Why Gen Eds?

Through Gen Ed, students:

Complement their specialized major coursework

Develop skills to tackle problems of the world

Build a foundation for lifelong learning

Discover new perspectives and a deeper understanding of humanity

Explore new or existing areas of interest and inquiry

Prepare for professional success

Become engaged citizens in a strong democracy

Expand their ability to communicate ideas

Four students wearing Illinois shirts throwing fall leaves in the air

Gen Ed Testimonials

The impact and value of the General Education Program is unique for each individual student, alumnus, faculty and staff member. Read about experiences from students and alumni who have taken Gen Ed courses, faculty teaching Gen Ed courses, and staff advising and supporting students throughout their academic and professional journeys.

Gen Ed as a Valuable Shared Curriculum

General Education is a curriculum shared by all students across the university that prepares them with the breadth in knowledge, understanding, and critical thinking they will need as citizens and stewards in an ever-changing world. The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has been dedicated to this recognition from its beginnings, and its faculty have maintained requirements recognizing the distinct but complementary goals of specialized and general education. These educational aims remain vital today, with specialized or professional education intended to prepare students for their chosen careers and with general education intended to increase their knowledge and understanding of the wider range of historical, philosophical, scientific, political, ethical, and aesthetic concerns, and other dimensions of thought and human experience. Specialized and General Education are complementary educational aims that generate the basic framework for undergraduate education at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

As we look ahead to a century of accelerated pace of innovation and major societal challenges, we stay true to our founding principles to ensure a strong liberal arts education by striving to graduate students with the breadth of knowledge that comes from the liberal arts and that strengthens our democracy. Too often, students see general education courses as simply a graduation requirement without understanding the true value of the General Education Program. Students have control over their Gen Ed experience!

General Education provides students with the skills, knowledge, and experiences that will ensure their success during and after college, and in their professional, personal, and civic lives. No single major can provide a student with all the knowledge and skills they will need to be successful and fulfilled; it is General Education that provides students with the skills they cannot gain from their majors. General Education deepens students’ understanding of the world around them and of themselves as human beings, opening their eyes to other worlds and other perspectives. Through General Education, students become ready to engage as citizens to make a difference in a diverse democracy.

Association for General and Liberal Studies (AGLS)

Gen Ed and Career-Readiness

Gen Ed coursework is just as essential as specialized coursework for career-readiness. Skills in career-readiness competency areas is an expectation that is fairly universal amongst industries and career fields. Students should take full advantage of courses to build their competencies and highlight these areas to employers.

Employers look for entry-level employees who display competence in the following areas:

  • Career & Self Development
  • Communication
  • Critical Thinking
  • Equity & Inclusion
  • Leadership
  • Professionalism
  • Teamwork
  • Technology