General Education Program Requirements

LOPERs General Education Program

The new General Education Program is designed to provide students with a solid foundation for advanced study. The Program thus provides greater flexibility for students to add a second major or additional minor to their degree or explore their interests with more unrestricted elective credits. The Program also seeks to ease transfer for students from community colleges.

Transfers with Completed Associates Degree: Students admitted to UNK with an Associate of Arts (AA) or Associate of Science (AS) degree from a regionally accredited institution will have fulfilled UNK’s General Education program requirements. Such students must still complete any General Education requirements specified within their program of study. 

Credit Hours: 30-31 hours in total. Students must complete one 3 credit-hour course that satisfies each learning objective/program essential requirement (LOPER) for LOPERs 1 through 10. LOPER 11 is optional. LOPER 8 (Natural Science) may be satisfied with a 3- or 4-credit hour course.

Program Requirements within General Education: Departments are permitted to require that their majors complete particular courses for LOPERs 2-11. Students should consult the program requirements in their major to choose appropriate General Education courses for their degree. 

General Education Courses from a Single Department: A student may not take more than 3 courses with the same department/discipline prefix in their General Education program. Lecture/lab combinations from a single department that must be taken as co-requisites count as one course for this rule.

Electives in the General Education Program:  There are designated courses with the appropriate content approved to satisfy one of the Broad Knowledge requirements (LOPERs 5-8) plus LOPER 9 or a Broad Knowledge requirement plus LOPER 10. 

A student who satisfies LOPER 9 or LOPER 10 with a course that also meets another requirement will have 3 hours of elective General Education credits in the 30-hour program.  A student who satisfies both LOPERs 9 and 10 with courses that also meet other requirements will have 6 hours of elective credits.

Students may use their elective credits (where applicable) for additional coursework in LOPERs 2-10, or for LOPER 11 (Wellness).

Learning Objectives/Program Essential Requirements (LOPERs): The LOPERs General Education Program is structured to teach students: Foundational academic skills (LOPERs 1-4), Broad knowledge of the arts & sciences (LOPERs 5-8), and Dispositions that prepare students for responsible, productive lives in a democratic, multicultural society (LOPERs 9-11).