General Education Courses

Finish your degree on your terms with our flexible, fully online general education courses. Designed specifically for online degree-completion students, our courses fit your busy schedule while helping you meet core academic requirements. These courses are consistently offered in an eight-week, asynchronous format and utilize zero-cost textbooks. Get the quality education you need—anytime, anywhere.

Fall 2026

• CHEM 100 – Chemistry in Everyday Life (3 credits)
  • Nature and Technology Domain Elective
• ENGL 203 – Rhetoric and Composition II (3 credits)
  • Prerequisites: ENGL 103
  • Foundational Studies Writing Requirement
• PSYC 102 – Introduction to Psychology (3 credits)
  • Society and Culture Knowledge Domain Elective
• COMS 100 – Fundamentals of Oral Communication (3 credits)
  • Foundational Studies Oral Communication Requirement
• MATH 101 – Core Competencies in Mathematics (3 credits)
  • Prerequisites: Intermediate Algebra and Geometry
  • Foundational Studies Quantitative Literacy Requirement

Summer 2026

• CHEM 100 – Chemistry in Everyday Life (3 credits)
  • Nature and Technology Knowledge Domain Elective
• MATH 101 – Core Competencies in Mathematics (3 credits)
  • Prerequisites: Intermediate Algebra and Geometry
  • Foundational Studies Quantitative Literacy Requirement
• COMS 100 – Fundamentals of Oral Communication (3 credits)
  • Foundational Studies Oral Communication requirement

Spring 2026

8W1 – 1/12/26 through 3/7/26

• STAT 100 – Basic Statistics (3 credits)
  • Foundational Studies Quantitative Literacy Requirement
• ENGL 203 – Rhetoric and Composition II, Researched Writing in the Domains (3 credits)
  • Prerequisites: ENGL 103
  • Foundational Studies Writing Requirement

8W2 – 3/16/26 through 5/8/26

• HIST 171 – World History II: Problems in the Human Past (3 credits)
  • Human Diversity Course
  • Creativity and Critical Analysis Domain Elective

Fall 2025

8W1 – 8/25/25 through 10/19/25

• ENGL 103 – Rhetoric and Composition I (3 credits)
  • Foundational Studies Writing Requirement
• CHEM 100 – Chemistry in Everyday Life (3 credits)
  • Nature and Technology Knowledge Domain Elective

8W2 – 10/20/25 through 12/13/25

• COMS 100 – Fundamentals of Oral Communication (3 credits)
  • Foundational Studies Oral Communication Requirement
• MATH 101 – Core Competencies in Mathematics (3 credits)
  • Prerequisites: Intermediate Algebra and Geometry
  • Foundational Studies Quantitative Literacy Requirement
• SOCI 250 – Contemporary Social Institutions (3 credits)
  • Society and Culture Knowledge Domain Elective

Note: there may be additional online general education courses offered each semester that are not listed here. Connect with your academic advisor for a complete list or check our MyNIU course search page.