This is a section of Frequently Asked Questions that have been collected over the years from students. Everyone (students, advisors, faculty and instructional staff) is encouraged to add to this list. Please send questions to webmaster@ls.wisc.edu.
After a section addressing “General Questions” about the requirements, this list is divided according to the requirements they address: Communication, Quantitative Reasoning, Ethnic Studies, and Breadth. Readers need to scroll down to the sections to see the questions addressed. Then, click on a question to see the answer provided.
General Questions
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CAN I TAKE MY GENERAL EDUCATION COURSE(S) PASS/FAIL?
Effective Fall 2012, all courses taken to meet the University General Education Requirements must be taken on a graded basis. These grades are included in students’ GPA calculations according to school/college GPA rules.
WHO NEEDS TO FULFILL THE GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS?
Any undergraduate student whose first college matriculation date is after May 20, 1996 must complete these requirements.
HOW DO I FIND MY "MATRICULATION DATE"?
If you never attended any other post-secondary institution before entering UW-Madison, the date you entered UW-Madison is your first college matriculation date.
I ALREADY HAVE AN UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE; DO I NEED TO FULFILL THE GEN ED REQUIREMENTS?
If you completed the UW-Madison General Education requirements as part of your first undergraduate degree, you need not complete them again. But if your first undergraduate degree is from another institution and your matriculation date is after May 20, 1996, your previous course work will be examined to determine what requirements have been fulfilled by comparable courses taken elsewhere.
WHERE DO I GO TO TAKE THE MATH OR ENGLISH PLACEMENT TEST?
If you need to take these tests at a time other than SOAR or the spring regional testing, contact Testing and Evaluation Services, 262-5863 to obtain information or schedule a testing appointment. The Center for Placement Testing coordinates the UW Placement Testing Program; brief explanations of the placement tests are posted on its website.
WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE MATH OR ENGLISH PLACEMENT TEST?
If you need more information about these tests, contact the Office of Testing and Evaluation, 262-5863 or visit the Center for Placement testing website, where you will find brief explanations of the placement tests and a sample of the English Placement Test.
HOW CAN I BEST COMBINE GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS AND STUDY ABROAD OR BEST PLAN TO COMPLETE THE REQUIREMENTS ON CAMPUS IF I ALSO WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN A STUDY ABROAD PROGRAM?
It may be possible to study abroad and also fulfill General Education requirements on a program offered through the Division of International Studies. We recommend that you first go to the International Academic Programs (IAP) Resource Room in 250 Bascom to look at the many study abroad opportunities available to you. At that time you will be able to look at the list of courses which have been offered at the study abroad site(s) you are interested in. This includes the UW-Madison course equivalents so you can determine whether it will be possible to fulfill specific General Education requirements while abroad at the site you choose.
CAN I SATISFY MY COMMUNICATION, QUANTITATIVE REASONING, OR OTHER GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS IN SUMMER WHEN I GO HOME? HOW WILL I KNOW IF THE CREDITS TRANSFER?
Each spring the Office of Admissions and Recruitment makes Course Equivalency Forms available for students who will be taking courses at another university for the summer. Students submit the completed form with a self-addressed, stamped envelope. The Office of Admissions and Recruitment reviews the course and then informs the students how the course will transfer back to Madison. Students should check with an advisor for more information on this topic, such as the need to complete a certain number of credits in residence at UW-Madison.
BUT I ALREADY TOOK A COURSE AT ANOTHER COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY - HOW CAN I GET IT REVIEWED TO SEE IF IT MEETS GEN ED REQUIREMENTS?
All transfer course evaluations start with the Office of Admissions and Recruitment – forms and information about getting courses evaluated are available through their website. Students should be prepared to provide sufficient information about the course taken for an appropriate decision about General Education equivalency to be made.
ARE ANY GENERAL EDUCATION COURSES OFFERED IN SUMMER SESSION?
Many courses that fulfill the general education requirements are offered during the summer. Refer to the Schedule of Classes to find courses that fulfill specific requirements.
HOW DO I FIND OUT WHICH CLASSES FULFILL THE GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS?
Information on courses that currently meet the General Education Requirements can be found in the Course Guide. Course Guide “Official Course Information” includes general education and breadth requirements satisfied by each course. But remember, even if the Course Guide lists a course, you need to check the Schedule of Classes to be sure it will be offered when you need it.
