General Education Petitions

Students are expected to plan ahead and complete their General Education curriculum by taking approved Gen Ed courses. However, seniors and transfer students are eligible to submit a General Education course petition to the Office of Undergraduate Curricula. Please read the following information before submitting your petition.

For questions regarding student eligibility, course eligibility, and the petition process, please contact the Curriculum Analyst.

Student Eligibility

Who can submit a Gen Ed petition?

• Seniors*
• Transfer students

*A student’s classification (sophomore, junior, senior) is determined by the cumulative number of credit hours earned. A student is classified as a senior if they have 90+ credit hours earned. To view your cumulative credit hours earned, please review your Connect Carolina Tar Heel Tracker, or meet with an Academic Advisor. For more information about academic levels (class standing), please visit the Catalog.

When can a Gen Ed petition be submitted?

For completed courses (with a passing grade), a petition can be submitted anytime.

For in-progress courses:

• Seniors may submit a petition no earlier than the first day of classes for that course.
• Transfer students who are not seniors may submit a petition after the 8th week drop deadline (or equivalent deadline during summer terms) for that course.

Course Eligibility

What courses can be submitted through the Gen Ed petition process?

• UNC-Chapel Hill courses only:
  • Courses which eligible students completed at UNC-Chapel Hill
  • Courses which eligible students are currently enrolled in at UNC-Chapel Hill.

What courses/requirements cannot be submitted through the Gen Ed petition process?

• Making Connections curriculum requirements:
  • ENGL 105/105i
  • Foreign Language
  • Lifetime Fitness
• IDEAs in Action curriculum requirements:
  • First-Year Foundations (i.e., ENGL 105/105i, FY-Seminar/FY-Launch, Triple-I & Data Literacy, IDST 101)
  • Global Language
  • Lifetime Fitness
  • Campus Life Experience
  • Additional requirements for Focus Capacity courses:
    • If a course has already been approved for two Focus Capacities, the course is not eligible to be petitioned to fulfill a third Focus Capacity.
    • Example: AAAD 220 is approved to fulfill a student’s Global Understanding & Engagement (FC-GLOBAL) or Ways of Knowing (FC-KNOWING) Focus Capacity requirement. AAAD 220 cannot be petitioned to fulfill an additional Focus Capacity.
• Other petitions and re-evaluations of credit:
  • Requests to fulfill Gen Ed requirements through By Examination (BE) credit (e.g., AP, IB, SAT), or work and life experiences that do not carry academic credit, cannot be reviewed through the General Education petition process.
  • Students can submit a Transfer Credit Re-Evaluation request in Connect Carolina to have their transfer credit re-evaluated for Gen Ed requirements.
  • Courses taken on a UNC Study Abroad program have a special course review and credit evaluation process. Please contact the UNC Study Abroad Office Credit team for more information.

The Petition Process

What information is needed to submit a Gen Ed petition?

• UNC-Chapel Hill course information (e.g., course code, semester taken, etc.)
• Justification statement for the request (200 words max)
• Copy of the syllabus

What is the process to submit a Gen Ed petition?

1. Students should first assess whether the UNC-Chapel Hill course meets the desired Gen Ed requirement’s criteria and/or student learning outcomes.
   1. For Making Connections Gen Ed requirements, consult the Making Connections General Education Curriculum Criteria Document and the Making Connections One Page Guide.
   2. For IDEAs in Action Gen Ed requirements, consult the IDEAs in Action Learning Outcomes in the Catalog and the Course Committee Guide.
2. If the UNC-Chapel Hill course appears to meet the desired Gen Ed requirement’s criteria and/or student learning outcomes, students should then personally complete and submit the General Education course petition form.
3. The Office of Undergraduate Curricula will review the petition upon receipt.
4. The Office of Undergraduate Curricula will send the student a decision by email within 15 working days. Note: Please allow greater processing time during the beginning of the fall and spring semesters (August, December, and January), as we receive peak submissions during these months.
5. If the course is approved to fulfill the Gen Ed requirement, the Office of Undergraduate Curricula will make an adjustment to the student’s Tar Heel Tracker.