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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 (UULO’s) 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.
General Education Curriculum
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. All baccalaureate degree candidates must complete the UNLV General Education Requirements. Except for UNLV general education courses satisfying Multicultural/International course requirements, courses cannot simultaneously satisfy two or more general education curriculum requirements.
Petitions for Substitutions or Waivers
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.
Go back to the main General Education page.
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