The baccalaureate degree General Education program consists of 45 credits that are distributed among four General Education components:
- Foundations courses in writing, speaking and quantification (15 credits)
- Knowledge Domain breadth in the Arts, Humanities, Natural Sciences, Social and Behavioral Sciences, and Health and Wellness (15 credits)
- Integrative Studies bridging commonality and intersections in learning (6 credits)
- Exploration within General Education (9 credits)
A summary of the applicable attributes to determine if a course satisfies a requirement is available on the University Course Description page. The keystone symbol appears by the title of any course that is designated as a General Education course. Program requirements that may also satisfy General Education requirements vary for each program and is detailed on each degree requirements page.
All General Education courses are to help students explore and integrate information beyond the special focuses of their majors. Students may not meet the General Education Breadth in Knowledge Domains and Exploration components by taking courses in the department or program identical to that of the academic major. For example, an Economics major may not use an ECON course or a course cross-listed with ECON to fulfill a General Education requirement. The Integrative Studies requirement is not subject to this policy.
The General Education requirements for students who enrolled at Penn State prior to Summer 2023 can be found in the Archive.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT BACCALAUREATE DEGREE GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
Baccalaureate Degree Requirements
Foundations
Total 15 credits
| Requirement | Credits |
|---|---|
| Writing/Speaking (GWS) *§ | 9 |
| Quantification (GQ) *†§ | 6 |
- *
Requires a grade of C or better.
- §
Inter-Domain courses may not be used for this requirement.
- †
3-6 credits are selected from mathematics, applied mathematics, and statistics; 3 credits may be selected from computer science or symbolic logic.
Knowledge Domains
Total 15 credits
| Requirement | Credits |
|---|---|
| Health and Wellness (GHW) § | 3 |
| Natural Sciences (GN) § | 3 |
| Arts (GA) § | 3 |
| Humanities (GH) § | 3 |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences (GS) § | 3 |
- §
Inter-Domain courses may not be used for this requirement.
Integrative Studies
Total 6 credits
| Requirement | Credits |
|---|---|
| Inter-Domain course work | 6 |
Exploration
Total 9 credits
| Requirement | Credits |
|---|---|
| Natural Sciences (GN) (may be Inter-Domain) | 3 |
| GA, GH, GN, GS, and Inter-Domain courses. May include 3 credits of World Language course work beyond the requirements of the student’s degree program or at the 12th credit level, whichever is higher. | 6 |
Flexibility of the Baccalaureate Degree Requirements
The General Education program extends the concept of flexibility to all aspects of the degree program. Penn State wants students to use General Education as an opportunity to experiment and explore, to take academic risks, to discover, and to learn. A student may:
- Substitute a 200- to 499-level course in an area of General Education for a course found on the General Education list. For example, course in history and use it to meet the General Education requirement satisfied by a comparable lower-level history course.
- Substitute 3 units of a World Language course at the 12th credit level of proficiency or higher that exceed the student’s minimum degree requirements in either of the Foundation areas (GWS or GQ) of General Education.
Additional University Requirements
These requirements may be completed by designated courses that also complete other degree or General Education requirements.
Total 9-12 credits
| Requirement | Credits |
|---|---|
| First-Year Engagement Program ± | 0-3 |
| United States Cultures ‡ | 3 |
| International Cultures ‡ | 3 |
| Writing Across the Curriculum | 3 |
- ±
May include a First-Year Seminar; a student's campus of enrollment determines whether or not a First-Year Seminar is required. Students at the University Park campus are required to complete at least 1 credit of first-year seminar and meet any other first-year requirements specified by their home college. Students at the Commonwealth campuses are required to complete the first-year experiences specified by their campus. First-year baccalaureate students entering Penn State should consult their enrollment home for these requirements.
- ‡
Students may, with the permission of their adviser and dean's representative, meet the United States Cultures (US) and International Cultures (IL) requirement through completion of an experiential learning program or practicum (one-semester or year long) approved by their College Dean's Office. Approved Penn State Education Abroad Programs may be used to satisfy the International Cultures (IL) requirement.