May 06, 2024  
2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

2002-2016 General Education Program


This General Education Program applies to returning students who first entered UB fall 2002 through spring 2016.

The 2002-2016 General Education program focuses on a broad array of skills, knowledge, and issues that are important for all college graduates and helps students prepare for success and fulfillment in a continually changing world. General education complements the departmental major. The major provides depth of study in a particular area of specialization and prepares students for certain careers or for advanced study. This general education program assures skill mastery in written and oral communication, information technology, quantitative reasoning, and critical thinking as well as requirements in a broad liberal arts array in Arts, Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences, American Pluralism, Languages, Natural Sciences, and depth of experience in science or language.

Returning students whose last reentry to the university was prior to 2002 will adhere to the general education program that is active at the time of their reentry regardless of the number of courses completed prior to their break in attendance. Students should review their previous coursework with an academic advisor for potential application to the UB Curriculum via course substitution.

Writing Skills


Two courses required, as placed unless exempted.

Writing I:


Writing II:


Library Skills


This requirement should be completed in the first year of study at UB. Please e-mail ubcurriculum@buffalo.edu for information on how to complete this degree requirement. 

World Civilizations


Two courses required.

Natural Sciences


Students must complete two courses, including at least one semester of laboratory. Any approved UB Curriculum Scientific Literacy and Inquiry combination. Additionally, CHE 106  and GLY 103  are allowable.

Note: School of Architecture majors only may complete ARC 352 ARC 352  and PHY 101 ; Nursing majors only may complete ANA 113 and PGY 300 . School of Public Health and Health Profession majors only may complete ES 207  and PGY 300 .

American Pluralism or Cognate (Approved Equivalent Courses)


Complete UGC 211  or any approved UB Curriculum Diversity in the United States course. Additionally, GEO 231, AHI 390, LIN 201 , and RLL 201  are allowable.

(**See note at the end of this section.)

Social and Behavioral Sciences


Language Requirement


Proficiency in a language other than English can be demonstrated in one of the following ways:

  1. Successful completion of a UB language course or equivalent articulated course from a transfer institution at a level equal to 102, 104 or higher.
  2. Earning examination credit or demonstrating proficiency through assessments. All costs associated with these assessments are the sole responsibility of the student.
    • A student may apply alternate test credit (AP, CLEP, IB, GCE, etc.) equivalent to 102/104 level or higher. Please see the Alternative/Exam Credit UB Articulation guides.
    • A student may demonstrate proficiency in reading, writing and speaking through a set of ACTFL assessments in a language other than English.
    • A student may demonstrate proficiency by receiving a score of 600 or higher on College Board Foreign Language Achievement Test (SAT II).
  3. Completion of high school where the primary language of instruction is not English.
    • The student needs to provide a copy of their high school diploma/documents, and a certified translation.
  4. For International students (F1 visa status) whose first language is not English, submission of a TOEFL (Test Of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) score during the admission process is sufficient to demonstrate proficiency. A passing grade on the General Certificate of Education exams at the: A-level: Advanced, AS-level: Advanced Subsidiary, or O-level: Ordinary, as provided on official international admission application.
  5. For languages taught at the University at Buffalo only, a proficiency evaluation may be available at the discretion of the department. Students should contact the relevant department to inquire about this option. Should the department be unable to conduct an evaluation, students must meet the foreign language requirement via options 1-4 above.

Note: Majors in the following programs are not required to complete language study: Architecture BSFine Art BFA, Dance BFA, Music Performance BFA, Theatre BFA, Biochem Pharmacology BS, Bioinfmtcs-Bio Sci BS, Biomedical Science BS, Aerospace Engineering BS, Industrial Engineering BS, Electrical And Comp Eng BS, Mechanical Engineering BS, Electrical Engineering BS, Environmental Engineering BS, Informatics BS, Biomedical Engr BS, Business Administration BS, Aerospace Engr Comb BS, Bus Admin Comb BS, Accounting BS, Medical Technology BS, Medicinal Chemistry BS, Medicinal Chemistry BS/MS, Nuclear Medicine Tech BS, Nursing BS, Pharmaceutical Sciences BS, Music Theatre BFA, Bioinformatics-Mth BS, Bioinfmtcs-Comp Sci BS, Bioinformatics & Comp Bio BS, Biotechnology BS, Pharmacology & Toxicology BS, Exercise Science BS, Exercise Sci Comb BS, Exercise Science Comb BS, Occupational Science BS, Occupational Therapy BS, Chem Engr Comb BS, Civil Engr CNB Comb BS, Civil Engr CIE Comb BS, Electrical Engineering Comb BS, Indust Engr Comb BS, Mechanical Engr Comb BS, Doctor of Physical Therapy DPT, Chemical Engineering BS, Computer Engineering BS, Civil Engineering BS, Engineering Physics BS, ITU Civil Engr BS, ITU Environmental Engr BS, Pharmacy PHARMD, Occupational Science Comb BS, Engnrng In Pgm No Maj BS, Pharmaceutical Sci Comb BS, Pharmacology Combined BS, RN-BS Nursing BS, Traditional Nursing BS, Pharmacy PharmD, Medicinal Chemistry Comb BS, Ex Sci/Pub Hlth Comb BS, Statistics BA, Ex Sci/Athl Training Comb BS, Ex Sci/Athl Training Comb MS, Biomedical Engineering Comb BS

