Students in the Georgetown College will no longer be required to complete a minimum of 38 courses to graduate, the College Dean’s Office announced in a April 23 email to College students. The change will apply to all students graduating in the fall of 2019 or later.
Originally proposed by the College Curriculum Committee, the change was passed by the College Executive Council, the governing body of the College, on April 15.
Students in the all four undergraduate schools are currently required to meet both minimum credit and course requirements. College students must take 38 courses worth at least three credits and earn 120 credits in addition to meeting major and core class requirements in order to graduate.
According to the announcement, the scrapping of course requirements is intended to increase fairness among all College majors. Certain majors, especially in the sciences, require classes worth more than three credits, making the 38 course minimum more difficult to fulfill. The change is also expected to decrease the pressure on students to take summer classes in order to meet the requirement.
In the email, the College Deans expressed their hope that the change will “make life easier on students and … clarify the academic expectations across the curriculum, without compromising the strength, breadth, and depth of the liberal arts experience at the heart of the College degree.”
