• With the exception of the Language Requirement, none of these requirements may be satisfied with advanced placement credit (including A-Levels, I.B., and other similar credit based on external examination). In addition, credit awarded by departmental exam can also not be used to fulfill any other Foundational Approach.
• The same course cannot be used to satisfy more than one Foundational Approach. However, courses taken to satisfy Foundational Approaches may also be used to satisfy the Sector Requirement and/or requirements for the major or minor.
• Non-Arts & Sciences courses used to fulfill the Foundational Approaches are counted as Arts & Sciences courses in calculating total credits needed for graduation.
• Courses taken to satisfy these requirements must be taken for a letter grade, not pass/fail.
• Each of the requirements that make up the Foundational Approaches is satisfied by taking a single course from a list of requirement courses, with the exception of the Language Requirement (which may require anywhere from 0 to 4 c.u. depending on the student's background in the given language).
• For Policies Governing Double Counting Courses

Writing

Students fulfill the Writing Requirement by taking a critical writing seminar, and are strongly encouraged to do so during their first year.

• Seminars must be taken for a letter grade, not pass/fail.
• Seminars may not be used to fulfill any other College General Education Requirement.

Transfer Juniors and the Writing Requirement

Students who transfer to Penn as juniors are eligible to request transfer credit for a writing seminar. The Critical Writing Program’s website will help students determine how to fulfill the Writing Requirement and whether credit from a previous institution is likely to be applicable.

Cross-Cultural Analysis

Students fulfill the Cross-Cultural Analysis Requirement by taking a course from the list of approved courses.

• Courses taken to satisfy the Cross-Cultural Analysis Requirement must be taken for a letter grade, not pass/fail. Any passing grade, from A+ through D, is acceptable for a course to fulfill the Cross-Cultural Analysis Requirement.
• A course used to satisfy the Cross-Cultural Analysis Requirement may not be double counted toward any other Foundational Approach. However, a course fulfilling the Cross-Cultural Analysis Requirement may be double counted with any Sector and with requirements for a major or minor.
• Transfer credit, credit away and credit earned studying abroad may be counted toward the Cross-Cultural Analysis Requirement. Advanced Placement credit may not be used to fulfill the Cross-Cultural Analysis Requirement.

Quantitative Data Analysis

Students fulfill the Quantitative Data Analysis Requirement by taking a course from the list of approved courses.

• Transfer credit, credit away and credit earned studying abroad may be counted toward the Quantitative Data Analysis Requirement only when departments award credit using the number of a Penn course approved for the Quantitative Data Analysis Requirement.
• Courses taken to satisfy the Quantitative Data Analysis Requirement must be taken for a letter grade, not pass/fail.
• A course used to satisfy the Quantitative Data Analysis Requirement may not be double counted toward any other Foundational Approach. However, a course fulfilling the Quantitative Data Analysis Requirement may be double counted with any Sector and also with requirements for a major or minor.

Cultural Diversity in the U.S.

Students fulfill the Cultural Diversity in the U.S. Requirement by taking a course from the list of approved courses.

• Courses taken to satisfy the Cultural Diversity in the U.S. Requirement must be taken for a letter grade, not pass/fail. Any passing grade, from A+ through D, is acceptable for a course to fulfill the Cultural Diversity in the U.S. Requirement.
• A course used to satisfy the Cultural Diversity in the U.S. Requirement may not be double counted toward any other Foundational Approach. However, a course fulfilling the Cultural Diversity in the U.S. Requirement may be double counted with any Sector and with requirements for a major or minor.
• Transfer credit, credit away and credit earned studying abroad may be counted toward the Cultural Diversity in the U.S. Requirement. Advanced Placement credit may not be used to fulfill the Cultural Diversity in the U.S. Requirement.

Formal Reasoning and Analysis

Students fulfill the Formal Reasoning and Analysis Requirement by taking a course from the list of approved courses.

