General Education Requirements

The Maryland general education program, as implemented by public colleges and universities, is designed to introduce undergraduates to the fundamental knowledge, skills and values that are essential to the study of academic disciplines, to encourage the pursuit of life-long learning and to foster the development of educated members of the community and the world.

For students in public colleges and universities, the general education requirements are as presented in the following table. Independent colleges and universities each set their own general education requirements, and these can best be determined by consulting both the independent institution’s catalog and academic advisers.

Maryland’s General Education Program

Distribution Areas	Associate of Applied Science degree (in credits)	Associate of Arts / Science degree (in credits)	Bachelor of Arts / Science degree (in credits)
English Composition	3 minimum	3 minimum	3 minimum
Mathematics - at or above the level of college algebra	3 minimum	3 minimum	3 minimum
Arts & Humanities - one course from each of two disciplines, may include speech, foreign language or composition & literature courses	3 minimum	6 minimum	6 minimum
Social & Behavioral Sciences - one course from each of two disciplines	3 minimum	6 minimum	6 minimum
Biological & Physical Sciences - two courses, including one laboratory	3 minimum	6 minimum	6 minimum
Interdisciplinary & Emerging Issues - not required, will be transferred as part of General Education Program	Optional (8 maximum)	Optional (8 maximum)	Optional (8 maximum)
Additional credits - may be assigned by each institution from English, Mathematics, Arts & Humanities, Social & Behavioral Sciences and Biological & Physical Sciences to complete the number of credits required for the General Education Program.	5-21 credits	0-12 credits	8-22 credits
TOTAL CREDITS REQUIRED FOR GENERAL EDUCATION PROGRAM	20-36 credits	30-36 credits	40-46 credits
REMAINING GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS FOR BACHELOR’S DEGREE AFTER COMPLETION OF ASSOCIATE’S DEGREE	10-26 credits maximum	10-16 credits maximum	Not Applicable