The General Education Program was put into effect starting in Fall 2020 for all new first-year and transfer students.
Click here to see a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs).
General Education Requirements:
FOUNDATIONS |
DESCRIPTION |
First-Year Seminar | One course designated as a first-year seminar. |
Written Communication | Three courses designated Writing Intensive. |
Oral Communication | One course designated Speaking Intensive. |
Language | Intermediate competency in a second language, defined as the completion of any 201 language course. (Other options for satisfying this requirement can be found below this chart). |
METHODS OF INVESTIGATION |
DESCRIPTION |
Arts and Literature | One course focusing on visual art, performing art, and/or literature. |
Humanities | One course in the humanities (includes history). |
Natural Science | One course in the natural sciences that includes a laboratory. |
Quantitative Reasoning | One course focusing on quantitative information. |
Social Science | One course in the social sciences. |
Two additional courses from two different Methods of Investigation. A non-lab Natural Science course may apply. |
*** No transfer credit from any institution or UMW courses that were taken at UMW prior to the Fall 2020 semester may be used to fulfill the Digital Intensive, Diverse & Global Perspectives, and After Mary Washington requirements. ***
CONNECTIONS |
DESCRIPTION |
Digital Intensive | One across-the-curriculum course designated Digital Intensive. |
Diverse and Global Perspectives | One across-the-curriculum course focusing on diverse and/or global communities. |
Beyond the Classroom | One faculty supervised experience involving a significant experiential learning component designed to challenge students to go outside of the bounds of the typical classroom. |
After Mary Washington | One experience focused on translating the liberal arts for life after Mary Washington. |
Writing in the Major | All students are required to complete one additional course designated Writing Intensive in their major(s). |
Speaking in the Major | All students are required to complete one additional course designated Speaking Intensive in their major(s). |
Intermediate competency in a second language may be demonstrated by: (1) completion of 201 or higher in a language including ASL; (2) completion of a Level IV course in high school as verified by high school transcript; (3) a score of 620 or higher on any language SAT II subject test; (4) a score of 3 or higher on any modern language or language and literature AP Exam or a score of 4 or higher on a Latin AP Exam; (5) a score of 5 or higher on any group 2 (second language) higher-level IB Exam [Additional scores on HL and SL IB exams may also satisfy the requirement. Check the equivalency chart carefully.]; (6) a passing score on the University of Mary Washington language competency exam; (7) a rating of “Intermediate” on the Sign Communication Proficiency Interview (SCPI); (8) the submission of pertinent documents which verify that a student has had a high school education conducted in a language other than English or has lived extensively in and become fluent in the language of a non-English speaking country; or (9) a rating equivalent to “Intermediate-Low Competency” on the American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) scale on an approved third-party exam. Students are responsible for the payment of all required testing fees.