KU Core 34 Curriculum
To update KU’s general education requirements to align with the Kansas Board of Regents’ (KBOR) statewide general education framework.
All undergraduate students including those working toward a graduate degree in which all baccalaureate coursework is completed while working toward the graduate degree (e.g., the five-year Master of Architecture degree).
All undergraduate students first enrolling in fall 2024 or later must complete the requirements of the KU Core 34 curriculum to earn a baccalaureate degree. The term “requirements” refers to the educational goals and learning outcomes — and the approved courses and educational experiences to meet them — specified in the KU Core 34 curriculum.
Students are required to complete all degree and major requirements of the school/College and campus granting the baccalaureate degree in addition to the requirement of the KU Core 34 curriculum. A course may simultaneously satisfy a KU Core 34 curriculum requirement as well as degree or major requirements.
Students who hold a bachelor’s degree from an institution accredited by one of the following accrediting bodies shall be exempted from the KU Core 34 curriculum when enrolling in an undergraduate degree program at KU:
- Accrediting Commissions for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), Western Association of Schools and Colleges;
- Higher Learning Commission (HLC);
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE);
- New England Commission on Higher Education (NECHE);
- Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCC);
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC); or
- WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC).
All degree requirements for the bachelor’s degree being earned at KU must be completed; such requirements will be defined by the academic unit.
The KU Core 34 curriculum was created to align with the Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) Statewide General Education Framework. The KU Core 34 curriculum is an update to the KU Core in existence from 2013 to summer 2024. The Chancellor and Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor are responsible to KBOR to oversee the curricula at the University of Kansas. It is the responsibility of school and College curriculum committees to establish, if needed, school-specific/College-specific bachelor’s degree requirements that align with the KU Core 34 curriculum and the currently approved University of Kansas major requirements.
Grading
The letters A, B, C, D (+/–), CR, and S are used to indicate passing work. Students must receive passing grades in courses approved for the KU Core 34 Curriculum to meet learning outcomes. Additional details of the grading system can be found in Article 2, Section 3 of the University Senate Rules and Regulations.
Students must complete courses or experiences for credit in the KU Core 34 curriculum.
Courses for which students receive grades of F, NC, or U do not satisfy the requirement for the relevant learning outcome.
Transition from General Education to KU Core 34 Curriculum Requirements
Current Students:
Any students who enrolled at KU prior to the fall 2024 term may choose to move from the former KU Core requirements to the new KU Core 34 requirements by changing their catalog year. Once a student has moved their catalog year forward, the student may not opt back out and must follow all degree requirements for the catalog year they move into. It is strongly recommended that students who wish to move their catalog year to align with the KU Core 34 meet with an academic advisor to discuss their options.
Transfer Students:
A transfer student is a KU student who first attended a post-secondary institution other than KU after graduating from high school (excluding the summer immediately after senior year).
All transfer students admitted to KU for fall 2024 or later will be admitted under the requirements of the KU Core 34 curriculum. Transfer students first enrolling for the academic years 2024-25 will have one year from their initial enroolment term to opt out of the KU Core 34 curriculum and instead follow the former KU Core requirements (e.g., Fall 2024 has until the start of Fall 2025 term to make the update). It is strongly recommended that students who wish to opt-out of the KU Core 34 curriculum meet with an academic advisor to discuss the decision. For students who opt out of the KU Core 34 curriculum, their degree and major requirements will be aligned to 2023 catalog year.
Readmitted Students:
Students who have left KU and wish return are required to follow the readmit process for the appropriate school or College. The school’s policy for readmissions will mandate whether the student is required to complete the KU Core 34 curriculum requirements or prior general education requirements.
Exemptions to the requirements of the KU Core 34 curriculum are governed by the University Core Curriculum Committee (KUL) or the KUMC Undergraduate Council (KUMC).
Lawrence Campus and All Reporting Units:
Academic Affairs
1450 Jayhawk Boulevard, Room 133
Lawrence, KS 66045
785-864-4907
kucore@ku.edu
KU Medical Center Campus and All Reporting Units:
Office of the Vice Chancellor for Academic & Student Affairs
3901 Rainbow Blvd., 5016 Wescoe Pavilion
Kansas City, KS 66160
913-588-0146
The Kansas Board of Regents charges the chancellor and provost to oversee the curricula at the University of Kansas. On the basis of that authority and in accordance with the policy on Approval of Academic Programs and Academic Units and the Faculty Responsibility for the Establishment of Curricula, Academic Standards, and Degree Requirements, the chancellor and provost charged the University Core Curriculum Committee during the years 2022-2023 to review the KU Core Curriculum and align the curriculum with the systemwide general education policy approved by the Kansas Board of Regents in June 2022. KU Core 34 curriculum is the end-product constructed by the University Core Curriculum Committee.
01/21/2026: Updated to align with Kansas Board of Regents' Statewide General Education Framework; Updated to all-University policy.
10/05/2016: Fixed broken link.
10/09/2015: Revised policy tallow for an exemption from the KU Core for students holding bachelor's degrees. This exemption was proposed by the UCCC, reviewed by deans, and endorsed by the Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs prior to being approved by the Provost.
12/10/2014: Policy formatting cleanup (e.g., bolding, spacing).
10/17/2014: Policy formatting cleanup (e.g., bolding, spacing).
05/15/2014: Extended the opt-out window for transfer students.
04/07/2014: Changed the parameters for series of courses to allow for 3 credit hours per learning outcome.
02/07/2014: Added missing hyperlinks and corrected typo.
06/05/2013: Details of exemptions were removed from the policy; a link to the page of the KU Core website that outlines current exemptions was inserted.
