General Education Requirements

General Education

The College’s general education program serves the University’s mission to offer its diverse community of learners a challenging and individualized education shaped by a deep-rooted culture of mentoring and thoughtful engagement with the world beyond its campus. Students discover their passions by exploring a rich and varied curriculum that fosters a deep understanding of the world while simultaneously immersing themselves in a specific area of interest to develop disciplinary or interdisciplinary expertise. Our commitment to experiential learning encourages students to actively engage with the academic and co-curricular communities on-campus by learning through action. Students actively engage the world beyond the gates of the university by taking what they have learned in the classroom and on campus and applying it in local and/or global academic and professional settings. Drew’s proximity to New York City and our innovative international programs provide multiple opportunities for students to apply their theoretical knowledge to everyday practice and real-world contexts.

The general education curriculum is purposefully designed to give students flexibility and choice; there is no single path all Drew students will follow, though all students will gain the knowledge, skills, and collaborative capacities they need to navigate a complex world.  Students shape their own education, with the support of dedicated faculty mentors who serve as academic advisers. Under their guidance, students will complete a selection of courses from the below required categories. By graduation, Drew students will be ready for a life of continued learning, community involvement, and professional leadership.

Graduation Requirements

To complete the Drew bachelor’s degree, a student’s cumulative grade point average, both overall and in the major, must be at least 2.000.

Students must also complete the following:

• 128 credits, of which at least 48 must be earned at Drew;

• 64 intermediate and upper-level credits, of which at least 32 must be at the upper level;

• a major area of study;

• Drew's general education requirements:

  • Drew Seminar or College Writing (1 course)

  • Breadth of Knowledge (5 courses)

    • Natural Science (1 course)

    • Social Science (1 course)

    • Humanities (1 course)

    • Arts (1 course)

    • Interdisciplinary (1 course)

  • Writing (3 courses)

    • Writing Intensive (2 courses)*

    • Writing in the Major (1 course)

  • Quantitative Literacy (2 courses)

  • Foreign Language (1 course)**

  • Engaging Difference (2 courses)

    • Global Challenges (1 course)

    • Power, Privilege, and Difference (1 course)

  • two Immersive Experiences;

• Apply to graduate in the Fall of their final year.

*If a student is completing two majors, they will complete one writing intensive course and two writing in the major courses.

**Depending on language placement, students may take one to two prerequisites before completing the 200-level foreign language requirement.