Academic Policies

General Education Tier One and Tier Two

Amended 5/3/10: Effective Summer 2008, an Honors Option added for Tier One/Tier Two

Both Tier One and Tier Two courses offer breadth of knowledge and methods of inquiry. By exposing students to various areas of study, these courses are designed to foster independent, creative, and interactive learning, prompting students to think about themselves, others, and social organizations in new and insightful ways.

Tier Structure:

Tier One courses introduce students to fundamental issues and concepts pertinent to three study areas.  Each study area has one course prefix, as shown below:

Students entering the University as freshmen will be expected to complete Tier One requirements by the end of the midpoint of their degree (e.g., for a four-year 120-unit degree program, by the end of the second year of full-time work, or the completion of 60 units). 

A complete list of Tier One courses with descriptions is provided by the General Education Committee. Note: Students with a major in one of the sciences can satisfy their Natural Sciences requirement with their core laboratory science courses. Students with a non-science-intensive major may substitute designated laboratory science courses for their Natural Sciences requirements if they wish.

To be completed after Tier One, Tier Two courses offer more in-depth examination of particular disciplines.  In contrast to the three Tier One course prefixes (see above), the Tier Two course prefixes are as varied as the academic departments offering the courses. Tier Two courses are organized into four study areas:

One study area (one course or 3 units in Arts) may be satisfied by a course taken for the major; each major identifies which study area can be completed within its course work. Students must complete Tier Two requirements by the conclusion of their undergraduate degree. 

A complete list of Tier Two courses with descriptions is provided by theGeneral Education Committee .

One course in a student’s degree program must focus on one of the following areas: Gender, Race, Class, Ethnicity, Sexual Orientation, or Non-Western Studies.  Courses that satisfy the Diversity Emphasis Requirement are identified in the course descriptions provided in the General Catalog.

This requirement may be filled by a designated Tier One or Tier Two course, or by a designated course taken in the student’s major or minor. 

Honors Option for Tier One/Tier Two:

Students in the Honors College may complete the Tier One and Tier Two requirements using the Honors Option, which pertains to the three Study Areas of (1) Traditions and Cultures/Humanities, (2) Individuals and Societies, and (3) Natural Sciences. In addition, Honors students must complete the Arts and Diversity Emphasis Requirements as described above.

Students who select the Honors Option must complete three courses in each Study Area as follows: one Tier One course and one Tier Two course in each Study Area, in accordance with their degree program. The third required course in each Study Area is to be selected either from Tier One (a course with the same prefix but a different number) or from Tier Two (a course with a different prefix than the first Tier Two course). For example, in the Traditions and Cultures/Humanities Study Area, students must complete one TRAD course and one Humanities course; their third course in this Study Area may be a TRAD course with a different number or a Humanities course with a different prefix (cross-listed courses with a second department are acceptable). At the Tier Two level, students have a one-course exemption from the Study Area corresponding to their major.

Your Specific Requirements:

To see the requirements and courses specific to your major and degree program, consult the general Academic Advisement Reports or your personal Advisement Report inUAccess Student.  Please direct questions to your academic advisor.

• General Education Curriculum overview
• General Education Foundations