the NSHE General Education requirements. The UNLV General Education Requirements must be completed by all baccalaureate degree candidates. With the exception of UNLV general education courses satisfying Multicultural/International course requirements, courses cannot simultaneously satisfy two or more general education curriculum requirements.

A minimum of six (6) credits, to be composed of a three-credit multicultural course requirement and a three-credit international course requirement that may simultaneously fulfill other general education requirements. A single course may not simultaneously meet both the multicultural and international requirements. To identify approved courses satisfying these requirements, consult the Faculty Senate General Education Committee web page at https://www.unlv.edu/facultysenate/committees/gen-ed.  Any 3-credit course completed during a UNLV Office of International Programs-approved study abroad experience can be used to fulfill the international requirement.

To identify approved courses satisfying these requirements, consult the Faculty Senate General Education Committee web page at https://www.unlv.edu/facultysenate/committees/gen-ed.  

Milestone Experience: The Milestone Experience will orient students to the expected learning outcomes of the major and reinforce the UULOs. Each major program of study will identify and implement a Milestone Experience for their majors that can be in the form of a single course, components of multiple courses, or defined assessable outcomes. The Milestone Experience will be successfully completed in the sophomore or junior year and will include, at a minimum, reinforcement of the (i) Inquiry and Critical Thinking and (ii) Communication UULOs.

Culminating Experience: The Culminating Experience is a final review, consolidation, and assessment of the UULOs as well as the learning outcomes of the respective major. Each major program of study will identify and implement a Culminating Experience for their majors. The Culminating Experience can be implemented in a variety of forms. For example, a Culminating Experience might consist of one or more of the following: an original undergraduate research project, a design capstone, developing an e-portfolio of artistic or scholarly work completed over a student’s college career, or a required internship or service learning project with an academic component that requires development and presentation of a report. The Culminating Experience should be completed in the last year prior to graduation.

An admitted transfer student should confer with the Registrar’s Office or their college advising center about applicable General Education transfer credit and course substitutions where appropriate.

A student who received an Associate of Arts, Associate of Business, or Associate of Science degree from any NSHE community college are exempt from all UNLV General Education Requirements. They must still complete the UNLV Milestone or Culminating Experience requirements in their baccalaureate majors.

A student previously awarded a bachelor’s degree from any NSHE institution are exempt from all UNLV General Education Requirements, except for major course requirements for their second major that are also designated as part of Milestone and Culminating Experiences.

A student awarded a bachelor’s degree from any regionally accredited institution outside of Nevada, provided their previously completed general education curriculum consisted of a minimum of 30 semester credit hours of for-credit, non-developmental courses, are exempt from nearly all UNLV General Education requirements, except for U.S and Nevada Constitutions (if not previously completed) and major course requirements for their second major that are also designated as part of Milestone and Culminating Experiences.

Any transfer student or student with a prior degree(s) who have already successfully completed a satisfactory three-semester credit U.S. Constitutions course from a regionally accredited institution must successfully complete a satisfactory Nevada Constitution course. For Constitutions courses offered prior to 2000, please refer to the appropriate catalog course descriptions to determine which ones satisfied the Constitutions requirement.

Lower-division general education courses successfully completed at a regionally accredited U.S. institution that may possibly count towards UNLV General Education Requirements will be evaluated for transfer credit no matter in what year the courses were completed.

Upper-division courses and/or courses designed for the major may not be applicable for transfer if they are over 10 years old, depending on the field of study as determined by the University College, School or Department offering coursework in that field.

If a student transfers from a regionally accredited U.S. institution where the incoming transfer credits do not match the University’s semester credits required, the University will first identify (if it exists) the matching general education requirement and/or the equivalent University course, and then compare the number of transfer credits earned to the number of credits required. Then, whether the course is equivalent to a University course or simply meets a general education requirement, the following determinations will be made:

If 66% or more of required credits for a particular University requirement have been earned in the transfer course, then the requirement has been met.

If less than 66% of required credits have been earned in the transfer course, then the student must successfully complete additional course(s) to make up the credit shortage within that general education requirement. Students must still satisfy the minimum general education credits in every category to graduate.

Transfer students from NSHE institutions who have previously been awarded Associate of Arts, Associate of Business, or Associate of Science degrees are exempt from the FYS and SYS but are not exempt from the Milestone and Culminating Experience requirements in their majors, unless they have satisfactorily completed a class at another NSHE institution that has a common course number with a Milestone class designated as part of a Milestone Experience in their UNLV major.

Second baccalaureate students who have been awarded a recognized bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution (including UNLV degrees) are exempt from the FYS and SYS but are not exempt from the Milestone and Culminating Experience requirements in their second majors.

