General Education Requirements

This is an archived copy of the 2023-2024 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.wofford.edu.

These requirements are intended to promote breadth of knowledge, integration of disciplinary perspectives, and understanding of diverse cultures. Wofford’s program seeks to develop skills in reading, written and oral communication, use of technology, critical thinking, creative expression, numerical reasoning, problem solving, and collaborative and independent learning. The college identifies these competencies as vital to intellectual and personal growth. While these competencies are developed in all courses in the curriculum, they are the explicit focus of general education courses.

Courses which meet General Education requirements are listed below. The same course may not be used to satisfy more than one General Education requirement, but can be used to satisfy major requirements.

LIBERAL ARTS STUDIES 101, 3 Credit Hours

All new first-year students are required to take LIBA 101 Liberal Arts Seminar during the fall semester of their initial year of enrollment.  Students who do not pass the course during the fall semester will be required to retake it during the spring semester of their first year of enrollment.

Course Title Hours
LIBA 101Liberal Arts Seminar3

WELLNESS, 2 Credit Hours

Two one-credit hour courses, First Year Interaction Seminar (FYI 101) and any Physical Education (PHED) course.

Course Title Hours
FYI 101First-Year Interaction Seminar 11
Physical Education, (PHED 100-level)1

FOREIGN LANGUAGES, 3-10 Credit Hours

 The requirement is met by successfully completing a course sequence (101/102) OR one 200-level course as noted below.  Please note introductory-level Chinese (CHIN 101/102) and Arabic (ARBC 101/102) language are 4 credit hours each.

Course Title Hours
Select one of the following:4 or 8
Beginning Active Arabic
and Beginning Active Arabic
Intermediate Active Arabic
Intermediate Active Arabic
Select one of the following:4 or 8
Beginning Active Chinese
and Beginning Active Chinese
Low Intermediate Chinese
Low Intermediate Chinese
Select one of the following:3 or 6
Beginning Active French
and Beginning Active French
Intermediate Active French
Intermediate Active French
Select one of the following:3 or 6
Beginning Active German
and Beginning Active German
Intermediate Active German
Intermediate Active German
Select one of the following:3 or 6
Beginning Active Spanish
and Beginning Active Spanish
Communication & Culture
Intermediate Active Spanish
Intermediate Active Spanish

ENGLISH, 6 Credit Hours

 ENGL 102 Seminar in Literature and Composition is required of all students and one 200-level English (ENGL) literature course (excluding ENGL 260).

Course Title Hours
ENGL 102Seminar in Literature and Composition3
English (ENGL), 200-level3
Select one of the following:
Introduction to Literary Study
English Literature to 1800
English Literature Since 1800
Literature Written in the United States
Survey of World Literature
Introduction to the Study of Film
Survey of African American Literature
Introduction to the Craft of Literary Forms

FINE ARTS, 3-4 Credit Hours

This requirement is met by completing one of the options below.

Course Title Hours
Art History (ARTH), 200-or 300-level course3
Studio Art (ARTS), 200-level course3
Music (MUS), 200-level course (except for MUS 220)3
Theatre (THEA), 200-level (except THEA 210), 385, 390, 395 course3
THEA 2104
Applied Music courses:4
Men's Glee Club
Wofford Singers
Women's Choir
Concert Band
String Ensemble
Private Instruction
Chamber Singers
Instrumental Chamber Music
Wofford Concert Orchestra

CULTURES & PEOPLES, 3 Credit Hours

Courses meeting this requirement focus on the study of cultures other than European and European-settler cultures, or the interaction between and comparison of European and non-western cultures.  A complete list of approved Cultures & Peoples course can found on the Registrar's website.  On the schedule, these courses are designated with the attribute of 'CP'.

SOCIAL SCIENCE, 3 Credit Hours

This requirement is met by completing one of the options below.

Course Title Hours
Introduction to Anthropology
Introduction to Archaeology and Physical Anthropology
Anthropology of Childhood
Human Ecology
Ethnography
Ethnographic Film
Ecological Anthropology
Medical Anthropology
Cultures of Southeast Asia and Oceania
Principles of Microeconomics
Principles of Macroeconomics
Foundations of Education
Introduction to Environmental Social Science
Sustainable Food Systems
Foundations of American Politics
Foundations of World Politics
Comparing States & Societies
Introduction to Sociology
Environmental Sociology
Gender in Society
Race and Racisms
Wealth, Power, and Inequality
Development of Sociological Thought
Globalization and Society

HISTORY, 3 Credit Hours

One 100-level History (HIST) course.

RELIGION, 3 Credit Hours

One 200-level Religion (REL) course.

PHILOSOPHY, 3 Credit Hours

One Philosophy (PHIL) course at any level.

MATHEMATICS, 3 Credit Hours

One Mathematics (MATH) course at any level.

NATURAL SCIENCE, 7- 8 Credit Hours

The natural science requirement is met by successfully completing  two courses, either two lab science courses OR one lab science and one science in context course.  Lab science courses give students hand-on experience in doing science while science in context courses explore features that make science an important way of understanding the natural world in contemporary society.

Course Title Hours
Lab Science Courses
Biological Inquiry (with lab)
Chemistry: Concepts & Methods (with lab) 2
General Chemistry I (with lab)
General Chemistry II (with lab)
Scientific Investigations Using Computation (with lab)
Introduction to Earth System Science (with lab)
Introduction to Sustainability Science (with lab) 2
Introduction to Environmental Science (with lab)
Physics: Concepts & Methods (with lab)
Astronomy (with lab) 2
General Physics I (with lab)
General Physics II (with lab)
Physics for Science & Engineering I (with lab)
Physics for Science & Engineering II (with lab)
Psychology: Concepts & Methods (with lab)
Introduction to Psychological Science (with lab) 2
Biological Psychology (with lab)
Science in Context Courses
Biology: Science in Context
Chemistry: Science in Context
Chemistry: Concepts & Methods (with lab) 2
Environmental Studies: Science in Context
Introduction to Sustainability Science (with lab) 2
Physics: Science in Context
Astronomy (with lab) 2
Energy
Psychology: Science in Context
Introduction to Psychological Science (with lab) 2
1

Transfer students are exempt from FYI 101.

2

CHEM 104, ENVS 160, PHY 108 and PSY 150 can apply to the natural science lab requirement OR the science in context requirement, but not both.