General Education at GustavusFewer General Education Requirements

Streamlined General Education

  • Less is more: Gustavus is simplifying your journey. We're cutting down on general education requirements. Some stay, some evolve, and some bid farewell.
  • Expanded core designations: Get ready for more variety. The five core designations (ARTSC, HBSI, HUMN, NTSCI, and RSAP) will be more widely spread across courses. It's all about flexibility and choice.
  • Single designation: We are keeping it straightforward. Each course will carry only one designation for a clear and concise path through your general education. 
Staying the Same Changing Going away
  • First Term Seminar (FTS)
  • Challenge Seminar (CHAL)
  • Arts (ARTSC)
  • Human Behavior and Social Institutions (HBSI)
  • Humanities (HUMN)
  • Natural Science (NTSCI)
  • Global Affairs and Cultures (GLAFC)
  • US Identities and Difference (USIDG)
  • Quantitative and Analytical Reasoning (QUANT)
  • Theological Studies is expanding to become Religious Studies and Philosophy (RSAP).
  • The non-English Language requirement is changing to be at least 1 non-English language course and completion of level 102 or higher
  • Wellbeing will not be required for any student in the new curriculum. If you are moving to the new curriculum, you do not need to fulfill this requirement.
  • WRITL and WRITD as separate requirements. Your major will require you to take a WRITL or WRITD course as part of the major, which means that by completing your major, you will complete your writing requirement.
  • January Term requirements. Since we are no longer offering January Term, it will not be required for students in the new curriculum. But if you have taken course during January, they will count in the new curriculum.

Why the change?

  • Student voices matter: Your feedback told us that our current general education setup was a bit perplexing and maybe a tad too much. We get it!
  • Balancing act: At Gustavus, we value general education. It's crucial to learn about various disciplines. But we also want to hand you the reins for exploration through electives. It's all about striking that perfect balance.
  • Streamlining for you: Imagine a more straightforward path to a well-rounded education with room for your passions--that's what we're after. We believe a streamlined general education is the key to providing both a broad foundation and the freedom to explore what excites you.
  • New digital credentials: We will be rolling out a new Writing digital credential (16 credits of WRITL/WRITD) that you can use to show prospective employers your writing skills. If you've already taken WRITL or WRITD classes, they will automatically count toward the Writing digital credential.

What do I need to do?

Make sure that you have fulfilled the requirements. Here’s what you need to know:

  • Credit carry-over: Good news! If you earned a designation under the current system, it automatically moves into the new one. For instance, if you completed your QUANT requirement in the current curriculum, it smoothly transitions into the new one.
  • THEOL transition: If you got a THEOL credit in the current system, it transforms into an RSAP in the new one.
  • Dual designation: If a course held two designations in the current system (like GLAFC and CHAL), both carry over into the new system .
  • Changing designations: Some courses gain designations in the new system or might switch up designations. The rule? You get a designation only if the course had it when you took it. For instance, BIO 101 will have the new NTSCI designation, but if you've already taken it, you won't retroactively receive NTSCI credit. The same goes for PHI 101--if you already took it, you will not get RSAP credit retroactively.
  • WELBG and WRITL rewards: If you've completed WELBG or WRITL, those credits still count toward the 128 needed for graduation. And you can apply the WRITL/D credits toward Gustauvs’s new Writing Digital Credential (stay tuned for more information about this).