GE Petitions and Exceptions

An exception allows a course not previously approved for a General Education (GE) or Baccalaureate Degree (BD) requirement to fulfill a requirement if it meets learning outcome criteria for the designation area. 

Qualifications for an Exception

• Course must be 2.6+ credit hours.
• Course must address the Requirement Area Learning Outcomes for the requirement.
• Courses may fulfill one Core GE (AI, WR1, WR2, QL) or one Breadth GE (FF, HF, LS, PS, BF). Some may also fulfill a BD (CW, DV, IR, QI, DI, LR).
• Courses may double-count with major/minor requirements.

Exceptions for University of Utah Courses

Students should choose GE and BD courses already approved and listed in the class schedule and course catalog. Exceptions for U of U courses are rare and only considered under unique circumstances through the petition process.

• Consult Your Liaison: GE Liaisons can help determine if your unique circumstances may qualify for an exception.

Process for Requesting an Exception

1. Review the Criteria:  Check the Requirement Area Learning Outcomes for GE and BD requirements.
2. Compare your Course: Compare the course syllabus to the GE/BD learning outcomes.
3. Meet with your GE Liaison: Contact your college/school's GE Liaison. GE Liaisons can help you determine if a course is a potential match to the GE/BD learning outcomes. It is helpful to provide the course syllabus for evaluation. 
4. Evaluation Process: If you and your GE Liaison feel like the course is a good match for the GE/BD learning outcomes, submit a petition (details on the "Petitions" tab).
   1. Approval:
      • If the petition is approved, a GE Liaison will submit an exception request. 
      • The exception request is then reviewed by the Office of General Education and the Office of the Registrar. 
      • If the exception is accepted by both offices, the course will be added to your Degree Audit for the approved designation.
      • You will receive a notification via email regarding the approval. 
   2. Denial:
      • If the petition is denied, you will receive notification via email with an explanation as to why the course was denied for the requested designation. 

Ready to submit a petition? Click on the "Petitions" tab. 

A petition is a formal request to review a course for an exception. Petitions are reviewed by General Education (GE) Liaisons and the Office of General Education. In cases that are difficult to determine, members of the General Education Curriculum Committee (GECC) are consulted. 

Before submitting a petition:

1. Meet with a GE Liaison: Contact your college's GE Liaison to discuss potential exceptions. 
2. Transfer Credit: Ensure transfer courses are posted in the "Summary of Transfer Credit" section of your Degree Audit. Only officially posted courses can be evaluated.
3. Math (QL) Courses: QL courses must be evaluated by the Department of Mathematics. Submit evaluations using the Transfer Course Evaluation Form.

Steps to submit a petition:

1. Access the Petition Form:
   1. Click the petition link below and sign into your CIS account.
   2. Complete the form (see Step 2 below).
2. Provide Required Information:
   1. Section 1: Student Info - Autofill will complete most fields; add your major (or "Undeclared"). Click on the "Lookup Major" button to complete the "College Name" field. 
   2. Section 2: Course Info - Include:
      1. Appeal type (transfer, U of U, or Learning Abroad pre-approval).
      2. Institution where the course was completed.
      3. Course details (e.g., PSY 1010: Intro to Psychology).
      4. Requested GE/BD code (e.g., AI, FF).
      5. Personal statement explaining how the course meets the criteria.
      6. For U of U courses only, describe the unique circumstances that support the petition.
   3. Section 3: Attachments -
      1. Upload a copy of the syllabus. Petitions with a syllabus are more likely to be approved. 
      2. Upload a PDF of your Degree Audit (instructions to save as PDF are provided).
      3. Attach any additional documentation that supports your petition. 
3. Submit Your Petition: Once completed, the form will route to the appropriate evaluator.

Ready to submit? Click Here