UA Core Requirements

Students must complete at least 120 hours and maintain at least a 2.0 GPA in all categories to be eligible for graduation. Up to half of a student's hours (60 hours) may be transferred toward degree completion. For more information on transfer credit, visit the Transfer Credit page. Twelve hours is considered full-time for undergraduate students. In the fall, spring, & summer semesters, registering for 12-16 hours costs the same amount. Registering for additional hours will incur additional costs, even if only registering for KIN 488 internship credit hours. For more information on the cost of tuition, see the Student Account Services website.

UA Core Curriculum/General Education Requirements

Core Curriculum Requirements apply to students who begin their college careers in Fall 2025 and later.

These courses are designed to give you a strong academic foundation while you work toward your specific concentration. As part of your undergraduate degree, you will complete coursework in several key areas that support critical thinking, communication, and a well-rounded education. Together, these courses help prepare you for success.

• UA 101 (1 credit hour): A foundational course introducing students to the UA community and university-level learning.  Transfer students take UA 201.
• KIN 201 (3 credit hours): Your college-specific compass course. 
• Three semester hours in 300- and 400-level courses, preferably in your major, approved for the writing (W) designation. The (W) designation indicates that one of the conditions for a passing grade is that students write coherent, logical, and carefully edited prose in a minimum of two papers, at least one of which will be graded and returned before mid-semester. The (W) requirement must be satisfied with courses taken on this campus. These classes can NOT be transferred in from another institution.
• Two semesters of a foreign language (FL).
• Nine semester hours of courses approved for the humanities and fine arts (HU, L, and FA) designations.
• Nine semester hours of courses approved for the history and social and behavioral sciences (HI and SB) designations.
• Eleven semester hours of courses approved for the natural sciences and mathematics (N and MA) designations, to include eight semester hours of courses approved for the natural sciences (N) designation. You must complete both the lecture and the lab. BSC 215 & BSC 216: Anatomy & Physiology do NOT meet the core requirements of Natural Sciences. 
• Three semester hours of courses approved for the mathematics (MA) designation. This mathematics requirement must be satisfied with MATH 110 Finite Mathematics or higher.  A grade of “C-” is required in math introductory courses and is a prerequisite for advancement to another math course at The University of Alabama.
• Pre-professional major and/or elective courses applicable to your declared major program of study. You should consult with your major program areas for specific course designations that fulfill this requirement.

Graduation Requirements

 All graduation applications are processed by the Academic Records Manager in the Office of Student Services and Certification. All students are required to submit a degree application and have a UA GPA of 2.0 to graduate. The degree application should be filed for the term in which the student expects to complete all degree requirements. For students pursuing multiple degrees, a degree application is required for each degree. If you have questions regarding graduation, you may contact Lynn Heard at elheard@ua.edu​.