Knowledge Area General Education Requirements

This is a condensed version of the knowledge area general education requirements. Students should refer to the Undergraduate Catalog for full explanation of their individual requirements.

Students responsible for the Knowledge Area General Education Requirements:

• New transfer students (entering with 24 or more hours) except majors first enrolled fall 1997 and thereafter in biochemical pharmacology, biochemistry, biophysics and the School of Pharmacy.
• Continuing students first enrolled before fall 1999 enrolled in certain majors. Please see the Undergraduate Catalog.
• Continuing students first enrolled before fall 1997 with majors in biochemistry, biophysics or the School of Pharmacy.
• Continuing students first enrolled before fall 1992.

Writing Skills

Students are required to take ENG101 or 102 and ENG201 or equivalent unless exempted by SAT scores. Advanced Placement credit or transfer credit. Please see the Undergraduate Catalog for full details.

Library Skills

All students (freshmen and transfer) are required to successfully complete a Library Skills Workbook whether or not they are required to take ENG201. This requirement is administered by the Silverman Undergraduate Library and must be completed before graduation.

Mathematics Skills

Students are required to pass the math skills test or successfully complete one course from the list in the Undergraduate Catalog. S/U grading is not an option. Students transferring into UB with 24 credit hours or more are exempt from this requirement. Additional mathematics or statistics courses may be required by the major.

Knowledge Areas and Courses

Prior to graduation, each student must complete seven knowledge area courses. The student must select one course from each of the five knowledge areas outside the knowledge area in which the student’s majors falls AND one additional course from two of those areas. S/U grading is a student option. The knowledge areas are:

• Foreign Language and cross-cultural studies**
• Historical and philosophical studies
• Life and health sciences
• Physical and mathematical sciences and technology
• Social and behavioral sciences

Courses originating in the student’s major department, including cross-listed courses, may not be used to satisfy any knowledge area requirement.

**Students may waive two courses in this knowledge area by demonstrating proficiency in a language other than English.

Please see the Undergraduate Handbook for additional details about the above requirements.