Gold GER (Fall 2022 and earlier)

The following information relates to the Gold GER Plan. Students who began their studies at Emory in, or prior to Fall 2022 will follow these requirements.

The general education component of an Emory undergraduate education is organized to present an array of intellectual approaches and perspectives as ways of learning rather than a prescribed body of content. Its purposes are to develop students’ competencies in the skills and methods of writing, quantitative methods, a second language, and physical education; to acquaint students with methodologies that characterize the humanities, the social sciences, and the natural sciences as the three broad divisions of learning in the arts and sciences; to deepen students’ perspectives on national, regional, and global history and culture, and to give every student some exposure to an interactive seminar experience. These purposes are met by a student’s choosing from a range of individual courses within a clearly defined framework.

Only courses taken for 3 credits or above will satisfy the General Education Requirement with the following exceptions: Health, PE, the lab portion of SNTL courses, and the second semester of the honors thesis course (which may carry CWRT credit) may fulfill GERs when taken for fewer than three credits.

Area I - First-Year Seminar

First-year Seminars, offered in a wide range of fields, are designed to engage students in various aspects of inquiry and research with close guidance of a faculty member.

Requirements: One course. Must be completed in first two semesters. Any course that satisfies the First-Year Seminar Class requirement may not satisfy another general education requirement with the exception of the Race & Ethnicity (ETHN) requirement. The FSEM requirement is exempted for Oxford Continuees.

Area II - First-Year Writing

These courses work at refining a student’s fundamental writing skills through practice either in expository prose discourse or written analysis and interpretation of works of literature.

Requirement: One course. Must be completed in first two semesters.

Area III - Continuing Writing

The goal of writing-intensive courses is to improve writing skills through writing regularly in a context where mentors in the various communities of discourse encourage, guide, and communicate to students high standards of writing through instruction and example. Writing intensive classes focus not only on the product, but also on the process of writing. Writing is not an elective option but a central focus of the course.

Requirement: Three courses. Must be taken at Emory College of Arts and Sciences or Oxford College of Emory University. Must earn a grade of C or better.

Area IV - Math & Quantitative Reasoning

These courses expand a student's understanding of quantitative modes of analysis.

Requirement: One course.

Area V - Science, Nature, Technology

These courses demonstrate fundamental principles and techniques of scientific inquiry as a means of understanding the natural world and human life. This category includes both courses focusing on scientific findings and concepts, and courses focusing on scientific methodology. Requirement: Two courses, one with a laboratory component.

Area VI - History, Society, Cultures

These include courses that focus on individuals and/or groups in society; courses that demonstrate how the social sciences use theory and methods to expand our understanding of social phenomena; courses that examine historical forces, cultural traditions, and human values; and related interdisciplinary courses.

Requirement: Two courses.

Area VII - Humanities, Arts, Language / Humanities, Arts, Performance

This category includes courses that reflect on human experience and the human condition; courses that reflect on the texts or artistic forms; courses in performance of art, dance, music, or theater; and related interdisciplinary courses.

Requirement: Four courses. Must include 2 sequential courses in a single foreign language wherein the language of instruction is not English, with possible exemption of 1 course by AP credit. Each student must pursue study of a language other than the student's native language. Students may satisfy the remaining two course requirements by taking any two HAP courses, any two additional HAL courses (where one of the HAL courses is beyond the elementary level (200 level or above)), or one HAP and one HAL course.

Area VIII - Personal Health

Requirement: One one-hour course (HLTH 100). This requirement is exempted for Oxford Continuees.

Area IX - Physical Education and Dance

These courses promote a knowledge and experience of physical and emotional health, bodily movement, individual and team sports, and various recreational activities as integral to the education of the whole person.

Requirement: Two one-hour courses, one of which must be a Principles of Physical Fitness (PPF) course. PED courses are allowed to be taken on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis to satisfy this requirement.

Area X - Race and Ethnicity

The Race and Ethnicity requirement provides students with opportunities to consider racial, ethnic, and cultural dynamics; political, economic and social exclusions; and social difference, inequality and identity more generally, to gain an awareness of how these affect structural inequality amongst individuals and communities. While courses fulfilling this requirement may originate in any discipline or department, they share a common commitment to exploring the many ways that race and ethnicity shape our world and affect our understanding of it.

Requirement: 1 approved course which may be combined with other general education requirements. Must be taken at Emory College of Arts and Sciences or Oxford College of Emory University.