Frequently Asked Questions

After you decide you are coming to Union, we send you a list of descriptions. You can also find descriptions and information about the purpose of the FYI course in the First Year Inquiry page.

When you fill out your incoming student survey over the summer, you will indicate several FYI sections that interest you. We will place you in one of them.

No. We balance your FYI placement thoughtfully with your first and second term course loads.

No.

A total of six: five courses marked WAC or WAC-R (at least one must be WAC-R), and one marked WS (Senior Writing Experience). More information about our WAC program can be found on our Writing Across the Curriculum page.

A WAC-R is a writing-intensive course that integrates research skills. Many students satisfy their WAC-R through their major.

A Senior Writing Experience is usually either a one-term 400-level seminar that incorporates a major research and writing project, or a senior thesis in the major.

Yes.

If you’re a member of the Class of 2027, you need to take 6 Perspectives. For everyone else, it’s 7. Together with your advisor, you decide which courses suit your unique combination of academic interests.

No. The Registrar will automatically distribute each course you take so that it helps you fulfill all of your Perspectives. You can check this in Self-Service.

Yes.

These Areas help you make connections between Perspectives, so that your General Education empowers you to solve problems using tools from multiple disciplines.

There are two Areas of Inquiry:

Global Challenges (courses marked G) focus on global societal issues. Students address the historical origins of these issues, question their assumptions, and confront the complexities of an uncertain world.

Justice, Equity, Identity and Difference (courses marked J) focus on social, political, and economic relations between identity groups. Students examine how their personal experiences shape their perceptions of society and their place in it, and explore how larger social systems intersect and influence identities.

If you’re a member of the Class of 2027, you need to take at least one course with each designation (G and J). Everyone else will automatically fulfill both Areas as you take 7 Perspectives.

Some courses you take for your major and minor may satisfy Perspectives requirements, but the Complex Questions curriculum is designed to encourage you to explore Union’s liberal arts offerings.

Students must fulfill seven of the eight Perspectives, one of which is World Languages (WOL). You may choose not to take a WOL if you fulfill all of the other Perspectives requirements. Some students satisfy WOL during a study abroad program.

Students must fulfill seven of the eight Perspectives, one of which is Data and Quantitative Reasoning (DQR). You may choose not to take a DQR if you fulfill all of the other Perspectives requirements. Many introductory math courses are designated as DQR. However, other departments offer DQR courses as well.

No. Union College offers unspecified college credit for successful AP scores but does not recognize these exams as equivalent to Perspectives courses.

Some courses you take for your major and minor may satisfy Perspectives requirements. If you double major, double minor, or do an interdisciplinary (ID) major, the same is true. Consult with your advisor about planning for any of these combinations.

The Dean of Studies and the Director of General Education will work with you to determine how many courses from your previous institution will satisfy our requirements.