University Core
Requirements

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University Core Requirements

The courses listed to fill the requirements are those offered through BYU Independent Study. Should you be able to come to campus during spring or summer terms, take BYU Evening Classes, or attend the BYU Salt Lake Center, you may consult the full listing of courses that satisfy the core as found in the class schedule by visiting the University catalog.

University Catalog
 

Doctrinal FoundationS
Requirements for students who started attending BYU before Fall 2015
Requirements Name of Course (credit hours)
Book of Mormon REL A 121 The Book of Mormon: 1 Nephi through Alma 29 (2)
AND
REL A 122 The Book of Mormon: Alma 30 through Moroni 10 (2)
New Testament REL A 211 New Testament: The Gospels (2)
OR
REL 212 New Testament: Acts through Revelations (2)
Doctrine and Covenants REL C 324 The Doctrine and Covenants Sections 1–76 (2)
OR
REL C 325 The Doctrine and Covenants Sections 77–OD 2 (2)
Religion Electives Up to 6 additional elective religion hours as needed
Six credits of religion electives are required for BYU students with no transfer credit. For students with transfer credit, the number of religion electives required varies based on the student’s total number of transfer credits, according to the chart below.

Students should look at the doctrinal foundation as consisting of two parts—a subject matter requirement and a credit–hours at BYU requirement. The subject matter may be filled with BYU courses or with previously transferred credit from another Church Educational System school or LDS Institute of Religion. These transferred courses must correspond to BYU courses (number, content, and hours) and will not reduce the number of total BYU religion hours.

  • Minimum Hours: A minimum number of religion credit hours must be completed through BYU, regardless of the number of religion credit hours transferred.
  • Maximum Hours: No more than 4 hours of religion credit per semester (or 4 hours during spring and summer terms combined) may be counted toward the religion requirement. No more than 18 total hours of religion may be counted toward the BGS degree.
Total Transfer Credits BYU Religion Hours Required Subject Matter Requirement
0–14.9 14 Book of Mormon, New Testament, Doctrine and Covenants
15–29.9 12 Book of Mormon, New Testament, Doctrine and Covenants
30–44.9 10 Book of Mormon, New Testament, Doctrine and Covenants
45–59.9 8 Book of Mormon, New Testament, Doctrine and Covenants
60–74.9 6 Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants
75–89.9 4 Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants
90 and up 2 Book of Mormon
Requirements for students who started attending BYU in Fall 2015 or later
Required Course (credit hours) Approved Substitution
REL C 200 The Eternal Family (2) None
REL C 225 Foundations of the Restoration (2) None
REL A 250 Jesus Christ and the Everlasting Gospel (2) REL A 211 New Testament (Gospels)
OR
REL A 311R New Testament Studies
REL A 275 Teachings and Doctrine of The Book of Mormon (2) REL A 121 Book of Mormon I
OR
REL A 122 Book of Mormon II
Electives (6)  

Transfer students must fulfill the BYU graduation requirements, including residency hours in religion. All students must fulfill the Cornerstone Courses or an approved substitute (for example, one could take Rel A 121 - The Book of Mormon instead of Rel A 275 - Teachings and Doctrine of the Book of Mormon) to graduate from BYU, regardless of how many credits a student is transferring. If you are transferring less than 45 credits to BYU, you will be required to take additional courses beyond the Cornerstones. These requirements can be seen below.

Total Hours Transferred to BYU Total BYU Religion Hours to Take While Enrolled at BYU (Residency Hours) Cornerstone Courses Required for Graduation*
0–14 14

REL C 200 The Eternal Family

REL C 225 Foundations of the Restoration

REL A 250 Jesus Christ and the Everlasting Gospel

REL A 275 Teachings and Doctrine of The Book of Mormon

or approved substitutions
15–29 12
30–44 10
45–59 8
60–74 6*
75–89 4*
90 or more 2*

*More religion credit may be needed if Cornerstone requirements have not been completed.

The Individual and Society
Requirement Name of Course (credit hours)
American Heritage

One-course option:

  • A HTG American Heritage (3)

OR complete one of the following two course combinations:

  • HIST 220 The United States Through 1877 (3) AND
    POLI 110† American Government and Politics (3)
  • HIST 220 The United States Through 1877 (3) AND
    ECON 110† Economic Principles and Problems (3)
  • POLI 110† American Government and Politics (3) AND
    ECON 110† Economic Principles and Problems (3))
  • HIST 221 The United States Since 1877 (3) AND
    POLI 110† American Government and Politics (3)
Global and Cultural Awareness

One course:

  • ANTHR 101† Cultural Anthropology (3)
  • EXDM 300 Creating a Good Life Through Experience Design (3)
  • GEOG 120 Geography and World Affairs (3)
  • GEOG 130 Introduction to Human Geography (3)
  • GERM 202† Second-Year German 2 (3)
  • HIST 202† World Civilization from 1500 (3)
  • HIST 251 Conquest and Colonization of Latin America
  • POLI 170† Introduction to International Politics (3)
  • REL C 351 Survey of World Religions (2)

† These courses are eligible to double-count for two separate university core requirements. Courses can double–count only once. A course used to double–count for two university core requirements is still eligible to be used for a BGS emphasis.

