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.

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:

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

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

The Illinois State University General Education Program consists of 13 courses:

Group 1 Courses (7 courses)

These are courses that are specifically selected for first-year students and concentrate on developing skills in oral and written communication, critical analysis, and broad foundations for learning in the academic disciplines.

Group 2 Courses (6 courses)

These are courses suited for the first two years of college. Depending on a student’s major and interests, they may be taken in the first year. Some Group 2 courses have a Group 1 course as a prerequisite.

  • 1 course chosen from the Fine Arts category (FA). Some courses may have prerequisites.
  • 1 course chosen from the Humanities category (H). Some courses may have prerequisites.
  • 1 course chosen from the Social Science category (SS). Some courses may have prerequisites.
  • 1 course from the Language in the Humanities category (LH). All LH courses are writing-intensive and most require completion of English 101.
  • 1 course from the Quantitative Reasoning category (QR). Most QR courses require completion of an appropriate course from the Mathematics category.
  • 1 course from the Science, Math, and Technology category (SMT). Most courses require completion of at least one course from the Natural Sciences (NS) or Natural Science Alternative (NSA) categories.

General Education Courses by Category

General Education Courses on Course Finder by Category

Courses with (AMALI) also satisfy the AMALI graduation requirement 

Courses with (B.S.-SMT) satsify the B.S.-SMT graduation requirement. Students pursuing a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree must have one additional science, mathematics, statistics, and/or technology course (beyond the General Education requirements) - refer to the B.S.-SMT graduation requirement section of this catalog for more information.  

Group 1 Categories

Communication and Composition (2 courses required) 

Mathematics (1 course required) [M] 

Natural Sciences (2 courses required) [NS] 

Students must complete at least one course from two different sciences.

Certain majors require a Natural Science Alternative course that substitutes for the courses above. See individual major requirements.

Natural Science Alternatives [NSA] 

United States Traditions (1 course required) [UST] 

 Individuals and Civic Life (1 course required) [ICL]

Group 2 Categories

Courses with AMALI designation, indicating a focus on cultures of Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, or the indigenous peoples of the world, will satsify the AMALI Graduation Requirement. Students not satisfying the AMALI graduation requirement through a major course should choose one of these courses to fulfill an Illinois State University graduation requirement.

Fine Arts (1 course required) [FA]

The following courses can be counted towards the Fine Arts category. A student must enroll in a sufficient number of ensemble courses for a total 3 hours to meet the 3 hour Fine Arts requirement.

 Humanities (1 course required) [H]

Language in the Humanities (1 course required) [LH]

Quantitative Reasoning (1 course required) [QR]

Students pursuing a B.A. degree must complete the equivalent of LAN 115 or higher rather than one of these courses.

Science, Mathematics, and Technology (1 course required) [SMT]

 Social Sciences (1 course required)  [SS]

Illinois State University offers several study abroad programs that feature a wide variety of General Education courses. Interested students should contact their academic advisor or the Office of International Studies and Programs.