Skip to Main Content
A-Z Index
2024-2025 University Catalog
threeColumn catalog

The UNF General Education Program Requirements

Students must complete 36 credit hours of general education curriculum. This requirement includes 15 credit hours mandated by the State of Florida and 21 credit hours of UNF-specific coursework. UNF's general education curriculum focuses on core curriculum and its importance to further study in the major with an emphasis on interdisciplinary work.

Part A: State of Florida mandated curriculum areas

Choose one course from each area

1. Communication

  • ENC 1101- (GW) Writing for Audience and Purpose (3 hours)*
  • or, a writing course for which ENC 1101 is a direct prerequisite.

2. Humanities

  • ARH 2000 - Art Appreciation (3 hours)
  • HUM 2020 - Introduction to Humanities (3 hours)
  • LIT 2000 - (GW) Introduction to Literature (3 hours)
  • MUL 2010 - (GW) Introduction to Music Literature
  • PHI 2010 - (GW) Introduction to Philosophy (3 hours)
  • THE 2000 - Theater Appreciation (3 hours)

3. Mathematics

  • MAC 1105 - (GM) College Algebra (3 hours)
  • MAC 2311 - (GM) Calculus (4 hours)
  • MFG 1130 – (GM) Mathematical Thinking I
  • STA 2023 - (GM) Elementary Statistics for Business (3 hours)
  • Or, a mathematics course for which one of the above general education core course options in mathematics is a direct prerequisite
4. Natural and Physical Sciences
  • AST 2002 - Discovering Astronomy (3 hours)
  • BSC 1005 - Principles of Biology (3 hours)
  • BSC 1010C - General Biology I (4 hours)
  • BSC 2085C - Human Anatomy and Physiology (4 hours)
  • CHM 1020 - Discovering Chemistry (3 hours)
  • CHM 2045 - General Chemistry I (3 hours)
  • ESC 2000 - Earth Science (3 hours)
  • **EVR X001 - Introduction to Environmental Science
  • PHY 1020 - Discovering Physics: How things work (3 hours)
  • PHY 2048C - Calculus-Based Physics I (4 hours)
  • PHY 2053 - Algebra-Based Physics I (3 hours)
  • Or, a natural science course for which one of the above general education core course options in natural science is a direct prerequisite.

5. Social Sciences

  • ***AMH 2010 – United States History to 1877 (3 hours)
  • ***AMH 2020 - United States History since 1877 (3 hours)
  • ANT 2000 - Introduction to Anthropology (3 hours)
  • ECO 2013 - Principles of Macroeconomics (3 hours)
  • ***POS 2041 - Introduction to American Government (3 hours)
  • PSY 2012 - Introduction to Psychology (3 hours)

*Upon successful completion of ENC 1101 (C or better), students will automatically earn a badge for "Fundamentals of Written Communication" which is transferable across Florida institutions of higher education.

Definition: Effective written communication is the ability to communicate ideas, information, and perspectives clearly, adapting a message to different audiences and situations, and using the appropriate style to convey meaning in various written contexts.

Learning Outcomes
By completing the college course associated with this badge, you will demonstrate information literacy, comprehension of written material, and conveying information in writing for a variety of rhetorical purposes and audiences. Some of the learning outcomes associated with the college course that results in this badge include:
• Examining and analyzing written material.
• Synthesizing information and ideas.
• Developing content relevant to the purpose.
• Demonstrating the ability to write to a specific audience.
• Presenting a perspective informed by research and critical thinking.
• Revising written communication based on feedback.

Importance in Workplace
• Enhances an employee's ability to interpret and evaluate a wide variety of written material.
• Promotes research, critical thinking, and problem solving.
• Advances the development of clearly written material relevant to the intent.
• Enhances the use of appropriate language for the intended audience.
• Increases the competent, effective, and responsible use of information.

**These courses are not taught by UNF but are listed as a common core course and accepted as transfer credit.

***These courses satisfy the state mandated civic literacy requirement. In addition, students entering the SUS or FCS in Summer B 2021 and thereafter will also be required to take a state approved exam to fulfill this requirement.

Part B: UNF General Education Requirements (at least 21 hours)

Communication (6 hours)

Students with less than 60 hours must complete the following requirement. Students with more than 60 hours are encouraged to speak to their advisor about a course in communication that meets their program of study needs.

    • IDS 1932 - (GW) Interdisciplinary First Year Writing (3 hours)

Then choose one additional course from the following (at least 3 hours).

    • ENC 1102 – (GW) Evidence-Based Writing (3 hours)
    • ENC 2210 – (GW) Technical Writing (3 hours)
    • ENC 2443 – (GW) Writing Topics: Literature (3 hours)
    • ENC 2450 – (GW) Writing Topics: Natural Sciences (3 hours)
    • ENC 2451 – (GW) Writing Topics: Health (3 hours)
    • ENC 2461 – (GW) Writing Topics: Social Sciences (3 hours)
    • ENC 3202 - (GW) Professional Communications for Business (3 hours)
    • ENC 3246 - (GW) Professional Communications for Engineering (3 hours)
    • ENC 3250 - (GW) Professional Communications (3 hours)
    • IDS 2896 – General Education Capstone: Communication, Professionalization, and Practice

    *Note: Students who declared an Engineering major starting in 2019-20 may substitute a General Education course in Mathematics and/or Natural Sciences (3-4 credit hours) for IDS 1932.

