Discover new interests and build essential skills with CLAS Core, the general education curriculum in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. These courses help you think critically, communicate effectively, and adapt with confidence—preparing you for your degree and for whatever comes next.
Find the path that's right for you by exploring courses available to fulfill your requirements.
Categories and requirements
General Education CLAS Core requirements are slightly different depending on when students first enter UI. Be sure to communicate with your advisor about your General Education requirements! For example, students who enter UI Summer 2022 or after will need to complete the Sustainability requirement.
Communication and literacy Sustainability Natural, quantitative, and social sciences Culture, society, and the arts
Communication and literacy
The required semester hours in this step will depend on your World Languages experience.
Understanding cultural perspectives
Required semester hours: 3
Explore how culture, history, and social systems shape people’s lives—including your own. These courses help you examine inequality, engage with diverse perspectives, and build the empathy and communication skills needed to thrive in any community or career.
Rhetoric: Writing and communication
Required semester hours: 4
Sharpen your ability to express ideas clearly, confidently, and persuasively—skills you'll use in every class, job, and conversation. In this course, you will develop speaking, writing, listening, and reading skills, and build competence in research, analysis, and argumentation. Courses are discussion-based and can be a great way to meet new people!
Interpretation of literature
Required semester hours: 3
Strengthen your skills in reading, analysis, and interpretation by engaging with fiction, poetry, drama, and essays. You will also improve your ability to analyze and discuss a variety of texts using connections drawn from your own experiences and from society.
World languages pathways
Required semester hours: based on selected pathway
Build communication skills in a second language while gaining insight into the cultures and communities where it's spoken. These courses help you connect across cultures, expand your worldview, and stand out in a global job market.
Learn more about the world languages requirement.
Explore video games and identity
Learn about fundamental concepts in game studies with a particular emphasis on how these concepts relate to the identity of those who play. Engage in these conversations while playing games together as a class.
Sustainability
Required for students entering UI Summer 2022 and after
Requirements
Required semester hours: no additional s.h.
Students complete this requirement by choosing an approved GE CLAS Core course that integrates Sustainability (with no additional semester hours) with a course from the Natural, Quantitative, and Social Sciences category or the Culture, Society, and the Arts category.
Explore how human actions impact the environment, economies, and communities—now and over time. These courses help you understand the complex systems that shape our world and the role you play in creating a more sustainable future. You’ll build critical thinking and problem-solving skills that apply to any field.
This requirement is built into another GE CLAS Core area, so you’ll meet it by taking one approved course without adding extra credit hours.
Dive into the world of sustainability
Explore the importance of solving complex environmental challenges through topics like energy, water, environmental justice, and biodiversity. This course helps you connect sustainability to any field of study and prepares you to think critically, adapt, and succeed in a rapidly changing world.
Natural, quantitative, and social sciences
Choose your course from each area for a total of 13 required semester hours.
Natural sciences
Required semester hours: 7
Learn how scientists ask questions, test ideas, and make discoveries that shape our understanding of the world. These courses teach you to think with precision, use evidence, and approach problems with curiosity and objectivity. If your course includes a lab, you’ll get hands-on experience with the process of scientific inquiry.
Quantitative or formal reasoning
Required semester hours: 3
Sharpen your analytical thinking and learn how to work with data, logic, and structured systems. These courses help you evaluate evidence, recognize patterns, and understand how data can be used or misused. You'll build problem-solving and analytical skills that are valuable in any field.
Social sciences
Required semester hours: 3
Dive into the study of human behavior and the social systems that both influence and are influenced by it. These courses introduce you to key theories and methods from one or more social science disciplines, equipping you to analyze complex social issues. This will help guide you in personal and professional decisions, including how you relate to others, interpret current events, and approach challenges.
Understand genetic disorders
Learn the basics of genetics and human disease through the lens of real-life stories, including those of public figures. The course combines science with lived experience, featuring guest speakers with genetic disorders who share their experience.
Culture, society, and the arts
Choose your course from each area for a total of 12 required semester hours
Historical perspectives
Required semester hours: 3
Explore how societies change and stay the same over time. These courses build your skills in analyzing and interpreting historical events and trends, helping you understand the past and its impact on today’s world. You'll sharpen critical thinking and communication skills—two essential skills for any career that requires problem-solving and navigating complex contexts.
Literary, visual, and performing arts
Required semester hours: 3
Experience the arts while exploring their historical and theoretical foundations. These courses invite you to engage creatively, developing your own artistic expression alongside skills in analysis and imagination—abilities that enhance creativity and critical thinking.
International and global issues
Required semester hours: 3
Focus on countries and challenges beyond the United States to broaden your perspective on global events and cultures. These courses help you understand how local and global issues connect, teaching you to think critically about complex problems and navigate diverse perspectives—skills that are essential in today’s interconnected workforce, no matter where your career takes you.
Values and society
Required semester hours: 3
Explore fundamental questions about what shapes human experience, culture, and values. These courses encourage you to reflect on your own beliefs and consider how they influence your decisions and goals—helping you develop a strong sense of purpose and ethical awareness that will guide you personally and professionally.
Uncover crime fiction from Nordic countries
Analyze Nordic novels, films, and TV while also discussing how crime fiction reflects real-world issues. You’ll have the opportunity to explore new topics, connect ideas across different fields, and discover new interests.