University General Education Program

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The University General Education Program promotes a shared core learning experience for all undergraduate students at the University of Memphis and provides a framework upon which the college major can build. The major purpose of the Program is to provide students the opportunity to acquire tools, develop skills and awareness necessary for completing a college career and assuming the roles of a lifelong learner and an active, informed participant in contemporary society.

The University of Memphis General Education Program consists of 41 hours of coursework from a variety of disciplines. Students should consult their advisors on specific General Education Program courses that may be required for the major. The following are the General Education Program categories and their approved courses. Former course numbers appear in parentheses.

Communication (9 hours)

All candidates for graduation at the University of Memphis are required to complete ENGL 1010 and ENGL 1020 , or their equivalents, with a grade of “C” or better. Before enrolling in ENGL 1010, a student must have either (1) an ACT English score of 18 or above, or (2) an SAT verbal score of 450 or above, or (3) a satisfactory completion of a placement test administered by the University of Memphis Testing Center. Those who do not meet the requirements above, must successfully complete a Developmental Combination ENGL 1010 section with a grade of “C” or better before proceeding to ENGL 1020. ENGL 1010 and ENGL 1020 must be taken in sequence; no credit will be allowed for ENGL 1020 until ENGL 1010 has been completed successfully.

ENGL 1010 - English Composition** Credit Hours: (3)
ENGL 1020 - English Comp/Analysis** Credit Hours: (3)
COMM 2381 - Oral Communication ** Credit Hours: (3)

Mathematics (3 hours)

MATH 1420 - Foundations of Mathematics ** Credit Hours: (3)
MATH 1530 - Prob/Statistics/Non Calculus** Credit Hours: (3)
MATH 1710 - College Algebra Credit Hours: (3)
MATH 1730 - Pre-Calculus** Credit Hours: (4)
MATH 1830 - Elementary Calculus** Credit Hours: (3)
MATH 1910 - Calculus I ** Credit Hours: (4)

Humanities / Fine Arts (9 hours)

ENGL 2201 - Literary Heritage ** Credit Hours: (3)
or
ENGL 2202 - Lit Heritage: African-American ** Credit Hours: (3)

Plus Two of the Following Courses

ART 1035 - Introduction to Art** Credit Hours: (3)
ARTH 2010 - World Art I Credit Hours: (3)
ARTH 2020 - World Art II Credit Hours: (3)
CLAS 2481 - Mythology ** Credit Hours: (3)
COMM 1851 - Introduction to Film** Credit Hours: (3)
DANC 1151 - Introduction to Dance Credit Hours: (3)
JDST 2850 - Religions of Abraham Credit Hours: (3)
MUS 1030 - Introduction to Music** Credit Hours: (3)
MUS 1040 - Music in America Credit Hours: (3)
PHIL 1101 - Intro to Philosophy Credit Hours: (3)
PHIL 1102 - Intro to Ethics ** Credit Hours: (3)
POLS 1101 - Intro Ancient Political Thgt ** Credit Hours: (3)
POLS 1102 - Intro Modern Political Thought ** Credit Hours: (3)
RLGN 1100 - Introduction to Religion ** Credit Hours: (3)
THEA 1030 - Intro to Theatre** Credit Hours: (3)
UNIV 3580 - Hebrew and Greek Legacy** Credit Hours: (3)
UNIV 3581 - Faith/Reason/Imagination** Credit Hours: (3)

History (6 hours)*

ANTH 3282 - American Communities ** Credit Hours: (3) (American History)
HIST 1110 - World History to 1500** Credit Hours: (3)
HIST 1120 - World History since 1500** Credit Hours: (3)
HIST 2010 - U S to 1877 Credit Hours: (3) (American History)
HIST 2020 - The U S Since 1877** Credit Hours: (3) (American History)
HIST 2030 - Tennessee History** Credit Hours: (3)
HIST 3863 - American Ideas and Culture Credit Hours: (3) (American History)
HIST 3881 - African American History ** Credit Hours: (3) (American History)
HIST 4851 - History of Women in America ** Credit Hours: (3) (American History)
POLS 4212 - Const Law Civil Liberty ** Credit Hours: (3) (American History)
POLS 4405 - Origin/Dev Amer Pol Thought ** Credit Hours: (3) (American History)
SOCI 3422 - Racial/Ethnc Minorities ** Credit Hours: (3) (American History)

Note:

*Students who have not completed one year of American History in high school must complete 6 credit hours of American History OR 3 credit hours of American History plus 3 credit hours of Tennessee History in order to satisfy the History General Education requirement. American History courses are marked.