Humanities (3 hours)

Choose from the following menu.

  • HUM 2020 - Introduction to Humanities (3 hours)
  • IDS 2891 – General Education Capstone: Humanities, Professionalization, and Practice (3 hours)
  • LIT 2000 - (GW) Introduction to Literature (3 hours)
  • MUL 2010 - (GW) Introduction to Music Literature
  • PHI 2010 - (GW) Introduction to Philosophy (3 hours)
  • REL 2300 – Comparative Religions (3 hours)
  • SPC 2608 – Fundamentals of Speech Communication (3 hours)
  • THE 2000 - Theater Appreciation (3 hours)

Mathematics and Statistics (3-4 hours)

Choose from the following menu.

  • IDS 2892 – General Education Capstone: Mathematics, Professionalization, and Practice
  •  MAC 1105 - (GM) College Algebra (3 hours)
  • MAC 1114 – (GM) Trigonometry (2 hours)
  • MAC 1147 – (GM) Precalculus (4 hours)
  • MAC 2311 - (GM) Calculus (4 hours)
  • MAC 2233 – (GM) Calculus for Business (4 hours)
  • MAC 2312 – (GM) Calculus II (4 hours)
  • MFG 1130 – (GM) Mathematical Thinking I
  • STA 2023 - (GM) Elementary Statistics for Business (3 hours)
  • STA 3163 – Statistical Methods I (3 hours)
  • STA 4202 – Design of Experiments (3 hours)
  • STA 4664 – Statistical Quality Control (3 hours)
  • Or, a mathematics course for which one of the above general education core course options in mathematics is a direct prerequisite

Natural Sciences (3-4 hours)

Choose from the following menu.

  • AST 2002 - Discovering Astronomy (3 hours)
  • BOT 2010C - Botany
  • BSC 1005 - Principles of Biology (3 hours)
  • BSC 1010C - General Biology I (4 hours)
  • BSC 1011C – General Biology II (4 hours)
  • BSC 2085C - Human Anatomy and Physiology I (4 hours)
  • BSC 2086C – Human Anatomy and Physiology II (4 hours)
  • CHM 1020 - Discovering Chemistry (3 hours)
  • CHM 2045 - General Chemistry I (3 hours)
  • CHM 2046 – General Chemistry II (3 hours)
  • ESC 2000 - Earth Science (3 hours)
  • *EVR X001 - Introduction to Environmental Science
  • IDS 2893 – General Education Capstone: Natural Sciences, Professionalization, and Practice
  • PHY 1041 – Physics for Engineers I (3 hours)
  • PHY 1020 - Discovering Physics: How things work (3 hours)
  • PHY 2048C - Calculus-Based Physics I (4 hours)
  • PHY 2049 – Calculus-Based Physics II (3 hours)
  • PHY 2053 – Algebra-Based Physics I (3 hours)
  • PHY 2054 – Algebra-Based Physics II (3 hours)
  • Or, a natural science course for which one of the above general education core course options in natural science is a direct prerequisite.

Social Sciences (3 hours)

Choose from the following menu.

  • ***AMH 2010 – United States History to 1877 (3 hours)
  • ***AMH 2020 - United States History since 1877 (3 hours)
  • ANT 2000 - Introduction to Anthropology (3 hours)
  • ECO 2013 - Principles of Macroeconomics (3 hours)
  • HSC 2100 – Personal and Public Health (3 hours)
  • IDS 2894 – General Education Capstone: Social Sciences, Professionalization, and Practice (3 hours)
  • INR 2002 – International Relations (3 hours)
  • ***POS 2041 - Introduction to American Government (3 hours)
  • PSY 2012 - Introduction to Psychology (3 hours)
  • SYG 2000 – Introduction to Sociology (3 hours)

General Education Elective (3 hours)

Students may choose an approved IDS 28xx course (such as a Study Abroad, Internship, Community-Based Learning, or other high-impact focused course), OR one additional course from the menu of options for Communication, Humanities, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences.

Other Important Information

A minimum grade of C is required for all general education requirements.

An Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree from a Florida public university or state/community college satisfies the general education requirements at UNF.

Transcripts of applicants who have not earned an A.A. degree from a Florida public university, state, or community college will be reviewed individually to determine whether sufficient work has been completed in the above General Education requirements. Students must satisfy the same general education requirements as a first-time in-college student. Refer to the general education requirements above for UNF courses that will satisfy General Education.

The State of Florida Foreign Language Requirement must be met before graduation from UNF.

The College-Level Communications and Computation Skills (Florida Gordon Rule) requirement must be met before graduation from UNF.

All teacher education majors must satisfy the General Knowledge (GK) test requirement before admission to the College of Education and Human Services.