 As you begin your first semester at Ohio State, it is important to understand the structure of the degrees that the University awards. Though we offer both Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees, both require students to complete a minimum of 120 credit hours in order to graduate. Some degrees may actually include more than 120 hours, depending on what additional requirements there are. Of those 120 hours, about 60 of the hours are considered to be general education coursework. These courses, the GE, are the University's core foundational courses. These are not just courses to race through and check off quickly. They are the important classes you will take that will expand on the skills you began learning in high school and will prepare you for the academic rigor of your major courses. Every student, regardless of whether they start in university exploration or a declared major, begins their college degree by taking general education courses. We like to use the analogy of building an ice cream sundae. Your general education courses are the dish or cone that support your major courses, the ice cream flavor, that you want to sink your teeth into and become an expert in. Major coursework typically makes up 40 to 60 hours of your degree. Without a strong foundation, the ice cream in a sundae melts and slips through your fingers. Similarly, without strong practice in writing and analytical thinking, the odds of success in your major courses can be tenuous. Ohio State requires the same general education categories for every major. So for example, an art major will have to take science and math courses, and a science major will have to take visual art courses. Advisors will recommend specific general education courses to you when you indicate an interest in a particular major or meta major. These courses can be prerequisites needed to declare a major or just courses that will allow you to sample what a major might be like. You can be very strategic when you choose your general education courses. If you know you have an interest in a particular culture or subject, it is likely that we can help you pick general education courses across all the categories that will fit with that particular niche area. For example, students have created GE themes in mythology and folklore, the media, politics, food, and different cultures of the world. The third type of course that can make up a part of your degree is the elective course. In our Sunday analogy, these would be the sprinkles and extra toppings. Students take elective courses for a variety of reasons. Some students may be interested in pursuing a minor. Some may want to take a course to explore a major without making a commitment to it. And some may want to just take a course for fun because the subject is interesting or beneficial to them in some way. Elective courses can be physical fitness courses, language courses, specific subject matter or prerequisites for study abroad or student leadership. There is room for elective courses in every degree plan, and often these courses serve as a way to customize and individualize a student's chosen major.