PAES Orientation
An Ohio State Degree
Before we provide more information about your intended major, we would like to give you some general information that applies to all students at Ohio State.
Most degrees at Ohio State require course work in these areas:
- General Education Curriculum (GEC)
- Major Course Work
- Elective Course Work
General Education Curriculum
The General Education Curriculum (GEC) includes course work designed to provide students with a breadth of knowledge across a wide range of subject areas. These requirements are intended to ensure that every Ohio State student has a well-rounded knowledge base upon which to build.
GEC Categories include:
- Writing and Related Skills
- Quantitative and Logical Skills
- Natural Science
- Social Science
- Arts and Humanities
College and Major Course Work
College and major course work allow you to gain specialized knowledge in your area of interest. More information about your major will be provided in the next section of this site.
Elective Course Work
Some degrees at Ohio State require a small amount of elective course work (courses at the 100 level or above that you get to select). You can apply this course work toward a minor in another subject area, choose courses to help strengthen your overall curriculum, or simply take courses from diverse subject areas of your choice.
What about Foreign Language?
Please note that as long as you have completed at least two years of a foreign language in high school, the College of Education and Human Ecology will not require you to complete a foreign language as part of our general education curriculum. However, we do still want you to take the foreign language placement test at orientation. If you place high enough in your foreign language placement test, you may earn some elective credit just from your placement level. In addition, taking the placement test will allow you to continue on with the foreign language you took in high school as elective course work if you choose to do so. Finally, there are many majors that do require a foreign language, so if you think you may be considering a change in majors, taking the placement test will allow you to schedule the foreign language you took in high school in the future if necessary.