Social/Behavioral Sciences (6 hours)

ANTH 1100 - Biol Anth & Prehistory ** Credit Hours: (3)
ANTH 1200 - Cultural Anthropology ** Credit Hours: (3)
CDFS 2101 - Family/Global Perspective ** Credit Hours: (3)
ECON 2010 - Intro to Macroeconomics** Credit Hours: (3)
ECON 2020 - Intro to Microeconomics** Credit Hours: (3)
ESCI 1301 - Survey of World Regions Credit Hours: (3)
ESCI 1401 - Intro/Cultural Geography Credit Hours: (3)
FIR 1220 - Personal Financial Management Credit Hours: (3)
HLSC 2100 - Wellness Concepts Practice** Credit Hours: (3)
INTL 1101 - Introduction to International and Global Studies Credit Hours: (3)
JRSM 1700 - Intro to Media ** Credit Hours: (3)
POLS 1030 - American Government** Credit Hours: (3)
POLS 1301 - Intro to Comparative Politics ** Credit Hours: (3)
POLS 1501 - International Relations** Credit Hours: (3)
PSYC 1030 - General Psychology** Credit Hours: (3)
PSYC 3510 - Deviance/Role History Credit Hours: (3)
SOCI 1010 - Introduction to Sociology ** Credit Hours: (3)
SOCI 2100 - Sociology of Globalization Credit Hours: (3)
WMST 2100 - Intr/Women/Gender Study ** Credit Hours: (3)

Natural Science (8 hours) 2 courses and its lab

BIOL 1010 - Biology of Cells** Credit Hours: (3)
and
BIOL 1011 - Biology of Cells Lab ** Credit Hours: (1)
BIOL 1020 - Biology of Organisms** Credit Hours: (3)
and
BIOL 1021 - Biology of Organisms Lab ** Credit Hours: (1)
BIOL 1110 - General Biology I Credit Hours: (3)
and
BIOL 1111 - General Biology I Lab Credit Hours: (1)
BIOL 1120 - General Biology II Credit Hours: (3)
and
BIOL 1121 - General Biol II Lab Credit Hours: (1)
BIOL 2010 - Anatomy/Physiology I** Credit Hours: (3)
and
BIOL 2011 - Anat/Physiology I Lab ** Credit Hours: (1)
BIOL 2020 - Anatomy/Physiology II** Credit Hours: (3)
and
BIOL 2021 - Anat/Physiology II Lab ** Credit Hours: (1)
CHEM 1010 - Chemistry of Materials** Credit Hours: (3)
and
CHEM 1011 - Chemistry of Materials Lab ** Credit Hours: (1)
CHEM 1020 - Chemistry of Life Credit Hours: (3)
and
CHEM 1021 - Chemistry of Life Lab Credit Hours: (1)
CHEM 1110 - General Chemistry I Credit Hours: (3)
and
CHEM 1111 - General Chemistry I Lab Credit Hours: (1)
CHEM 1120 - General Chemistry II Credit Hours: (3)
and
CHEM 1121 - General Chemistry II Lab Credit Hours: (1)
ESCI 1010 - Weather and Climate Credit Hours: (4)
ESCI 1020 - Landforms ** Credit Hours: (4)
ESCI 1040 - Physical Geology Credit Hours: (4)
ESCI 1103 - The Human Planet Credit Hours: (4)
ESCI 1050 - The Earth Through Time Credit Hours: (4)
PHYS 1010 - Introductory Physics Credit Hours: (3)
and
PHYS 1001 - Introductory Physics Lab Credit Hours: (1)
PHYS 1020 - Survey of Astronomy I Credit Hours: (3)
and
PHYS 1002 - Astronomy Laboratory Credit Hours: (1)
PHYS 1301 - Astronomy II Credit Hours: (3)
and
PHYS 1031 - Astronomy II Laboratory Credit Hours: (1)
PHYS 2110 - Physics for Scientists and Engineers I Credit Hours: (3)
and
PHYS 2111 - Sci/Engr Phys Lab I Credit Hours: (1)
PHYS 2120 - Physics For Scientists and Engineers II Credit Hours: (3)
and
PHYS 2121 - Sci/Engr Phys Lab II Credit Hours: (1)

Grade Point Average

To receive a bachelor’s degree from any of the colleges in the University, students must have an Overall* grade point average of at least 2.00.

*The University Undergraduate Council (UUC) approved in 2018 for University of Memphis coursework and transfer coursework to count in the overall gpa and overall combined GPA effective Fall 2019. This policy change is a return to University of Memphis practice prior to Summer 2015.

*Overall GPA refers to the combination of the student’s UofM GPA and the GPA from college level transfer courses that were posted prior to Spring 2015 and after Summer 2019. Transfer work posted during Summer 2015 through Summer 2019 is not counted in the Overall GPA per the Tennessee Board of Regents transfer policy and the academic catalogs for this time period.

For New Transfer students admitted Fall 2019, transfer credit will count in the overall and overall combined GPA
For Readmitted students for Fall 2019, transfer credit taken since last attending the U of M will count in the overall and overall combined GPA.
For Continuing students, transfer credit applied to Fall 2019 will count in the overall and the overall combined GPA.

Historically, overall gpa included University of Memphis work and transfer work posted through Spring 2015. Due to a change in the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) policy effective Summer 2015, transfer credit posted was reflected in earned hours, but no longer applied to the overall or to the overall combined gpa.

Testing As A Prerequisite for Graduation

Any or all students may be required to take one or more tests designed to measure general education achievement and achievement in their major as a prerequisite to graduation, for the purpose of evaluation of academic programs. Unless otherwise provided for in any individual program, no minimum score or level of achievement is required for graduation. Participation in testing may be required for all students, for students in selected programs, and for students selected on a sample basis. Details concerning these regulations and the dates of the examinations will appear in the online class listings each semester.

Apply for Graduation

All students are required to apply to graduate during the semester preceding the semester of graduation. The deadlines for the application to graduate are included on the Registrar’s website. It is the responsibility of the student to insure that this deadline is met.