General education requirements are core courses all college students complete, such as English, math, science and social sciences. They build critical thinking, communication and problem-solving skills, providing a well-rounded academic foundation.
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Approved and verified accurate by the Registrar and Assistant Vice President of the Office of Academic Records on June 24, 2025.
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What are general education requirement courses’ primary purpose? One of the top reasons why colleges require general education curriculum is to ensure that each student, regardless of their major, has the opportunity to develop a well-rounded academic foundation across subject areas. General education classes are typically designed to teach key soft skills that are applicable to virtually all workplaces.
All students can benefit from taking gen ed classes. Even if you plan to become a high school teacher who specializes in math, for example, you can benefit from developing communication skills, as you’ll use them to teach your students.
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There are numerous benefits of working through general education curriculum, including the ability to explore a diverse range of subjects and the opportunity to build a well-rounded academic foundation. You might also enjoy opportunities for personal growth, such as through exposure to diverse viewpoints that are different from those you are accustomed to.
What exactly is an academic foundation? It can be thought of as the essential knowledge and skills that a student or professional needs in order to pursue a higher level of learning or professional accomplishments. An academic foundation can be comprised of soft skills, or knowledge and skills that are transferable across fields.
Some of the soft skills you will have opportunities to develop with a general education curriculum may include:
Even if a gen ed curriculum isn’t designed to teach the following soft skills specifically, you may also have opportunities to work on these:
No matter what your major or where your future career takes you, it’s likely that you’ll find these soft skills to be of use in your professional and personal lives.
Even if you already know the career you intend to pursue, it can be helpful to have opportunities to develop a broader understanding of the world around you. When you explore a diverse range of subjects through the general education requirements, you may be prompted to reflect on perspectives and worldviews that are different from your own. This can lead to opportunities for personal growth or skill development that are applicable to your personal life.
General education requirements are designed to provide a well-rounded learning experience for students. Even if you plan to become an engineer, you may benefit from examining other subject areas, such as language, information literacy, history and psychology. Students who are equipped with a well-rounded knowledge base can bring diverse viewpoints to their primary subject area.
The knowledge gained in general education classes can help students choose the academic major that best aligns with their personal and career interests.
The gen ed courses may introduce you to subject areas you weren’t previously familiar with, and you may find yourself becoming interested in pursuing a career relevant to those fields. Conversely, even if you entered college knowing your intended direction, the gen ed classes might convince you to change your mind as new interests develop.
General education (gen ed) requirements are the required classes that all or nearly all students at a university must take, regardless of their chosen major. These courses comprise a core curriculum intended to provide a broad foundation of knowledge across various fields in the liberal arts. Each university or college establishes its own general education requirements, which are typically the same for each student, although some students in highly technical degree programs (e.g., engineering) may sometimes take fewer gen ed requirements.
At Grand Canyon University, our students can expect to work through a comprehensive curriculum that includes multiple general education requirements. Our mission is to graduate work-ready professionals who are prepared with critical thinking skills, communication skills, global awareness and Christian servant leadership.
As you look ahead to your future in college, you’ll likely want to take a closer look at the answers to questions like, what are gen eds in my chosen college? and what are the benefits of requiring general education courses?
The classes you’ll be required to take in college depend on your major and the school you’re attending, as each school establishes its own requirements. Generally, about one-third to one-half of all the classes you’ll take in college will be general education courses. The rest will be classes specific to your major.
If, however, your major is a highly technical academic area, such as engineering, you may take fewer general education classes and more classes specific to your major.
Although university standards can differ widely, it’s common to require general education courses in subject areas such as:
All students at GCU are required to take general education courses that teach the following competencies:
Within those main categories, there are some differences between requirements for students earning a Bachelor of Arts (BA) vs. Bachelor of Science (BS) degree. Students earning a BA can fulfill these requirements in the following ways:
Students who are earning a BS can fulfill the general education requirements at GCU in the following ways:
If you’ve previously taken college-level classes, such as at a community college, some of your general education credits might transfer to your bachelor’s degree at GCU. You can complete the Lopes Unofficial Credit Evaluation Form to get an estimate of how many of your credits might transfer and then speak with a transfer specialist for personalized assistance.
No matter where your interests lie, you’re sure to find a degree program that suits you at Grand Canyon University, an institutionally accredited university. Our ten academic colleges rooted in the Christian faith offer a diverse range of bachelor’s degrees in fields ranging from psychology and counseling to engineering to nursing to justice studies and beyond. Join our supportive learning community as an on-campus, online or evening student.
