Hi all,
I wanted to offer some thoughts on the decision incoming first-year students must make regarding General Education at UVA. Right now all incoming first-year students (excluding Echols scholars) in the College of Arts & Sciences must choose a General Education program. Students have three options:
The New College Curriculum (limited seats)
The Forums (limited seats)
The Traditional Curriculum (limited seats)
Regarding the differences in the curricula, here are some basic thoughts that are outlined on the http://gened.as.virginia.edu website:
All of the Curricula have approximately the same number of credits. The New Curriculum has 5 more credits than the Traditional Curriculum, but almost every class students take in the College of Arts & Sciences count towards the New Curriculum requirements – that’s not the case of the Traditional. In total, the New Curriculum is a little more flexible.
AP and transfer credit will apply to each of the three curricular programs in the same way.
You can choose any of the three options and still major in what you want! Thinking about the Commerce school or Batten? Each curriculum will get you there with no problems.
New College Curriculum - This curriculum’s pinnacle experience are the “Engagements”, a series of four classes that students take in the first year at UVA. These classes are led by some of the University’s most prestigious faculty - you won’t be taking courses from graduate students. And the purpose of the courses are to learn ways of thinking about knowledge, learning, and the content you will master over the next four years. Think of it as a springboard into your further studies.
The Forums - The Forums are a tailored set of classes that think about a particular 21st Century problem or issue. This program is cohort based – you’ll take 6 of your credits with the same group of 40 students to discuss these issues facing our world.
The Traditional Curriculum – This curriculum has been around for ~70 years. The faculty of the College of Arts & Sciences voted last year to pilot the New College Curriculum which will replace the Traditional Curriculum entirely in 2021 (if ratified by the faculty). The traditional curriculum asks students to take courses the arts and sciences in five major categories, and also includes a foreign language and writing component.