Academic Advisors and other campus staff and faculty serve a vital role in assisting students to make the most out of their General Education coursework. Students are encouraged to work with their Academic Advisors to ensure they are aware of the Gen Ed requirements, how their program requirements may fulfill Gen Ed requirements, how to plan and select remaining Gen Ed courses, and the importance of Gen Ed to their education and development. Additional general advising information on the Student Success Advisor Resources website.
Academic Advisors and other campus staff and faculty serve a vital role in assisting students to make the most out of their General Education coursework. Students are encouraged to work with their Academic Advisors to ensure they are aware of the Gen Ed requirements, how their program requirements may fulfill Gen Ed requirements, how to plan and select remaining Gen Ed courses, and the importance of Gen Ed to their education and development. Additional general advising information on the Student Success Advisor Resources website.
Get to Know Gen Eds
The following resources will help you understand more about Gen Ed requirements and courses.
Gen Ed Requirements
There are standardized minimum Gen Ed Requirements across campus, but there are some variations across programs. Programs have been encouraged to adapt a standard Gen Ed Program Template to be used in the Academic Catalog Programs of Study, but programs are still updating their pages to include this template. It is important that Advisors work with department/unit offices to understand any variations to the Gen Ed requirements within a program when assisting students and create any advising guides for students that follow the campus Gen Ed guidelines. Degree Audits should reflect the program’s Gen Ed requirements.
Gen Ed Courses
Courses must be approved for Gen Ed certification and must go through regular Gen Ed recertification review by the General Education Board to ensure the course is maintaining the standards and criteria to be a part of the Gen Ed program. The Gen Ed Office maintains a list of Gen Ed Course Changes each year.
Courses may be certified or decertified at various times for one or more categories of Gen Eds, and courses may be deactivated. It is important to check the Course Explorer each semester for any changes to Gen Ed courses to ensure you are advising students properly, and let students know to check each semester as well. Refer to the History of Gen Ed Approvals to see active terms of Gen Ed categories for each course.
Help Students Select Gen Eds
It is important that Academic Advisors, faculty, and staff help students understand the value in selecting Gen Ed courses that align with the student’s individual academic, professional, and personal goals and interests. Students select Gen Ed courses for many reasons (expected grade, friend/family recommendation, modality of the course, genuine interest, major/minor exploration, etc.) which may or may not align with the student’s interest/pursuit. The more Advisors assist students and provide them with helpful information and guidance about Gen Ed courses, the more likely students will understand the importance of selecting courses that meet their own needs and get the most out of the Gen Ed program. We offer a number of student guides and resources on our website.
Student Policies Related to Gen Eds
Advisors/faculty/staff may be asked questions by students about the Gen Ed requirements. Below are some answers and resources to common questions.
Proficiency Credit (AP, IB, A-Level, Proficiency Exams)
In some cases students will receive course credit that carries Gen Ed credit for AP, IB, A-Level, or departmental proficiency exams. Students should discuss any pre-college credit and Gen Ed completion with their Academic Advisor, and Advisors should check the student’s record (Degree Audit & Ugradrecs) to ensure proper course credit is being displayed. Information about AP, IB, and A-Level credit is found on the Placement & Proficiency: Proficiency Testing website. Some campus departments offer Proficiency Exams where students may be able to earn credit for a course approved as Gen Ed. Consult the Departmental Proficiency Exams website to determine available exams. Information for students is available on the First-Year & Transfer Students page.
Transfer Coursework & Transfer Students
To review courses for transferability including courses approved for Gen Ed categories, advisors should use Transferology Lab (students should be referred to Transferology). Visit the Office of the Registrar Transfer Credits to Illinois page to read more about the course transfer process, and the Undergraduate Admissions Transfer Applicants Transferring Credit page to read more about Transfer Students.
Transfer Student courses are evaluated after students submit their application and application fee. If admitted, students will be provided a Transfer Evaluation Report which will show them the transferability of their coursework, and Academic Advisors will have access to student Degree Audits to discuss Gen Ed completion and other program requirements during new student registration. Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI) information may be found on the Illinois Transfer Portal (iTransfer) website.
Study Abroad Coursework
Students follow the Education Abroad: Course Approvals process to have courses articulated, and part of the articulation process within the department/college/school where the course resides is evaluation for Gen Ed credit. Courses taken through ILLINOIS study abroad programs and previously articulated are listed in a course database and the articulations are set for all students. Colleges/schools/units should visit the Alternative Gen Ed Course Review page for additional information on evaluating courses for Gen Ed credit.
Language Other Than English (LOTE) Exception
Students who can demonstrate and document a specific language-learning disability may petition for an accommodation to substitute approved cultural-based course work for regular language courses. Previous and current records of achievement, commentary from previous teachers, and clinical data are generally required to support petitions. All petitioners must be registered with Disability Resources and Educational Services (DRES). Students who are uncertain if they qualify for a language accommodation should start by meeting their DRES access specialist who will help to determine their eligibility and explain the various petition requirements. Students must work with both DRES and their college/school office on the exception and completing the proper petition and coursework. Substitute coursework is from an approved list and will be determined by DRES and college/school offices for approved petitions.
Campus Honors Program (CHP) Courses
The Campus Honors Program (CHP) coordinates with faculty to offer special courses for students in the program, some of which are special topics and receive special Gen Ed approval. CHP course sections provided special approval for Gen Ed are updated by the Office of the Registrar in Banner for the approved semester and the specific section, so all students registered for the CHP section will receive the corresponding Gen Ed(s) for that semester. There may be other non-CHP sections of the course and those sections will not be provided the special Gen Ed approval. If Gen Ed credit is not showing correctly in a degree audit, please reach out to the CHP Office and gen-ed@illinois.edu.