Student Perceptions of General Education Requirements at a Large Public University: No Surprises?

The current study surveyed students’ knowledge of and perceptions about general education requirements at a large research-intensive university. Findings revealed that students harbored misconceptions about general education requirements and illuminated the reasons why students were choosing to take required general education courses at other institutions of higher education. Implications for better informing students about the relevance of courses and opportunities to “rebrand” general education messages for twenty-first-century students are discussed.