Teaching and Advising

FAQs for Advising

Why are only certain courses designated at General Education courses?
What are diversity courses and how do students find them?
Can courses from other schools transfer to UMass as Gen Ed courses?
What is the General Education Variance Committee?
What are “I” courses?
Can students take Gen Ed courses in their major?
How do placement exams affect Gen Ed courses?
Can AP courses count as Gen Ed courses?
Can Gen Ed courses be waived?
Can courses taken through the Five-College exchange count as Gen Ed courses?

Why are only certain courses designated at General Education courses?
Only courses reviewed and approved by the General Education Council can be designated as Gen Ed courses. For information on the application process visit the Course Application Process webpage. For information about the review process visit the Course Review Process webpage.

What are diversity courses and how do students find them?
It is important that students understand other people whose life experiences may be a lot different from their own. Gen Ed has a diversity requirement to make sure that students choose some courses with this focus.

There are two course designations in this area: U (Diversity: United States) and G (Diversity: Global). Some courses are designated only U or G. Others may be combined with the Social World designations listed above and will appear on SPIRE as: ALU, ATU, HSU, SBU, IU, ALG, ATG, HSG, SBG, IG. Completion of the Social and Cultural Diversity area requires two courses, from the following:
One course designated U, ALU, ATU, HSU, SBU, SIU, or IU
One course designated G, ALG, ATG, HSG, SBG, SIG, or IG
Courses that are designated U and G may only be used for the Social and Cultural Diversity requirement. Those combined with Social World designations may count for both. For example, if you take a course designated ALU, it would count twice in the checklist, under the Social World (AL) and Social and Cultural Diversity (U).

Can courses from other schools transfer to UMass as Gen Ed courses?
Yes, courses from other schools can transfer to UMass as Gen Ed courses as long as the courses are approved by the Office of Transfer Affairs (part of Admissions). For new incoming students, transfer credit is generally awarded if the coursework is comparable in content and scope to courses offered by the University, and a grade of C- (1.7) or higher is earned in the course. Specific letter grades earned outside the University do not transfer. After acceptance to UMass Amherst, students receive a preliminary transfer credit evaluation, and if courses satisfy a Gen Ed requirement they will be so indicated. A more detailed course evaluation will take place during orientation.

Current UMass students who plan on taking a Gen Ed course at another school must complete a “Prior Approval Form” and have the course approved by Transfer Affairs.

What is the General Education Variance Committee?
The General Education Variance Committee reviews student petitions for variances from the General Education Requirements. The following conditions and procedures apply:

Petitions will be processed through the student's undergraduate Dean, with accompanying comment/recommendation by the Dean, and forwarded to the Registrar's Office for consideration by the committee
All requests for variance from the General Education requirements based on an allegation of misadvising shall include a statement verifying such mis-advice by the academic advisor or dean involved
No requests will be granted for the use of University of Massachusetts Amherst non-General Education courses to fulfill General Education requirements
No requests will be granted for a variance from the requirements based on a student's completion of a course because of legitimate but mistaken belief that the course filled a General Education requirement, if the student may use the course to complete a General Education, University, or major requirement not yet filled
A student may register an appeal to the committee's decision only with approval of his/her initiating Dean

What are “I” courses?
Students are not required to take courses with an interdisciplinary designation, but may substitute them for other requirements, as listed in the curriculum areas. Interdisciplinary courses are often experimental, issue-focused, and speak to the basic integrations of (many) fields of human study. Courses of this sort, which focus on topics and which often involve teams of interested faculty, may well be highpoints in the undergraduate experience.

There are two course designations in this option: I (Interdisciplinary) and SI (Science Interdisciplinary); they are often combined with the Social and Cultural Diversity component. Students may only take up to three courses of their Gen Ed requirements through an interdisciplinary option.

Students must satisfy the Biological and Physical World designation by completing:

One course designated BS
One course designated PS
One course designated BS, PS, or SI

Can students take Gen Ed courses in their major?
Students can take one general education course in their major to satisfy a general education requirement. For instance, a Psych. major can take Psych 100 as an SB course, but cannot take another Psych course as a Gen Ed.

How do placement exams affect Gen Ed courses?
There are placements exams that can affect Gen Ed courses. These include the Math Placement Test that is taken online by all freshmen prior to orientation. A passing score exempts students from taking an R1 course.

R1/R2 Joint Satisfaction: Any course taken within the Department of Mathematics and Statistics that satisfies the R2 (Analytic Reasoning) requirement for graduation also satisfies the R1 requirement. This applies to the following courses:

Math: 113, 121, 127, 128, 131, 132, 233, 235, 456
Stats: 111, 240 (previously labeled (140), 501, 515, 516
Res Econ 211 and 212

A continuously updated list of such courses, including certain R2 course in other departments can be viewed at the Registrar's website.

In addition, the following courses that do not currently carry R2 satisfaction do satisfy the R1 requirement:

Math: 011, 012, 100, 101- 102 (must have both), 104, 114, 300, 331

All students must satisfy College Writing (CW) as part of their Gen Ed requirements. Students may register for College Writing (ENGLWP 112 or ENGLWP 113) as long as they have fulfilled either one of two prerequisites: satisfactory performance on the Placement Test or satisfactory completion of ENGLWP 111, Basic Writing. While some students elect to take ENGLWP 111 before entering ENGLWP 112, most fulfill the prerequisite by taking the Writing Program Placement Test, which is given during the New Student Program's summer orientation sessions.

The Writing Program Placement Test takes one hour. Students are asked to compose an essay on a reading passage and topic of general interest. Two topics are usually offered; students choose one on which to write. A team of eight Writing Program teachers according to these criteria evaluates tests:

The essay is organized and focused on a specific point or thesis in response to the given topic
A thesis is developed with supporting ideas and specific examples
The writer demonstrates an understanding of the reading passage and is able to use the passage effectively
Wording, grammar, and sentence structure are clear and coherent

Three results are possible. Students whose writing shows a need for additional instruction are placed into ENGLWP 111, Basic Writing. Students whose writing meets the University's expectations for entering students are placed into ENGLWP 112, College Writing. And students whose writing exceeds normal expectations receive a waiver of their College Writing Requirement. Unlike exemptions given on the basis of SAT and AP test scores (as described below), waivers carry no credit. Those receiving waivers are not required to take College Writing but may choose to elect the course.

Students must also take a Junior Year Writing course. There are no exceptions to this.

Can AP courses count as Gen Ed courses?
YES!! A student must submit AP test scores to the University to be evaluated. Depending upon the AP score, students can earn credits, equivalent courses and Gen Ed designations. For instance, a student earning a 4 or 5 in AP Govern & Politics (U.S.) earns 3 credits, an ‘SB’ Gen Ed designation, and the equivalent course of PolSci 101.

Can Gen Ed courses be waived?
NO!!

Can courses taken through the Five-College exchange count as Gen Ed courses?
The Five College Exchange Office is in 614 Goodell. There is a list of courses that have already been approved as Gen Eds. It's not huge but it does have a good number of courses on it. If a course is not on the list then a student needs to bring to the office a syllabus, and if it is an obvious Gen Ed it can be approved (just like courses are approved as Gen Eds for domestic exchange). If it isn't obvious, then the Gen Ed Variance Committee must evaluate the course.

Anthropology

Teaching and Advising

FAQs for Advising