University of Wisconsin Stout | Wisconsin's Polytechnic University

Each degree program at UW-Stout has a general education component. This component is designed to provide you with knowledge and skills in communication, analytical reasoning, health and physical education, humanities and the arts, social and behavioral sciences, natural sciences and technology.

The university also requires students to take courses to learn about the diverse cultures that make up the United States. With careful planning, some of the general education courses and ethnic studies courses may overlap. That is, you may take a course that meets both general education and ethnic studies requirements. While the credits you earn count once toward graduation, they may be used to satisfy requirements in these two areas.

The global perspective requirement for undergraduates stems from the goals of UW-Stout's distinctive mission and array of programs that combine theory, practice and experimentation.  

General Education Credit Distribution

Some degree programs have specific general education courses that must be taken in order to satisfy certification, accreditation or prerequisite standards. These exceptions are noted in the general education requirements of each program.

Lists of the general education courses in each category are available online here [pdf].  

In the course description section of this bulletin, general education courses are coded to identify which category the course is from. The codes indicate the particular general education category the course applies to, as indicated in the following chart.

Ethnic Studies Requirements

The university requires that you take ethnic studies courses to learn about the diverse cultures that make up the United States. The courses are categorized as "A," "B," or "C" level and are coded ESA, ESB or ESC in the course description section of this bulletin.

ESA courses directly address diversity in American culture. ESB courses focus on a subject other than diversity, such as business, education or history. However, in the context of the subject area, the course will emphasize an understanding and appreciation of diversity. The primary goal of ESC courses is to teach a professional skill or theory though the courses include a multicultural component. Students are required to take either:

1. Two ESA courses or
2. One ESA course and one ESB course or
3. One ESA course and two ESC courses or
4. One ESB course and two ESC courses or
5. Three ESB courses or
6. Two ESB courses and one ESC course.

Lists of the ethnic studies courses in each category are available online here.

Transfer students who have fulfilled the ethnic studies requirement at another UW System university are exempt from meeting UW-Stout's criteria.

Global Perspective Requirement

Both the globalization of work and the career education that is part of UW-Stout's mission make it desirable that students appreciate cultural, economic, political, environmental and social differences. Increasingly, graduates will work with people who do not speak English well or whose culture is quite different from their own. Learning a second language and developing an understanding of another culture can provide students with skills they will be able to use in international situations. Therefore, to earn a bachelor's degree, students must fulfill a global perspective requirement, choosing one of the following options:

Second Language Option

• Complete two years of the same second language in high school with a grade of "C" or above, or
  
• Complete four university credits of a second language with a grade of "C" or above, or
  
• Demonstrate competency in a second language by means of a standardized examination. International students whoare not native speakers of English must have a TOEFL score of 500.

Global Experience Option

• Complete a program of university-approved work or study abroad, or
• Complete six credits of courses approved by the CIC as fulfilling the global perspective requirement. These courses are coded GLP in the course description section of this bulletin.