USC 'Likely' Adding More GE Requirements

According to the USC website, the general education (GE) requirements are being revamped for Fall 2015. The USC Registration Department said it’s likely that two GEs are being added, for a total of eight required GEs for incoming freshmen, but details have not been finalized.

Currently, USC students are required to take six GEs that include only two sciences and four humanities courses.

Students say they've heard rumors that the categories being added will be a math and another science category. The General Education Office said it could not release details because the committee is still working on the redesign. A representative we spoke to said more information will be released this spring.

A February 2014 proposal from the Dornsife of College of Letters Arts Sciences outlines what could be the revamped GE program the following way:

No current USC students will be affected by the addition, according to a representative for the Office of Registration.

A USC tour guide said nothing has been confirmed to her and her colleagues yet, but they have been instructed to tell incoming freshmen the following while on tours:

“[GEs are] a great way for students to experience an interdisciplinary education at the university. You never know if a certain GE can encourage you to take on a minor or even change a major.”

Some students aren't buying that message, however. 

“I think it makes sense to have a base level math GE, but I think that GEs three and four are already redundant, we don’t need another science GE,” said Tenaya Ende, communications major. “Taking math would only bring down my G.P.A., I would not want to minor in math.”