The General Education Component (GEC) of the College of Engineering curriculum requires at least 19 semester hours of course credit.

The General Education requirements are slightly different depending on when you first entered the College of Engineering:

The GEC requirements are as follows: 

Rhetoric: Complete 4 s.h.

  • RHET:1030 - Rhetoric, or completion of both RHET:1040 - Writing and Reading and RHET:1060 - Speaking and Reading

Engineering Be Creative: Complete 3 s.h.

  • See a list of courses on MyUI that have been approved as Engineering Be Creative available in the upcoming semester (select session in top right corner).
  • Students can also find a full list of the courses approved on the Engineering Be Creative course list. Not all courses are offered each semester. 
  • Certain courses have sections designated "Restricted to Engineering Majors." Students should register for these sections.
  • If a Be Creative course has listed prerequisites, students who want to enroll in these courses will need to request for the prerequisite to be waived by completing the "Request Prerequisite Special Permission" form. It is recommended that students complete the form, located on MyUI, several weeks before their early registration date . 
    • Students should select “My reason is not listed above” and upload a snapshot of their “Program of Study & Advisors” (can be found on MyUI/Student Information/Advising), proving they are currently an Engineering student.
    • Receiving confirmation that the prerequisite has been waived does not guarantee a seat in the course.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Complete 3 s.h.

  • Take a 3 s.h. course from either the Diversity and Inclusion or Values and Culture general education categories. The links provide lists of courses on MyUI that have been approved for each category in the upcoming semester.

Approved Course Subjects: Complete 9 s.h

  • See the list of approved course subjects in the College of Engineering. 
  • Students may choose courses from ANY of the subjects listed.
  • Students in Industrial Engineering are required to complete PSY:1001 Introduction to Psychology which will satisfy 3 s.h. of this GEC requirement.

Minors and Certificates

If you wish to complete a minor while satisfying the general education requirements, learn more about common minors for engineering majors.