GW Engineering Non-Technical Elective Requirement

Starting Fall 2024, all incoming SEAS undergraduate students are required to complete a specific number of non-technical elective courses, which varies by major. The details of this requirement are outlined in this Bulletin under the respective major.

Students in all majors must take at least 6 credits (two courses) in critical thinking, quantitative reasoning, or scientific reasoning in the social sciences and at least 3 credits (one course) in critical thinking in the humanities, selected from the list of courses approved for the University General Education Requirement. These courses count toward both the non-technical elective requirement and the University General Education requirement.

Unless stated otherwise in an individual major program’s degree requirements, each additional non-technical, 3-credit elective course must be selected from the following pre-approved categories:

GPAC/University General Education: Critical thinking in the humanities
GPAC/University General Education: Critical thinking, quantitative reasoning, or scientific reasoning in the social sciences
GPAC: Creative or critical thinking in the arts
GPAC: Global or cross-cultural perspectives
GPAC: Local or civic engagement
GPAC/University General Education: Oral communication
One or more of the following courses: PHIL 2135, SOC 1001, PSYC 1001

Faculty advisors can approve additional non-technical course options that are not required to satisfy the University General Education requirement. However, any course approved to satisfy the non-technical elective requirement must be in a non-technical area of study and cannot include courses in scientific disciplines, mathematics, or courses that focus on technology.

You can review your Non-Technical Elective requirements and your progress toward them using DegreeMAP.

For a quick reference sheet by major, download the following:

2024-2025 Non-Technical Elective Requirement by Major

PRIOR TO FALL 2024 HSSNT REQUIREMENT

Prior to Fall 2024, all SEAS undergraduate students must complete the Humanities and Social Science/Non-Technical Elective Requirement (HSSNT). Included in this requirement are the University’s General Education Requirement for Social Science and Humanities electives: two courses from the Critical Thinking, Quantitative Reasoning, and Scientific Reasoning in Social Science list and one course from the Critical Thinking in Humanities list. Depending on major, select requirements could be satisfied by required courses in the degree requirement.

The remaining number of humanities, social science, or non-technical courses a student takes will vary by major and must be chosen from the SEAS Approved List of Non-Technical Elective courses. Non-technical courses cannot include courses in scientific disciplines, mathematics, or courses focusing on technology.

You can review your HSSNT requirements and your progress toward them by referencing the “SEAS - Humanities and Social Sciences Electives” section at the bottom of your DegreeMAP.

SEAS NON-TECHNICAL COURSE LIST

UNIVERSITY GENERAL EDUCATION HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCE LIST

For Biomedical Engineering, Civil Engineering Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering use the following forms:

For CS, Systems Engineering, and Applied Science students, the Humanities and Social Science (HSS) requirements are part of the forms listed below, which are located on the SEAS Forms page:

Systems Engineering – Systems Elective Declaration Form
Computer Science (BA) – Elective Declaration Form – by year
Computer Science (BS) – Combined Elective Form – by year
APSC - Electives Declaration Form

For any forms prior to Fall 2020, please email [email protected] for a copy.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Do AP/IB/Pre-Matriculation Transfer courses count towards my Non-Technical Elective requirement?

Yes. AP, IB and pre-matriculation transfer courses may satisfy the Non-Technical Elective Requirement (or HSSNT requirements), so you should be sure to submit all your scores and transcripts. You can compare the GW AP/IB/A-Level Equivalents page to respective lists to see where each elective can count. Transfer course taken post-matriculation cannot be applied towards any University General Education requirement as per the University Bulletin.

Can I put off taking my University General Education Humanities and Social Science courses until after my first year?

Students are strongly encouraged to satisfy their two Critical Thinking in the Social Science and one Critical Thinking in the Humanities requirements before completing any of the other Non-Technical Elective because there are limited number of University General Education course options available each term and tend to fill up fast.

I want to satisfy one of my University General Education Humanities or Social Science (HSS) elective courses. How do I find one of these courses in an upcoming term?

You can find the "Course Search" tab in the GW Schedule of Classes to find appropriate sections. Make sure the "Term" field is set to the upcoming semester and then use the "Course Attribute" field to find what you need. "CASS" is the attribute for Critical Analysis in the Social Sciences, and "CAH" is for Critical Analysis in the Humanities. Enter the code you want and hit "Search" to find courses in that semester that meet the corresponding requirement.

I am looking for a Non-Technical Elective (NTE) course. How do I find one of these courses in an upcoming term?

“CASS" is the attribute for Critical Analysis in the Social Sciences
“CAH" is for Critical Analysis in the Humanities
“CAA” is Creative Thinking in the Arts
“CGCC” is Global or cross-cultural perspectives
“CLCE”. Is Local or civic engagement
“CCOM” is oral communication
Enter the code you want and hit "Search" to find courses in that semester that meet the corresponding requirement.

Enter the code you want and hit "Search" to find courses in that semester that meet the corresponding requirement.

Additionally, PHIL 2135, SOC 1001, and PSYC 1001 can be used to satisfy this requirement.

How can my faculty advisor approve a Non-Technical Elective course that is not required to satisfy a University General Education Humanities or Social Science elective requirement?

For your faculty advisor to approve a course as a Non-Technical Elective (NTE) you should complete the Course Substitution Form via the “Undergraduate Forms Portal” listing “Non-Technical Elective” as the required course.

Additionally, the following criteria must be met:

The approval cannot not be for a course that is required to satisfy a University General Education Humanities or Social Science Elective Requirement
The course must be in a non-technical area of study and cannot include courses in scientific disciplines, mathematics, or courses that focus on technology.

Can I take foreign language courses for my Non-Technical Elective requirement?

When a foreign language course is taken as part of the non-technical elective requirement, the following rules apply:

The foreign language studied cannot be the student’s native language unless the courses taken are literature courses.
If the language has been studied previously, students must take a placement test given by the appropriate language department. This is to determine the level of the language the students should enroll in.

Can a course count twice in Non-Technical Elective requirement?

No, you must have an individual 3-credit course to satisfy each component of the Non-Technical Elective requirement. Both the total number of courses and if a specific course is required various by major. More detailed information can be found in the University Bulletin under each individual major. If you have any questions, please consult your faculty advisor.