Big Question (formerly I-Series) courses form the signature of the UMD General Education program. A signature course could take students inside a new field of study, where they may glimpse the utility, elegance and beauty of disciplines that were previously unknown, unwanted, disparaged, or despised. Students may be able to see how such areas of investigation could become a subject for extended study, a major, or even a lifetime commitment.
How We Got Here
The Diversity requirement emphasizes the promises and problems of plural societies and the challenges that must be addressed to achieve just, equitable, and productive societies.
Fundamental Studies courses ensure students develop crucial skills for success in academic and in professional lives. As students progress through their degree programs faculty are encouraged to build upon these foundational skills and reveal to students how these are essential to all disciplines.
Distributive Studies ensures that all students acquire an exposure to a variety of disciplines even as they concentrate on a chosen field of study. Distributive Studies courses offer students insights into the methods of the different disciplines, the kinds of questions disciplines ask, and their standards for judging the answers. Courses lead students to new perspectives and also challenge students to apply their new understandings.
See Testudo for course offerings.
General Education at the University of Maryland provides a shared experience for undergraduate students that reflects the mission, vision, and values of the university. While each student has an academic major, and each faculty member has a disciplinary specialty, all students and many faculty participate in General Education.
The Faculty Board will provide feedback for courses that are not approved upon the initial review. Common reasons that courses are returned for revision:
Syllabus: 
• The proposal is missing a syllabus.