Note: Some majors and minors require additional semesters of language study.

Humanities


Complete one 3-credit course offered from AAS, AS, AMS, CL, COL, ENG (excluding ENG-101/ENG-201), FR, GER, GGS, HIS, HMN, ITA, JDS, LLS, PHI, RSP, SPA, TNS , and other languages.

Note: Courses used to satisfy any other general education requirement are excluded. Students completing both ENG 101/ENG 105  and ENG 201/Humanties-CL2 approved course have met this requirement.

Arts


Complete one 3-credit course offered by ART, AHI, DMS, MTR, MUS, TH, or THD; VS; ARC 121  is also an option.

(**See note at the end of this section.)

Note: Courses used to satisfy any other general education requirement are excluded.

Depth Requirement


Note: Courses used to satisfy any other general education requirement are excluded. Transfer courses must be articulated (i.e., matched) to specific UB courses or requirements in order to satisfy UB’s Depth Requirement. SUNYGE waivers do not apply toward UB’s Depth Requirement. Students may not petition this policy

**Note


**Note: Students who entered UB with 24 or more transferable credit hours from an institution of higher education other than UB are exempted from the World Civilizations, American Pluralism, and Arts requirements. These credits must have been earned prior to enrollment at UB.

General Education Advising Notes


Transfer students with 24 or more credits are exempt from the following requirements: World Civilization I and II, American Pluralism, and Arts.

Some UB students have documented language impairments that affect foreign language acquisition at the college level. These students may be accommodated with an alternative series of courses if, they have been certified by the Director of Accessibility Resources as requiring this accommodation. With this prior approval, contact the UB Curriculum office at ubcurriculum@buffalo.edu for a list of alternate courses that will be accepted as meeting the foreign language requirement (two course sequence). These sequences meet the intention of the SUNY General Education foreign language requirement. The courses listed are taught in English. No course may be used in fulfillment of more than one General Education requirement.

Student enrolled for a second bachelor’s degree are not required to fulfill the General Education Program requirements.

S/U grading is not an option in any course used to satisfy General Education requirements. Internship, Independent Study, Undergraduate Teaching, Experiential Learning, and other courses not based on classroom experiences may not be used to meet General Education requirements.

Any given course may be applied toward only one General Education requirement unless explicitly noted otherwise.

Only the specified courses or those that articulate to the specified courses listed for each respective General Education requirement may be used to fulfill that particular requirement. No other courses qualify.

SUNY has established minimum General Education requirements for campuses across the SUNY system. UB’s General Education program meets, and in many cases exceeds, these requirements. Students should understand that meeting SUNY General Education requirements at other campuses does not necessarily mean that they have met all of UB’s requirements or that they are exempt from certain UB requirements.

A SUNY General Education Transcript Addendum (GETA) will be accepted as meeting the relevant general education requirement, regardless of the direct course it articulates to at UB, if the GETA is earned prior to matriculation (for new students) or re-matriculation (for reentering students) at the University at Buffalo. For such students, SUNY GETAs will apply to the General Education Program as follows:

  • Basic Communication GETA will fulfill the writing skills requirement.
  • Mathematics GETA will fulfill the Mathematics requirement.
  • Natural Sciences GETA will fulfill the Natural Science requirement.
  • Other World Civilization GETA will fulfill World Civilization I.
  • Western Civilization GETA will fulfill World Civilization II.
  • American History GETA will fulfill American Pluralism.
  • Arts GETA will fulfill Arts.
  • Humanities GETA will fulfill Humanities.
  • Foreign Language GETA will fulfill Language.
  • Social Science GETA will fulfill Social Science.