Changes to CoreFSU: Summaries

What

• Legislation mandated review of all courses that the state and institution classified as general education.
• Submission of final university list deadline to the Board of Governors was September 1, 2024.
• Reviewed and approved at BOG November 21 meeting.
• An amendment window in which we could add courses approved at other institutions to our general education list was opened with a deadline of February 14, 2025.
• Final approved list of Florida State University received on March 4, 2025.

Outcomes

• Florida State University has approximately 138 courses in the general education inventory for the 2025-2026 academic year.
• The new inventory and related changes in courses take effect Fall 2025.

Advising Implications

• Beginning in Fall 2025, the new course list applies to ALL students regardless of when they entered FSU. When the student entered FSU does NOT impact a course’s general education status.
• Changes in general education status on courses are NOT retroactive.
• A course’s general education status in the term in which the student took the course determines whether or not it fulfills a general education course requirement.
• In cases where a student fulfilled a general education requirement prior to Fall 2025 with a course that is no longer on the approved general education course list, that general education requirement will remain fulfilled.
• If a student takes a course in Fall 2025 or later that was previously on FSU’s general education list but is no longer on the approved list, the student will NOT fulfill the previously approved general education requirement.
• In the case of transfer courses, these same rules apply. For example:
  • A student transfers to FSU in Fall 2025 and took a class at their previous institution in Spring 2025 that would have been an FSU Humanities course in Spring 2025, then the course will fulfil a Humanities course requirement once the student matriculates at FSU. 
  • Conversely, a student transfers to FSU Spring 2026 and took the same course at the previous institution in Fall 2025 when that course no longer counts as an FSU Humanities course, the student will NOT get Humanities credit for the course.
• Some courses changed numbers or titles during the review process. Visit the Find a CoreFSU Course page to verify the information on courses you typically recommend to students. 

Transfer Credit Implications

• Lower division transfer and FTIC who come in with transfer or dual enrollment credit that was completed before Fall 2025 when a course counted for general education will not automatically have their credit show as counting toward general education. Students will have to request an exception from their dean’s office. 

Advising Tool Updates

• The Advising Sheet has been updated on the CoreFSU website and in It’s All Academic.
• The Office of CoreFSU has updated its course search feature.
  • Two separate visualizations are now available to search for approved courses:
    • Prior to Fall 2025
    • Fall 2025 and Beyond (Recommend that advisors visit this page to confirm the status of typically recommended courses.)
• Stellic and the Student Central Course Catalog are being programmed to reflect the changes in general education.

Going Forward

• The general education review process is required annually.
  • 2025-26 will probably be the most impactful.
  • Do not anticipate major changes for Fall 2026-2027.
•  Office of CoreFSU will communicate changes in course status regularly.
  • Notifications in the CIA Dispatch and CIA Listserv
  • Updates to Find a CoreFSU Course page
  • Added Changes to CoreFSU: Summaries page 
  • Updates in Stellic, the Student Central Course Catalog, and the General Bulletin

Ethics – Graduation Requirement – Update and Clarification

What

• Ethics becomes a graduation requirement for all students starting Fall 2025, regardless of when they came to FSU.
• For AA Transfers, the Ethics requirement is waived. The waiver of the Ethics requirement for AA transfers is retroactive.

Current Students and Those Entering in Summer 2025

• Students who completed an Ethics designated course prior to Fall 2025 will fulfill both 3 hours of Humanities/Cultural Practices and their Ethics graduation requirement.
• All courses that were designated as Ethics courses prior to Fall 2025 will continue to meet the Ethics graduation requirement. However, ONLY 8 of these existing courses will continue to count as 3 hours toward general education requirements beginning in Fall 2025:
  • IDS2461, LEI2318, PHI2010, PHI2620, PHI2630, PHI2635, and PHM2300 will continue to fulfill both 3 hours of Humanities and Cultural Practices along with the Ethics graduation requirement.
  • PAD1000 (previously PAD3003) has been releveled and now fulfills both Social Science and Ethics.

(Note: As departments add and modify courses, other general education courses may also fulfill the Ethics graduation requirement).

Students Entering in Fall 2025 and Later

• Beginning in Fall 2025, courses that only carry the Ethics designation will not fulfill any general education hours requirement unless the courses are ALSO approved for general education.

Advising Consideration

• As a University Graduation Requirement, students now are required to earn a C- or better in the course in order to receive Ethics credit. This was not the case when the requirement was part General Education.
• An exception is being deployed in Stellic that grants Ethics credit as a graduation requirement for students who earned a D- or better prior to Fall 2025. This should prevent any student from being disadvantaged by the move.
• Please remember that effective Fall 2025, student must earn a C- or better in an Ethics designated course in order to receive credit for the Graduation Requirement.

Below are the changes to the Statewide Core effective Fall 2024.

These changes have been reflected on the Find a CoreFSU Course page beginning Fall 2024.

Quantitative and Logical Thinking - Revised

Must complete one of the following:

• MAC1105 College Algebra
• MAC2311 Calculus
• MGF1130 Mathematical Thinking
• STA2023 Statistical Methods
• A mathematics course for which one of the above general education courses is a direct prerequisite.

Natural Sciences - Add

• GLY2010 Introduction to Geology (Physical Geology)
• OCE1001 Introduction to Oceanography (Elementary Oceanography)

History/Social Sciences

• Add - AMH2010 A History of the United States to 1877
• Remove - SYG1000 Introduction to Sociology

Restrictions regarding MGF1130/1131 and MGF1106/1107:

As we transition to offering MGF 1130 (in place of MGF 1106) and MGF 1131 (in place of MGF 1107) beginning this Summer 2024, below are a few reminders/updates that you might find helpful:

• MGF 1130 will count as a state-wide CORE quantitative course. MGF 1131 will not count as a CORE course but can be used to fulfill the 2^nd Gen Ed quantitative course.
• MGF 1107 was taught for the last time in Spring 2024.  MGF 1106 will be taught for the last time in Summer A 2024.
• MGF 1130 will be offered every term beginning in Summer B 2024. MGF 1131 will be offered for the first time in Spring 2025.
• Beginning Summer 2024, any test or transfer credit that comes in as MGF 1106 will be automatically converted to MGF 1130 and anything that comes in as MGF 1107 will automatically be converted to MGF 1131. 
• The Math Department will do internal checks during Drop/Add to ensure students are not registering for duplicate credit if they already have credit for MGF 1106 and/or MGF 1107 and are trying to take MGF 1130 or MGF 1131.