General education requirements

The University’s general education requirements for all students are designed to be integrated throughout your four-year undergraduate experience. These courses provide you an opportunity to explore fields outside your major and complement your major curriculum with a multidisciplinary perspective. Both the BS in Health Sciences and BS in Health Professions degrees offered at the University of Minnesota Rochester require the same liberal education requirements.

Current General Education requirements


General Education Areas

The general education areas guide you through the "why" and "how" of different academic disciplines. These classes will equip you with a broad range of tools that can be used to approach problems in everyday life and work, and, ultimately, help you make a positive difference within communities, society, and the world. Students are required to satisfy all seven core requirements.

Requirements for UMR students Required credits
Arts/Humanities 3 credits
Biological Sciences 4 credits; must include lab or field experience
Historical Perspectives 3 credits
Literature 3 credits
Mathematical Thinking 3 credits
Physical Sciences 4 credits; must include lab or field experience
Social Sciences 3 credits
General Education themes

The general education themes are topics central to an understanding of contemporary life. Investigating these themes helps you prepare to become knowledgeable, ethical, and engaged public citizens. You are required to satisfy all five themes.

Requirements for UMR students Required credits
Civic Life and Ethics 3 credits
Diversity and Social Justice in the United States 3 credits
The Environment 3 credits
Global Perspectives 3 credits
Technology and Society 3 credits