Lower-Division Requirements

Students who already possess an AA, AS, or AA&S degree as defined in the ODU Transfer Guide have met these requirements.

Students without an associate's degree in a university-parallel program must complete the lower-division General Education requirements listed below or the Virginia Community College System Transfer Module as modified by Old Dominion University. Students should consult the Virginia Community College/Old Dominion University Transfer Guide for the courses which will satisfy the following requirements.

Transfer credit from other institutions may be awarded by ODU in fulfillment of these requirements. Students should submit all college transcripts to the Office of Admissions for evaluation of credit earned.

• Skills. Completion of course work in the skills areas ensures that all students possess the basic tools with which to pursue their major interests.

  • Written Communication-six hours.

    • ENGL 110C and ENGL 111C, 131C, HIST 111C or PHIL 111C.

    • Students will also demonstrate written communication skills in the major by taking a Writing Intensive (W) course at the upper-division level.

  • Oral Communication-three hours

    • COMM 101R, 103R and 112R. 

  • Mathematics-three hours.

    • MATH 102M, 104M, 162M, STAT 130M.

    • Students should strive to complete the mathematics General Education requirement within their first 30 hours at Old Dominion University and are expected to have completed the requirement before the end of their first 60 hours at the University. Students should be aware that waivers of the mathematics General Education requirement are not granted, and all students are required to complete this requirement before graduating.

  • Foreign Languages - six hours (or proficiency at the six hour level.) 

    • This requirement does not apply to students earning high school diplomas before December 31, 1985.

    • ARAB 111F

    • CHIN 111F

    • FR 101F-102F

    • GER 101F-102F

    • ITAL 101F-102F

    • JAPN 111F

    • LATN 101F-102F

    • RUS 101F-102F

    • SPAN 101F-102F, 121F

    • SPAN 121F

    • 111F courses are six credit hours each. 

    • Students may meet this requirement by completing three high school credits in one foreign language or two high school credits in each of two languages or by completing a single foreign language at the 102F or 111F level or equivalent work from another institution. 

    • Students who have had some foreign language experience but are unable to be exempted from this requirement may complete just the 121F course in the case of Spanish or the 102F course in foreign languages if scores on the CEEB Foreign Language Achievement Test so indicate.

    • Non-native speakers of English who were required to satisfy English language proficiency requirements when admitted to Old Dominion University are exempt from taking a foreign language for General Education and for the College of Arts and Letters. 

    • Foreign nationals who have spent ten or more consecutive years in the United States are not exempt from the foreign language requirements. The Foreign Languages and Literatures Department certifies students entitled for exemption.

  • Computer Skills - three hours

    • CS 101D, 149D, IT 100D, 201D, and OTS 251D.

• Perspectives. Courses in the perspectives develop the students' critical and analytical thinking abilities. They also develop understanding of the various approaches to knowledge, the contributions various academic disciplines can make to solving specific problems, and the effective use of the English language. Courses in the perspectives also develop and reinforce written communication skills and include relevant insights into technology. In addition, courses within each perspective focus on objectives unique to that perspective.

  • Fine and Performing Arts - three hours.

    • This perspective emphasizes artistic creative endeavor and appreciation and the history of the arts. The courses include field experience with the professional arts community in Hampton Roads as well as with the faculty of relevant departments. The objectives are to foster an appreciation of aesthetic experiences, develop abilities to make reasoned aesthetic judgments and develop an understanding of diverse cultures.

    • ARTH 121A; ARTS 122A; MUSC 264A; DANC 185A; and THEA 241A.

  • History - six hours.

    • This perspective emphasizes the importance of understanding the past. The objectives are to promote an understanding of Western and non-Western cultures, values and institutions; to develop understanding of the perspectives, contributions and concerns of women and minorities; and to develop the student's ability to make reasoned judgments.

    • HIST 101H, 102H, 103H, 104H, and 105H.

  • Literature - three hours.

    • This perspective emphasizes the contribution of literature to culture. The objectives are to develop, through critical reading and analysis, the effective use of the English language, the ability to make reasoned aesthetic judgments, and an understanding of the perspectives, concerns and contributions of women and minorities.

    • ENGL 112L, 144L, and FLET 100L.

  • Philosophy - three hours.

    • This perspective emphasizes the ability to think critically about beliefs, values and moral issues that have shaped human society. The objectives are to develop abilities to make reasoned ethical judgments and to foster understanding of Western and non-Western cultures and values.

    • PHIL 110P, 120P, and 150P.

  • Natural Science and Technology - eleven or twelve hours.

    • This perspective has two requirements. The first is an eight-hour two-semester sequence in one of the natural sciences, including a full-semester laboratory schedule each semester. These courses introduce the disciplines and the methods of science and develop the abilities to make reasoned judgments based on scientific and technological considerations.

    • Courses that meet the first requirement in the natural science and technology perspective are BIOL 108N-109N, 115N-116N; CHEM 101N-102N, 115N-116N; GEOL 110N-112N, 111N-112N; OCEN 106N-107N; PHYS 101N-102N, 103N-104N, 111N-112N, 231N-232N.

    • The second requirement is a three- or four-hour one-semester course in a second natural science or in technology. Courses include a three- or four-hour approved natural science course, at any level and different from the one chosen for the first requirement- an additional "N" course, GEOL 120K, 122K, 302K or a three-hour approved course in technology - AE 300T; ARTH 352T; CHEM 351T; COMM 472T; HIST 304T, 389T; IT 360T; OPMT 303T; OTS 110T, 370T; PHIL 344T, 355T, 383T; POLS 350T; WMST 390T.

  • Social Science - six hours.

    • The goals of this perspective are to develop the ability to make reasoned ideological, ethical or scientific judgments, promote an understanding of the perspectives, contributions and concerns of women and minorities, and encourage understanding of both Western and non-Western cultures and their values, in addition to American culture and institutions. The courses must be from different disciplines.

    • ANTR 110S; COMM 200S; CRJS 215S; ECON 200S, 201S, 202S; GEOG 100S, 101S; POLS 100S, 101S; PSYC 201S, 203S; SOC 201S; WMST 201S.

For detailed course descriptions, please see the university catalog.