The Story
GERs: Much Better than High School Gym
Required classes used to be something that no one looked forward to -- remember high school gym class -- but at the College they can actually be a lot of fun. Most of your major classes, electives and even AP or IB credits will knock out your General Education Requirements (GERs). But for those who still have a few requirements to finish, I’ll discuss each one in detail.
GER 1 is Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning, and you only need one class to fulfill the requirement. If you’re not a math person, you can go for any low level statistics course or the popular Math of Powered Flight (MATH 104). If you already took calculus in high school and just didn’t score high enough on the test, Brief Calculus with Applications (MATH 108) can fill that void. Of course, if you’re a science or math major, this GER will most likely be built into your major.
GER 2 is the science requirement and has two parts: Physical Sciences and Biological Sciences, one of which requires a lab. Labs in college are usually separate from the lecture class, meaning you’ll have a different professor and a separate final exam. You don’t even have to take the lecture and lab sections in the same semester, though I would recommend doing so as they are meant to complement each other. There are a lot of classes for taking care of this GER; if you’re not a science person you could go with CHEM 101: Survey of Chemical Principles or the ever-popular Introduction to Psychology as a Natural Science (PSYC 201). There are even classes such as Introductory Astronomy (PHYS 176) with a nighttime lab and more specialized classes like Insects and Society (BIOL 110) and Physics of Music (PHYS 121).
GER 3 covers Social Sciences and requires two classes. You’re good to go here if you’re an Anthropology, Economics, Linguistics, Psychology or Sociology major. If not, I like to think of GER 3 as the one that “broadens your horizons,” as they always say college does. Take a leap of faith and sign up for something like People and Cultures of Africa (ANTH 335) or Society and the Individual (SOCL 301). It most likely will turn out to be an interesting topic that you wouldn’t have had the chance to learn about otherwise, and on the off chance that it’s a dud, at least you’ve satisfied another GER!
GER 4, the history requirement, can seem tricky. Three classes are required, and there are three categories, though you don’t have to take one from each category. These are History and Culture in the European Tradition (4A), History and Culture Outside the European Tradition (4B) and Cross Cultural Issues (4C). You can take these combinations to fulfill the GER: ABC, ABA, or ABB. If you’re a History major, you’re covered, but if you don’t like history, there plenty of other interesting options available. GER 4 is one of my favorites because there are just so many classes you can take for it. Some samples for GER 4 include: American Pop Culture (AMST 201), Roman Archaeology and Art (CLCV 218), French Cinema (FREN 310), Existentialism (PHIL 321), Japanese Society (ANTH 347), Art of India (ARTH 392), Women in Islam (RELG 317) and Culture and Cuisine (ANTH 363).
GER 5 is Literature, and just requires one class. If you’re an English major or taking a language, then you’ll probably be fine with this GER. There are a lot of classes that satisfy this requirement it that you wouldn’t necessarily expect, though, such as History of Modern Dance (AMST 240) and History of Costume and Fashion (THEA 308). Like GER 4, this GER has a lot of random classes, so you’re bound to find one that piques your interest.
GER 6 is the Creative and Performing Arts requirement, and requires only 2 credits (most classes are 3 or 4 credits). Most people don’t have a tough time with this GER, as it covers not just art and music, but also dance, creative writing, theater, and public speaking.
GER 7 covers Religious, Social, and Philosophic Thought and requires just one class. Many people choose to fulfill it with PHIL 201: Introduction to Philosophy, but there are a lot of available classes if you’d like to look beyond that, such as Feminist Theory (WMST 405), Contemporary Political Theory (GOVT 305) or Religion and Ethics (RELG 221).
If you don’t yet know your major, or even if you do, my recommendation is to try to knock out as many GERs as you can during your freshman and sophomore years. If you came in with AP or IB credits, be sure to see which GERs you already have taken care of, if any. The Undergraduate Course Catalog tells you all you need to know regarding that.
Also, if you’re having trouble finding a class for a specific requirement, you can search in Banner jus for classes that satisfy GERs. In the course lookup menu, scroll down to the section called “Attribute Type” and select which GER you are looking for. This is especially helpful for finding some of the more off-beat courses which may not be widely advertised outside of departments. Some of the more interesting GERs, however, might be restricted to certain majors, may fill up during upperclass registration or may only be offered during one semester each year, so keep your eyes on Banner and don’t be afraid to wait if there’s a class that really interests you.
As you can see, the College’s General Education Requirements give you a lot of room to explore and are not as limiting as you might think. A lot of them cover the “cool” classes that you would expect to take in college (you didn’t hear it from me, but PSYC 373: Human Sexuality falls under GER 3) and you’ll find most of them to be at least marginally interesting, even if they’re not from your favorite subject. Take a chance on a class that piques your interest and you’ll be rewarded!