For transfer students without a previously awarded degree:

i) an exemption for FYS is usually granted for satisfactory completion (passing grades) at a regionally accredited U.S. institution other than UNLV of 30 or more semester credit hours;
ii) exemptions for both FYS and SYS are usually granted for satisfactory completion (passing grades) at a regionally accredited U.S. institution other than UNLV of 60 or more semester credit hours.

Transfer General Education Waiver for California IGETC & General Education Breadth Certifications Policy

Students transferring from a California community college, with completion of the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) or California State University General Education (GE) Breadth requirements, certified on an official transcript on or after August 23, 2017, will have all UNLV General Education Core Requirements waived, with the exception of the Nevada Constitution requirement and the ENG 102 requirement. All transfer students must complete the Milestone and Culminating experiences designated for their majors.

Transfer students are strongly encouraged to review major program requirements in the UNLV Undergraduate Catalog and to consult with an academic advisor to understand how coursework completed for IGETC or CSU Breadth will satisfy major-specific lower-division requirements.

Students who successfully complete the UNLV’s Honors Curriculum automatically satisfy the UNLV General Education Core, Distribution, Multicultural, and International requirements.

Students seeking to apply for substitution or waiver of General Education Requirements should submit their completed “General Education Student Petition Form” to their advisor, who will route it to the relevant Department Chair, College Dean, and then to the Faculty Senate General Education Committee for adjudication. Petitions should be submitted at least two semesters before the proposed date of graduation. The “General Education Student Petition Form” is located at https://www.unlv.edu/facultysenate/student-resources. 

First-Year Seminar…………………….2-3 credits

A required first-year course, the First-Year Seminar (FYS) introduces students to the University Undergraduate Learning Outcomes (UULOs) through reading, writing, and critical thinking. This course will provide a foundation for students’ general education experience and introduce integration of the UULOs into any major field of study. It will introduce through the Undergraduate Learning Outcomes: inquiry and critical thinking, written and oral communication, citizenship and ethics, global and multicultural issues, and intellectual breadth and lifelong learning.
All students are required to satisfactorily complete a designated FYS before completing 30 credits. To meet this requirement, students can take and complete any approved FYS that is offered by any college or department. The University FYS requirement is for a minimum of 2 credits. A college or department may elect to require an additional 1 credit of material specific to a particular major. Students changing majors need not repeat the 2-credit University FYS requirement, but may be required to complete the additional 1 credit college or department requirement for their major. Approved FYS courses currently include: 

English Composition…………………..6 credits

English 101 and 102 or their equivalents. These courses should be successfully completed during the student’s first year at UNLV, and must be completed prior to the end of the second year. Please see the catalog Admissions Section, the UNLV English composition program website or the UNLV Class Schedule web-site for current ACT/SAT placement test scores that will guide placement in the appropriate English composition class. Students with ACT English scores of 30 or higher, or SAT Writing or Critical Reading scores of 660 or higher place out of

Second-Year Seminar………………..3 credits
A required second-year course, the Second-Year Seminar (SYS) engages students more intensively with the learning outcomes through extensive reading, writing, and critical thinking.  These seminars explore issues relevant to contemporary global society within their larger contexts, including but not limited to aspects of literature, history, politics, economics, philosophy, and scientific discovery. They reinforce the UULOs of global awareness, ethics, civic engagement, oral and written communication and critical thinking introduced in the First-Year Seminar.
All students must satisfactorily complete a designated SYS before completing 60 credits. Students from any college or major may take any approved SYS to meet the requirement. Students who have already successfully passed an SYS course do not need to retake an SYS course, even if they declare or change their majors. The following are prerequisites for the course: FYS, 

Constitutions……………………………..3-6 credits
All students must satisfactorily complete courses examining the Constitutions of both the United States and the State of Nevada. Transfer students who have already successfully completed a satisfactory 3 semester-credit U.S. Constitutions course from a regionally-accredited institution must successfully complete a satisfactory Nevada Constitutions course. Current UNLV courses that satisfy the Constitutions requirements are:

• United States Constitution—
  GWK 350
    , 
  HIST 101
   ,
  HIST 401
   ,
  HIST 412
   ,
  PSC 304
   ,
  PSC 330
   ,
  PSC 409C
   , and
  URST 241
    .
• Nevada Constitution—
  HIST 102
   ,
  HIST 217
   ,
  HIST 402
   ,
  HIST 417A
   ,
  PSC 100
   , and
  PSC 401D
   .
• Both United States and Nevada Constitutions—
  ECON 200
    ,
  HIST 100
   ,
  HON 111
   ,
  HON 112
   , and
  PSC 101
   .

