Requirements

Students must successfully complete, with a grade of C or higher, one of the GenEd-approved English Composition courses:

• CMLT-C 110Writing the World (3 cr.)
• ENG-W 131Elementary Composition (3 cr.)
• ENG-W 170Introduction to Argumentative Writing: Projects in Reading and Writing (3 cr.—this topic only)
• ENG-W 171Projects in Digital Literacy (3 cr.)

Students must successfully complete one of the GenEd-approved Mathematical Modeling courses:

• MATH-B 110Mathematics for Business and Public Affairs (3 cr.)
• MATH-M 106The Mathematics of Decision and Beauty (3 cr.)
• MATH-J 113Introduction to Calculus with Applications (3 cr.)
• MATH-M 118Finite Mathematics (3 cr.)
• MATH-S 118Honors Finite Mathematics (3 cr.)
• MATH-V 118Finite Mathematics with Applications: Finite Mathematics for the Social and Biological Sciences (3 cr.)
• MATH-V 118Finite Mathematics with Applications: Finite Math in Action (3 cr.)
• MATH-V 118Finite Mathematics with Applications: Finite and Consumer Math (3 cr.)
• MATH-M 119Brief Survey of Calculus I (3 cr.)
• MATH-V 119Applied Brief Calculus I: Applied Brief Calculus I for the Life Sciences (3 cr.)
• MATH-M 211Calculus I (4 cr.)
• MATH-S 211Honors Calculus I (3 cr.)

Alternatively, students may complete the GenEd-approved finite math two-course sequence: MATH-D 116 + MATH-D 117 (2 cr. + 2 cr.). Credit is not applied to the GenEd Mathematical Modeling requirement until both courses have been completed with a passing grade.

Students must successfully complete at least two courses, for a total of at least 6 cr., from the list of GenEd-approved Arts and Humanities courses.

Students must successfully complete at least two courses, for a total of at least 6 cr., from the list of GenEd-approved Social and Historical Studies courses.

Students must successfully complete at least two courses, for a total of at least 5 cr., from the list of GenEd-approved Natural and Mathematical Sciences courses. At least one of these courses must be designated as a Natural Science course. (Note: A course used to satisfy the GenEd Mathematical Modeling requirement will not also count toward the GenEd Natural and Mathematical Sciences requirement.)

Alternatively, students may complete one of these approved N&M courses (5 cr. each) that includes a substantial lab component:

• ANAT-A 225   Human Anatomy
• BIOL-L 100   Humans and the Biological World
• CHEM-C 103   Introduction to Chemical Principles
• PHSL-P 225   Human Physiology
• PHYS-P 201   General Physics I
• PHYS-P 202   General Physics II
• PHYS-P 221   Physics I

Note: A course used to satisfy the GenEd Mathematical Modeling Foundations requirement will not also count toward the Breadth of Inquiry Natural and Mathematical Sciences requirement.

Students must successfully complete one of the following three options:

Language Study

Students must successfully complete the study of a single GenEd-approved world language through the second semester of the second-year level of college-level course work. International students whose native language is not English may fulfill the foreign language requirement through demonstrated proficiency in their native languages, in accordance with the practice and policies of the College of Arts and Sciences.

At the discretion of departments offering the relevant world language courses, and with permission of the appropriate College of Arts and Sciences academic dean, exemptions for approved courses may be earned by satisfactory performance on departmentally approved examinations.

Search for approved World Languages Courses

World Culture Courses

Students must successfully complete at least two courses, for a total of at least 6 cr., from the list of GenEd-approved World Culture courses.

Search for approved World Culture Courses

International Experience

To satisfy the International Experience option, students must complete an approved study abroad program or approved study abroad internship of at least six credit hours and at least six weeks abroad in duration (or a combination of programs totaling six credit hours; if a combination of programs is chosen, the international experiences must, at a minimum, be three weeks abroad in duration, and the student must earn at least three credit hours from the program for it to count as half of the six–credit hour requirement.) The language of instruction of these programs may be English or another world language, and the site of instruction may be any country except the United States. The following options are available, although certain prerequisites and conditions apply to some programs. In all cases, the programs will have been approved for credit by the Overseas Study Advisory Council (1–3 below) or the Office of International Admissions (4 below):

1. IU–administered programs
2. IU co-sponsored programs
3. IU autonomous programs
4. Non–IU programs that have been approved in advance by the Office of International Admissions via approval of the Credit Transfer Agreement Form.

For information about opportunities for studying abroad, see the website of IU Education Abroad.

• A minimum of 6 credit hours of the IU Bloomington General Education Common Ground curriculum must be completed in residence at Indiana University Bloomington.
• Unless otherwise explicitly stated, a grade of D– or higher is sufficient for successful completion of a course in the General Education Common Ground curriculum.
• In order to apply toward the General Education Common Ground requirements, a course must be GenEd-approved for the semester in which the course is taken.
• For Breadth of Inquiry (A&H, S&H, and N&M) and World Languages and Cultures, at the discretion of departments, and with permission of the appropriate academic dean (i.e., the academic dean for the course), exemptions for approved courses may be earned by satisfactory performance on departmentally approved examinations.
• Equivalencies for English Composition and foreign language courses are established by the College of Arts and Sciences and will apply to the General Education requirements in accordance with the policies published in the current College of Arts and Sciences Bulletin.
• Courses in which a student earns a grade of "P" (i.e., Pass) will not count toward fulfillment of Common Ground requirements.
• Repeatable courses that are GenEd-approved may apply toward fulfillment of Common Ground requirements more than once only if the course is repeated with a different topic.
• Independent study or correspondence courses do not apply toward fulfillment of IU Bloomington General Education Common Ground requirements.
• For information on transfer credit and the IU Bloomington GenEd Common Ground requirements, consult the Transfer Students page of the IU Bloomington GenEd website.