 

Skills
Requirement Name of Course (credit hours)
First–Year Writing (complete during the first year) WRTG 150 Writing and Rhetoric  (3)
Advanced Written and Oral Communication

One course:

  • WRTG 312 Persuasive Writing (3)
  • WRTG 315 Writing in the Social Sciences (3)
  • WRTG 316 Technical Communication (3) M 
  • M COM 320 Management Communication (3)
  • PSYCH 307 Writing Within Psychology (3)
Quantitative Reasoning

One course:

  • ACC 200 Principles of Accounting (3)
  • MATH 102 Quantitative Reasoning
  • MATH 110 College Algebra (3) OR any other math course higher than MATH 110 
  • PHIL 205 Introduction to Logic and Critical Thinking (3)
  • PSYCH 308† Psychological Statistics (3)
  • SFL 260* Family Finance (3)
  • STAT 121 Introduction to Statistical Data Analysis (3) OR ACT math subscore of 22 or above; or SAT math subscore of 500 or above

* If taken on campus fall 2007 or later, or enrolled through BYU Independent Study after October 24, 2007.
Languages of Learning**

One course:

  • GERM 202† Second-Year German 2 (4)
  • MATH 112† Calculus 1 (4)
  • MATH 113† Calculus 2  (4)
  • PHIL 305 Intermediate Formal Logic (3)
  • PSYCH 308† Psychological Statistics (4)
  • STAT 121† Principles of Statistics (3)

†These courses are eligible to double-count for two separate university core requirements. Courses can double-count only once. A course used to double-count for two university core requirements is still eligible to be used for a BGS emphasis.

‡All Languages of Learning courses have prerequisites: Math 110 and 111 are prerequisite to Math 112; Math 110 is a prerequisite for Psych 308 and Stat 121; Math 112 is prerequisite to Math 113; Germ 101, 102, and 201 are prerequisite to Germ 202. Foreign language prerequisites are not offered through Independent Study.

 

Arts, Letters, and Sciences
Requirement Name of Course (credit hours)
Civilization 1

One course:

  • HIST 201 World Civilization to 1500 (3)
  • IHUM 201 Western Humanities 1: Antiquity to Renaissance  (3)
  • MUSIC 201 Civilization: Music 1 (3)
  • POLI 201 Western Political Heritage 1 (3)
Civilization 2

One course:

  • HIST 202† World Civilization from 1500 (3)
  • IHUM 202† Western Humanities 2: Renaissance to the Present (3)
  • MUSIC 202† Civilization: Music 2 (3)
  • POLI 202† Western Political Heritage 2 (3)
Arts

One course:

  • IHUM 101 An Introduction to the Humanities (3)
  • MUSIC 202† Civilization: Music 2 (3)
  • MUSIC 204 Introduction to Jazz (3)
  • PWS 103 Residential Landscape Design (3)
  • SFL 102 Introduction to Interiors (3)
Letters

One course:

  • ENGL 230 Studies in Literature (3)
  • HIST 302 Italian Renaissance (3)
  • IHUM 202† Western Humanities 2: Renaissance to the Present (3)
  • POLI 202† Western Political Heritage 2 (3)
Biological Science

One course:

  • Bio 100 Principles of Biology (3)
  • CELL 120 Science of Biology (3)
  • MMBIO 221 General Microbiology (3)
  • NDFS 100 Essentials of Human Nutrition (3)
Physical Science

One course option:

  • PHY S 100 Physical Science (3)

OR two–course option (complete one course each from two of the following groups):

Group 1:

  • PHSCS 105 General Physics 1 (3)
  • PHSCS 121 Introduction to Newtonian Mechanics (3)
  • PHSCS 127 Descriptive Astronomy (3)
  • PHSCS 137 Energy, Climate, Environment(3)

Group 2:

  • GEOL 101 Introduction to Geology (3)
  • GEOL 103 Life of the Past (3)

Group 3:

  • CHEM 105 General College Chemistry 1 with Lab (Integrated) (4)
Social Science

One course:

  • ANTHR 101† Cultural Anthropology (3)
  • ECON 110† Economic Principles and Problems (3)
  • EXSC 221 Science of Wellness (3)
  • HIST 217 The Family Historian's Craft (3)
  • POLI 110† American Government and Politics (3)
  • POLI 170† Introduction to International Politics (3)
  • PSYCH 111 Introduction to Psychological Science (3)
  • SFL 160 Introduction to Family Processes (3)
  • SOC 111 Introductory Sociology (3)
  • SOC 112 Current Social Problems (3)