The general education requirements are designed to improve students' ability to think clearly and communicate effectively; to expand their awareness of the history and variety of human achievements, experiences, values, and modes of self-expression; and generally to enrich their sense of the opportunities, responsibilities, and rewards of life in modern society.

Beginning in fall 2017, the general education requirements are the same for University College and undergraduates in all three schools on the Camden campus: the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Business, and the School of Nursing. The schools recommend that students try to complete the general education requirements of 27-30 credits by the end of their second year. Students who have an A.A. or A.S. degree from a New Jersey community college have satisfied these requirements by completing the courses for their associates degree.

General Education Requirements (as of fall 2017)

To develop these skills and this broad acquaintance with the various departments of human knowledge, students pursuing a bachelor's degree in the Camden College of Arts and Sciences or University College-Camden are required to complete the following curriculum:

1. Foundations Courses: 6 credits, as follows:
   1. 3 credits in English Composition I (50:350:101)
   2. 3 credits in English Composition II (50:350:102)
      
      
2. Theme and Approach Courses: 21 credits, as follows (each topic is listed with the three-letter code shown in the Schedule of Classes):
1. 3 credits in arts and aesthetic interpretation (AAI)
2. 3 credits in global communities (GCM)
3. 3 credits in heritages and civilizations (HAC)
4. 3 credits in logical and quantitative reasoning (LQR)
5. 3 credits in physical and life sciences (PLS)
6. 3  credits in U.S. in the world (USW)
7. credits in ethics and values (EAV)
   
   
3. Cross-Cutting Categories: 3 credits from any one of the cross-cutting designations, (which may be combined with a Theme and Approach) as follows:
1. diversity (DIV)
2. engaged civic learning (ECL)
3. experiential learning (XPL)

In addition to these general education requirements, each school has additional school graduation requirements, as described under graduation requirements. For the College of Arts and Sciences, the graduation requirements include courses that satisfy the following four course descriptions:

1. Writing Intensive: 3 credits from a writing-intensive designated course, from any department (designated as WRI in the Schedule of Classes)
   
   
2. Science Literacy: 3 credits from a course in any department in the natural sciences (but this course must be separate from the course used for PLS above)
   
   
3. Math Literacy: any math (640) course, above 100
   
   
4. Foreign Language: 3 credits in a spoken foreign language at the 102 (Elementary II) level or higher

General Education Requirements (before fall 2017)

Students who matriculated before fall 2017 may choose to follow general education guidelines in place at the time of matriculation. These are described below for the bachelor of arts (B.A.) followed by the bachelor of science (B.S.).

Bachelor of Arts

To develop these skills and this broad acquaintance with the various departments of human knowledge, students pursuing a bachelor of arts (B.A.) degree in the Camden College of Arts and Sciences or University College-Camden are required to complete the following curriculum:

1. Language Skills: 12 credits (9 if the W course is double-counted), as follows:
1. 6 credits in English Composition (50:350:101-102),
2. 3 credits in a spoken foreign language at the 102 (Elementary II) level or higher,
3. 3 credits of a writing-intensive course, either a writing course offered by the English department (50:989:300, 301, 302, 303) or a course labeled "writing intensive" (indicated by a "W" in the catalog) offered in any discipline. This course may be double-counted to satisfy another requirement, if appropriate.
   
   
2. Quantitative Skills: 6 credits, as follows:
1. 3 credits in mathematics (640 courses only),
2. 3 additional credits in mathematics (640), computer science (198), statistics (960), or from the following courses: 50:730:201, 332, or 430; 50:790:391; 50:830:250; 50:920:301.


3. Ancient and Modern Heritages: 9 credits, as follows:
1. 3 credits in civilizations and heritages (see approved courses designated "C" in the Schedule of Classes)
   
2. 6 credits in history, philosophy, or religion (not including 50:730:201, 332, or 430).
   
   
4. Literature and Fine Arts: 6 credits, as follows:
1. 3 credits from the Department of Visual, Media, and Performing Arts (not including 950 courses),
2. 3 credits in the Departments of English (350, 352, or 354) or World Languages and Cultures (not including courses devoted primarily to the acquisition of a language).
   
   
5. Social Sciences: 6 credits in anthropology (070), criminal justice (202), economics (220), political science (790), psychology (830), sociology (920), or urban studies (975). (No more than 3 credits can be taken in any one discipline.)
   
   
6. Diversity or Global Studies: 3 credits, as follows:
1. 3 credits in a course, designated "D" in the catalog, which explores the philosophical, theoretical, empirical, and pragmatic bases of diversity in contemporary American society. Diversity refers to multicultural differences within the United States, including race, gender, age, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, and social class; or
2. 3 credits in a course, designated "G" in the catalog, which focuses on societies, languages, and cultures outside the English-speaking world, including continental Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
   
   
7. Natural Sciences: 6 credits in astronomy (100), biological sciences (120), chemistry (115, 160), geology (460), or physics (750).

Courses required for major programs may count toward completing both major and general curricular requirements, but no course, except the writing-intensive course, may be counted toward fulfilling two different categories of the general curricular requirements.

Bachelor of Science

Students in the Camden College of Arts and Sciences or University College-Camden pursuing a B.S. degree are required to complete the following curriculum:

1. 1. Language Skills: 12 credits (9 if the W course is double-counted), as follows:
   1. 6 credits in English Composition (50:350:101-102),
   2. 3 credits in a spoken foreign language at the 102 (Elementary II) level or higher,
   3. 3 credits of a writing-intensive course, either a writing course offered by the English department (50:989:300, 301, 302, 303) or a course labeled "writing intensive" (indicated by a "W" in the catalog)offered in any discipline. This course may be double-counted to satisfy another requirement, if appropriate.
      
      
2. Quantitative Skills: 12 credits, as follows:
1. 6 credits in mathematics (640 courses only), computer science (198), or logic (50:730:201, 332, or 430),
2. 6 credits in astronomy (100), biology (120), chemistry (160), geology (460), or physics (750).
   
   
3. Humanities and Social Sciences: 12 credits, as follows:
1. 3 credits in civilizations and heritages (see approved courses designated "C" in the Schedule of Classes),
2. 3 credits in humanities: English (350, 352, or 354), fine arts (not including 950 courses), foreign languages (not including courses devoted primarily to the acquisition of a language), history (510, 512, or 516), philosophy (730), or religion (not including 50:730:201, 332, or 430),
3. 3 credits in social sciences: anthropology (070), criminal justice (202), economics (220), political science (790), psychology (830), sociology (920), or urban studies (975),
4. 3 credits in your choice of humanities or social sciences (for appropriate courses, see b. and c. above).
   
   
4. Diversity or Global Studies: 3 credits, as follows:
1. 3 credits in a course, designated "D" in the catalog, which explores the philosophical, theoretical, empirical, and pragmatic bases of diversity in contemporary American society. Diversity refers to multicultural differences within the United States, including race, gender, age, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, and social class; or
2. 3 credits in a course, designated "G" in the catalog, which focuses on societies, languages, and cultures outside the English-speaking world, including continental Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Courses required for major programs may count toward completing both major and general curricular requirements, but no course, except the writing-intensive course, may be counted toward fulfilling two different categories of the general curricular requirements.

The Office of the Registrar maintains a page with the most up-to-date general education coding and course information: https://registrar.camden.rutgers.edu/undergraduate-graduation-requirements#Communications.