University Wide Academic Programs

General Education

Every University of Maine academic program is based upon a strong foundation in the liberal arts and sciences. The University’s goal is to ensure that all of its graduates, regardless of the academic major they pursued, are broadly educated persons who can appreciate the achievements of civilization, understand the tensions within it, and contribute to resolving them. This component of every program is called general education, and it amounts to about one third of every program. The design of general education at the University of Maine is meant to be flexible within the broad goals it seeks to achieve. It affords each student many ways of meeting its requirements, which fall under the six broad categories outlined below.

Science
Each program must include two courses in the physical or biological sciences. This may be accomplished in two ways:

By completing two courses with laboratories in the basic or applied sciences;
By completing one laboratory course in the basic or applied sciences, and a second approved course that incorporates a laboratory experience and stresses the applications of scientific knowledge.

Human Values and Social Context
Each program must include 18 credits in this broad area, selected from lists of approved courses to satisfy each of the five sub-categories. (Courses that satisfy requirements in more than one sub-category may be counted in each appropriate sub-category, but credits may be counted only once.)

Western cultural tradition
Social context and institutions
Cultural diversity and international perspectives
Population and the environment
Artistic and creative expression

Mathematics
Each program must include at least six credit hours in mathematics, including statistics and certain courses in computer science. No more than three of the six credit hours may be in computer science.

Writing Competency
The ability to write well is one of the most important attributes of an educated person. To help ensure this outcome the University requires its students to write throughout their academic careers, focusing both on general-purpose writing and professional writing within their majors. Each program must include:

ENG 101, College Composition. All students must complete this course with a grade of C or better, or be excused from this course on the basis of a placement exam or completion of HON 111 and HON 112 with a grade of C or better in each.
At least two courses designated as writing-intensive, at least one of which must be within the academic major.

Ethics
Each program must include at least one approved course or series of courses placing substantial emphasis on the discussion of ethical issues.

Capstone Experience
Every program must include an approved capstone experience within the major. The goal is to draw together the various threads of the undergraduate program that bear directly upon the academic major in an experience that typifies the work of professionals within the discipline. Normally, the Capstone would conclude at the end of the student’s senior year. Students should consult closely with their academic advisor to explore the range of options available for meeting this requirement.

Up-to-date listings of all courses approved for the general education program can be found at the Office of Student Records Web site at: www.studentrecords.umaine.edu . Click on the General Education Requirements title listed under the Academic Information area. Background information about the general education requirements is given along with explanations of the requirements of each category. Courses approved for each category can be found by clicking on the category.

A student need complete only one set of UMaine General Education Requirements, even if completing more than one academic major or baccalaureate degree. For example, a student completing a double major need complete the “writing intensive course in the major” and the capstone experience only for the designated primary major. Exception: some departments may specifically require their writing intensive and capstone courses as part of the major, aside from their role in general education. In this case the double-major student must complete them, not because of general education policy, but because the major program requires them.