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General Education Component (GEC)

Courses that are primarily mathematical or scientific in nature, and those designed to develop artistic or music skills are not acceptable as social science/humanities electives even though they are offered through approved departments. Foreign Language courses that are beyond those required to meet the basic foreign language admission requirement are acceptable humanities.

The Engineering General Education Component (GEC) will be completed throughout your freshman to senior year and will require 15 semester hours (SH).

  • 3 SH of a Lower Level Humanities
  • 3 SH of a Lower Level Social Science
  • 3 SH of an Upper Level from the same department as one of your Lower Level Humanities/Social Science
  • 3 SH of any Upper Level Humanities/Social Science
  • 3 SH or any either Upper or Lower Level Humanities/Social Science

Total = 15 SH to complete the General Education Component

How do I know if it is an upper level course or a lower level course?

  • Courses numbered below xxx:100 are lower level courses. Ex (019:098=lower)
  • Courses numbered xxx:100 and above are upper level courses. Ex (019:156=upper)

*Note: Industrial Engineering students must take a psychology course as part of their GEC.

Links to approved Humanities and/or Social Science department courses are listed below along with their department numbers. Unless noted, all courses within the departments listed have been approved for GEC.

 

Approved Humanities

 

The following department courses are also approved for GEC -- Please note exceptions to specific courses:

  • Art History (01H courses only) Department (01H)
  • Music Department (025) Music lessons are NOT acceptable Humanities courses and will NOT count toward your engineering degree.
The following Music courses ARE approved for GEC:
  • Lower Level 025:013, 014, 017;
  • Upper Level:: 025:104, 106, 137, 141, 144, 146, 160, 178
Theatre Arts Department (049)Acting, directing, producing, design, and play writing courses are NOT acceptable Humanities courses and will NOT count towards your engineering degree

The following Theatre courses ARE approved for GEC:

  • Lower Level: 049:001, 002, 003, 072;
  • Upper Level: 049:112-119 and 049:180-193

Approved Social Sciences

The following department courses are also approved for GEC -- Please note exceptions to specific courses:

Only the following Health and Sport Studies courses ARE approved for GEC:

  • Lower Level: 028:074-079;
  • Upper Level: 028:147, 175-180, and 188

 

Minors Offered by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Engineering students may also resister for Guided Independent Study (GIS) courses to fulfill their GEC.

 

 

The University of Iowa College of Engineering