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Requirements
As described in the Student Handbook, students must complete four General Education courses, one from each of four categories: Aesthetics & Culture; Ethics & Civics; Histories, Societies, Individuals; and Science & Technology in Society.
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Harvard College’s General Education requirements are described in detail in the Handbook for Students.
Only courses approved by the Standing Committee on General Education can be used to fulfill General Education requirements. Students may not petition to have courses count.
One of the four Gen Ed requirements can be fulfilled with a course taken Pass/Fail.
In-person attendance is required for all course components, with no remote substitutes for class time.
Designated Harvard Summer School and Harvard Summer Study Abroad courses may count for General Education. No more than one HSS course taught through remote formats may be used to fulfill a General Education requirement.
General Education requirements will not be reduced for Advanced Standing, Transfer Students, or Term Time Study Abroad.
Aesthetics & Culture
Aesthetics & Culture courses foster critical engagement with diverse artistic and creative endeavors and traditions across history and geographical locations, helping students situate themselves and others as participants in and products of art and culture.
In A&C courses, students do one or more of the following:
- Explore how aesthetic objects and practices affect our senses, emotions, and thoughts, and invite our interpretations.
- Engage directly with aesthetic objects, practices, and texts, broadly conceived, to develop students’ skills of close reading, listening, and observation and to support analysis of the production and reception of these objects in their cultural contexts.
- Engage in critical analysis of artistic and cultural production from a variety of approaches, including art-making, hands-on, or participatory/experiential assignments.
- Examine the roles that artistic and creative endeavors play in shaping and reshaping societies.
Ethics & Civics
Ethics & Civics courses examine the dilemmas that individuals, communities, and societies face as they explore questions of virtue, justice, equity, inclusion, and the greater good.
In E&C courses, students do one or more of the following:
- Analyze the foundations and ramifications of diverse modes of ethical inquiry and practice.
- Situate ideas about ethics and civic engagement in their historical, cultural, and social contexts.
- Explore real-world ethical questions, ranging from problems in individual lives to the challenges of meeting civic responsibility at local, national, and global levels.
Histories, Societies, Individuals
Histories, Societies, Individuals courses explore the dynamic relationships between individuals and larger social, economic and political structures, both historically and in the present moment.
In HSI courses, students do one or more of the following:
- Examine change over time to understand the historical origins of the contemporary world.
- Analyze the interplay between individuals, groups, and larger social, economic, and political structures in the making of the modern world.
- Compare societies across time and space to broaden students’ understandings of the complexities of global experiences.
Science & Technology in Society
Science & Technology in Society courses explore scientific and technological ideas and practices in their social and historical contexts, providing a foundation to assess their promise and perils. STS courses engage students in the practice of science, not just the study of scientific findings.
In STS courses, students do one or more of the following:
- Engage in scientific methods of inquiry, such as theoretical framing, structured observation or experimentation, and quantitative analysis.
- Examine the influence of social, economic, cultural, and political factors on science and engineering.
- Analyze the ethical, social, and political implications of scientific and technological ideas and practices, including their potential and risks.
Ready to choose your courses?
Browse all Gen Ed courses by semester and category on our website’s course catalog.
FAQs
What are the College’s Gen Ed requirements?
You must complete four Gen Ed courses, one from each of the following four Gen Ed categories.
- Aesthetics & Culture
- Ethics & Civics
- Histories, Societies, Individuals
- Science & Technology in Society
Three of these courses must be letter-graded, while one may be taken pass/fail.
How do I know which of the Gen Ed requirements I have fulfilled?
Your Academic Advising Report (AAR), available on my.harvard, tracks your progress towards your Gen Ed requirements. Learn how to generate your Academic Advising Report.
How can I find Gen Ed courses?
You can explore Gen Ed courses by category. You can also see a complete list of Gen Ed courses, filterable by term offered.
To find information about Gen Ed courses’ time and location, please visit my.harvard.
How do I know which Gen Ed requirement a course fulfills?
There are several ways you can learn which Gen Ed requirement(s) a particular course fulfills:
- Information about which requirement(s) a Gen Ed course fulfills can be found on the page for the course on the Gen Ed website.
- Gen Ed courses can be searched by category.
- The description of a course on my.harvard includes information about which Gen Ed requirement(s) it will fulfill at the bottom right.
Can a Gen Ed course fulfill more than one Gen Ed requirement?
Some Gen Ed courses are approved for two categories. However, an individual student will be able to use a particular course to fulfill only one requirement. For courses tagged for two requirements, you will be able to choose which requirement you would like to use it to complete. Please contact the Gen Ed office if you have any questions about Gen Ed courses approved for two categories.
How are courses approved for Gen Ed requirements?
Courses are approved for the Program in General Education by the Standing Committee on General Education. Faculty interested in proposing a course for Gen Ed should consult the program guidelines.
Students cannot petition courses to count for Gen Ed requirements.
Can I petition to have a non-Gen Ed course fulfill a Gen Ed requirement?
Only courses offered through the Program in General Education (that is, courses with GENED course numbers) can be used to fulfill Gen Ed requirements.
Can a course fulfill a Gen Ed requirement and also count for concentration credit or for secondary field credit?
Only Gen Ed courses can be used to fulfill Gen Ed requirements. Departments may elect to have Gen Ed courses count for concentration credit or for secondary field credit. Please contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies for the relevant department to determine whether a particular Gen Ed course can be used for concentration or secondary credit.
Can I fulfill Gen Ed requirements with courses taken Pass/Fail?
You can fulfill one of your Gen Ed requirements with a course taken Pass/Fail. Please note that the instructor’s permission is required to take a course Pass/Fail.
Gen Ed courses taken SEM/UEM in Spring 2020 will not count against the limit of fulfilling one Gen Ed requirement with a course taken Pass/Fail.
How do I enroll for a Gen Ed course Pass/Fail?
Instructor permission is required to take a course Pass/Fail. Check the course syllabus to see if Pass/Fail is permitted or ask the course head. Pass/Fail Instructions are available for requesting a change in grading basis from letter-graded to Pass/Fail.
Can I enroll in a Gen Ed course that meets the same time as another course?
Students pursuing simultaneous enrollment in a Gen Ed course and a non-Gen Ed course must attend the Gen Ed course.
Can Harvard Summer School courses fulfill Gen Ed requirements?
Some courses at the Harvard Summer School (HSS) can be used to complete Gen Ed requirements.
Please note that no more than one HSS course taught through remote formats may be used to fulfill a General Education requirement.
Will term-time study abroad reduce my Gen Ed requirements?
Gen Ed requirements are not reduced for students who study abroad during term time.
You might be able to fulfill one or more of the College’s distribution requirements with courses taken abroad. Please contact divdist@fas.harvard.edu for further information.
Are Gen Ed requirements reduced for transfer students?
Gen Ed requirements are not reduced for transfer students.
Many transfer students will be able to use their transfer credits to fulfill one or more of the College’s distribution requirements. For questions about this, please e-mail divdist@fas.harvard.edu.
I am returning to Harvard after taking some time off. How do I know where I stand with my Gen Ed requirements?
Send us an email at gened_questions@fas.harvard.edu. We will look at your coursework and confirm which Gen Ed requirements you have fulfilled.