Mathematics Requirement…………..3 credits
Any 100 or 200-level MATH course except

Please check the Faculty Senate General Education Committee web page at https://www.unlv.edu/facultysenate/committees/gen-ed and the UNLV Class Schedule for up-to-date lists of all approved courses to fulfill the UNLV General Education Core Requirements.

The purpose of the distribution requirement is to provide attainment of the Intellectual Breadth and Lifelong Learning outcome by developing in students the intellectual breadth needed by all citizens in a complex, multicultural and technological global civilization. To meet this requirement, students must satisfactorily complete three courses, typically total nine to ten credit hours, in each of two content areas that are OUTSIDE the major area of study. The three distribution content areas are: (1) Humanities and Fine Arts, (2) Social Sciences, and (3) Life and Physical Sciences and Analytical Thinking. Students automatically satisfy one distribution area when they complete their major course requirements. Please see the listing “Majors and their Distribution Area Assignments” later in this section to see the Major Distribution content areas that are satisfied within the major area of study. See the Faculty Senate General Education web page for an updated listing of the courses satisfying the content areas designated below at https://www.unlv.edu/facultysenate/committees/gen-ed.

The major department or college will also decide what training in computer literacy is needed, or incorporate such training in other coursework for the major.

The distribution content areas are:

Humanities and Fine Arts
Two courses (three credits each) from two different humanities areas and one introductory or appreciation course (three credits) from a fine arts area. Courses used to satisfy the First-Year Seminar, Second-Year Seminar, English Composition or Constitution requirements may not be used to satisfy Humanities distribution requirements.
 

• Humanities courses (6 credits) will be selected from any literature course offered by ENG; any foreign language offered by the WLC; any HIST course; any AAS course cross-listed with history; any PHIL course (except
  PHIL 102
   ,
  105
   , or
  114
   ); 
  AAD 201
   /
  201D
   ;  
  COM 101
   ,
  211
   ,
  216
   ; GWK 300 , HON 115 , any WMST course cross-listed with another Humanities course.
• A Fine Arts course (3 credits) will be selected from
  AAE 100
   ;
  AAI 100
   ; 
  ART 101
   ,
  107
   , 135 , 160 , 
  211
   , 
  212
   ,
  216
   ,
  260
   ,
  261
   ; CFA 103; DAN 
  101
   ,
  103
   ,
  104
   , 
  166
   /
  AAS 166
   ;
  FILM 100
   ,
  110
   ; LAND 100 ; 
  MUS 101
   ,
  121
   ,
  125
   , 
  129
   ,
  134
   ; or 
  THTR 100
   ,
  105
   ,
  124
   ,
  175
   .

Life and Physical Sciences and Analytical Thinking
Two courses from the life and physical sciences (at least one of which must be a laboratory course), typically for a total of seven credits, and one three-credit course in analytical thinking.

• Life and Physical Science courses (6-7 credits) will be selected from any AST course;
  ANTH 102
   ,
  110L
   ;
  NUTR 121
   ; any BIOL course; any CHEM course (except
  CHEM 103
    and CHEM 108 );
  EGG 100
   , 
  ENV 101
   ,
  220
   ; any GEOG course; any GEOL course; or any PHYS course.
• Analytical Thinking course (3 credits): will be selected from 
  PHIL 102
   ; COM 104  or 217 ; FIN 111 ; JOUR 113 .

Social Sciences
One course each from three different fields for a total of nine (9) credits. Courses used to satisfy the Constitutions requirement may not be used to meet Social Sciences distribution requirements.

• Social Science Courses (9 credits) will be selected from any AAS course (except AAS courses cross-listed with DAN, ENG, or HIST); any ANTH course (except
  ANTH 102
   );
  CED 117
   ;
  CEE 307
   ; CFT 150 , CFT 350 , CFT 360 ; COM 102 ; 
  CRJ 104
   ,
  270
   ,
  435
   ,
  436
   ,
  438
   ,
  469
   ; any ECON course (except ECON 261 , 262 , 441 ); HON 206 , JOUR 107 ; LAS 101 ; 
  PBH 165
   , 429 ,
  435
   ; any PSC course (excluding those cross-listed with Humanities and Fine Arts); any PSY course (except PSY 210  and PSY 406 ;
  EPY 303
   ;
  SW 101
   ; any SOC course (except SOC 404 ); or any WMST course (excluding those cross-listed with Humanities and Fine Arts). All statistics courses are excluded.

 Students are required to fulfill General Education Distribution content requirements in the TWO areas OUTSIDE their major’s distribution area. The distribution areas that are automatically satisfied by completing the major are listed below:

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