There are over 700 different General Education courses on our campus, so how do you narrow down your options? Below we have provided helpful resources to assist you with Gen Ed course selection.
Academic Advisors
Students should work with their academic advisors to discuss General Education course options. Individual colleges/schools or curricula may require specific courses or course categories. Students should consult their advisors about selecting the general education courses which best fit their programs of study, balancing schedules between major and Gen Ed coursework, discussing interests and areas of skill building, and many other items to help students narrow down Gen Ed courses.
Course Explorer
The Course Explorer: General Education provides lists of courses approved for each category. Students may look through course titles and descriptions to find any of interest offered during the upcoming semester.
Course Explorer Search Function
The Course Explorer: Search is another way to explore Gen Ed courses. Gen Ed categories may be selected under “GenEd REQs,” and students may enter in a “Keyword” to explore courses.
Example: Entering the subject “Food” and selecting “Natural Sciences & Technology” will return a number of courses such as ACES 102: Intro Sustainable Food Systems; FSHN 101 The Science of Food and How it Relates to You; CPSC 113 Environment, Agriculture, and Society.
Experiential Gen Eds
Experiential Gen Ed courses provide students with practical, hands-on experiences outside the traditional classroom to broaden their knowledge and skills. Some Gen Ed courses or specific sections of Gen Ed courses offer options provide a more interactive experience and bring students beyond the classroom.
Gen Ed Courses Offering Experiential Options (Additional Fees may be required):
ANTH 288: American Indians of Illinois – Humanities & the Arts, US Minority Cultures
An interdisciplinary survey of the Native American experience in the Illinois region from pre-Columbian times to the present. Introduces theories, concepts and methods in archaeology, history, and sociocultural anthropology. Includes archaeological field site and museum visits, plus guest lectures by American Indian scholars and community members.
ARTJ 209: Chado (The Way of Tea) – Non-Western Cultures
Explores the Japanese Tea Ceremony and its relevance to everyday life. Students will acquire a better understanding of Japanese culture and a new appreciation of their own cultures through the study of the Tea Ceremony and the Zen worldview that informs it. Materials fee covers the tea ceremonies.
CLCV 220: Exploring the Greek & Roman World (Section: Wonders of the World) – Humanities & the Arts, Western Cultures
In this class you will study the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: the Great Pyramid of Giza, Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, Statue of Zeus at Olympia, Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, Colossus of Rhodes, and the Lighthouse of Alexandria. You will learn how they were made, what they meant to the people who built them, and the ways they have influenced modern art and architecture. Field trips to architectural wonders on the UIUC campus will enrich our understanding of the past. (Section: Wonders of the World)
GEOL 104: Geology of the National Parks – Natural Sciences & Technology
Develops geologic background, concepts, and principles through study of selected national parks and monuments. Examines the geologic framework and history, modern geologic processes, and factors influencing the present day landscape for each park area. Additional fees may apply.
The field trip will provide students with a unique opportunity to directly apply classroom knowledge to real-world geologic features, fostering deeper engagement and understanding of key concepts such as sedimentary processes, dune formation, and coastal geomorphology. The field trip will be to a U.S. National Park within driving distance of Champaign.
PS 224: Politics of the National Parks – Social Sciences
Examines the politics of national parks in the United States, including creation of parks, local support or opposition to parks, and park policy as well as policy questions such as the value of wilderness ecosystem management, endangered species protection, and role of parks in national identity and remembrance of events such as the Civil War, the Indian wars, or the civil rights movement. Additional fees may apply.
During the summer session, PS 224 includes a field trip to a national park, typically Yellowstone National Park or the national parks in Colorado.
SPAN 232: Spanish in the Community (Prerequisite: Spanish Level 3) – US Minority Cultures
Introduction to Spanish-speaking communities in the Champaign-Urbana area, focusing on issues of particular interest to the local Latinx community, developing contextualized oral proficiency, and facilitating student civic engagement. Active student reflection is structured throughout the course. Meets two hours a week in class and two hours a week in community-based service work. In their interactions with community members and organizations students both learn from and contribute to the community. Instruction in Spanish.
Gen Ed Themes
Focusing Gen Ed courses within a thematic area provides students the opportunity to examine an issue through multiple perspectives and disciplines. Themes are broad and interdisciplinary and allow students to select an area that compliments their major or explore an area of interest or passion. The themes also provide a list of courses across different Gen Ed categories and disciplines students may use to select courses of interest.
Build Your Skills
Select Gen Ed courses based on essential skills for your career. Every employer is looking for employees who display certain traits, skills, and competencies. In order to have a successful transition to the workplace, there are steps you can take while you’re in college to ensure that you have what employers are looking for when hiring new employees. Utilize the resources and guidance from our campus career centers to determine the skills you should build and select Gen Ed courses aligned with those skills.
Instructional Type
Gen Ed courses are taught in many different formats, including small interactive courses where you may explore around the campus or community, classes where you watch movies or attend a performance and discuss, studios where you let your creativity flow, large traditional style lectures with accompanying discussion sections, and so many other formats. We encourage students to consider the format and interaction which best fits their learning style, skills they would like to build, and what is of most interest. Information about the course format and instructional style may be found in the Course Explorer or Student Self-Service where you may also view the class size. Your academic advisor would also be able to discuss.
- In-person, Online (Synchronous/Asynchronous), Hybrid
- Small, Medium, Large
- Lecture, Discussion, Lab, Studio, Interactive
- Project, Research, Innovation, Presentations, Skills