Core General Education

Help for the core general education course designation section on the Lumen Course proposal form.

Policy

Policy is currently being routed through the appropriate governance groups and will be updated once official.

Courses can only carry one Core General Education attribute, which would be assigned at the catalog level.

UW-Madison implementation of UW-System Core General Education Requirements and Definitions
Core General Education Requirement	Definition	UW-Madison Minimums
Communication & Literacy (CL)	Builds core abilities in writing, reading, speaking, listening, and critical thinking for clear, purposeful communication across contexts.	6 credits
Mathematics & Quantitative Reasoning (MQR)	Develops skills in math, logic, data analysis, and quantitative reasoning to interpret information and support sound decisions.	6 credits
Civics & Perspectives (CP)	Examines the experiences and contributions of persistently marginalized racial or ethnic groups in the U. S. to foster informed, constructive engagement in a diverse society.	3 credits
Natural Science & Wellness (NSW/NSWL)	Natural Science: Studies the physical and natural world through scientific inquiry and evidence. Wellness: Promotes physical, mental, emotional, and social well‑being. NSWL: Applies concepts through hands‑on or experiential learning such as labs, activities, and reflective practice.	6 credits (one course must have a lab)
Humanities & Arts (HA)	Explores human culture, expression, and values through critical interpretation of literature, philosophy, history, languages, and the arts.	6 credits
Social & Behavioral Science (SBS)	Examines human behavior and social systems using empirical methods to understand individuals, groups, and institutions.	3 credits
Total		30 credits

An additional general education KB space is presently under construction.