UNIFI | General Education Program
Inspired by the University of Northern Iowa mission to engage students in high-quality and high-impact learning experiences within a challenging and supportive environment, UNI’s new general education requirements are designed to ensure that students’ foundational learning experiences lead to a lifetime full of potential.
Called UNI Foundational Inquiry (UNIFI), the new program comes after years of thoughtful work by trusted faculty and administration. Its bold mission statement highlights the experiences students will have: "UNI’s general education curriculum is an innovative, common experience for all students, enabling them to develop skills and knowledge across a breadth of disciplines. We take pride in preparing students for fulfilling personal, professional, and civic lives."
Key Highlights
Making general education matter for our students.
Based on student learning outcomes that align with the top skills employers are seeking, UNIFI more clearly allows students to achieve the value of a general education program.
More flexibility and more credentialing, built right in.
UNI’s general education requirements provide more flexibility for students, creating a navigable path to timely graduation and options to pursue double majors or multiple minors. With an innovative, embedded certificate option, UNIFI allows students to complete a micro-credential right as they complete their general education requirements.
More transfer friendly.
An AA or AS degree will satisfy the entire general education requirement at UNI. For transfer students who have not completed an AA or AS, transfer courses will be evaluated on learning outcomes and not necessarily exact course equivalencies, allowing for a wider array of transfer courses to meet a general education requirement.
Streamlined
at 37 credits
More course offerings and fewer credits than LAC! Choose 12, 3-credit classes plus a 1-credit lab and you're done.
Goodbye
Prerequisites
Exceptions:
- ALEKS score for some math or science courses
- Language proficiency
- Priority registration for specific majors
4 NEW
Certificates
- Creative Expression & Meaning
- Developmental Considerations
- Sustainability
- THRIVE!
How Does it Work?
Structure
Pathways
Questions?
Students
Contact your assigned advisor or the Office of Academic Advising (academic-advising@uni.edu / ITTC 007 / 273-3406) for assistance.
College of Business students:
Speak with a College of Business advisor! We will be doing Drop-Ins from 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. starting on March 7. Stop by the front desk of the Curris Business Building, Room 5, or hop on the Zoom link!
Elementary Education and Early Childhood students:
The College of Education Advising and Teacher Education Success (CATS) Office (Schindler 151) will offer drop-in advising the week of February 28. Workshops will be held for students in their first year at UNI the week of March 7. Check your email for days and times. If you want to set up an individual meeting, please email your advisor or stop by the CATS Office.
Faculty
Contact the UNIFI Coordinators directly for assistance:
Donald Gaff, Assessment Coordinator, UNIFI
Jeremy Schraffenberger, Curriculum Coordinator, UNIFI