Main Content:

· General Education courses are required for all students who attend the University

· Prerequisite courses are required to meet admissions requirements for degree programs; in some instances, these may also satisfy Gen Ed requirements

· Core courses are required to meet requirements for graduation in a degree program; in some cases, these may also satisfy Gen Ed requirements

· Courses taken for general education requirements can also be applied to major requirements, when applicable

· Diversity courses are allowed to overlap with one other general education requirement

· Writing ('W') courses are allowed to overlap with one other general education requirement

Category

Minimum SHRS Requirements

Key Concepts

A. WRITING/COMMUNICATION

1 course (minimum 3 credits) from each category

1. Seminar in Composition*

Introductory course that offers the opportunity to improve as a writer by developing an understanding of how to use writing to interpret and share experiences, affect behaviors, and find a place in the world.

2. Writing Intensive
ENGCMP 0400, 0530, 0535 recommended

Designed to teach writing within a discipline through writing assignments that are distributed across the entire term. Students will produce at least 20-24 pages of written work, a significant portion of which should be substantially revised in response to instructor feedback and class discussion.

3. Oral Communication 
COMMRC 0520 preferred; 0310, 0500, 0510, 0530 acceptable

Communication is always addressed to an audience with the intention of conveying information to or having some effect upon. Courses in oral communication allow students to develop increased skill in various forms of public speaking by means of theory and practice

B. ALGEBRA & QUANTITATIVE AND FORMAL REASONING

1 course (minimum 3 credits) from each category

1. Algebra MATH 0031 min.; higher math accepted.
Check with program to verify if DSAS exemption will be accepted.

Course covers basic algebra skills; linear, polynomial, rational, exponential, and logarithmic functions are included.

2. Statistics 
STAT 0200 or 1000

In an increasingly data driven society, students need to learn and understand how data is derived, the methods to analyze data, and how the data is interpreted and applied. This cuts across all disciplines and professions in the Health Sciences and will only become more important as technology advances and the amount of usable data continues to proliferate

C. DIVERSITY

1 course (minimum 3 credits)

1. Diversity*

Diversity courses focus centrally and intensively on issues of diversity and do so in a manner that promotes understanding of difference. They provide students with analytical skills to better understand structural inequities and the knowledge to be able to participate more effectively in our increasingly diverse and multicultural society. Courses may address, though not be limited to, such issues as race, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, religious difference, ability difference, and/or economic disparity.

D. HUMANITIES AND ARTS, SOCIAL SCIENCES, NATURAL SCIENCES

1 course (minimum 3 credits) from each category

1. Literature*, The Arts*, Creative Work*, Philosophical Thinking or Ethics*
Consider courses in bioethics and those with a disability or health & medicine focus.

The requirements in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and arts allow students to pursue their own interests while they explore contemporary and diverse views of a broad range of human cultures, modes of thought, and bodies of knowledge. Many of the courses which fulfill these requirements are truly courses in the disciplines that draw on the unique resources of a research university. 

2. Social Science*

3. Natural Sciences*
Check with program to verify if a lab is required.

E. GLOBAL AWARENESS AND CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING

1 course (minimum 3 credits)

1. Cross-Cultural Awareness*, Global Issues*, Historical Analysis*, or Specific Geographic Region* Study Abroad may be accepted. Consider courses with a disability or health & medicine focus.


Course numbers included above are courses offered on the Pittsburgh campus. For requirements noted with an asterisk(*), see the DSAS Catalog for a list of all approved courses on the Pittsburgh campus. Pitt Regional campus and external transfer students should reach out to admissions@shrs.pitt.edu for assistance.