In order to earn your undergraduate degree from UMass Amherst, you must take a minimum number of classes in a range of disciplines, as outlined below. These requirements are standard across all of the university's colleges and departments. Note: Not all of these classes are offered through Continuing & Professional Education.

For more information on the General Education requirements, click here.

For a list of classes offered through Continuing & Professional Education, click here. 

Outline of General Education Requirements

I. Social World: six courses

1. One course in Literature (AL)
2. One course in Arts/Liberal Arts (AT) or a second course in Literature (AL)
3. One course in Historical Studies (HS)
4. Two courses in Social & Behavioral Sciences (SB)
5. One additional course in any of the Social World areas (AL, AT, HS, or SB) or an Interdisciplinary course (I).

II. Diversity: two courses

1. Two of the required Social World courses must include the study of diversity in human cultures and societies. One of these must focus on diversity in the United States (identified by the letter “U” in the course designation, i.e., ALU, ATU, HSU or SBU). The other must focus on diversity from a global perspective (identified by the letter “G” in the course designation i.e., ALG, ATG, HSG or SBG). The Diversity requirement may also be satisfied by a course bearing only the “U” or “G” designation; however, this would be in addition to the six required Social World courses.

III. Biological and Physical World: three courses, including at least one in each of the following subdivisions:

1. Biological Science (BS)
2. Physical Science (PS)

IV. Basic Math Skills: one course, or exemption by exam (R1)

V. Analytic Reasoning: one course (R2)

VI. Writing: two levels

1. College Writing (ENGLWP 112) (CW)
2. Junior Year Writing Requirement (a university requirement, administered by the departments, to be completed as part of the requirements for your major)

VII. Interdisciplinary Option: substitution of up to three interdisciplinary courses (I) for some requirements, subject to restrictions:

• No substitution is allowed for CW, R1, or R2.
• You must complete at least one course in each of AL, HS, SB, BS, and PS.
• Students who entered the university in spring 2005 or later may use an SI course to satisfy their third science requirement, but not an I course.
• An I or SI course that has a Social and Cultural Diversity designation (e.g., SIG, IU) may also be used to fulfill a Diversity component.

VIII. No General Education credit is awarded for courses taken Pass/Fail.

IX. Only one course in your major department may count as a General Education course.