HOW CAN I PETITION FOR A COURSE THAT IS NOT DESIGNATED FOR GENERAL EDUCATION TO COUNT FOR ONE OF THE GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS?
There is a process available to all students seeking to substitute a course for General Education Requirements.
HOW DO I KNOW IF I STILL HAVE REQUIREMENTS TO FULFILL?
Check your DARS report (if available).
WHAT DO STUDENTS SAY ABOUT GENERAL EDUCATION?
In 1999, the students in the Pathways To Excellence Student Organization produced Choose Your Own Adventure: A Guide to the University of Wisconsin-Madison For Students, By Students. From the beginning, these students ask “Why Are We Here?” and, in framing the answer, discuss the need to meet general requirements. As they say, “…after fulfilling these two ‘main’ requirements [Communication and Quantitative Reasoning], you will know how to communicate and understand the world using both words and mathematical expressions-and that’s actually pretty cool!”
Communications Questions
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WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COMM A AND COMM B?
Both Comm A and Comm B courses address the four modes of literacy: writing, speaking, reading, and listening and they also include instruction in information literacy. Comm A is an introduction to writing and speaking students will encounter in their subsequent college courses, and to the kind of critical writing that will serve them well beyond the university. Comm B courses are designed to give students more in-depth practice with college writing, particularly as found in a particular discipline.
WHO MUST FULFILL THE GENERAL EDUCATION COMMUNICATION A AND B REQUIREMENTS?
Any student whose first college matriculation date is May 20, 1996 or later must complete the UW-Madison General Education requirements.
I'VE TAKEN A COURSE OR COURSES AT ANOTHER UNIVERSITY THAT SEEM TO ME TO FULFILL THE COMM A REQUIREMENT. WHAT DO I DO TO HAVE THIS CONSIDERED?
Please contact Morris Young at (608) 263-3367 from the English Department to discuss if your composition and public speaking courses will satisfy the Comm A requirement. You will likely need to provide course syllabi.
I TOOK A COURSE AT ANOTHER UNIVERSITY THAT SEEMS TO EQUATE TO A COMM B COURSE HERE; WILL I GET CREDIT FOR COMM B?
Decisions about how courses transfer to your UW-Madison academic record are made by the Office of Admissions and Recruitment. Before taking a course elsewhere, it’s always a good idea to confer with your advisor. If you are planning to take a course elsewhere to transfer back to UW-Madison, you should always check with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and Recruitment in advance to be sure that the credit you seek will, indeed, transfer into your academic record in the way you intend.
CAN I RECEIVE DEGREE CREDIT FOR MORE THAN ONE COMM A COURSE?
A recent change in policy (effective Fall 2018) allows students to take more than one Comm A course if they wish to do so.
WHY DO COMM A COURSES DIFFER?
Some Comm A courses focus more on the oral component than on the written component. Other differences arise because some courses emphasize “disciplinary specificity” early on, so the course requires students to write in a particular style.
I DIDN'T HAVE TO TAKE A COMM A COURSE, BUT I'M WORRIED THAT I MISSED SOMETHING MY OTHER WRITING COURSE DIDN'T TEACH. DID I?
All of these students can get a useful introduction to the campus library system by doing Sift & Winnow, an interactive, multimedia tutorial. Student can self-enroll in the course by following these instructions: https://www.library.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Sift-Winnow-Self…. Students should also feel free to ask reference librarians in any campus library for help.
WHAT ARE WRITING INTENSIVE COURSES AND HOW DO THEY FIT IN?
Writing Intensive courses are not required as part of the General Education requirements. Particular schools or colleges, majors, or other programs may require that students take one or more courses that are designated as writing intensive as part of the program in that area. Since Writing Intensive courses are often upper level courses and provide students with on-going opportunities to practice writing skills, students are encouraged to take as many of these courses as possible.
WHO MUST SATISFY ENGLISH COMPETENCY WITHIN THE MAJOR?
Demonstrating English competence in the major is required for majors in the College of Letters and Science only for students who are not subject to the General Education requirements. Students who matriculated prior to the adoption of the General Education requirements should contact the advisor in the major about completing the English competency requirement. Students who must satisfy the General Education Communication Requirements will be certified as competent upon the successful completion of the Communication A and Communication B requirements.