• Courses taken to satisfy the Formal Reasoning and Analysis Requirement must be taken for a letter grade, not pass/fail. Any passing grade, from A+ through D, is acceptable for a course to fulfill the Formal Reasoning and Analysis Requirement.
• A course used to satisfy the Formal Reasoning and Analysis Requirement may not be double counted toward any other Foundational Approach. However, a course fulfilling the Formal Reasoning and Analysis Requirement may be double counted with any Sector and with requirements for a major or minor.
• Transfer credit, credit away and credit earned studying abroad may be counted toward the Formal Reasoning and Analysis Requirement only when departments award credit using the number of a Penn course approved for the Formal Reasoning and Analysis Requirement.
• Neither advanced placement credit nor credit by departmental exam may be used to fulfill the Formal Reasoning and Analysis Requirement. However, students in the Class of 2027 or earlier who receive credit for MATH 1400 (MATH 104 prior to Summer 2022) in either of these ways and who take any Arts and Sciences course that has calculus as a prerequisite or co-requisite may use that course to fulfill the Formal Reasoning and Analysis Requirement.

Language

• The Language Requirement is normally fulfilled by completing the fourth-semester level course in a particular language or by demonstrating equivalent competency through language placement. Policies may vary by language program; students with questions should contact the relevant department.
• The fourth-semester of a Language Requirement course may not be used to fulfill any other General Education Requirement.
• Transfer credit, credit away and credit earned studying abroad may be counted toward the Language Requirement only when departments award credit using the number of a Penn course approved for the Language Requirement.
• All courses taken towards completion of the Language Requirement must be taken for a letter grade, not pass/fail. 

Note: Because of the pass/fail policies for Spring and Fall 2020, and Spring 2021, courses taken pass/fail in which the student earned a "P" can be used to satisfy the Language Requirement during these semesters.

Language Requirement Substitution

Students who believe that they have a documented disability that precludes learning a  language should contact the Disability Services Office. A member of their professional staff will explain the assessment procedure, which requires up-to-date neuropsychological testing.

If a student’s disability is verified by Disability Services, the student should make an appointment to meet with Dr. Niel McDowell in the College Office to confirm approval of the substitution and to select appropriate substitution courses. The number of courses each student will require will depend upon the number of language classes the student has completed before applying for the substitution. A full substitution will require four substitute courses.

Substitution courses are selected as follows: The student must choose one geographical area in the world where English is not the primary language and take at least one course in cinema or literature in translation from that country or region. The remaining courses will focus on the culture or literature of that same geographical area. If no language course has been taken at Penn, the student must also take one class in linguistics or anthropology of language. All classes for the language substitution must be approved in advance by Dr. McDowell.

Courses used as part of the Language Requirement substitution may not also be used to fulfill any major requirement, nor to fulfill any Foundational Approaches or Sector Requirement.

Transfer Students and the Language Requirement

If not yet completed, students should plan to fulfill the Language Requirement as soon as possible. Language department websites provide information about placement exams  for students who plan to continue with a previously studied language and/or receive credit for language courses taken at their previous institution.

Policies Governing Curricular Change

Courses in the College of Arts and Sciences play specific roles throughout our undergraduate curriculum.  Faculty committees regularly review courses and evaluate proposals from departments, programs, and individual faculty to ensure that courses are appropriately placed into our curricular structure in the foundational approaches, the sectors, the majors, and the minors.  In the process of transitions between our faculty committee work and the preparation for registration, some courses are not given their attributes in time to display for students during advance registration.  Therefore, the list below represents courses that advisors may include in an undergraduate’s degree audit by exception since the course will have this attribute going forward.  College students may not petition for courses to be added to the requirement lists, rather faculty and departments or programs must follow the governance path to get any such courses counted in the degree.  For courses on the list below, advisors in the Major, Minor, or College may make exceptions in DegreeWorks in the appropriate curricular location.

Fall 2024

Spring 2024

Spring 2023

Fall 2023

Fall 2022