University General Education
An undergraduate education at GW provides students with a wide range of opportunities to pursue both professional and liberal arts degrees. These degrees ensure that students leave the University with a body of knowledge that shows a depth of understanding in at least one field. In addition, the General Education Requirement that is common to the education of students in all schools of the University ensures that students develop key analytical abilities that transcend disciplinary boundaries. These analytical abilities provide students with cornerstones for their personal development, civic consciousness, and successful careers.
There are two categories of general education requirements that include fulfilling:
- The University General Education Requirement (Tier One)
- School-specific general education and distribution requirements (Tier Two)
The following chart helps to describe how these requirements are met within the GW Engineering curriculum:
| Requirement | Tier | Courses |
| Written Communication | 1 | UW 1020 or HONR 1015 + Two WID courses* |
| Two Critical, creative, or quantitative analysis in the social sciences | 1 | Embedded in the Humanities and Social Science Requirement but requires specific course selection |
| One Critical or creative analysis in the humanities | 1 | Embedded in the Humanities and Social Science Requirement but requires specific course selection. |
| Quantitative reasoning course | 1 | MATH 1221, MATH 1231, MATH 1232, or MATH 2223 |
| Scientific reasoning Course | 1 | CHEM 1111, CHEM 1112, PHYS 1021, PHYS 1022, PHYS 1025, PHYS 1026, BISC 1111, or BISC 1112 |
| Oral Communication Component | 1 | See University Bulletin – SEAS Regulations for more details about how this component can be satisfied. |
| First Year Seminar Courses | 2 | SEAS 1001 + ASPC 1001, BME 1010, CE 1010, CS 1010, ECE 1010, EMSE 1001, or MAE 1001 |
| Capstone Project | 2 | Major-specific and requirement for all Bachelor of Science degrees in GW Engineering |
* After successful completion of UW 1020, 6 credits distributed over at least two different Writing in the Disciplines (WID) courses taken in separate semesters (summer counts as one semester). WID courses are designated by a "W" appended to the course number.
Note: University General Education courses cannot be taken at another institution and transferred in to GW after a student has matriculated.
For additional details about the University General Education requirements, visit the University Bulletin: