A general education curriculum is the foundation of the undergraduate experience. It helps build the knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary to prepare students to make contributions in their careers, communities, and beyond as global citizens. The range of courses in the general education curriculum cultivates students’ intellectual flexibility and curiosity about the world. It offers students problem-solving and communication skills, along with an understanding of diverse perspectives, to equip them to advocate for themselves and others. SUNY’s longstanding commitment to a strong systemwide general education policy dates back to the late 1990s, with the establishment of the SUNY General Education Requirement (SUNY GER). In 2021, the SUNY Board of Trustees approved the SUNY General Education Framework (SUNY GE), ensuring that all SUNY undergraduate students will have this critical foundation, regardless of type of degree or area of study.
SUNY General Education Framework (SUNY GE)
On December 17, 2024, the SUNY Board of Trustees passed Resolution 2024-64, which amended Resolution 2021-48, passed by the SUNY Board of Trustees on November 9, 2021, that established the SUNY General Education Framework (SUNY GE).
The amended SUNY GE is applicable to new first-time students entering all associate and baccalaureate degree programs in or after fall 2026. The SUNY GE adopted in 2021 remains applicable to new first-time students who entered A.A., A.S., and all baccalaureate degree programs in or after fall 2023 but prior to fall 2026 and to new first-time students who entered A.A.S. and A.O.S. degree programs in or after fall 2024 but prior to fall 2026.
SUNY General Education Requirement (SUNY GER)
In December 1998, the State University of New York Board of Trustees passed Resolution 98-241, which established the SUNY General Education Requirement (SUNY GER). The SUNY GER policy was amended in January 2010 and remains applicable to students who began their undergraduate degree studies at a SUNY campus—with no interruption of study beyond two academic years—prior to implementation of the SUNY GE policy.