I ALREADY TOOK A COMM B COURSE; AM I EXEMPT FROM COMM A?
No. Every student who needs to complete the University General Education Requirements must satisfy all of the requirements. Furthermore, because these courses are different, successful completion of a Comm B course does not presume that a student has also mastered what would have been learned in Comm A. If you have not satisfied Comm A by achieving a sufficient UW Placement Test score, receiving AP Test credits for the appropriate Comm A equivalent, or by transferring credit for a course taken at another institution, you must take a Comm A course. If you believe you have taken a course that meets the criteria for Comm A courses, you may petition to have an exception granted. Please see the FAQ above: How can I petition for a course that is not designated for General Education to count for one of the General Education Requirements?”Please note that these requests are rarely granted.
I'VE ALREADY TAKEN A COUPLE OF COMM B COURSES; CAN'T THAT COUNT AS COMM A?
No. Comm A and Comm B courses are different, so completion of Comm B does not presume that a student has also mastered what would have been learned in Comm A. If you have not satisfied Comm A by achieving a sufficient UW Placement Test score, receiving AP Test credits for the appropriate Comm A equivalent, or by transferring credit for a course taken at another institution, you must still take a Comm A course. If you believe you have taken a course that meets all of the criteria for Comm A courses, you may petition to have an exception granted (see the FAQ earlier on this page: “How can I petition for a course that is not designated for General Education to count for one of the General Education Requirements?“) However, you should know that exceptions like this are rarely granted.
WHY TAKE COMM A? A STUDENT'S PERSPECTIVE.
As an international student, I took ESL 118 as my Comm A requirement. It’s been almost three years since I took the course, and now I’m a senior undergraduate who is graduating this summer with a degree in Journalism. I’ve taken Comm B and plenty of other writing-intensive courses during my college years. However, no course was more difficult for me than the Comm A course that I took in my sophomore year.
Quantitative Reasoning Questions
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I'M RETURNING TO SCHOOL AFTER A LONG TIME AWAY AND I'LL NEED TO COMPLETE THE QUANTITATIVE REASONING REQUIREMENT. HOW CAN I PREPARE TO REENTER SCHOOL AND TAKE A MATH COURSE?
Visit the MathLab website.
MUST I COMPLETE A MATH COURSE TO SATISFY THE QR A REQUIREMENT?
No, students may also take Philosophy 210, Reason in Communication, to satisfy the QR A requirement. Students may also be exempted from QR A based on their Math placement score.
MUST I COMPLETE A MATH COURSE TO SATISFY THE QR B REQUIREMENT?
No, many courses fulfill the QR B requirement. Students may also be exempted from the QR B requirement based on their Math placement score. Students can find courses that meet the QR B requirement through a search in the Course Guide.
MUST I COMPLETE A MATH COURSE TO SATISFY THE QR B REQUIREMENT?
Yes; QR-B builds on skills learned in QR-A, and helps students apply those skills in the context of a discipline.
CAN I RECEIVE TRANSFER CREDIT THAT SATISFIES MY QR REQUIREMENTS?
Yes. The general policy is summarized below:
IF I COMPLETE OR RECEIVE TRANSFER CREDIT FOR A QR B COURSE, AM I AUTOMATICALLY EXEMPT FROM QR A?
Not necessarily. A student who is given transfer credit (or AP credit or credit based on a departmental exam) for a MATH course that equates to a UW-Madison QR B Math course, that student is presumed to have also satisfied the QR A requirement. Completing or receiving transfer credit for any other QR B course does NOT mean that the student has completed or been exempted from the QR-A requirement.
Ethnic Studies Questions
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WHY DO WE HAVE THIS REQUIREMENT?
The ethnic studies requirement is intended to increase understanding of the cultures and contributions of persistently marginalized racial or ethnic groups in the United States, and to equip students to respond constructively to issues connected with our pluralistic society and global community. This is increasingly viewed as a skill students need to acquire. As the Faculty Senate legislation states:
DO I NEED THREE CREDITS OF ETHNIC STUDIES? OR JUST ONE ETHNIC STUDIES COURSE?
The Ethnic Studies Requirement was recently revised, and the changes go into effect in Fall 2005.
I TOOK A COURSE THAT I THINK SHOULD SATISFY THE REQUIREMENT. CAN I GET CREDIT FOR IT?
If you took the course at UW-Madison: