FIU University Core Curriculum (UCC)

Florida International University seeks to develop productive, creative, and responsible citizens who both shape society and lay the foundation for tomorrow. The UCC provides broad, foundational knowledge through a well-defined curriculum to help students develop intellectual skills and habits that enable them to think critically, analytically, and creatively, thus fostering more effective and lifelong learners. Together with concentration in major fields of study, the UCC builds the base that makes future academic and professional excellence possible.

Implementation of the UCC and day-to-day monitoring of student compliance with UCC requirements are the responsibility of the Office of Academic Support Initiatives & Services (OASIS) within the Division of Academic Affairs. Academic advising is a priority at the university. Undergraduate students are assigned to academic advisors within their major who will assist them with understanding and completing the requirements of the UCC.  

The UCC requirements detailed below apply to all FIU students entering as first-time-in-college students in Summer B 2026 or later, and to all students entering as transfer students (who have not already earned an Associate in Arts [AA] degree at a state college or university in the State of Florida) in Fall 2026 or later. Students are required to complete a minimum of 36 credits from the UCC course list and satisfy the category requirements. Courses in the UCC are divided into five categories: Communication, Humanities, Mathematics, Natural Science, and Social Science. Each category includes state core (Group 1) and institutional general education (Group 2) courses approved by the State University System of Florida Board of Governors. Each category includes the number of courses required as well as the current list of approved courses; only these courses meet the UCC requirements and all must be taken for a letter grade.

Most programs require certain common prerequisite courses in addition to UCC requirements. Students should consult the catalog section dealing with the programs they wish to pursue to determine the nature and extent of the additional requirements. Students are ultimately responsible for meeting with advisors to discuss academic and career goals, course planning, academic policies and procedures, and opportunities for engagement at the University. Students are encouraged to meet with advisors should they have any questions about the UCC requirements or any of the graduation requirements or notes included below.

For information about the Florida Postsecondary Institutions General Education Digital Badges, please visit the Office of Micro-Credentials.

Additional Graduation Requirements

College-Level Communication and Computation Skills: Courses in the following areas are considered part of the College-Level Communication and Computation Skills requirement: Communication, Mathematics, and courses designated as Writing Intensive Requirement (WIR). A grade of "C" or higher is required in these courses.

Writing Intensive Requirement (WIR): Students are required to demonstrate college-level writing skills through six semester hours of Writing Intensive Requirement (WIR)-designated courses. To fulfill this requirement, students can select any two WIR-designated courses in the UCC. Students must earn a grade of "C" or higher to earn WIR credit.

Postsecondary Civic Literacy (CL) Requirement: Students must demonstrate understanding of American Civics via completed course work and/or test credit. This requirement is applicable to first year students enrolling for the first time in a Florida state college or university starting Summer 2018 or transfer students starting Fall 2018. All undergraduate students initially entering a Florida state college or university Summer B 2021 and thereafter must complete both a course and an exam. In addition to AMH 2020 and POS 2041, AMH 2010 will also satisfy the state of Florida's civic literacy course requirement if taken Fall 2024 or later. Note: Students awarded an associate or baccalaureate degree by a Florida state institution who initially entered prior to fall 2018 are required to meet the civic literacy requirements should they return to seek an additional undergraduate degree if they did not meet the requirements as part of their initial degree. 

Communication Category (3 courses required; one from Group One and two from Group Two)

Communication courses afford students the ability to communicate effectively, including the ability to write clearly and engage in public speaking. [These are state required courses; a grade of “C” or higher is required.]

Humanities Category (2 courses required; one of which must be from Group One)

Humanities courses afford students the ability to think critically through the mastering of subjects concerned with human culture, especially literature, history, art, music, and philosophy.

Mathematics Category (2 courses required: one of which must be from Group One)

Mathematics courses afford students a mastery of foundational mathematical and computation models and methods by applying such models and methods in problem solving. [Mathematics courses are state required courses; a grade of “C” or higher is required.]

Any student who successfully completes a mathematics course in Group Two for which a course in Group One is an immediate prerequisite shall be considered to have completed Group One and may take two mathematics courses from Group Two.  

Social Science Category (2 courses required; one of which must be from Group One)

Social science courses afford students an understanding of the basic social and behavioral science concepts and principles used in the analysis of behavior and past and present social, political, and economic issues.

Natural Science Category (2 courses required; one of which must be from Group One)

Natural science courses afford students the ability to critically examine and evaluate the principles of the scientific method, model construction, and use the scientific method to explain natural experiences and phenomena.

Any student who successfully completes a natural science course in Group Two for which a course in Group One is an immediate prerequisite shall be considered to have completed Group One and may take two natural science courses from Group Two.

Additional Policies and Requirements

A student who has graduated from a Florida State College or University with an Associate in Arts degree will have met UCC requirements.

A student who has met the General Education requirements (as noted on their transcript) of any institution in the State University System of Florida will have met UCC requirements.

A student who has earned a previous baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution will have met UCC requirements.  

A student who has taken the first two years in an accredited college other than a Florida College System or a State University System of Florida institution may receive credit for courses meeting UCC requirements.  

A student who has been admitted before completing an equivalent general education program must do so at the university prior to graduation.

A transfer student who has successfully completed one or both science courses without labs at another institution prior to admission to FIU will be deemed to have satisfied the Natural Science and lab requirement. Transfer students who completed only one science lecture without a lab will be required to complete a lecture and lab at FIU.

Students in the Honors College who have satisfied designated Honors Courses will be deemed to have met sections of the UCC requirements. Visit http://honors.fiu.edu  for course equivalencies. 

Related FIU Policy

FIU Policy 340.280 The Core Curriculum