University of Central Missouri General Education Requirements

Program Description

The Associate of Arts degree (A.A.) at JCCC is a general transfer degree and partners well with the first two years of most bachelor degree programs. Students who transfer to UCM with a JCCC Associate of Arts degree are considered to have met all 42 hours of UCM’s General Education requirements, with the exception of Major/Minor-Required General Education courses and the Constitution Requirement (see explanations below). The elective hours within the A.A. allow students to complete additional general education and lower division courses required for specific majors/minors.

Students who transfer to UCM without a degree (or a degree other than an AA) will have all coursework evaluated on a course-by-course basis.  JCCC students not completing the AA degree should refer to the tables in this document for JCCC General Education course equivalents and also the UCM catalog for any specific or additional General Education requirements for their UCM program of study. 

NOTE: Courses taken to fulfill General Education requirements may not be taken on the pass/fail basis.

Major/Minor-Required General Education Courses: Some majors and minors require specific General Education courses.  Additionally, some degree programs may require up to six additional hours of General Education depending on the math, science, and technology courses required. Visit the major/minor listing in the UCM catalog for major/minor-required General Education courses. 

United States and Missouri Constitutions Requirement: Missouri state law requirement. Section 170.011 RSMO Supp (1988) requires that all students at public Missouri institutions have a course that teaches the constitutions of Missouri and the United States. The following courses in the UCM General Education program fulfill this requirement: HIST 1350 - History of the United States to 1877, HIST 1351 - History of the United States from 1877, HIST 1402 - History of the Modern World and POLS 1510 - American Government or POLS 2511 - State Government, and are denoted with a “#” in the General Education course listing. These courses must be taken from institutions in the state of Missouri. Courses from out-of-state institutions which are articulated or substituted for these courses will not fulfill state law requirement Section 170.011 RSMO Supp (1988). Students who have one of these courses from out of state or who have already fulfilled all nine hours of Knowledge Area III in the general education program may fulfill this requirement by passing an exam on the constitutions of the United States and of Missouri. This test is offered online, at no cost by the School of Social Sciences and Languages (Wood 203). Testing information can be obtained by calling 660-543-8840.

Missouri Higher Education Civics Achievement Examination Requirement (State Law Requirement, Section 170.013) went into effect Fall 2019 for students pursuing a degree at any public Missouri institution and requires that all students shall successfully pass an examination on the provisions and principles of American civics with a score of seventy percent or greater as a condition of graduation. The subject matter of the 50 question, multiple-choice test includes the US Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and other areas of government and American history. Students may fulfill this requirement by passing an exam offered in Blackboard or by providing proof on an official transcript of having passed the exam at another Missouri higher education institution. This test is offered online, at no cost.  Students are encouraged to take and pass the test during their first semester at UCM.  The test may be taken any number of times until a passing score of at least 70 percent is earned.  When the test is passed the requirement will show as fulfilled on the Central Degree Audit and a notation will be added to the student’s transcript.  Students who have not passed the exam by the time they have reached 60 credit hours will have a hold on their account and be prevented from enrolling in future coursework until the exam is successfully passed.  Questions about the content of the test may be referred to the School of Social Sciences and Languages (Wood 203, 660-543-8840). Testing information can be obtained by calling the Testing Center at 660-543-4919.

General Education Assessment Policy: All undergraduate students seeking a degree at UCM; except teacher education majors, RN-BS Nursing majors, and post-baccalaureate students (from UCM and transfer institutions); must, as a condition for graduation:

• Take the General Education Assessment (GEA), UCM currently utilizes The ETS Proficiency Profile, in the semester after which a total of 60 credit hours have been earned.
• Pass the GEA by obtaining a minimum score of 425 (based on a scaled score of 400-500)

Transfer students, with at least 60 credit hours, must test during their first semester at UCM.

Visit Exams to register for the GEA. Registration is also available through MyCentral. Click on the “student” tab, then the “Records and Registration” tab, then the “Register for a Test” link located in the “Testing Services” section. Complete the registration process as directed. Visit UCM Testing Services for complete information on the General Education Assessment Policy and requirements.

UCM Residence Requirement: Students should be cognizant of UCM’s Residence Requirement, especially if completing more than 60 hours at JCCC. 

Residence requirements establish a minimum number of credit hours which must be earned from UCM. Online courses and courses which are offered off campus but through UCM do count towards residence hours. Hours earned as SC or CR credit (AP/CLEP/IB/military credits/work experience) do not count towards residence hours. A candidate for any bachelor’s degree must have earned the following minimum hours in residence at UCM:

• 30 hours overall
• 20 upper-level hours (3000/4000 level courses)
• 15 hours in the major
• 9 upper-level hours in the major
• 9 hours in the minor (if applicable)
• 1 upper-level hour in the minor (if applicable)
• the last 12 semester hours or any hours during the final semester required for the degree 

UCM Upper-Level Requirement: Students should also be familiar with UCM’s Upper-Level Requirement.
Upper-level credit is coursework completed at the 3000 and 4000 level. Hours earned as SC or CR credit (AP/CLEP/IB/military credits/work experience/prior learning) do not count towards upper-level credit. Transfer credit will retain the leveling as designated by the original granting institution regardless of whether a UCM equivalent’s leveling is different. All courses taken at a two-year college and any 1000/2000 level courses taken at a four-year institution will not be applicable toward upper-level hour (3000/4000 level) requirements, even if these courses are articulated to upper-level UCM courses or used as substitutions for upper-level UCM courses.

Candidates for a bachelor’s degree must complete a minimum of:

• 30 total semester hours of upper-level credit
• 20 semester hours of upper-level credit must be earned at UCM
• 12 upper-level hours must be in the major subject, nine of these must be earned at UCM
• One upper-level hour must be in the minor subject earned at UCM