For information about the admission process, including deadlines, visit the Office of Undergraduate Admissions website. Applications can be submitted via the Common Application.

Supporting documents not submitted online should be mailed to:

Office of Undergraduate Admissions
The George Washington University
800 21st St NW Suite 100
Washington, DC 20052

For questions visit undergraduate.admissions.gwu.edu/contact-us.

Required for the major
AFST 1001Introduction to Africana Studies (taken within three semesters of declaring the major)
African American studies:
HIST 3360African American History to 1865
SOC 2179Race and Minority Relations
ENGL 3570Nineteenth-Century Black Literature
or ENGL 3950 Cultural Theory and Black Studies
Another course from the following designated courses: *
AMST 2440The American City
ENGL 3940Topics in African American Literary Studies
ENGL 3945African American Poetry
HIST 3360African American History to 1865
HIST 3361African American History Since 1865
HIST 3362African American Women’s History
HIST 2312The American Civil War and Reconstruction, 1850-1877
MUS 1108
MUS 3175Topics in Music History and Literature
SOC 2151
SOC 2170Class and Inequality in American Society
SOC 2179Race and Minority Relations
SOC 2169Urban Sociology
Four courses in African studies:
ANTH 3708Anthropology of Africa
HIST 3520Africans in the Making of the Atlantic World
or HIST 3540 West Africa to Independence
Two additional courses from the following list of designated courses *
HIST 3501Topics: Africa
HIST 3510African History to 1880
HIST 3520Africans in the Making of the Atlantic World
HIST 3530Women in Africa
HIST 3540West Africa to Independence
ANTH 3801African Roots from Australopithecus to Zimbabwe
IAFF 2093Africa: Problems and Prospects
PSC 2381Comparative Politics of Sub-Saharan Africa
PSC 2482African International Politics
FREN 3300Topics in French and Francophone Literatures and Cultures in Translation
FREN 3560Topics in Contemporary Francophone Literature and Cinema
GEOG 3154Geography of the Middle East and North Africa
GEOG 3164The Geography of Africa
Two courses in Latin American, Latino, and Caribbean studies:
HIST 3710History of Latin America I
Another course from the following list of designated courses *
ENGL 3930Topics in U.S. Latina/o Literature and Culture
FREN 3300Topics in French and Francophone Literatures and Cultures in Translation
FREN 3560Topics in Contemporary Francophone Literature and Cinema
GEOG 3161Geography of Latin America
IAFF 2090Latin America: Problems and Promise
HIST 3711History of Latin America II
SPAN 3600Special Topics
An upper-level course in gender studies from the following list of designated courses (this course may also count toward one of the above categories) *
ANTH 2501The Anthropology of Gender: Cross-Cultural Perspectives
HIST 3530Women in Africa
HIST 3362African American Women’s History
PHIL 2125Philosophy of Race and Gender
REL 3481Women in Islam
One additional course from above or from the following:
AMST 2020Washington, DC: History, Culture, and Politics
AMST 2410Modern U.S. Immigration
HIST 2803The Ancient Near East and Egypt to 322 B.C.
REL 3475Islamic Religion and Art
REL 3414Islamic Philosophy and Theology
GEOG 2133People, Land, and Food
GEOG 2141Cities in the Developing World

In addition to the University General Education Requirement, undergraduate students in Columbian College must complete a further, College-specific general education curriculum—Perspective, Analysis, Communication (G-PAC) as well as the course CCAS 1001 First-Year Experience. Together with the University General Education Requirement, G-PAC engages students in active intellectual inquiry across the liberal arts. Students achieve a set of learning outcomes that enhance their analytical skills, develop their communication competencies, and invite them to participate as responsible citizens who are attentive to issues of culture, diversity, and privilege.

Coursework for the University General Education Requirement is distributed as follows:

  • One course in critical thinking in the humanities.

  • Two courses in critical thinking, quantitative reasoning, or scientific reasoning in the social sciences.

  • One course that has an approved oral communication component.

  • One course in quantitative reasoning (must be in mathematics or statistics).
  • One course in scientific reasoning (must be in natural and/or physical laboratory sciences).
  • UW 1020 University Writing (4 credits).
  • After successful completion of UW 1020, 6 credits distributed over at least two writing in the discipline (WID) courses taken in separate semesters. WID courses are designated by a "W" appended to the course number. 

Coursework for the CCAS G-PAC requirement is distributed as follows:

  • Arts—one approved arts course that involves the study or creation of artwork based on an understanding or interpretation of artistic traditions or knowledge of art in a contemporary context.
  • Global or cross-cultural perspective—one approved course that analyzes the ways in which institutions, practices, and problems transcend national and regional boundaries.
  • Local or civic engagement—one approved course that develops the values, ethics, disciplines, and commitment to pursue responsible public action.
  • Natural or physical science—one additional approved laboratory course that employs the process of scientific inquiry (in addition to the one course in this category required by the University General Education Requirement).
  • Humanities—one additional approved humanities course that involves critical thinking skills (in addition to the one course in this category required by the University General Education Requirement).
  • CCAS 1001 First-Year Experience

Certain courses are approved to fulfill GPAC requirements in more than one category.

Courses taken in fulfillment of G-PAC requirements may also be counted toward majors or minors. Transfer courses taken prior to, but not after, admission to George Washington University may count toward the University General Education Requirement and G-PAC, if those transfer courses are equivalent to GW courses that have been approved by the University and the College.

Lists of approved courses in the above categories are included on each undergraduate major's page in this Bulletin.